Do Pelvic Floor trainers work? Our research says yes!
Do Pelvic Floor trainers work? Our research says yes! Pelvic floor trainers work and they can help you strengthen your Pelvic Floor muscles which in turn can help prevent bladder leakage (urinary incontinence), a condition affecting up to 42% of the female population in the UK1.
Weak Pelvic Floor muscles are extremely common, particularly following childbirth and approaching the menopause. Like any muscle in the body they need to be exercised to retain their strength which is why Pelvic Floor muscle exercises are advocated by many NHS Urogynecologists and Pelvic Health physiotherapists. Most would expect women undertaking regular Pelvic Floor exercises to notice a significant improvement in their strength and consequently a reduction in bladder leakage after just a few months.
How do Pelvic Floor Trainers Work?
Pelvic Floor trainer work by helping women with their Pelvic Floor exercises. They can be particularly useful for the up to 50% of women who find doing Pelvic Floor exercises difficult2,3 or who suffer significantly with bladder leakage and could do with additional support to strengthen their Pelvic Floor muscles. A trainer can also help women avoid using incontinence pads which only provide a way to contain the problem of bladder leakage, which is usually progressive and worsens with age, rather than treating it directly.
All about Pelviva
Pelviva ®is one such innovative Pelvic Floor trainer. It’s inserted into the vagina and sends pulses directly to the Pelvic Floor muscles retraining them in how to contract and helping women recognise the feeling of doing Pelvic Floor muscles correctly. It incorporates revolutionary neuromuscular electrical stimulation technology (which is recommended by the NHS when you need help to do your Pelvic Floor exercises correctly) to stimulate pelvic floor muscles to exercise. It’s essentially doing your Pelvic Floor exercises for you, mimicking what should happen naturally and improving Pelvic Floor muscle strength and endurance.
Clinically-proven, Pelviva, which is disposable and takes just 30 minutes to use, trains both types of muscles found in the Pelvic Floor: Power muscles to help prevent leaks when you cough, sneeze or exercise and endurance muscles to help hold on when you urgently need the toilet.
84% of women using Pelviva in a 12-week study reported improved bladder control and a reduction in bladder leakage which was four times greater than women who only did Pelvic Floor muscle exercises themselves4. After 12 weeks, women should continue to do their own Pelvic Floor exercises every day or may choose to continue using Pelviva on a regular basis to maintain muscle strength. Again, like any muscle, if muscle training isn’t continued, muscles will revert back to their former state which may mean a weakening of the Pelvic Floor muscles and a recurrence of bladder leakage.
Pelviva actively does your Pelvic Floor exercises for you. While other Pelvic Floor trainers are available, such as reusable cones and weights (which you insert into your vagina to help strengthen your muscles as you do your Pelvic Floor exercises) or bio feedback devices (often linked to a smart phone, to measure the strength of your Pelvic Floor and give feedback on your exercise regime), these rely on you being able to locate and do your Pelvic Floor exercises correctly yourself.
So, if you’re one of the women who finds locating and doing your Pelvic Floor exercises a challenge, why not try Pelviva? It works.
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References
- Hunskaar S, Lose G, Sykes D, Voss S. The prevalence of urinary incontinence in women in four European countries. BJU Int. 2004 Feb;93(3):324-30.
2.Bø K., Larsen S., Oseid S. et al. (1988) Knowledge about and ability to correct pelvic floor muscle exercises in women with stress urinary incontinence. Neurology and Urodynamics. 69, 261-262.
3. Bump R.C., Hunt W.G., Fantl J.A., Wyman J.F. (1991). Assessment of Kegel pelvic muscle exercise performance after brief verbal instruction. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 165, 322- 329. - Oldham J, Herbert J, McBride K. Evaluation of a new disposable ‘tampon-like’ electrostimulation technology (Pelviva®) for the treatment of urinary incontinence in women: a 12-week single blind randomized controlled trial. Neurourology Urodynamics 2013; 32(5):460-466. doi 10.1002/nau.22326.
PEL/00159/UK 13.04.20
