LIving well with pelvic organ prolapse
First off, what is prolapse?
Prolapse can be a scary word but there are a lot of misconceptions. Prolapse can happen for a variety of reasons but it is commonly a result of mismanaged pressure in combination with weakening, lengthening and/or tightening of the vaginal walls. When this happens, the pelvic organs can begin to weigh heavily and fall into the vaginal wall causing a “falling out” sensation with a visible descent of tissue.
There are a few different forms of prolapse . The most common are:
prolapse of the bladder(cystocele)
the rectum(rectocele)
the uterus(uterine prolapse)
They also described in terms of how far the organ(s) have descended into the vaginal canal, which is described as the grade of prolapse.
Stage 1: Very mild prolapse – organs are still fairly well supported by the pelvic floor.
Stage 2: Pelvic floor organs have begun to fall, but are still contained inside the vagina.
Stage 3: Pelvic floor organs have fallen to, or beyond the opening of the vagina.
Stage 4: Pelvic floor organs have fallen completely through the vaginal opening
One very large contributing factor of prolapse is a pressure management. What does that mean, you ask?
Our body is incredible at what it can do. All throughout our day it is assessing and adapting to the demands that we are placing on it. If we have effective pressure management strategies, meaning, we can maintain a neutral posture, control our breath, engage appropriate musculature, and help to evenly distribute force we can help to support our pelvic floor and overall pelvic health. If we have inappropriate pressure management strategies, meaning, we bear down, breath hold and maintain improper alignment especially when lifting then we could be overloading our pelvic floor making us more prone to issues such as prolapse.
If your prolapse symptoms : come and go, tend to be better in the morning and worse in the afternoons, you have started to notice that you have no symptoms sometimes and then have significant symptoms sometimes.
There is hope.
Just because you have prolapse does not mean that you cant run, jump, lift or even have another vaginal delivery. You just need the right care and guidance to help teach you how to manage it. Guess what? That’s what we specialize in! Womens health is our speciality and we love helping to empower women to feel their best.
If you are struggling with prolapse, lack confidence in how you move or lift your child, worry that you wont be able to get back to your workouts or feeling like yourself. We are here to help!
If you are currently experiencing any pelvic floor related issues or are unsure if you are please reach out to us either through social media @empowerptandwellness, email: Hello@WeEmpowerPT.com or give us a call or a text at 678-413-5587. You are not alone in what you are experiencing and we would love to help guide you to achieve everything you want!
Empower Physical Therapy and Wellness
1061 Cambridge Square Suite D
Alpharetta GA 30004
678-413-5587
hello@weempowerpt.com
