If you have had a prostate surgery you are probably quite anxious. You are likely having concerns around bladder control and erectile dysfunction. Read below to find out what you should be doing to improve your post-surgery outcomes.
“Why should I be doing exercises?”
Following your surgery, you probably experienced swelling, pain and discomfort. All of these symptoms can affect your pelvic floor muscles. The pelvic floor muscles are a round layer of muscles which sit at the base of your pelvis.
These muscles control the opening of the bladder/bowel and help maintain erections. It has been shown that if you exercise these muscles, you may have better post operative outcomes.
Exercise 1 – The contraction
Understanding the pelvic contraction is the first step into strengthening your muscles. If you are doing this incorrectly you may not have the same exercise benefits.
To contract the muscles correctly, you should feel like you are trying to stop the flow of urine. With this contraction you should feel your anus gently tighten also.
You should perform this contraction for 5 seconds and repeat 10 times. Repeat this at least twice daily. The more often to complete the exercise, the stronger the contraction will become.
Exercise 2 – The cough
When you cough, it becomes hard to manage your abdominal pressure and your pelvic muscle contraction. After your surgery, you may find you have some urine leakage while coughing.
To help prevent leakage try this coughing exercise. Firstly, you will contract your pelvic floor as you did in exercise 1. In addition to this, you will add in a small cough while trying to maintain the tension in your pelvic muscles. Perform this coughing exercise 5 times and repeat it at least twice daily.
Exercise 3 – The squat
The last exercise progression in this series is the squat. When you are moving more dynamically, the pelvic floor contraction becomes more difficult to coordinate.
As you did in exercise 1 and 2, contract your pelvic floor. From here, perform 5 squats. This is a great test to see that you can move adequately without losing the tension around your muscles. Whenever you get out of your chair throughout the day, perform this contraction.
Do you have further concerns? Would you like help getting back to your daily activities?
If you feel like you have concerns following your surgery, we would love to help you. We would also love to help progress you back to everything you love.
To book an appointment now, click the link https://forgewestend.com.au/book-online/
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