Weak bladder. Lol over the years I have become quite an expert - ataxia can weaken stuff down there, child bearing and age!
I am lucky enough to see a neuro-physio regularly and told her about 10 years ago and she suggested I see her friend a physio who deals with bladder problems. She taught me many exercises to strengthen my pelvic floor. At the time I was embarrassed and used sanitary towels.
I now use Always Discreet towels, but you need to find the brand you like (there are many). But I started getting leaking at night time. You can get excellent mattress protectors, and look at cot protectors too.
To help with night times and going out I now use sanitary pants - again you need to find right brand for you.
I hope this is useful x
Written by
Litty
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🙂 Thanks for the tips, Litty. I’m starting to have problems myself with leaking, it’s got to the point where if I ignore the urge...🥴 Speaking of which, I’m just getting out of the chair 😉
Thank you for being open about the problem which I’ve found difficult to accept or speak about. I use pads day and night and, yes, they vary a great deal. I have not reached the mattress stage (yet). Thanks again.
Men have the same sling of pelvic floor muscles as women, and if they have ‘weak bladders’ (particularly after treatment for an enlarged prostate) they too can benefit from pelvic floor muscle exercises. Contact B&BF for a factsheet on ‘Pelvic floor exercises for men’.
In the mornings I have to go to the toilet a lot but not so often in the afternoon or evening. When we were in Australia, which has an opposite time zone, I still had more of a problem in the mornings. I always wear pads to be on the safe side.
Thank you!! It was helpful! Can u please tell me specific exercises & details to do to strengthen my weak bladder bc I’m way too young to have this issue? Thank you.
Physiotherapists, doctors and nurses know that exercising the pelvic floor muscles can help you to improve your bladder control. When done correctly, these exercises can build up and strengthen these muscles and so help you to control your bladder and bowel.
What is the pelvic floor?
The pelvic floor consists of layers of muscle and ligaments that stretch from the pubic bone to the end of the backbone (coccix) and from side to side (see diagram). Firm, supportive pelvic floor muscles help support the bladder, womb and bowel, and to close the bladder outlet and back passage.
How does the pelvic floor work?
The muscles of the pelvic floor are kept firm and slightly tense to stop leakage of urine from the bladder and wind or faeces from the bowel. When you pass water or have a bowel motion the pelvic floor muscles relax. Afterwards, they tighten again to restore control. The muscles actively squeeze when you laugh, cough, lift or sneeze to help prevent any leakage. They also have an important sexual function, helping to increase sexual awareness for both yourself and your partner during intercourse.
Exercising the pelvic floor muscles can strengthen them
so they give the correct support. This will improve your bladder control and improve or stop leakage of urine.
Like any other muscles in the body, the more you use and exercise them, the stronger the pelvic floor muscles will be.
Finding your pelvic floor muscles
It is not always easy to find your pelvic floor muscles. Exercising them should not show at all ‘on the outside’. You should not pull in your tummy excessively, squeeze your legs together, tighten your buttocks or hold your breath! Here is what to do:
1. Sit comfortably with your knees slightly apart. Now imagine that you are trying to stop yourself passing wind from the bowel. To do this you must squeeze the muscles around the back passage. Try squeezing and lifting that muscle as if you really do have wind. You should be able to feel the muscle move. Your buttocks and legs should not move at all. You should be aware of the skin around the back passage tightening and being pulled up and away from your chair. Really try to feel this squeezing and lifting.
2. Now imagine you are sitting on the toilet passing urine. Picture yourself trying to stop the stream of urine. You should be using the same group of muscles that you used before, but don’t be surprised if you find this harder. (Do not try to stop the stream when you are actually passing water as this may - if repeated - cause problems with correct emptying).
3. Now try to tighten the muscles around your back passage, vagina and front passage and lift up inside as if trying to stop passing wind and urine at the same time. It is very easy to bring other incorrect muscles
How can exercising the pelvic floor muscles help?
Bringing them into into play, so try to isolate your pelvic floor as much as possible by not squeezing your legs together, not tightening your buttocks and not holding your breath. The lower tummy can very gently be drawn in as if pulling away from the zip of tight trousers. In this way most of the effort should be coming from the pelvic floor muscles.
Practising your exercises
Now you can find your pelvic floor muscles, here are the exercises to do:
1. Your pelvic floor muscles need to have stamina. So sit, stand or lie with your knees slightly apart. Slowly tighten and pull up the pelvic floor muscles as hard as you can. Try lifting and squeezing them as long as you can. Rest for 4 seconds and then repeat the contraction. Build up your strength until you can do 10 slow contractions at a time, holding them for 10 seconds each with rests of 4 seconds in between.
2. Your pelvic floor muscles also need to react quickly to sudden stresses from coughing, laughing or exercise that puts pressure on the bladder. So practise some quick contractions, drawing in the pelvic floor and holding it for just one second before relaxing. Try
to achieve a strong muscle tightening with up to ten quick contractions in succession.
Aim to do a set of slow contractions (exercise 1) followed by a set of quick contractions (exercise 2) 3-4 times each day.
It takes time for exercise to make muscles stronger. You are unlikely to notice any improvement for several weeks - so stick at it! You will need to exercise regularly for at least 3 months before the muscles gain their full strength.
Tips to help you
1. Get into the habit of doing your exercises during normal day to day activities. For example, whilst cleaning your teeth or waiting for a kettle to boil.
2. If you are unsure that you are exercising the right muscles, put your thumb into the vagina and try the exercises to check. You should feel a gentle squeeze as the pelvic floor muscle contracts.
3. Tighten your pelvic floor muscles when you feel you might be about to leak - pull up the muscles before you cough, laugh, sneeze or lift anything heavy. Your control will gradually improve.
4. Drink normally - about 6-8 large glasses of fluid a day, avoiding caffeine if you can. Water is best! And don’t get into the habit of going to the toilet ‘just in case’. Go only when you feel your bladder if full.
5. Watch your weight - extra weight puts extra strain on your pelvic floor muscles.
6. Once you have regained control of your bladder, don’t forget your pelvic floor muscles. Continue to do your pelvic floor exercises a few times each day to ensure that the problem does not come back.
Remember: you can exercise your pelvic floor muscles wherever you are - nobody will know what you are doing!
Do you have any questions?
This information sheet is designed to teach you how
to control your bladder, so that you’ll be dry and comfortable. If you have problems doing the exercises, or if you don’t understand any part of this information sheet, ask your doctor, nurse, continence advisor or specialist continence physiotherapist for help.
Do your pelvic floor muscle exercises every single day. Have faith in them. You should begin to see results in a few weeks if you are exercising correctly - but don’t stop then: make the exercises a permanent part of your daily life.
Pelvic floor exercises for men
Men have the same sling of pelvic floor muscles as women, and if they have ‘weak bladders’ (particularly after treatment for an enlarged prostate) they too can benefit from pelvic floor muscle exercises. Contact B&BF for a factsheet on ‘Pelvic floor exercises for men’.
I’m moving soon & am doing some packing & also helping 2 younger children with their science projects.! I have a lot go on now. Unfortunately, they don’t an ataxia specialist in my city. I’ll read this & try some exercises once I’m settled in.
Thank you for this very informative fact sheet. Many people are embarrassed to talk about these issues but thankfully people are starting to become more open. Thanks again for your input.
🙂 There are videos on YouTube which explain how to use the Kegel 8 machines and probes, and how to tell if they are working correctly. Search for Kegel8.co.uk Scroll down to..’getting started with an electronic pelvic floor toner’ 🙂
For gentlemen, the rewards span throughout a couple of unique areas. Initially, superior male orgasms, which can be more robust and go longer, are the obvious rewards. Robust pubococcygeus muscles ignites your ejaculation further, so you'll likely to end up satisfied with the enhanced range you are able to generate. With some men this is certainly more valuable compared to other individuals due to Erectile Dysfunction. An additional essential advantage of accomplishing Kegels would be the fact you'll obtain total power over premature ejaculation. Considering that the PC muscles are a huge component of your climax, obtaining charge of it indicates your command when you'd like to release. Lastly, a non-sexual gain for males is the urinary system health. A powerful PC muscle will make it possible for more mature adult men to obtain far better management of their urination routine. Urination difficulties creep up on adult men as time gets to be a factor, and the opportunity to dictate your urination schedule far better is a tremendous advantage of developing a strong PC muscle.
Rewards for Kegel exercises for Men on a regular basis:
* You can continue to keep and preserve a wholesome prostate health and other connected internal organs
* Learning to improve your PC muscles will allow you to achieve and keep a significantly tougher and stronger erection quality anytime
* A proper PC muscle will assist you to handle once you climax by having the capacity to hold it - this is usually a method to overcome premature ejaculation
* Kegel exercises can boost the circulation of blood and the results can raise your sizing and level of sensitivity
Now Men, lets locate the correct muscle groups:
Commence to pee, and then cease the stream of urine. The muscles you just utilized to cease the stream of urine are your PC muscles.
Exercise ceasing urination mid-flow; the more you train, the greater your concept of exactly where the PC muscle is to contract them.
Make an effort to make your erection bounce or twitch. The PC muscle moves the erect male organ; the moment you've found the pc muscle and utilized flexing it, while using the motion of one's erection as visible feedback, you may then apply flexing it when you're flaccid.
Here are a few means of performing exercises to your muscles with Kegels:
In the beginning you may want to execute these routines while seated. Considering that the muscle groups improve you'll be able to advance to exercise standing. Like every task, focus on what you are able accomplish and advance after that. Bear in mind to apply your muscles while you exert your self within your lifestyle.
If you're able to sense your muscles, exercise them by:
1. Compressing / tightening up and drawing in and up close to both equally your rectum (back passageway) and urethra. Elevate up inside and make an effort to sustain this contraction tightly as long as you possibly can (one - ten seconds). Retain inhaling and exhaling! Now relieve / unwind. You ought to have an absolute sense of letting go.
2. Relax ten - twenty mere seconds - duplicate Step one, please remember you will need to relax. If you discover it's effortless to maintain, make an effort to maintain lengthier and duplicate as much as it's possible. Work on twelve lengthy, powerful holds.
Suggestions and Caution:
1. Don't forget to inhale and exhale and also to keep yourself calm. This should help you identify your Pubococcygeus muscle groups.
2. Immediately after executing the exercises by having an erection you are able to utilize a warm clean cloth to the base of the penis if you have any tenderness.
3. Your companion is capable of doing these workout routines along with you that can enrich sexual climaxes during sex and enable you to sustain your penile erection.
4. If you work with these exercises simply because you encounter urinary stress incontinence, give them a go while peeing or while seated on the potty.
5. Be aware when practicing these physical exercises. As with any other group of muscles, over exertion of your kegel muscles may cause you discomfort and pain. Ease into it and move your way up.
Consider placing aside Five to ten moments within your working day for this workout routine, please remember, level of quality is essential. A couple of excellent contractions tend to be more effective than numerous half-hearted types and great results acquire time and energy.
Don't forget to make use of the pc muscles when you require them most. That's, consistently firm up prior to coughing, sneezing, bending over, standing up from a chair, and so forth.
Maximize just how long and level of holds you are carrying out in series just before going through muscle fatigue. Act on 12 extended, strong holds. Enhance the amount of quick, contractions - continuously do your maximum amount of top quality contractions.
I think pelvic floor exercises are crucial, I do them religiously, and Pilates (which is a more comprehensive discipline, works the pelvic floor but also the whole body) I’d REALLY recommend for anyone with ataxia, particularly if you can find a physiotherapist who teaches.
But it seems lots of us still use pads as back up. Just thought I’d mention earthwisegirlsuk.co.uk sell lots of different brands of reusable sanitary protection. They’re still quite a niche product so can be quite difficult to track down. Obviously for wee you don’t need to worry about stains so they can be tossed straight into the wash. Disposable pads are really pricey and contain plastic. These are really economical if used a lot, and really comfy. Personally I like Imse Vimse, they’re cotton (but with a barrier layer) so you can wear them all day without them getting smelly unlike synthetic fibres sorry, tmi?) Cheeky Wipes also sell cotton pads.
Yes, for some reason, mornings are worse for me too. I've been told all sorts of things about what causes urgency and frequency of micturition (posh name for peeing).
My GP thought it was hormonal.
Someone else thought it was movement related.
I've been advised to cut out caffeine and alcohol, but to be honest I enjoy both (in moderation) and cutting them out made absolutely no difference over several months.
I've been to a specialist clinic and come away no better off.
I seem to have better control over the urgency now, I wish I knew why.
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