Testing and training of the pelvic floor muscles after childbirth

In a prospective study of 83 women, two different physiotherapy methods for strengthening the pelvic floor muscles after childbirth were evaluated. The training program was carried out by the patients at home for 12 weeks, starting 8 weeks after spontaneous uneventful delivery. Forty-two women did pelvic floor exercises in accordance with the method presented by Kegel. Forty-one women used standard vaginal cones with weights increasing in 10 g stages from 20 to 100 g, to be retained in the vagina both when standing erect and moving. Pelvic floor muscle strength, defined as the weight in grams of the heaviest cone that could be retained in the vagina, was recorded before and after the 12-week training period. Training with vaginal cones produced significantly better pelvic floor muscle strength than did exercise without cones.