Short course: Pelvic exercises are good for men too

New York: Kegel exercises have long been considered women’s work. Because they tone the pelvic floor muscles that support the uterus, doctors encourage women to do them during pregnancy and continue them for life. But Kegels are not just for women anymore. Pelvic floor exercises can help treat incontinence and perhaps sexual dysfunction in men, too, studies have found. Now the rush is on to persuade middle-aged men to get on the bandwagon. Men have the same network of pelvic floor muscles that women do, extending like a hammock from the tailbone to the pubic bone. While some proponents believe Kegels can enhance erections and orgasms, there’s little evidence to support the claim. But clinical trials have found they can be helpful for men with one of the most common sexual disorders, premature ejaculation. And some trials suggest Kegels may help restore potency in men with erectile dysfunction. The American Urological Association also recommends Kegels, along with other behavioural modifications, for both men and women who have overactive bladders. Men with severe back pain should avoid Kegels, however, and anyone who has undergone surgery should consult their doctor.

Weather may not up back pain, says study
New York: Many people think the weather affects their back pain, but a new study shows they are probably wrong. Australian researchers studied 993 cases of sudden, acute back pain in primary care clinics in 2011 and 2012. They gathered weather information from Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology. Then they compared the weather when each patient first noticed back pain to the weather one week before and one month before. The study, published online in Arthritis Care & Research, found no association of temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure or precipitation with episodes of pain. Wind speed and gusts were associated with a slight increase in the risk of back pain, but the effect was not clinically significant.