Dr. Lauren Streicher, Associate Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University’s medical school answers common women’s health questions.
Q: Help! Every time I laugh, sneeze, cough or run I pee?
A: Don’t worry your not alone. Over 20 million women in the U.S. suffer from unexpected bladder leakage due to coughing, sneezing, laughing or exercise often referred to “stress” incontinence. In addition to being an uncomfortable, personally embarrassing condition, incontinence can be related to other health concerns, from pelvic pain to sexual dysfunction.
Q: What can be done? My doctor tells me to do Kegels but they aren’t working!
A: Dr. Arnold Kegel, a gynecologist at the University of Southern California, developed the exercises to strengthen pelvic floor muscles in 1948 and still, physicians to this day remind their patients, “do your kegels!” Most women however experience frustration because they unknowingly don’t perform the kegels effectively or not consistently, which leads to no improvement in symptoms.
Q: What are some other solutions?
A: Until now the only solutions were to use diapers or pads, take meds or undergo surgery. Pour Moi just made Apex available, it’s the first automatic kegel exerciser and helps women strengthen their pelvic floor. Short daily sessions of electrical stimulation enable women to learn to contract, relax and strengthen their pelvic floor muscles in the privacy of their own homes.
Q: How does Apex Work?
A: Apex, automatically exercises pelvic floor muscles using mild muscle stimulation and an active resistance balloon to work the correct muscles every time. A strong, toned pelvic floor muscle (PFM) not only decreases involuntary loss of urine, but also improves sexual health and may decrease prolapse of organs such as the uterus and bladder into or out of the vaginal canal.
Q: Why do I need a strong pelvic floor?
A: A strong, healthy pelvic floor improves bladder control when laughing, coughing, sneezing or exercising, improves sexual health and pelvic floor organ support and ensures faster recovery of pelvic muscle tone after childbirth. The combination of muscle stimulation and active exercise acts as a “trip to the gym” for the pelvic floor. A study in the International Urogynecological Journal, along with many other scientific studies , shows that strengthening the pelvic floor muscle enhances orgasm and arousal for women while helping them control urinary incontinence.
Q: Where can I get Apex?
Apex is available to women nationwide from Pour Moi, a Wisconsin-based company devoted to women’s pelvic health. The full line of Pour Moi products are designed and engineered in the United States by women and for women using only locally sourced material.
