Kegels

I'm going to see the man next week to schedule surgery, which probably won't happen for another six to eight weeks. Should I be doing Kegels now?

If so, is there a definitive source of information about exactly how to do them? I've read a few different accounts, and they all differ somewhat.

I'll stand on my head and whistle yankee doodle for the next two months if it'll help me avoid incontinence. Thanks.

 

Not sure about other's experiences, but I remember the craze was to do Kegels to "improve" relations with the girlfriends in college, with the girls leading the charge.

Just didn't know I'd be needing them again to get back where I once was - oh, well.

Thanks for the input; the information out there is a little confusing.

Walsh recommends in his book that you do it only when urinating, and that overdoing it can be worse than not doing it at all. That kind of got me wondering about making sure I do it right.

I'll check out the UStoo website; I've been there before, but they don't have a local chapter in Cleveland. For sure I won't be doing kegels when the catheter is in. My only plans for that time are to watch CNN to see if somebody just came up with a pill that cures prostate cancer. I just know it's gonna happen right after my surgery, and I'm gonna so want my money back...

If I had known this was a way to get college girls, I would have started months ago. Thanks for the tip. I'll get busy.  

Prior to surgery I was running up to 24 miles a week. Post surgery I have some reoccurring problems with my left foot from an injury which has restricted my ability to run but I substituted up to 100 miles a week on the bike (to and from work all summer and extra mileage on the weekends). I have now joined a 24 hr gym for the winter. I comment on the above because I believe that the running is what made my recovery a non-event. I’d like to see one of the unofficial polls that people do here as to how running prior to surgery relates to urinary incontinence/continence. My guess would be that very few individuals that were active runners for a period of one year prior to surgery had major issues with post op continence problems. Just curious. I believe that running/jogging for an extended period of time is the best pelvic floor muscular conditioning thing you can do. However I understand some patients can’t do that for a number of reasons so the “kegels” would be an important physical therapy in that post operative group. I have had several people tell me that doing the kegels have made a major impact in recovery.
Best of luck

Hero

My Urologist gave me, pre-op, several guides to the proper way to Kegel. I don't think they helped me much and now that I'm two-years post-op and still using one to two light pads a day ... my Urologist/Surgon tells me there's no way to tell if doing the Kegels really help, but he feels there's no harm in trying.

This is what I found, but it doesn't mean I've been sticking to the method. I just squeeze that "stop the flow" muscle at irregular intervals during the day.

Up to ten times a day…

Sitting on a chair with your legs apart lean forward, resting your elbows on your knees, and make a conscious effort to relax your abdominal muscles and buttocks. Although sitting like this is probably the best way in which to do these exercises, they can be done whilst standing or lying down, with the knees slightly apart.

Contract the muscles around the urethra (imagine stopping the stream of urine whilst urinating). Keep the muscles contracted for the count of five (one-and two-and three-and four-and five) and then relax the muscles. After the count of five, repeat this cycle of contraction and relaxation five times.

Next contract these muscles quickly and strongly, then relax immediately. Repeat these quick contractions and relaxation five times in rapid succession.

Now do five slow and five rapid contractions with the muscles around the anal canal (imagine you are stopping yourself passing wind) instead of those around the urethra.

Next, stand with your legs slightly apart and contract both sets of muscles at the same time – it should feel as if you are pulling up the entire pelvic floor. Contract and relax these muscles five times, trying to contract them more strongly each time.

Alf