In physical therapy there are excellent treatment options for urine control, which are indicated before or after surgery.
Physical therapy consists of strengthening the pelvic floor muscles to prevent involuntary urine loss, but to have the desired effect it must be done daily at home, in addition to going to the clinic at least once a week.
- Kegel exercises.
- Electrostimulation.
- Biofeedback and vaginal cones may be used in urinary incontinence physiotherapy.
- This type of treatment may be indicated for all cases of incontinence.
- Whether emergency.
- Stress.
- In men.
- Women.
- Children and even after prostate removal.
Here’s how each technique can be performed
To perform Kegel exercises, you must first identify your pelvic floor muscles: just try to hold the pee while urinating. If you can at least reduce the amount of urine a little, it means you get the right muscles.
To perform these exercises you have to empty the bladder by peeing, then you have to lie on your back and do this contraction 10 times in a row, and then you have to rest 5 seconds. Then, 9 more repetitions of this series must be performed, totaling 100 contractions.
After a few days, a balloon can be added between the legs or elastic bands to help maintain concentration and facilitate the correct realization of the complete set.
To perform these exercises, you should sit or get up and shrink your belly as much as possible, while sucking the pelvic floor muscles. During this exercise, you should breathe normally, but to make sure the muscles inside the vagina are properly contracted, this may be associated with the use of electrostimulation.
A few weeks after Kegel exercises can be successfully performed, the physical therapist may indicate the introduction of small cones into the vagina, to further strengthen the pelvic floor musculature. The cones have different weights, and first you have to start with the lighter one. For best results, the physical therapist may indicate that the exercise is performed in different positions, sitting, lying down or standing, so as not to drop the cone of the vagina.
The first exercises should be performed with the woman lying down, then the intensity of the exercises should be increased until the woman is able to hold the cone inside the vagina for at least 5 seconds in the standing position and then during a squat, for example. Another exercise is to insert the cone into the vagina and not drop it while walking for 15 to 20 minutes.
Electrostimulation is another resource in which the device is placed inside the vagina or around the penis and the penis emits a light, fully bearable electrical current that involuntarily contracts the perineum. Studies have shown that this does not bring much benefit in treatment, but this can be of great help for women who do not know exactly what muscle to contract, being a good choice for the first sessions.
Thus, as with electrostimulation, a small device should be inserted into the vagina, connected to a computer, which will generate images and sounds during the perineum contraction. This device can be useful so that women can identify the muscles that need to contract, being more aware of the strength they need to perform during each movement.
It is also part of the treatment to always maintain a good sitting posture, as there is less pressure on the pelvic floor, which contributes to faster healing of incontinence. To sit in the correct posture, you should always sit above your buttocks, without crossing your legs, and maintain a small contraction of your abs. In this position, the pelvic floor muscles are naturally strengthened.
To confirm that the treatment performed has the desired effect, the physiotherapist can use the perineometer (Wilcoxon test) and the test where 2 fingers are inserted into the vagina, asking you to contract the perineum (Wilcoxon test). Thus, it is possible to evaluate the ability of these muscles to contract from the first session.
The time required to treat urinary incontinence depends on the degree of deterioration of the perineum and the person’s efforts to perform the exercises. The average duration of treatment varies from 6 months to 1 year, and in approximately 6 to 8 weeks, it is possible to notice the first results. But after this period, it is advisable to continue performing the exercises every week, to guarantee the results for long periods.
In some cases, your doctor may recommend surgery to cure incontinence, but in about 5 years it is common for the same symptoms to recur, requiring new physical therapy.
Find out how to drink water to the right extent and what else you can do to control your urine in this video: