Vaginal Weights, Pessaries + More. Why Prolapse Treatment isn't just Kegels

 

Have you recently been diagnosed with a pelvic organ prolapse? It is a lot more common than you may think. Research indicates:

  • Over 50% of women who have given birth will experience pelvic dysfunction (symptoms may or may not be present)*; and
  • The risk of prolapse increases with each subsequent pregnancy and delivery.

Some women with POP may experience no symptoms at all. For the remaining percentage of women who do experience symptoms, a prolapse might feel like a heaviness or dragging in the vagina. You may be able to see the organs at the vaginal entrance or protruding out of the vagina. There may also be a range of accompanying conditions such as urinary incontinence, trouble having bowel motions and pain or lack of sensation during sex.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is really important that you have your pelvic floor and supporting structures assessed by a Women's Health Physiotherapist or your obstetrician/gynaecologist. 

Firstly, what is Prolapse?

A pelvic organ prolapse is the descent of one or more of the pelvic organs into the vaginal canal. When the organs of the pelvis aren’t adequately supported, they may bulge or drop down into the vaginal canal. Prolapse can happen for a variety of reasons. Pregnancy, childbirth, history of chronic constipation, genetics, biomechanics, hormones, weight and a history of high impact movement can all contribute.

The ligaments and fascia supporting the organs may be stretched or weakened. Likewise, the muscles of the pelvic floor muscles may also be stretched or weakened.

Healing Prolapse - Why Kegels Aren’t Your Only Option 

In the Empowered Motherhood Program, we are passionate about helping women with POP to be able to exercise safely and to feel strong, connected and in control of their body. We do this through our Prolapse and Incontinence Program which combines education and personal insights together with POP Safe pilates, strength and cardio workouts. 

The video at the start of this post is from our POP Program. We are sharing it here to help you to feel educated and empowered when it comes to your body and your treatment options. We wish that more women realised that prolapse isn’t caused solely by a weak pelvic floor, and Kegels aren’t the only answer.

Prolapse is a multi-faceted condition that requires a multi-faceted approach to healing.

In this video Women's Health Physiotherapist Lyz Evans shares some treatment options for women living with prolapse and why kegels aren't your only option.

Have you been diagnosed with Prolapse?

We understand that this can feel very confronting. You may have also been told to avoid certain types of exercise, which can feel really disempowering.

As your next step towards a stronger and more connected body, we suggest watching our Exercising with Prolapse Essentials from our Free Mini-Course. 

In this video Lyz shares some of the tips and exercises from our Prolapse and Incontinence Program. She shares how you can exercise safely with prolapse and why it is actually what you SHOULD be doing!

Good luck with all your training and your healing journey. 

Kimmy and Lyz x

 

Footnotes

  • Hagen & Stark 2011.

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