- Incontinence
- Pelvic Floor Exercisers
- Kegel Toner
- UniCare
- Benefits of pelvic floor exercises
- Living with incontinence
TensCare
Continence Awareness Week is an initiative that aims to raise awareness about bladder and bowel control problems, providing support and resources for individuals who are affected by these conditions. We hear from the team at TensCare, the brand that provides expert portable TENS and EMS devices designed for pain relief and muscle rehabilitation, as they shine a spotlight on the topic.
Perhaps best known in the UK for their maternity pain relief, Mama TENS for use during child birth, TensCare is now looking to help millions of people in the UK and around the world who are silently suffering from bladder weakness.
Bladder Leakage
No matter how light, is not normal
Despite much progress that has been made into the research and treatment of incontinence, it remains a relatively common condition, impacting an estimated 400 million in the world. Urinary incontinence isn’t a natural part of getting older. There’s a lot you can do to manage - or prevent – symptoms, it is generally a treatable ailment, yet many people seem to be apprehensive to talk about this.
“We do this because we know the difference our products make to the quality of life to hundreds of thousands of users. We believe that the well-being of one individual can affect the health and the well-being of the people in that individual’s family and community”
- Neil Wright, TensCare Managing Director
Pelvic Floor Exercisers
Exercising the pelvic floor muscles is clinically recognised as the way of preventing and treating symptoms of incontinence and pelvic floor weakness. TensCare offers a range of pelvic floor exercisers that are designed for pelvic floor muscle toning, pelvic pain relief, and the treatment of other conditions such as urinary and faecal incontinence, premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction.
Kegel Toner
Pelvic Floor Trainer
Helps strengthening the pelvic floor muscles by using electrical stimulation to squeeze and relax them. Targeting incontinence, it consists of two programs - the workout and the after-care, both of which send gentle stimulation via vaginal probe, making the inner muscles contract.
Unicare
Pelvic Toning & Pain Relief
Helps with stress, urge and mixed incontinence – what makes it stand out is a programme designed to provide drug-free relief from secondary menstrual pain. By sending a tiny electrical current to the nerves in the area, the Pelvic Floor Muscles are stimulated to contract which over time may strengthen the muscles helping with incontinence issue and may even enhance sexual well being.
Both devices can be discreetly used within the comfort of your own home and do not require prescription.
The pelvic floor exercisers from TensCare use clinically proven parameters to gently stimulate pelvic floor muscles via a non-invasive method of producing a contraction of muscles through a discreet probe or electrode pads when they are placed close to the nerve that controls the pelvic floor muscles. This current then passes into the nerve fibres controlling that part of the muscle stimulating it to contract. So, electrical stimulation (EMS) artificially activates a muscle for you enabling you to develop your own muscle control. These contractions exercise the muscles and, as with any kind of exercise if performed regularly, build strength and tone.
In urge incontinence, pelvic floor exercisers work in a slightly different way. The electrical stimulation is designed to soothe your bladder muscles rather than exercise your pelvic floor. Pelvic Floor Exercisers use a gentler, low frequency setting which promotes the release of endorphins and reduces involuntary contractions of the bladder (detrusor) muscle.
How can you benefit from doing pelvic floor exercises?
- Whether you delivered your baby vaginally or by caesarean, the pelvic floor muscles can become weak from pregnancy. These muscles will heal just as any other muscles would, and they will respond to electrical stimulation from TensCare’s pelvic floor exercisers to improve strength just as other muscles would.
- Pelvic Floor Exercisers can help to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles for better support of the pelvic organs and reduction of prolapse. Low levels of prolapse can be completely cured, and moderate levels of prolapse can be reduced to the point where they do not interfere with daily life activities.
- During menopause fluctuating levels of oestrogen can lead to less blood flow in the pelvic floor muscles and lead to an overall decrease in muscle tone.
- When it comes to sex, Pelvic Floor Exercises make the vagina feel tighter and may help improve the intensity of the orgasm. The pelvic floor muscles are vital when it comes to orgasm. They are responsible for the pleasurable contractions felt in the genitals when an orgasm occurs. When the pelvic floor muscles are healthy, orgasms are more intense and last longer. Women who have difficulty achieving orgasm may be experiencing weak pelvic floor muscles. Exercising the pelvic floor muscles results in increased blood flow to the pelvic region. Improved blood circulation increases sexual arousal, lubrication, and the ability to orgasm.
Living with incontinence
With an ageing population and rising levels of obesity, the £1.8 billion cost for incontinence each year is set to rise, putting surgeons and experts under increasing pressure.
According to a recent NHS report, it is estimated that more than 14 million people in the UK are living with bladder problems – that’s roughly a fifth of the population. What’s more, around 6 in 10 (61%) men experience lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and around 34% of women are living with urinary incontinence. In addition, nearly one million children and young people suffer from bladder and bowel dysfunction. Pelvic floor exercises are seen as the most effective way to prevent issues with incontinence.
People who suffer from incontinence often resist discussing the issue with their doctor or families, because of feelings of shame, embarrassment, or the fear of losing their independence. It’s a taboo subject to talk about. However, it can really affect the quality of life, emotional state, body image and sexuality.
Having bladder problems negatively affect both emotionally and physically with a lot of restrictions occurring. Just think of athletes, heavy weight lifters, etc their careers could be under jeopardy. Socially people tend to isolate themselves to avoid embarrassment, etc.
Continence Awareness Week serves as an important reminder that continence issues are prevalent and deserve attention, understanding, and support. Tenscare's commitment to developing innovative products for continence management contributes significantly to the lives of those affected by these conditions. With Tenscare's Pelvic Floor Stimulators, individuals can regain control, improve their quality of life, and embrace a future free from the limitations imposed by continence challenges. The 19th – 23rd of June is World Continence Week - an opportunity to highlight the issue and educate the public on the ways they can fight the condition. It’s a time to get rid of the stigma and open the conversation around something that affects millions of Brits every day, regardless of age, sex, or ethnicity.