Kegel – Pelvic Floor Exercises
Kegel exercises were developed by Arnold Kegel MD, a surgeon, in the 1940′s, as treatment for stress urinary incontinence. Dr. Kegel developed a device called a perineometer to assist women in a biofeedback training program to strengthen their pelvic muscles. By 1950. Kegel was reporting a 93% success rate in incontinence treatment.
The Perineometer
The perineometer was comprised of a small rubber cone that was inserted into the vagina, a length of rubber tubing, and a 2-inch diameter manometer (air pressure gauge) calibrated in millimeters of Mercury (HG). Women would start out squeezing the rubber cone generating pressures of 5-6 mm HG and after several months, they were able to generate pressures of 50-60 mm HG.
Kegels Today
Today Kegel exercises are generally done without the use of vaginal devices. The pelvic floor muscle (bulbocavernosus) is contracted and held for about 6 seconds. The pelvic floor muscle is a “hammock” of muscles that hold the pelvic organs in place. After the 6-second contraction, the muscle is relaxed and another contraction begun, and so on at the rate of five contractions a minute.
If you want to do Kegels, but cannot identify and isolate the pelvic floor muscle from your doctor’s verbal instructions, testing with a finger in the vagina will make sure that the correct muscle is being contracted.
Preventing Uterine Prolapse
During pregnancy and delivery, the pelvic floor can become stretched and weakened, commonly causing urine control problems for months to years after childbirth. A weakened pelvic floor can also allow one or more pelvic organs to sag. This condition is called uterine prolapse. If you are pregnant, start doing daily Kegels and continue them after having your baby.
Kegels for Men
In men, Kegel exercises are used to treat stress incontinence and urge incontinence, a need to urinate that is so strong that you cannot reach the toilet in time.
How to do Your Kegels
Kegel exercises are easy to do and you can do them anywhere without anyone knowing.
- First, as you are sitting or lying down, try to contract the muscles you would use to stop urinating. You should feel your pelvic muscles squeezing your urethra and anus. If your stomach or buttocks muscles tighten, you are not exercising the right muscles.
- When you’ve found the right way to contract the pelvic muscles, squeeze for 3 seconds and then relax for 3 seconds.
- Repeat this exercise 10 to 15 times per session. Try to do this at least 3 times a day. Remember, Kegel exercises are only effective when done regularly. The more you exercise, the more likely it is that the exercises will help.
July 24th, 2010 at 2:29 am
After the birth of my fourth child, I didn’t get back my full bladder control. After working with Kegel exercises, I didn’t have any relief. I went to an OB/Gyn to see if there were anything to be done. Surgery was recommended. I was not open to this line of defense, so I continued to live with leakage.
I was introduced to the Parazapper and the book The Cure for all Diseases. I started zapping daily after having a malignant melanoma removed, and I started reading the book to educate myself.
After reading the section on incontinence, I started to pay attention to my bladder functions. I found that zapping regularly after about three weeks gave me full bladder control. If I didn’t zap regularly, I would start to lose some bladder function. Almost 6 months later, I am still zapping and can now sneeze, cough, and run without any fear of leaking.
This is only one of the many positive effects I have had since I began zapping and cleaning up my environment.