Chinese balls: what they are for and how to use them 2026

Author: Paula Arenas Muñiz

Before explaining what Chinese balls are for, it is important to clarify what Chinese balls are. Chinese balls are not a sexual device in themselves, no, they are not! Of course, using Chinese balls with your partner or yourself can bring pleasure, just like with your hands. A very practical example. Is it pleasurable to wear a tampon during menstruation? No! Well, the same thing happens with Chinese balls.

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Well, with that said, let's talk about the therapeutic aspect. Like any other device, method or therapy, Chinese balls are not suitable for all women or rather, not for all at the same time. Each pelvic floor injury is different in each woman, and everything that is sold to you as a panacea or unique solution will be a lie, so the first and essential thing is to go to be evaluated by a professional, in this case the physiotherapist specializing in urogynecology. What is common, logically, is the function of the Chinese balls: to increase muscle tone.

We must differentiate a couple of physiology concepts so that we can understand what we are talking about. In the pelvic floor muscles, as well as in the rest of the body, there are two types of muscle fibers: tonic fibers and phasic fibers. The first are muscle fibers with slow, involuntary and very resistant contraction; they are therefore responsible for maintaining muscle tone. The second are fibers of voluntary, rapid and powerful contraction, that is, those responsible for generating force.

And what is the difference between muscle tension and muscle strength?

So that we all understand each other, residual muscle tension allows the muscle to remain firm and in good condition. It serves to support our pelvic viscera and so that in the event of sudden or sustained increases in intra-abdominal pressure (coughing, sneezing, laughing, running...) our sphincters remain closed. Muscular force, however, is the contraction that we can exert. Thus, a muscle can be strong and have little muscle tension and vice versa. Both situations can be pathological.

Knowing the basic differences, what the Chinese balls achieve is to increase our muscle tone.

How do they do it? Each Chinese ball has a smaller ball inside that, with the movement of our body, vibrates inside the large ball and against the walls of our vagina. It is this vibration that will fundamentally increase our muscle tone. This means that it will be useless to use a Chinese ball and sit and watch TV.

There are countless sizes and weights. In general, the average size is about 35 mm in diameter. The ideal would be to start with a lighter weight and gradually add load as our muscular condition improves (the weight can vary from 28 grams to 100 grams or more). No one would think of starting the first day at the gym with 100 kilos in squats, the same thing happens with the Chinese balls. Therefore, it is vitally important to have a physiotherapy evaluation before starting to exercise our pelvic floor. Without knowing how our body is doing, whether after childbirth, after surgery or without any of these conditions, we will not be able to know what intensity of work it can withstand.

There are many mothers who come to the consultation overwhelmed because they have been recommended to use the Chinese balls immediately after a complex, long and instrumented birth and just as they put them on, they fall off. Don't worry, that can happen to anyone, the important thing is the dose, as with medications, and who knows that is the specialized physiotherapist.

Chinese balls: how do we place them?

It's very simple. It is placed at the same height and in the same way as you would put a tampon. Leaving the cord slightly outside the vagina to facilitate its removal. We will also recommend applying a little water-based lubricant (not oil) to make it more comfortable to insert them. And finally, start first with a single ball, increasing the weight, until you can add two, and use all the possibilities offered by the purchased pack. Once placed, you just have to get up and start living your normal life, your muscles take care of the rest.

Chinese balls: how long should we use them?

That will depend on how you feel. We will never start with this device if you are not yet able to maintain them for even 15 minutes. After exceeding this time, we will continue to wear them for longer and longer until we reach a maximum of 3 hours. Using them longer can cause other problems associated with hypertonia (excess muscle tone).

When is the use of Chinese balls recommended?

In general, any woman could use Chinese balls. It is true that to be cautious, it is advisable to use them before the symptoms appear as long as you do not find yourself in any of these situations:

As therapy it can improve all these symptoms:

We hope you found it interesting and useful, see you in the next article, and remember: #MasDifusionYMenosDisfuncion

Written by Paula Arenas Muñiz is a physiotherapist specializing in pelvic floor dysfunctions at Balance Sport Clinic.