SRC: support shorts for bladder leaks & prolapse: professional review

Are you considering buying a pair of SRC support shorts to help with bladder leaks or prolapse?

This is a rofessional review & guide to SRC Support Garments. SRC shorts & leggings are medical grade support garments for women struggling with light incontinence or early stage prolapse. Designed by women & clinically shown to actively support the pelvic floor and pelvic organs.  

We had Irish brand in the UK for nearly 10 years, respected and recommended widely by physiotherapists.  Unfortunately, they are no longer producing the product but you can still find some sizes/odd bits of stock available online – or you might need to ask around friends.    Luckily, Australian brand SRC Health is now stocked by two UK suppliers and proving an equally popular life-changer.

This article collates my insights as a specialist physiotherapist with feedback from my patient’s experiences. This information is intended to help you decide if a pair might be a good investment for you.

Affiliate/discount codes: this post is not sponsored but I have received free samples for my clinic and I have regular contact with both the brand & distributors to keep up to date with their product developments.  An affiliate link  is no extra cost to you but a small share to me, which helps to support this site.

SRC Health Restore Range

Available with my affiliate link from the friendly team at Kegel8. If you have had a problem for more than 3 months you don’t have to pay VAT – just complete the declaration before you check out.

Would support shorts help you?

• Are you losing your confidence to be sporty? To enjoy being active with your family or manage your on-your-feet job?
• Do you want to keep fit and maintian your health but bladder leaks are holding you back? Or vaginal discomfort and bulging are getting you down?
• Are you getting caught in a vicious circle where the less you exercise the worse your symptoms are getting?
• Are you AFRAID to exercise in case you make things worse?

…because pelvic floor exercises might not be enough.

Yes, it’s me ,a physio, saying that! We do know that pelvic floor exercises will help both bladder leaks and pelvic organ symptoms like dragging, bulging or pain.  Don’t give up on the exercises.  That’s your proven long-term plan out of the miserable place.

However, if you need a quick confidence boost, have an event coming up, want to enjoy the summer in white trousers or just need to stop feeling so heavy do come and try on a pair of SRC shorts at clinic.

Support Garments: can add support to your pelvic organs from the outside. NOW.

Are SRCs just for mums?

SRC make antenatal & postnatal specific garments – a lovely gift for an expectant mum.

However, support garments are not just for young mums.  Many of our clinic clients have developed continence or prolapse issues as they hit the peri-menopausal hormone changes. These are a game-changer.

Is it cheating to wear support shorts? Will my muscles get lazy?

And they will NOT make you lazy.   Quite the opposite. Let these stories from my clinic reassure you.

Stories from clinic:

Tanya’s Story

Tanya can run leak-free with her SRC postpartum leggings on.  Not without them…yet.  But that has reassured us both that she only needs to go up one or two notches with her own abs & pelvic floor strength & endurance to achieve that same goal naturally.

She’s up to her ears with her newborn and 2 others under 5 at the moment, so realistically we know this last bit of targeted pelvic floor is going to be slow(er). The SRCs are doing the job for now.  The SRCs are not making her lazy.  Quite  the opposite, I believe, as thanks to them she can get out for an evening run for some much needed head -pace and cardio-fitness, whenever she gets an opportunity. 

We have agreed that I keep up a regular email to ask after her progress every few months, so that she doesn’t become too content to let the shorts do the work longer term!

Jenny’s story

Jenny wears her SRC Restore Shorts on her “grandkids days”, twice a week.  She says there is no going back!

Jessie & Arthur are 18 months & 3 years.  She and her husband feel enriched by all the imaginative play, cuddles, trips to the park and shear energy they bring to their home.  But she was reduced to tears by vaginal bulging and heaviness by the time they left. 

She would wake up barely aware of her “mild” prolapse, by lunchtime feel a bit of dragging, by teatime rubbing and aching and by the time she was finally alone she could see and feel her vagina wall bulging at the opening.  Yes, it would go back overnight but only to start the cycle off next visit.

We were worried that not only was this spoiling her enjoyment of being a granny but longer term a clue that the descent of the vaginal walls was worsening. 

Now, she puts on her “prolapse-protection-armour” before they arrive!   Jenny is also making better choices of activities (!) & modifying how much she picks up the little ones unnecessarily. She is  being diligent with her pelvic floor exercises on the non-children days. She is still conscious that they have visited but delighted that the fatigue is more from general energy expenditure than vaginal discomfort. 

Jenny likes that the SRCs both physically support her from below but also make her more conscious of her posture.  The ritual of wearing them is also her brain-reminder that she needs to balance what is right for her with what is fun for the children. She likes that with the champagne colour is a bit “Bridget Jones” and puts lighter colour trousers and skirts back on the table for her.

SRC garments: what’s the difference?

My personal summary of the similarities and differences between styles to help you decide what might suit you.

Benefits:

Widely recommended by pelvic health physiotherapists

Compression garments specifically designed by women for women with (milder) incontinence or (early stage) pelvic organ prolapse problems and/or for postnatal recovery

Specialised medical grade compression material in the gusset, back and abdominal areas to encourage support/uplifting compression of the perineum,  bladder and bladder tube

Research has led development and informs medical claims.

Variety of styles (shorts, leggings)

Not doing the job entirely for you (like shapewear or a brace would) so that your muscles do not become dependent/lazy – intended is to be part of your muscle rehab package.

Potentially, the proprioceptive (sensory stimulus) of the garments encourage natural pelvic floor activity. Feeling ‘safer’ reduces overactivity and gripping of the pelvic floor muscles.

Feeling less worried reduces stress-hormone adrenalin which reduces bladder irritability…meanwhile, support improves your confidence to exercise which helps your fitness & core strength…

Not Absorbant in any way. If you might have urine leaks you will still need to use a disposable pad or liner at the same time or wear them over your absorbent washable knickers (old-school PE Pants style!).   Read more about products to manage leaks here.

But different

SRC Health Restore Support Garment for Prolapse & incontinence www.kegel8.co.uk www.pioneermedicaleurope.co.uk	SRC Health Recovery Shorts/Leggings (for Pregnancy & Postnatal) www.kegel8.co.uk www.pioneermedicaleurope.co.uk
Mini, mid length shorts, leggings	Thinner material
Can be worn day & night	All day wear, including immediately after birth
Mainly pelvic floor support, with abdominal support panel	Pelvic floor, abdominal and high back support (T2) with compression
Thin waist level band	High under-rib waistband
Underwear	Underwear & Outerwear styles available
sizes  XXXS to XXL	Small, medium, large
Measured at hip (ideally by someone else)	Measured at hip (ideally by someone else)
£60 (£54 with VAT exemption)	£109
Champagne or black	Black
Machine wash cold water	Machine wash cold water
	Suitable to wear immediately after a caesarean

Personal notes ….

• The SRC postnatal Health Recovery Shorts come very high under the ribs to help with support for your upper back too. The postnatal garments even in the early days after vaginal or caesarean delivery. They can be worn day & night.
• SRC’s light support means you can comfortably wear them all day and even all night.  This seems to be very helpful for symptoms of urgency and frequency with the gentle uplift/compression of the perineum reducing bladder sensitivity.   Several clinic clients now getting through the night with only one (not 4!) wees and feeling they have “more time” to get to a toilet, especially when out shopping or visiting friends.  This could be a placebo from having more confidence that you are “safe” but that’s a good thing too!
• NEW SRC pregnancy/postnatal shorts and leggings are OUTERWEAR, with pockets for your phone and keys!
• Be inspired & guided by other women...Lots more lovely stories and testimonials on SRCs Australian site (but make sure you come back to UK sites to order SRC or you will pay Oz shipping!).
• We have a good range of SRC support shorts in my clinic for “try before you buy”.

Are they worth it: Shape wear vs medical compression wear

 Can’t I just wear ordinary cosmetic “shape-wear” or my best-least washed and worn leggings?  Yes, do have a dig through your underwear and sports drawers to find your “tightest” (but not downward pressing!) kit.  You might find you already have something in your drawer that works for you, or gives you a sense of whether this is a good route to follow.  Do start experimenting with reusing anything you already have. 

BUT, women are notorious for procrastination and down-grading their own needs.  Please remember that self-care is not self-indulgence.  You may pay a little more for these thoughtfully engineered medical-grade garments but the gains to your freedom, confidence and benefit from returning to exercise will far outweigh this small self-investment.

Are you worth it?

I believe SRC support shorts or leggings are an important complementary, non-invasive addition to the longer-term internal pelvic floor work we physiotherapists encourage you to do.

I firmly believe that self-care is not self-indulgence. Looking after our bodies not only after birth but as we pass through all ages and phases of life is essential. Exercise is fundamental to both physical & mental wellbeing. Fit women enrich their own lives and then the lives of all the people around them.

We live in a modern world. With amazing technological inventions to help us enjoy our sports & hobbies and care for our bodies. Women need & deserve Good Kit too. Look after yourself. You are worth it.

Author: Amanda Savage MCSP MSt (Cantab) Specialist Physiotherapist

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