#BeginnerKegelExercise – Best Piles Clinic In Delhi

What are Hemorrhoids/ Piles:

Hemorrhoids is a disease that affects almost 75% of people at some point in their lives. These are abnormally enlarged vascular mucosal cushions in the anal canal. These mucosal cushions help us to maintain anal continence but when they become swollen, enlarged, and start to cause symptoms, then they become hemorrhoids, more commonly known as Piles.

What Causes Piles?

Piles can occur randomly/ progressively over time, and they can happen to anyone; male or female, young or old. Factors that may increase the chances of getting hemorrhoids include:

Constipation is the foremost trigger for piles as the straining puts pressure on the blood vessels in this area.
Straining during bowel movements is another risk factor for piles.
Prolonged sitting while defecating also increases the chances of developing Piles.
Being over 50 – as you get older, your tissues get weaker, which increases your risk of getting piles
Being overweight
Pregnancy
Frequent heavy lifting
Prolonged diarrhoea

It is also thought that if people in your family have suffered from hemorrhoids, there are more chances of you suffering them too.

What are the Symptoms of Piles?

Bright-red, painless rectal bleeding while passing stool
Feeling of something coming out during defecation which may go inside by itself or need to be pushed back manually
Anal itching and irritation
Soiling due to mucous discharge or incontinence
A feeling of rectal fullness, discomfort, or incomplete emptying of bowel movements
Pain if a hemorrhoid prolapses and becomes strangulated

What are the Different Stages of Piles?

Piles are classified as either first-, second-, third- or fourth-degree. First- and second-degree piles are the most common and the least severe.

Stage One – Small swellings on the inside of the anus which are not visible from the outside. The patient complains of painless bleeding during defecation.
Stage Two – These are larger swellings that may appear when one goes to the toilet but then disappear back inside again. Painless bleeding may or may not be there.
Stage Three – More severe small lumps that are visible from the outside of the anus and hang down, but they need to be pushed back inside.
Stage Four – Most severe type of piles. Large lumps that hang down outside the anus. They cannot be pushed back inside.

“Among these, 1st and 2nd-degree piles can be easily managed by diet and lifestyle changes along with Kegel exercise for Piles”, opines Dr. Ravinder Sharma; a leading proctologist in Delhi NCR who practices at Piles To Smiles. He further says Kegel exercises benefit a lot in 3rd and 4th degree hemorrhoids also.

Kegel Exercise for Hemorrhoids

Gynecologist Dr. Arnold Kegel in the 1940’s developed this exercise to strengthen the pelvic floor and smooth muscle along the anal canal up to the sphincter to prevent urinary continence and prolapsed hemorrhoidal tissues.

Kegel exercises are the simple act of contracting, holding, and then relaxing the pelvic floor muscles to strengthen the muscles and improve blood circulation These muscles are also sometimes called the “Kegel muscles”. They support the bladder and rectum and help control urine flow and the process of defecation.

Regular pelvic floor exercises can help prevent and treat hemorrhoids by improving circulation, reducing inflammation, and increasing the tone and strength of the pelvic floor muscles.

How do Kegel Exercises Help in Piles?

Many patients with chronic anal fissures and hemorrhoids experience an over-tightening or spasm of their pelvic floor muscles that help with defecation. Specifically, the puborectalis muscle which forms a U-shaped sling around the rectum oversees relaxing for stool to pass.

Kegel Exercise for Piles helps to prevent hemorrhoids by increasing blood flow to the anal region and improving blood circulation.
Kegels strengthen anal muscles. Strong anal muscles provide good support for internal hemorrhoids and prevent existing ones from enlarging or protruding!
If you are suffering from piles, Kegels can help to tighten tissues and control leaking around the hemorrhoid problem areas.

And contrary to popular belief, kegel exercises can be done by both men and women!

How to do Kegel Exercises for Hemorrhoids?

Before beginning, always remember these points on how to do Kegel exercises:

Make sure you start on an empty bladder.
Ensure you are exercising the correct muscles.
Squeeze for a count of 5 seconds and relax for a count of 5 seconds in the beginning which can be increased up to 10 seconds later.
Try for a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 15 repetitions each time.
Ideally, do the exercises at least thrice a day in the beginning.

How to do Pelvic floor exercises for Piles?

You can practice your Kegels sitting/ standing or lying down. But in the beginning, it will be helpful to exercise while seated in a firm chair

Step 1 – Lie down on the back or sit in a comfortable position.

Relax your abdomen and buttocks since you do not want to exercise those muscle groups so you should not contract these muscles.

Step 2 – Start contracting your anal muscles as if you are stopping yourself to pass gas or stopping a bowel movement.
Step 3 – Hold this contraction position for 5-10 seconds as per your comfort.

Breathe freely: Do not hold your breath, but breathe freely during the exercise.

Step 4 – release for 10 seconds.

It might help to think of these muscles as an elevator. As you contract (squeeze) them, the elevator slowly rises to the top. As you gently release the tension on your muscles, imagine the elevator returning to ground level.

Step 5 – Repeat the exercise 5 times but only use half of your strength.
Step 6 – squeeze the muscles and relax them repeatedly as fast as possible.
Step 7 – continue the exercise as long as you can.
Step 8 – The standard recommendation is to perform Kegels three times a day. Later you can increase it up to 10-15 times a day.

Best Positions to do Kegel exercises for hemorrhoids:

Sitting in a comfortable chair.
Lying down on your back.
Standing in an empty area.
Kneeling, on the floor, on all fours.

When should I do the Kegel exercises for Piles?

Performing Kegel exercises has no age. One is recommended to begin practicing them as early as possible. These exercises may be performed any time during the day or night and while you are in any position- sitting, standing, or lying down. Also, since they do not require any special positioning, you may do them while working, driving, eating, or watching television.

You can do pelvic floor exercises discreetly at just about any time.

When you are stopped at a red light
In the waiting room at the midwife or doctor’s office
Drive-throughs such as the bank, dry cleaners, and pharmacy etc.

When can I start doing the Kegel exercises for post-pregnancy Piles?

The Kegel exercises to avoid post-pregnancy Hemorrhoids can be safely started 3 weeks after your delivery. It is a good idea if you practice the Kegels Exercise for Piles throughout your pregnancy. It will help avoid hemorrhoids during and after pregnancy.

Where should I do pelvic floor exercises for Piles?

Until you are comfortable doing Kegel exercises, choose a quiet spot to practice, like your bathroom or your bedroom, so you can concentrate. Once you know how, you can do these exercises anywhere― at your desk, in the car, waiting in line, at the kitchen counter, etc. To help ensure that you will be consistent, make it a habit to do your Kegels Piles exercise in a particular place or during a certain activity, such as brushing your teeth, doing the dishes, or driving to work.

As your muscles get stronger, start practicing hemorrhoid Kegels Exercise while sitting and standing, too. This will put more weight on the muscles, boosting your workout and improving your control.

How do I know if I am doing hemorrhoids Pelvic floor exercises correctly?

It is important to identify and squeeze the correct group of muscles. In the beginning, you may sit on the toilet and insert your well-lubricated finger into the rectum. Then tighten the muscles of the sphincter and feel them contracting around your finger. Do not contract your abdominal, thigh, or buttocks muscles while performing the exercise.

When should I expect improvement in my symptoms?

When you are trying to strengthen any muscles, it is important to be patient. If you have ever tried to get in shape more quickly by lifting too much weight or running too many miles, you know that trying to hurry the process can backfire.

If you are doing the exercise correctly, you should feel the pelvic floor muscles lifting. It may be difficult to contract these muscles for 10 repetitions, but as your muscle tone improves, it will become easier. If you repeat the exercise a few times daily, you should see an improvement in just a few weeks. For continued benefits, make pelvic floor exercises a permanent part of your daily routine.

How long do I have to do the Kegels exercises for Piles?

The more you do the exercises the better. Also, the longer you can hold the contraction the better. Like any type of exercise, Kegel exercises only work as long as you do them. Once you stop, the muscles will become weak again and Piles problems might return.

Make doing your Kegels a lifetime habit, and stay motivated by focusing on the improvements you experience in your Hemorrhoids.

Precautions for doing Kegel Exercise for Hemorrhoids:

When performing Kegel exercises, do not hold your breath or strain.
Always keep the other muscles relaxed – especially the abdomen and thigh muscles.
Some amount of soreness in the pelvic area is possible. But if it is more than usual, that could be because it is overdone. Consult your proctologist.
Sometimes it is difficult to locate the right set of muscles. Check with your proctologist to help you understand the correct set of muscles.
Kegel exercises are not meant to show off like bicep muscles. Do not constantly keep straining the muscles to make them stronger. Relaxation of the muscles is equally important with the squeezing movement. Do not skimp the relaxation part.

Other benefits of practicing Kegels exercise:

During pregnancy Kegels exercise helps support the increasing weight of the growing baby
Pregnant women who perform Kegels exercises often find they have an easier birth. Strengthening the pelvic floor muscles during pregnancy can help develop the ability to control muscles during labor and delivery. Kegels exercises also minimize the chances of requiring an episiotomy – a cut (incision) through the area between the vaginal opening and the anus. This procedure is done to make the vaginal opening larger for childbirth.
Practicing pelvic floor exercises during pregnancy will also minimize instances of urinary incontinence or leakage when laughing, sneezing, coughing, or carrying something heavy.
Post-delivery bladder control: After a cesarean section or even a normal delivery, many women experience issues with bladder control. Kegel exercises after delivery will help with better control and quicker recovery.
Better healing: The pelvic muscles are strained and often damaged during delivery. These muscles heal better with Kegel exercise after delivery.
Pelvic organ prolapses: Kegel exercises help with pelvic organ prolapse. This happens especially in the case of vaginal delivery that has lasted for long hours.
Although Kegel exercises are most familiar to women experiencing urinary leakage after childbirth, these exercises are an equally effective tool to help men improve bladder control.
The exercises help treat prostate pain and swelling resulting from prostatitis in men
Kegels exercises help men to achieve strong erections and control premature ejaculation and women to have a stronger orgasm.
Experience better intercourse sensation: There is always some amount of laxity in the vaginal canal post-delivery. Kegel exercises after delivery can improve the vaginal tone. This directly translates to better sensations for your partner during intercourse.
Kegels may increase your sexual satisfaction by increasing the blood flow to genitals.

Kegels exercise for Piles – Not the Silver Bullet:

Contrary to popular belief, Kegel exercises are not the be-all and end-all solution for hemorrhoids. If these methods do not provide any relief and the condition and symptoms keep on prevailing, you should consult with a proctologist for proper diagnosis and treatment.

At Piles to Smiles, You can book an appointment for top proctologist in Delhi NCR.