What if I already tried doing Kegels and they didn’t work?
Pelvic floor physiotherapy is so much more than just Kegels (pelvic floor muscle training). If you have tried doing Kegels in the past but have not noticed any improvement, there could be many reasons.
Firstly, up to 30% of women are unable to do a Kegel when asked. Many women instead contract their abdominals, glutes, or adductors. Or they bear down (push). If this is the issue, you may have been attempting to do Kegels, but you have actually been strengthening the wrong muscles. A pelvic floor physiotherapist will check vaginally or rectally so they can actually feel your Kegel, and teach you how to locate and contract your pelvic floor.
If you have been doing Kegels with no effect, the problem could be that your pelvic floor is actually too tight, or has trigger points. For a muscle to be effective, it needs to have strength, but it also needs to be able to relax. For instance, if you can’t open your fist, strengthening your hand is not going to help. In this case, doing Kegels may have actually made your symptoms worse. Instead, your pelvic floor physiotherapist will release the tension or trigger points in your pelvic floor muscles, and give you stretches or other exercises to do at home. Your pelvic floor physiotherapist will also help you determine what other factors may be contributing to the tension or trigger points in your pelvic floor.