You see the whole person—so do we.
As a Women's Health clinician, you’re often the first to hear about symptoms like urinary incontinence, pelvic pressure, or painful intimacy. And when your patients bring these up, it’s not uncommon to hear them say: “I’ve been doing my Kegels, but it’s not getting better.”
That’s because pelvic floor health is about more than Kegels.
While pelvic floor muscle strengthening can play a role in postpartum recovery, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. Surprisingly, for some of your patients, doing Kegels without proper guidance could be working against them.
Here’s a clinical and evidence-backed dive into the pros/cons of Kegels.
Kegels are voluntary contractions of the pelvic floor muscles. They can help build strength and endurance in this area—but only when used appropriately and performed correctly.
Research suggests that up to two-thirds of people aren’t doing them properly¹. When cued to contract, many tend to actually bear down rather than pulling muscles up and in, or they end up contracting surrounding muscles such as the glutes, abdominals, or inner thigh muscles as a compensatory strategy.5 In a study performed by Joshi and colleagues, they found that postpartum individuals who performed kegels supervised with guidance from a pelvic floor specialist saw greater improvements in stress urinary incontinence compared to an unsupervised group doing the same exercises. They concluded that the effectiveness of kegels depends on how correctly kegels were instructed, and also how accurately they were learned and performed by patients.6
While Kegels can be helpful for someone with signs of pelvic floor weakness, like vaginal heaviness, prolapse, or incontinence², strength isn’t the only issue we see in postpartum bodies.
Not every postpartum patient has a weak pelvic floor. Some present with increased tension in these muscles—especially those who’ve had birth trauma, chronic stress, or are unknowingly compensating for instability elsewhere.
These patients often experience:
Sound familiar? The tricky part is that these symptoms overlap with those of a weak pelvic floor—which is why a nuanced evaluation is key. If someone with an overactive pelvic floor is doing Kegels regularly, they may actually be reinforcing the dysfunction¹.
Instead, treatment would focus on down-training the pelvic floor: relaxation strategies, breathwork, and restoring balance in the broader musculoskeletal system. An article by Sahoo and colleagues describes how teaching patients how to perform a “Reverse Kegel,” a voluntary relaxation of the muscles rather than a contraction, can be crucial in the treatment plan of tailbone pain, and other pelvic pain conditions.7
That’s where physical therapy can be extremely beneficial.
Pelvic health physical therapists perform full-body assessments to determine whether the pelvic floor is weak, tight, both—or neither. We evaluate muscle tone, coordination, and strength, while also looking at breath patterns, body mechanics, core stability, and joint mobility³⁴.
At Kins, all our appointments are 1:1 for 45-55 minutes. We provide individualized care to build the right plan for each person—one that supports their recovery without guessing.
Pelvic floor dysfunction doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Our care often includes:
We work alongside you to help your patients regain strength, comfort, and confidence—on their terms, in their space, and on their schedule.
Referring to pelvic health PT shouldn’t feel like a guess.
We offer virtual-first, insurance-covered care that gives your patients access within days, not months. You don’t need to decide if Kegels are right—we’ll evaluate and tailor a care plan that actually works.
By collaborating with you, we can improve outcomes, reduce complications, and give your patients access to crucial care they might not otherwise receive.
Because your patients deserve options—not limitations.
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