There are few subjects women don’t talk about, we discuss everything from diet to divorce but there’s one subject that still seems to be taboo – urinary incontinence.
Studies carried out by the Bladder and Bowel Foundation report that as many as six million people in the UK are currently suffering from Urinary Incontinence (UI) and many of them are women. In fact, one in three women suffers from Urinary Incontinence yet only half seek help and very few ever discuss the condition. Many women who are suffering in silence aren’t aware that by strengthening their pelvic floor they can improve and even eliminate Urinary Incontinence.
Thankfully help now comes in the form of a medical device designed to make strengthening your pelvic floor easier than ever before. PeriCoach is a ‘smart tech’ pelvic floor muscle training system which is a discreet, at home device which works alongside a smartphone app.
If you have children you will most likely have been told post-partum to do your pelvic floor or Kegel exercises, but how many of us actually did, or indeed did them correctly. Developed by Dr Arnold Kegel, an American Gynaecologist, Kegel exercises are a non-surgical treatment to prevent UI carried out by repeatedly contracting and releasing the muscles which support the pelvic floor.
Pelvic floor strengthening is the leading treatment recommended by the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Women’s Health for stress incontinence.
Dr Pixie McKenna, GP and presenter of Channel 4’s Embarrassing Bodies says: “As a GP I regularly recommend Kegel exercises to help strengthen the pelvic floor. Bladder leakage can be a consequence of pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, high impact sport or physical activity. As a result muscles that support the pelvic floor become weakened or damaged leading to embarrassing leakage. Other causes include severe constipation, weight gain and occasional hormonal changes in young women in the pre-menstrual week.”
Keeping your pelvic floor in shape with Kegel exercises can be daunting and frustrating, particularly as it’s hard to monitor results or to know whether you are performing them correctly. Up to 50% of women are unsuccessful when they are given verbal or written instructions alone.
“The key factor in restoring the pelvic floor muscles is not just doing the exercises; it’s doing them consistently and correctly and identifying the right muscles. For example, many women push down rather than pull up which can sometimes exacerbate the problem,” Dr Pixie explained.
Six tips for a problem you can fix
The device is a discreet unit which arrives in its own storage and charging case. Simply charge the unit using a USB plug and the supplied lead. After connecting to the PeriCoach app which is available to download free from the Apple store and Google Play, you insert the device into the vaginal canal. Three built-in biosensors detect the strength of each muscle contraction and the results are instantly sent to the smartphone app over a Bluetooth wireless connection. The app collects and analyses the readings and displays a picture of how the user is doing over time.
If you are being treated by a clinician they can access the results via a secure web portal called my.pericoach.com this will allow them to also monitor your progress.
You just need to carry out a number of concentrated exercises each day using PeriCoach for effective results after 8-12 weeks. If motivation has been a problem in the past, actually seeing your progress will help, and reminders from PeriCoach will ensure you never miss a day’s exercises.
Using a detailed programme of exercises that progressively get harder as your pelvic floor improves, the PeriCoach will take you through different levels from beginner to intermediate, advanced, and finally maintenance programmes. The app will give you precise instructions when to squeeze, how long to hold and when to relax, completely taking the guess work out of Kegel exercises. Seeing the feedback and knowing you are progressing is encouragement in itself, not experiencing urinary incontinence is life changing for many, and the added bonus of having a stronger pelvic floor is that it can enhance sexual pleasure.
PeriCoach, the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) approved device has just launched in the UK which is timely as it’s World Continence Week from 22nd-28th June.
PeriCoach comes in a discreet storage and charging case and costs £145.00 it’s available now from PeriCoach