Purpose:
To help control urinary leaking and urgency
Background:
Urinary leaking can be an embarrassing and frustrating issue that affects millions of patients. There are exercises that can be for performed to strengthen the pelvic muscles that help control this issue. These exercises are referred to as "Kegel's" or "Kegel exercises". Pelvic floor muscles surround the urethra, which is the channel urine travels from the bladder to the outside of the body. By strengthening this muscle, urinary leaking and urinary urgency can be improved.
How to perform:
To perform one Kegel exercise, you will squeeze and release your pelvic muscles. One way to learn to do this is to start and stop the urinary stream while urinating. This is the sensation you have while performing these.
- Squeeze your muscles for 1 second and hold
- Relax your muscles for 2 seconds
- Each time you squeeze and relax accounts is 1 set
- Complete 5 sets
When this becomes comfortable, increase to 10 times per day. Also increase the time you squeeze the muscles and your rest time to 3 seconds to squeeze and 3 seconds to rest. When that gets easier, work your way up to 30 sets, 2 times a day, every day. It can take up to 6 weeks of daily exercises to see results.
- *Perform the Kegel exercises in different positions. Do 10 sets lying down, 10 sets sitting, and 10 sets standing.
- *Try and develop daily habits as reminders to complete these exercises.
- Examples: In the morning before getting out of bed, while driving in the car, during commercial breaks while watching television, before bedtime
- *If this is ineffective, we can place a referral to Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy
Please be encouraged if symptoms are not controlled with the above recommendations there are medication options that maybe appropriate for you. Please speak with your healthcare provider regarding other treatment options for urinary leaking and urgency.
Please do not hesitate to contact our office with questions or concerns.
937-293-1622
Reference: Urology Care Foundation (2017). Pelvic Floor Muscle Strength; What You Should Know. Linthicum, MD.