stretches for urethral/bladder muscles?

[jlove98905]

Hi everyone,
I hear talk sometimes about patients whose PT prescribe stretches for them to do at home. I don't have my first PT appt until August :help: so I was wondering if someone who's been going knows of any stretches to do at home for tight bladder or urethral muscles. Maybe this is a ridiculous question, but I know there are muscles surrounding the urethra and I'm wondering if anything can be done at home to loosen them up.

I'll try anything - but please be as descriptive as you can so I don't mess it up :hmm:

Thanks in advance,
Jen

[redizhere]

sorry I don't know any yet ..your question is not ridicuolus at all! my uro just told me I have pfd and the mucsule around my uretha are extremly tight and on fire and hince my uretha burning she found me a pt close by buts he doesn't have the biofeedback machine and said if i am not better in 4 sessions she wants me to go somewhere else. if you find any stretches let me know ok xoxo Red

[massagedoula]

You got your PT appt, Red? Good! Doesn't Dr. Olsen have a PT working in the office with her??? When I went to her I was already seeing a PT, but they wanted me to see the one in their office too, which I said that I did not need to. By the way, I have PFD (not the cause of my bladder problems but rather a result of them) but when I used the biofeedback machine, it showed absolutely nothing. So the machine is not imperative for everyone, though it is worth trying anyway....My PT just does the intravaginal releases and got me an RS Medical electric stim machine for at home.

Jen, I do stretches for my pelvic floor at home, but I can't do them alone. My PT showed my husband how to do the vaginal trigger point therapy, and he does it for me.

[mperry]

Hi Jen:
I have a document that my PT gave me with a couple of exercises. If you give me your e-mail address. I will scan it and send it to you.

Maureen

[jlove98905]

Hi Maureen,
My email is jlove98905@aol.com. Thanks for the doc!
-Jen

[redizhere]

So the machine is not imperative for everyone, though it is worth trying anyway....My PT just does the intravaginal releases and got me an RS Medical electric stim machine for at home.


well that is good to know..yes she gave me the pt name I still have to call have been sick with the flu ugh I would soo much love to have that document of the stretchs too can you send it to me at redizsurfn@yahoo.com
(((HUGS))) she didn't mention a pt in her office so maybe she don't have one now or realizes that is far for me to drive I will keep you updated xxoxo REd

[JMichele]

Jen, I just recently joined this research program that has to do with relieving pelvic pain for IC patients. I have to do these stretches 4 times/day. If you're interested I could pm or email you the instructions they gave me and more about the program. Let me know if you're still interested in these stretches. :)

[massagedoula]

Jmichele

I would love to know...can you pm it to me?
-Emily

[tigger_gal]

dug up myold post and put this here for you
Brat

Pelvic Floor
Strengthening & Stretching Exercise

1) Lower trunk Rotation
lay on your back with knees bent. Slowly roll your knees from side to side.
Be sure to roll segmently, first hips, then pelvis, lower back then upper
back. Keep shoulders on floor. hold for 10 seconds.

2) Kegles (not IC friendly)
thighten your buttocks and pelvic floor muscles. Practice by cutting off the urine
stream while urinating (again, not IC Friendly) Don't hold your breath. Do it laying or
sitting. Do 5 quick in a row. build up to you can hold each one 10 to 30 seconds.

3) Ball Squeeze
Lay on your back with your knees bent. Feet abt 10 inches apart. Place an 8inch
play ball between yout thieghs and squeeze holding 5 to 10 seconds.

4) Kness apart with theraband
lay on your back with knees bent and feet togeather. Wrap stretchy theraband around both legs, just above the knees. Move knees apart about 10 inches and hold apart
for 5 to 10 seconds.

5) Pelvic tilt.
lay on your back with knees bent. Tighten stomach muscles and lift tale bone
off floor, keeping your lower back on the floor. hold 5 to 10 seconds..

6) Bridging
lay on your back with kness bent. Lift buttocks off floor. hold 10 seconds.
Advanced do keagle after you lifted butt up (not ic friendly)

7) Double knee to chest
lay on your back with knees bent. Grab both knees and bring to chest.
hold fot 10 seconds

8) Double leg lift.
lay on back with knees bent. Lift legs up 2 inches off mat and hold for 10 seconds

9) Hamstring stretch
lay on back, legs out stretched, Bring one leg straight up towards the ceiling. Grab
leg with both hands and hold for 30 seconds. keeping knee straight.

10) Piriformia Stretch
lay on back with knees bent. Cross knee over the other knee. Use hands to pull the knee towards the opposite shoulder. hold for 30 seconds.. then switch and do other side.
__________________

[sjackso]

I would recommend you take a look at the most recent edition of A Headache in the Pelvis 3rd edition. The premise of the entire book, written by a urologist at Stanford University, is that PFD causes IC and many other pelvic pain syndromes such as Vulvodynia and prostate problems in men. According to his theory, stress causes some individuals to tighten their pelvic floor muscles, and that tight pelvic floor muscles cause decreased blood flow to the bladder and other pelvic organs. This in turn leads to deterioration of the organ. Thus, by stretching, we increase the blood flow to the area and help to rehabilitate the injured area. There are 9 stretches outlined in the book that are intended to stretch and rehabilitate the pelvic floor muscles. I started doing them about two months ago and noticed a difference in pain and frequency immediately. I have done the stretches twice a day for the past two months and am almost pain free now (I should add that I also take an Algonot product and an aloe vera product for IC). The book was an incredible resource and one of the only books on pelvic pain/IC I have read that makes you believe you can gain control over your symptoms. Moreover, as a Ph.D. scientist, I found the theory, quite plausible and the data they have supportive of the theory.