Incontinence – Learning How To Do Kegel Exercise Effectively
Incontinence Learning How To Do Kegel Exercise Effectively
A common therapy for stress incontinence is the use of Kegel exercises to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor. This muscle group is responsible for supporting the organs in the lower abdomen and if they become weakened by loss of tone, tearing or stretching (all common events in a childbirth) the bladder becomes unsupported and sensitive to even light pressure like a sneeze or a laugh.
Kegel exercises are isometric exercises that focus on tightening and then slowly relaxing the muscle group. Unfortunately, these muscles can be difficult to identify for the average person and almost impossible for a male to "feel." You can do your Kegels faithfully but if you are contracting the wrong muscles there will be no effect on your incontinence.
Biofeedback can play a big part in enabling a person to identify the correct muscles so that their exercise regimen is effective. Biofeedback is basically the attachment of sensors which can provide immediate feedback to a patient in the form of light or sound allowing the patient to know when they've hit the right muscle group and when they are exercising the wrong group.
By providing this immediate feedback the patient learns what the pelvic floor muscles "feel" like and improves their exercise performance.
There is no pain or discomfort with biofeedback. Because the muscles that need the exercise are closest to the skin near the anus, sensors are placed teir to detect flexing and releasing. Other sensors are placed on the abs as these are commonly mistaken for pelvic floor muscles.
For most people, two or three sessions is all that is needed to identify and "learn" the correct group. Biofeedback is just one more therapy available for people with incontinence issues. If you have this condition or you know somebody who does, and their having difficulty exercising, then it may be appropriate for them to try out this method to greater increase their chances of controlling or at least managing their continence issues.