Pelvic Organ Prolapse
Overview of pelvic organ prolapse:
Pelvic organ prolapse occurs when one or more pelvic organs—such as the bladder, uterus, or rectum—descend into or outside of the vaginal canal due to weakened support structures. The severity of the prolapse varies from grade 1 (small bulging but not visible from the outside) to grade 4 (the tissues are suspended outside the vaginal opening). Symptoms do not correlate with severity of prolapse! We have had a patient with a grade 3 prolapse whose only symptom was that she was embarrassed to wear a swimsuit but didn’t actually have discomfort. We have had many patients with grade 1-2 that feel intense symptoms of pressure and discomfort.
Common causes:
There are several things that are considered risk factors for Pelvic Organ Prolapse, including vaginal childbirth, chronic constipation, heavy lifting, obesity, hormonal changes in menopause, and high-impact exercise (with poor mechanics). Genetics also play a huge role, because you cannot change the integrity or stretchiness of your fascia. Although we can’t change your genetics, there are usually lifestyle things we can address to help diminish your symptoms!
Impact on life:
Women often describe a feeling of heaviness, bulging, or pressure in the pelvis, especially at the end of the day. It can interfere with exercise, intimacy, and confidence. We often hear that pelvic organ prolapse takes an emotional toll on women because they worry about long-term outcomes, they fear it will worsen, they aren’t sure what is considered “safe” or “unsafe” movement, and they are concerned about the appearance or function of their pelvic floors.
How pelvic floor therapy helps:
Pelvic Floor Therapy can significantly reduce symptoms by strengthening supportive muscles, relaxing tight muscles and tissues, improving posture and alignment, and teaching intra-abdominal pressure management to protect the pelvic floor.
Our treatment:
We start every patients with a thorough evaluation so we can better understand any compensation patterns, areas of weakness, areas of reduced mobility, and postural tendencies. Then, we focus on proper breathing, posture, and pelvic floor muscle activation throughout your plan of care. If needed, we collaborate on pessary support and modify lifestyle or movement patterns to reduce strain, but we never want you to feel like you have to stop activities. We might have you modify activity for a short time, but our goal is to always return to the activities you enjoy!
Ready to get back to activities or exercise without heaviness and pressure? Book your evaluation today.