Here it comes. The prolapse talk again. Most women either do not know what this is, or do because they either work in the medical field or have had this issue themselves. The big problem that I have with this subject is that NO ONE TALKS ABOUT IT!
How is this possible? It will apparently happen to 50% of the female population (to varying degrees) and yet we are not talking about it!
As a physical therapist who specializes in pelvic health and women’s health, I help women recover from their prolapse symptoms. Do we cure it? No. But we can reverse it to some extent and help women manage it by helping them to manage their intra-abdominal pressures better (to not continue putting pressure down onto the floor of the pelvis with everyday movements) and to help strengthen the pelvic floor, core, and hips.
But the MOST COMMON statement I hear is “why didn’t anyone tell me this could happen”?? So I am here to both get the word out AND EMPOWER my female friends, patients and family to learn the signs, learn how to get help and hopefully NOT NEED SURGERY!
Isn’t surgery a cure-all and the easy way you ask? ABSOLUTELY NOT. There is a high failure rate, there are risks of complications such as abdominal and pelvic pain, further prolapse and incontinence. Oy.
Many women will still need surgery and there is a lot that a pelvic physical therapist can do to help ensure that they do not need a subsequent surgery. How you ask? By helping us learn to move in a way that does not put excessive pressure on the floor of the pelvis with everyday movements. By assessing our pelvic floor and core strength and prescribing the APPROPRIATE exercise program for us specifically. Beware of cookie-cutter programs because us women are a highly varied group!
So if you want to be one of the few that is armed with the information that can help you prevent the progression of a prolapse and possibly prevent surgery, read on.
The 5 Warning Signs of Pelvic Organ Prolapse
1. Feeling a heaviness in our pelvis
2. Occasional urine leakage with cough, sneeze, or jump known as stress incontinence. (Don’t just brush off this issue gals!)
3. Incomplete emptying of our bladders (you sit down to go, then get up and feel like there is more to go…)
4. Uncomfortable sex (when it was just fine before)
5. Cannot keep a tampon or menstrual cup in.
If you have any of these symptoms, I would highly recommend that you seek out a pelvic physical therapist and/or ask your OBGYN. These are NOT symptoms that we can brush off as annoyances unless we would like to continue on the road to prolapse. Does everyone with any one of these symptoms have a prolapse? Likely no. However, all of them alone are enough reason to seek help as they are treatable by conservative means most of the time.
If you have any questions, you can reach me via the contact me page or through the Facebook business page. I am here to help, because we ALL deserve to feel great in our bodies.
