The Women's Health Foundation and Leading OB/GYNs Ask American Women: How Strong Are Your Pelvic Muscles?

BOCA RATON, Fla., May 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Following several milestone decades during which once taboo topics such as menstruation, menopause and female pleasure became part of mainstream conversation, the Women's Health Foundation, JCS Wellness Solutions, Inc., the developers of The Myself® Trainer and leading obstetrician/gynecologist Mary Jane Minkin, M.D. join together during National Women's Health Week to ask American women: How strong are your pelvic muscles?

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100511/NY02606 )

Over time and without exercise, pelvic muscles, like other muscles in the body, can lose their strength and tone.  Life events, including pregnancy, childbirth, weight gain and menopause can also hasten the weakening of pelvic muscle tone and lead to bladder control problems.(i)

The Myself® Trainer is an FDA-cleared guided muscle strengthener that was designed by a urologist and is recommended by leading obstetricians and gynecologists.  The Myself® Trainer works by helping women identify their pelvic muscles, providing resistance, measuring the strength of pelvic muscles, and providing immediate feedback and motivational cues during exercise. The Myself® Trainer guides women through a 5 minute exercise session, indicating when to flex and when to relax.  

Results from a recent online survey conducted by TNS for JCS Wellness Solutions, Inc., found that more than 60% of women would prefer a natural approach to bladder leakage, such as Kegel exercises, compared with taking a prescription medication, wearing protective undergarments or having surgery.(ii)

"First advocated by Dr. Arnold Kegel in 1948 for the restoration of the perineal muscles, Kegel exercises, or progressive resistance exercises, are recommended for women with stress, urge and mixed incontinence.  The problem is that many women are not correctly doing Kegel exercises," explained Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist in private practice in New Haven, Conn.

In fact, results from the TNS survey found that the majority of women who currently do Kegel exercises only find them to be slightly (32%) to somewhat (38%) effective and approximately half of the women who had never tried Kegel exercises (48%) had not done them because they did not know how to do them.(ii)

"The Myself® Trainer is easy to use and women in a clinical study did not demonstrate any complications. Other treatments for urge incontinence, such as medication, carry the potential for dry mouth, constipation and other possible effects," said Dr. Minkin.  "Surgical approaches for patients with stress incontinence carry the risk of bleeding, infection, bladder and bowel damage.  The Myself® Trainer does not carry any of these risks."

It is estimated that the symptoms of weak pelvic muscles affect one in three women.  Women are invited to visit www.womenshealthfoundation.org to learn more about the causes and symptoms of weak pelvic muscles as well as the available solutions.

"Millions of women are affected by problems such as urge incontinence and bladder leakage because of weak pelvic muscles.  It's so wonderful to have a product that can help women to do pelvic muscle exercises correctly and regain their pelvic muscle strength," said Missy Lavender, Founder of the Women's Health Foundation.  "It is part of our mission to educate women about the importance of pelvic health and The Myself® Trainer is an exciting new way for women to regain and maintain pelvic strength."

About The Myself® Trainer

The Myself® Trainer doesn't just pad the problems associated with weak pelvic muscles.  It works by helping women identify the correct muscles for pelvic muscle exercises and it provides resistance for the pelvic muscles to squeeze against, measures the strength of pelvic muscle contractions and features immediate feedback and motivational cues during the exercise session.  The Myself® Trainer is clinically shown to safely and effectively help women gain the benefits of strong pelvic floor muscles without side effects.(iii)

The Myself® Trainer works by measuring the strength of pelvic muscle contractions. The stronger the contraction, the greater the number of bands that light up on the display screen. The Myself® Trainer guides women through a 5 minute exercise session, indicating when to flex and when to relax and automatically tracks and displays progress through 3 different strength levels for continuous improvement as the muscles get stronger over time.

The Myself® Trainer is clinically shown to help improve bladder control, increase vaginal tone and enhance intimacy.  In a clinical study of 55 women ages 25-81 with bladder control problems, The Myself® Trainer helped all of the women improve their symptoms.  Seventy-nine percent of the women in the study reported their symptoms were reduced by 50% or more.(iii) A majority of the 116 women who participated in a recent experience study with The Myself® Trainer reported that the trainer improved their quality of life in a variety of ways from a significant decrease in urinary leakage to an improved sex life.(iv)

The Myself® Trainer is a new product from JCS Wellness Solutions, Inc., a subsidiary of Jarden Consumer Solutions, with a focus on women's health.  The Myself® Trainer is available without a prescription and can be purchased online at www.themyselftrainer.com or by calling 800-383-2588.

About Jarden Consumer Solutions

Jarden Consumer Solutions (JCS), a subsidiary of Jarden Corporation (NYSE: JAH), is a leading consumer products company that designs, manufactures and markets, nationally and internationally, a diverse portfolio of consumer products under world-class brands such as Bionaire®, Crock-Pot®, FoodSaver®, Health o meter®, Holmes®, Mr. Coffee®, Oster®, Patton®, Rival®, Seal-a-Meal®, Sunbeam® and VillaWare®.  JCS is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida and employs more than 10,000 people in 15 countries.  More information can be found on the Web at www.jardencs.com.

About The Women's Health Foundation

Founded in 2004, Women's Health Foundation (WHF) is a nonprofit organization focused on providing life strategies, community-based programs and services, and events to encourage women to proactively manage their pelvic health and wellness. Dedicated to eliminating the Sisterhood of Silence and creating a Sisterhood of Strength, WHF is becoming the nation's most visible and passionate champion of women's pelvic wellness issues. Headquartered in Chicago, WHF sponsors programs in Alaska, Massachusetts, Colorado, Arizona, Indiana, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia and throughout the Chicagoland area. To learn more, visit www.womenshealthfoundation.org.

References

(i)  Urinary Incontinence in Women (n.d.). National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC). Retrieved April 8, 2010, from http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/uiwomen/index.htm

(ii)  This survey was conducted by TNS on the Online Express Omnibus among 1,000 adults age 18+ between April 1-5, 2010.

(iii) Smith et al. A Self-directed Home Biofeedback System for Women with Symptoms of Stress, Urge and Mixed Incontinence. Journal of Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing. 2000; 27: 239-246.

(iv) This survey was conducted by Jarden Consumer Solution, Inc., via TNS-Global Chronic Ailment Panel among 220 adult women age 25-70, Feb 2008.

SOURCE JCS Wellness Solutions, Inc.