John Malinowski, ATC, CET
Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer men develop. Thankfully it is generally easily treated if caught early. In some cases treatment may include surgery or radiation therapy. If you have had a prostatectomy or radiation therapy as part of your prostate cancer treatment you may be experiencing urinary incontinence as an unwelcomed result. You are not alone and there may be something you can do to reduce the severity and/or frequency of those unwelcomed mishaps. You may or may not be familiar with the term Kegel Exercises. Women are commonly prescribed these exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor after pregnancy. These exercises may help men dealing with incontinence issues. Most cases of urinary incontinence will typically go away within a year. If you don’t want to wait a year for this problem to go away try implementing a routine that includes strengthening the muscles of our pelvic floor.
The pelvic floor muscles are used when we stop the flow of urine mid-stream. These muscles are usually not talked about until there is an issue and certainly not covered in our Physical Education class or a typical muscle-strengthening program. The pubococcygeus muscles are located between the pubic and coccyx bones. They are small muscles but play a major role in supporting the bladder and controlling urine flow. These muscles may become weakened after surgery or radiation therapy. Just like any other muscle in the body we need to work them in order to strengthen them. These muscles need to be worked frequently and on a very consistent basis. It has been reported to increase the effects of the exercises it is important to empty the bladder before beginning your routine. It is important to make sure you master the exercise before increasing the amount of exercises.
A study was presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress in November 2019, which displayed promising results for men performing Kegel exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor.
Come join us to learn about some exercises that could help you decrease your irritation with urinary incontinence. You will learn some basic techniques to perform the Kegel exercises as well as some other exercises to strengthen the muscles surrounding the hips. Taking the knowledge learned from class and putting it into practice can help put you back in control of your urinary incontinence issues.
This class if offered free of charge. In order to attend this class a medical clearance is required! Please call John Malinowski at 805.346.3413 to for questions and make your reservation today!