Mobilis Direct – Sports Injury and Home Healthcare products direct

Why wearing control pants could lead to back problems and incontinence - 24/09/08

The control pants, praised by fashion and makeover TV programmes, which claimed to hide women’s lumps and bumps, could lead to back problems, incontinence and even pelvic floor prolapse.

Control pants have been constantly featured and praised by TV’s Trinny and Susannah, and Gok Wann, who recommend them to those women who want to hide their excess fat by pulling in untoned areas of the body.

They are mainly used for hiding unsightly and flabby areas, usually in the stomach, thighs and bottom, and are available as waist clinchers, thigh slimmers and for all over the body.

A must have slimming aid for celebrities, including Kylie Minogue and often known as Bridget Jones pants, body sculpting pants are used by women nationwide.

They are also one of Marks and Spencers’ best selling products with over one million sold each year.

Now medical experts are worried about the affect control pants can have on women’s backs and their pelvic floor health.

When a woman is overweight and under toned, with weak abdominal muscles, the stomach spills over clothing. These weak abdominal muscles can lead to back problems, incontinence and even pelvic floor prolapse.

As they are being recommended to overweight women as a way to hide their fat, they are encouraging women to hide behind these control pants, rather than tackling the real problem of their weight.

By ignoring the problem and covering it up, the abdominal muscles are ignored, and they prevent muscle tone and strengthening.

Obesity levels are soaring the UK with 23% of British women classed as obese and 35% as overweight, and the problem is increasing, so by wearing control pants and ignoring the problem, obesity levels will continue to increase.

The abdominal muscles are also linked to the pelvic floor, which supports the bladder and the bowel. When the abdominal muscles are weaken and un-toned, it means the bladder and bowel no longer have the support they require to function properly.

As the pelvic floor muscles could already be weaken from pregnancy and child birth, menopause, general ageing or obesity, ignoring their strength by wearing control pants can only make the problem worse.

If women continue to wear control pants and the is problem ignored, it can also lead to a complete pelvic floor prolapse.

The abdominal muscles are also linked to the back, so weak muscles in the tummy mean weak muscles in the back. This can lead to a variety of back injuries, such as muscle strains and lower back pain from physical movements.

The stomach can only be toned through healthy eating and exercise, control pants do not help the matter, they only hide it and can even lead to a variety of other serious health problems.

Core stability workouts, such as pilates, work on the stomach, back and pelvic floor muscles to strengthen and tone them.

If you suffer from lower back pain, wearing a back support, such as the Vulkan Back Support, will help to relive the pain. Lumbar rolls are an effective treatment for lower back pain and can be used while driving, sitting at a desk and in bed.

Incontinence is an embarrassing problem, despite being so common. We have a range of incontinence books to help you understand, as well as our Women’s Pelvic Health section, which has some useful advice about incontinence.

Treatment for incontinence can range from simple pelvic floor exercises to Aquaflex Vaginal Cones and the Pelvic Floor Educator, which can all be done in the comfort of your home.