Kegel's exercise for urine incontinentia

Tibaek et al (2005) found a positive effect of pelvic floor muscle training (modified Kegel' exercise) in 26 women with UI after stroke such as reduced frequencies of voiding and urine leakage, and improved pelvic floor muscle function, strength, static and dynamic endurance.

Another study by Smith et al (2007) revealed that UI is not only link to the weak of pelvic floor muslces, by using electromyographic they successfully profed that this problem is also related to weaken in abdominal muscles. Therefore, the exercise therapy should be targeted these two muscle groups.
1. Goals:

• to improve the strength of pelvic floor muscles and abdominal muscles
• to regain the urethral-closing reflex by mean increasing the number of motor units and motor learnig trough cerebral cortical facilitation

2. What do you need?

• self-motivation
• pillows
• a mat
• a quiet room (some people like to on relaxing music)

3. Preparation

• lie down on your back in a quiet room where you're be able to relax and focus (far from unexpected disruption)
• Place one pillow under your knees (this will allow you to feel relax and help you to contract the right muscles)
• concetrate on your breathing. Do not holding your breath, let the air flows normally so that you will not deprive your muscle from taking oxygen.
• Breath in when you relax and breath out when your muscle is contracting

4. Isolate your pelvic muscles

• Relax your abdominals: to check if your abdominal muscles is relax, put your hand lightly on your tummy and make sure it is not tightening when you contract your pelvic floor
• Relax your gluteals: Gluteals are the large muscle that make up your buttocks. The pelvic floor is locating between the right and the left buttock. To relax your gluteals, make sure you do not clenching your gluteals as well as do not litfs up your body off the ground when lying down on your back
• Relax your hip adductors: Let your knees relax by resting them against each other.

5. Exercise:

• We use the technique of 5 repetitions x 5 sets of long contractions and 5 repetitions x 5 sets of quick contractions in between.
• Start doing the exercise very slowly and increase gradually
• Try to complete 10 sets troughout the day
• Increase the intensity if the exercise becomes easier

Long holding (LH) contractions:

• squeeze your pelvic floor muscle tightly and hold it for 3-5 second
• have a resting for 6-10 seconds
• repeat five times
• this equals 1 set

Quick holding (QH) cotractions:

• squeeze your pelvic floor muscle for 1 second
• have a resting for 1 second
• repeat five times
• this equals 1 set

a sample of complete program:

• Morning: LH-QH-LH-QH-LH-QH + Abdominal exercise
• Before dinner: LH-QH-LH-QH-LH-QH
• Before night sleeping: LH-QH-LH-QH-LH-QH