Urinary Incontinence

Cheryle Gartley

I’m trying to do Kegel exercises, but I’m not sure I’m doing them right. How do I know?

Because the guidelines put out by the federal government regarding the treatment of urinary incontinence recommend the use of the least invasive treatments first, many patients are told to strengthen their muscles by doing Kegel exercises. Although good advice, the key word here is "told." Without being shown, many people end up confused as to whether they are doing the exercises correctly.

Fortunately there are ways to be sure. Biofeedback is one way to identify the correct muscle group. By trial and error, you learn to consciously control processes which had been involuntary. Biofeedback for incontinence usually involves the gentle insertion of a small probe into the vagina that will detect a muscle contraction. When the exercise is done correctly you can see the contraction on a graph or series of lights on a screen, or hear a sound which changes in response to the strength of the muscle contraction (depending on the type of biofeedback equipment being used).

Like any other exercise, learning how to do Kegel exercises can be more difficult for some people than others. Individuals who are not helped by biofeedback can try electrical stimulation, a treatment option which uses an electrical current to cause the muscles to contract.

This question of whether you are doing the exercises right is important. If you were told (not shown) to do Kegel exercises, or decided to try them on your own after reading instructions in a popular magazine, then there is always the possibility that you don’t yet know if they will help you. Without realizing it, you may have been exercising your buttocks or abdominal muscles instead. Checking to see you are exercising the correct muscles might yet be the key to success!

Cheryle Gartley
Founder and President, the Simon Foundation for Continence
www.simonfoundation.org