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Lifestyle and home remedies
By Mayo Clinic staffKegel exercises strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, which support the uterus, bladder and bowel. A strengthened pelvic floor provides better support for your pelvic organs and relief from symptoms associated with a cystocele.
To perform Kegel exercises, follow these steps:
- Tighten (contract) your pelvic floor muscles — the muscles you use to stop urinating.
- Hold the contraction for five seconds, then relax for five seconds.
- Work up to holding the contraction for 10 seconds at a time.
- Do three sets of 10 repetitions of the exercises each day.
Kegel exercises may be most successful when they're taught by a therapist using biofeedback. Biofeedback involves monitoring devices to help ensure that you're tightening the proper muscles with the optimal intensity and duration.
Once you've learned the proper method, you can do Kegel exercises discreetly just about anytime, whether you're sitting at your desk or relaxing on the couch.
- McPhee SJ, et al. Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2012. 51st ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2012. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=9026. Accessed Feb. 14, 2012.
- Abed M, et al. Urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse: Diagnosis and treatment for the primary care physician. Medical Clinics of North America. 2008;92:1273.
- Mahajan ST. Anterior vaginal wall support abnormalities: Evaluation and treatment. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Feb. 13, 2012.
- Urinary incontinence in women. National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/uiwomen/. Accessed Feb. 13, 2012.
- Hagen S, et al. Conservative prevention and management of pelvic organ prolapse in women. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. http://www.thecochranelibrary.com/view/0/index.html. Accessed Feb. 14, 2012.
- Leu PB, et al. Cystocele repair with interpositional grafting. Urologic Clinics of North America. 2011;38:47.
- Bladder prolapse (cystocele). American Urological Association Foundation. http://www.urologyhealth.org/urology/index.cfm?article=118. Accessed Feb. 28, 2012.
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