Bladder control problems can occur in men and women, although they occurs more often for women.
- For women, doing pelvic floor muscle exercises on a regular basis has been shown to improve muscle strength and urinary continence problems.
- For men, pelvic floor exercises are not commonly recommended, although they can strengthen the muscles that empty the bladder. In addition, there is some evidence that pelvic floor exercises can be helpful for erectile dysfunction and so they could be considered in this context.
Tips when using pelvic floor muscle exercises apps
- An app can be helpful to keep track of your symptoms as part of your management plan, but because every person's experience is different, don't rely on the app as your only source of information or to make a diagnosis. Instead talk to your healthcare provider about your specific situation.
- Be aware that many pelvic floor exercise app are not New Zealand based, so they may mention medicines or products that are not available in Aotearoa New Zealand.
- Many apps have interactive features, eg, discussion boards or group chat rooms, where users can share their experiences. Be careful because in most cases these aren't monitored by a health professional so the advice or suggestions may not be safe or effective practice.
