Dr. Erin Weber, DPT is one of Physio Logic’s most experienced and knowledgeable physical therapists specializing in pelvic floor therapy. She has helped many women with issues ranging from painful sexual intercourse, urinary incontinence, mothers who have just given birth, and many other issues related to the pelvic floor. Recently, a product known as the Jade Egg has been making a buzz in a number of women’s magazines and blogs with many critics and supporters. Dr. Weber shares her thoughts and professional opinion about the Jade Egg, and whether this product is truly a “one size fits all” solution.
The Jade Egg. Does this product really work?
As some of you may have read, there has been significant buzz around the Jade Egg. The Jade Egg is a small weighted object that women can insert vaginally to help improve pelvic floor health. The Jade Egg has gained traction due to its recent promotion by the lifestyle website, Goop. This little egg has even gained momentum from some of its harshest critics.
As a doctor of physical therapy with advanced training in pelvic floor rehabilitation, I would like to share my professional opinion.
The Jade Egg has been touted as a tool to facilitate pelvic floor strengthening and improve one’s sex life. Its creators and some users claim that its crystal energy can be utilized to detox and cleanse the female pelvis.
My experience treating women with pelvic floor dysfunction has taught me that a personalized intervention is the most successful approach. Treating variations between those who don’t know how to engage their pelvic floor to those who walk around tightening their pelvic floors all day long require specific instructions.
This makes it difficult to prescribe a one size fits all approach.
When used as a strengthening tool, the jade egg works through a mechanism called biofeedback. Biofeedback gives you a better understanding of when you are contracting vs. when you are relaxed. Simply holding the egg in standing up against gravity provides increased work for the pelvic floor musculature. However, this constant “work” is not beneficial for women who are already walking around over-facilitated (over-contracting). Tight muscles eventually become weak muscles!
Most women have difficulty contracting their pelvic floor muscles completely due to latency throughout certain muscles (deep layers), trigger points, and/or scarring from childbirth.
Sometimes, women aren’t sure which category they fall into – are they over-contracting, fully contracting, or under-contracting their pelvic floor muscles? Identifying which of these underlying factors are contributing to their pelvic floor dysfunction requires a trained profession with experience treating the pelvic floor.
Luckily, pelvic floor physical therapists are here to help!
If you are experiencing pain with intercourse, frequent urination, urinary incontinence (leakage), difficulty voiding, organ prolapse, my recommendation is to see a pelvic floor physical therapist who can properly assess your pelvic floor muscles through an internal exam, and instruct you on how to use your Jade Egg and when appropriate – to correct for any dysfunction.