Pelvic Floor exercises also known as “Kegels” are exercises that can help improve your bladder or bowel control. When done properly they can strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor to help hold your urine or feces.
Learning to do pelvic floor exercises and identifying the muscles of the pelvic floor can be challenging. There are Apps you can download for free including: Daily Kegel and Kegel-Pelvic Floor Exercise. There are also a number of devices that can be helpful including:
Kegel Exercise Balls: weighted balls available in 3 resistance levels that fit in the vagina and allow you to feel the resistance while contracting the pelvic floor muscles. Available online at www.intimina.com.
Elvie Personal Trainer: a small device that fits in the vagina and is Bluetooth connected. It guides you through the exercises and measures the contractions in the real time. Available at Elvie.com
Vibrance Pelvic Trainer: offers vibration biofeedback and is another great device available at vibrancepelvictrainer.com
Lastly we offer Pelvic Floor Muscle Training (PFMT) sessions with a trained nurse practitioner from Consortia Medical, a private company specializing in incontinence treatments and resources. Appointments are scheduled once a week for up to 8 weeks in our office. Insurance will often cover this treatment and our office will verify that for you. During these sessions you will be evaluated and instructed on how to perform the exercises. Transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the pelvic floor muscles will also be performed.
Conditions treated include:
- Urinary Incontinence
- Overactive Bladder
- Urinary frequency
- Urinary Urgency
- Fecal Incontinence
- Chronic Constipation
- Painful sexual intercourse
