I often get asked this question in the clinic. Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a common clinical condition I encounter in my daily clinical practice. By definition POP is the downward displacement of the pelvic organs (rectum, bladder, uterus, urethra, small bowel) from their anatomical location.
Pelvic organ prolapse symptoms
Main pelvic organ prolapse symptoms described by women include, but are not limited to:
- bladder leakage,
- bowel leakage,
- difficulty emptying bladder and/or bowel,
- vaginal pressure often described as ‘something coming down’ in the vagina,
- painful sex
- pressure in the lower tummy
- lower back pain
Some women with pelvic organ prolapse have no symptoms and this is still unclear whether the anatomical displacement is directly related to these symptoms and either partial or total correction is needed to resolve them.
Prolapse treatment
Despite all the unknown, physiotherapy has been showed to be very effective in treating pelvic organ prolapse and it is also a first line of treatment. Conservative options should be always be exhausted before seeking surgical interventions.
What can you do yourself to minimize the risk of pelvic organ prolapse or what to do when you already have symptoms?
- Avoid straining in the toilet- ensure high fibre diet and adequate water intake, use squatty potty. You will find more tips here: https://mnaphysiotherapy.com/how-to-empty-your-bowels-better/
- Remember to activate the pelvic floor muscles prior to exercises that are aggravating your symptoms (typically squatting, lifting, jumping). Here is how to do it: https://mnaphysiotherapy.com/how-do-i-know-if-i-do-my-pelvic-floor-exercises-correctly/
- Avoid heavy lifting – especially right after giving birth. The rule of thumb is to avoid lifting weight heavier than your child (without a car seat)
- Learn how to lift correctly
- Strengthen pelvic floor muscles – but only under the guidance of a specialist- poorly performed exercises can cause more issues than good
- Modify exercise and training – reduce load, make sure you breathing throughout, limit high impact exercises (at least until your symptoms improve), avoid sit ups
- If you have a lot of downward pressure in the vagina, rest with your legs up against a wall, lie on your back with a pillow under your pelvis or come down on your forearms and knees
- seek help from your women`s health physiotherapist
- stay positive!
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