Kegels are (probably) Bad for You

4/12/2022

I see tons and tons of pregnant and postpartum mamas at Haven. We also see many patients that have not had children and many patients that have children that are in their 20’s or beyond. How many of these patients have true pelvic floor weakness that need Kegels? I would guess less than 5%.

Yes, less than FIVE percent.

I teach Kegels. Yes. I need to know that YOU know what it feels like to contract and relax your pelvic floor. But what we are NOT doing is 50 sets of Kegels holding for 5 seconds and 20 seconds etc. I very , very rarely see patients that need Kegel training because their pelvic floor is NOT weak.  Pelvic floor dysfunction is more because it can’t quite coordinate with the rest of the body. It does not turn on appropriately. It does not turn off appropriately. It is like you are trying to kick a ball, but your foot keeps going backward instead of forward.

This is why you need a pelvic floor specialist that understands how the pelvic floor coordinates with your hips, your back, your arms. Someone telling you to contract your pelvic floor when you squat is NOT what you need. It’s actually probably the exact OPPOSITE of what you need.

Takeaway – Don’t buy that Kegel trainer because you probably do not need it. Save your money and get yourself a therapist that knows what they’re doing instead.

Contributed by Dr. Katherine Pace