Vaginal weights are a way of strengthening the pelvic floor muscles.Stress incontinencecan make laughing or sneezing anxiety-provoking for up to half of women over the age of 50, often leading to unintentional urinary incontinence (leakage). This condition occurs when physical activities like coughing, sneezing, or exercising put pressure on the bladder, causing leaks.
The most common non-surgical treatment for stress incontinence focuses on strengthening the pelvic floor muscles, which, as a group, support the bladder and internal organs:
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How You Do It
The Regimen
Who Shouldn’t Use Vaginal Weights
According to an extensive review published in 2013 in theCochrane Database of Systematic Reviewsregarding the effectiveness of vaginal cones or weights for incontinence, women who have a narrowed or scarred vagina will not be able to use these devices.
The weights should not be used at the same time as a tampon or a diaphragm, or if you have a vaginal infection orsexually transmitted disease.
The 2013 review concluded that vaginal weights are more effective than no treatment when used consistently and that they may be easier to teach and use than standard pelvic exercises (like Kegels). While these devices can be helpful, some women found them uncomfortable and stopped using the weights altogether.
The key is finding the right approach that works for you. Communication with your healthcare provider is crucial to tailoring a treatment plan suited to your specific needs.
Other Ways to Improve Bladder Control
Better pelvic floor strength is just one aspect of incontinence management.
Other strategies can include:
Finally, women with mild stress incontinence may find some relief simply in learning how to control the pelvic floor strength they already have, according to a study published in theInternational Urogynecology Journalin 2008. Nicknamed the “Knack”, the move involves actively holding back or clenching the pelvic floor muscles just prior to and during a cough or sneeze. Unlike pelvic floor strengthening exercises which can take months to reap results, this pelvic clench was found to boost bladder control within as little as a week.
A note of caution regarding all pelvic floor exercises: don’t practice them while you are urinating, since you are already using your pelvic muscles to urinate. Doing these exercises at the same time will not achieve the goals and can further impair your control.
SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Herbison GP, Dean N.Weighted vaginal cones for urinary incontinence.Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews2013, Issue 7. Art. No.: CD002114.Miller, Janis M; Sampselle, Carolyn; Ashton-Miller, James; Hong, Gwi-Ryung Son; DeLancey, John O.L. “Clarification and Confirmation of the Knack maneuver: the Effect of Volitional Pelvic Floor Muscle Contraction to Preempt Expected Stress Incontinence.“International Urogynecology Journal06/2008, Volume 19, Issue 6, pp. 773 - 782.Perkins J, Johnson CM. “Vaginal Weights for Pelvic Floor Training: a Multiple Participant Case Report.“Physiother Theory Pract.2012 Oct;28(7):499-508. doi: 10.3109/09593985.2011.653708.Age Page: Incontinence. US National Institute on Aging Public Information Sheet.http://www.nia.nih.gov/health/publication/urinary-incontinence
Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Herbison GP, Dean N.Weighted vaginal cones for urinary incontinence.Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews2013, Issue 7. Art. No.: CD002114.Miller, Janis M; Sampselle, Carolyn; Ashton-Miller, James; Hong, Gwi-Ryung Son; DeLancey, John O.L. “Clarification and Confirmation of the Knack maneuver: the Effect of Volitional Pelvic Floor Muscle Contraction to Preempt Expected Stress Incontinence.“International Urogynecology Journal06/2008, Volume 19, Issue 6, pp. 773 - 782.Perkins J, Johnson CM. “Vaginal Weights for Pelvic Floor Training: a Multiple Participant Case Report.“Physiother Theory Pract.2012 Oct;28(7):499-508. doi: 10.3109/09593985.2011.653708.Age Page: Incontinence. US National Institute on Aging Public Information Sheet.http://www.nia.nih.gov/health/publication/urinary-incontinence
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Herbison GP, Dean N.Weighted vaginal cones for urinary incontinence.Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews2013, Issue 7. Art. No.: CD002114.Miller, Janis M; Sampselle, Carolyn; Ashton-Miller, James; Hong, Gwi-Ryung Son; DeLancey, John O.L. “Clarification and Confirmation of the Knack maneuver: the Effect of Volitional Pelvic Floor Muscle Contraction to Preempt Expected Stress Incontinence.“International Urogynecology Journal06/2008, Volume 19, Issue 6, pp. 773 - 782.Perkins J, Johnson CM. “Vaginal Weights for Pelvic Floor Training: a Multiple Participant Case Report.“Physiother Theory Pract.2012 Oct;28(7):499-508. doi: 10.3109/09593985.2011.653708.Age Page: Incontinence. US National Institute on Aging Public Information Sheet.http://www.nia.nih.gov/health/publication/urinary-incontinence
Herbison GP, Dean N.Weighted vaginal cones for urinary incontinence.Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews2013, Issue 7. Art. No.: CD002114.
Miller, Janis M; Sampselle, Carolyn; Ashton-Miller, James; Hong, Gwi-Ryung Son; DeLancey, John O.L. “Clarification and Confirmation of the Knack maneuver: the Effect of Volitional Pelvic Floor Muscle Contraction to Preempt Expected Stress Incontinence.“International Urogynecology Journal06/2008, Volume 19, Issue 6, pp. 773 - 782.
Perkins J, Johnson CM. “Vaginal Weights for Pelvic Floor Training: a Multiple Participant Case Report.“Physiother Theory Pract.2012 Oct;28(7):499-508. doi: 10.3109/09593985.2011.653708.
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