Why Kegels Aren't Always the Answer for Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

You may have noticed that there is a lot of mixed-messaging on social media (even between pelvic floor therapists) about what is good and bad for your pelvic floor. It is confusing and frustrating when one source is telling you to do kegels all day and the other says to avoid kegels at all costs. Hopefully we can clear things up for you.

There is a time and place for isolated pelvic floor contraction (aka kegels), but often dysfunction is driven by a combination of pelvic floor weakness and tension. Weak muscles get tight in order to give your body stability; our bodies are really great at compensating. And in order to most effectively strengthen a tight muscle, we have to address the tension first. Skipping this step and going straight to pelvic floor strengthening can actually make symptoms worse in some cases.

So, if you are experiencing pelvic floor dysfunction such as:

• Urinary urgency or frequency

• Recurring UTI-type symptoms

• Difficulty emptying your bowels or bladder

• Pain with sex or use of tampons

• Low back, hip or SI joint pain

It is likely that your pelvic floor isn’t just weak, but probably tight as well.

Before jumping into kegels, try focusing on relaxation first with specific pelvic floor lengthening stretches and breathing exercises:

• Diaphragmatic (belly) breathing

• Child's pose

• Happy baby pose

• Deep (yogi) squat

See a pelvic floor therapist to help you determine what your body needs to resolve your symptoms and create an individualized program to reach your goals.

Written by Jade Jette, PT, DPT