Pelvic Organ Prolapse- What You NEED to Know!
Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a serious condition that occurs when the tissue and muscles of the pelvic floor no longer support the pelvic organs, resulting in the drop (prolapse) of the pelvic organs from their normal position. The pelvic organs include the vagina, cervix, uterus, bladder, urethra, and rectum. If you think of your pelvic floor like a hammock. Your pelvic muscles and tissues support your pelvic organs like a hammock would, so when the muscles and tissues of this region become weakened or damaged, this can lead to one or more of the pelvic organs to drop at varying levels of severity, which can include being visible outside of the body through the anus or vagina. Childbirth is one of the main causes of pelvic organ prolapse, but it is important to note that it is not the only cause. And, if it does, it is treatable. However, with POP, the sooner you seek intervention the better off you will be. If the severity is past a certain point, physical therapy may not be able to get it back 100%, so early intervention is crucial!
The pressure from prolapse can cause a bulge in the vagina that can sometimes be felt or seen. Women with pelvic organ prolapse may feel uncomfortable pressure during physical activity or sex.
Other symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse include:
- Seeing or feeling a bulge or "something coming out" of the vagina
- A feeling of pressure, discomfort, aching, or fullness in the pelvis
- Pelvic pressure that gets worse with standing or coughing or as the day goes on
- Leaking urine (incontinence) or problems having a bowel movement
- Problems inserting tampons
Some women say that their symptoms are worse at certain times of the day, during physical activity, or after standing for a long time. If you start experiencing one or more of these symptoms, it is important to speak with your doctor as soon as possible.
There isn’t a completely foolproof way that is guaranteed to prevent POP, but there are certain actions that you can take in order to help prevent it, especially if you are going to be giving birth. It is extremely important to stay active (as much as you are able to, and speak with your doctor first!) during your pregnancy. This doesn’t have to mean hardcore exercise, but even just simple things like long walks, stretches, leg lifts, etc. will help strengthen your body and your pelvic floor, which will help prepare you for birth and maintain your pelvic strength both during and after birth. There are specific pelvic floor exercises that you should try to do regularly in the months leading up to birth, as these will help maintain the strength within the tissues and muscles of the pelvic region, which will further help prevent things like POP from happening. These are best to get by consulting with a pelvic floor physical therapist since they can be difficult to execute and any exercise during pregnancy should be monitored.
If you think that you might be experiencing pelvic organ prolapse, don't hesitate to reach out to your OBGYN or to a pelvic floor physical therapist. Both can assess your condition and a OBGYN should refer you to a pelvic floor physical therapist. Many will also discuss surgical options, however we recommend seeing physical; therapy as a first resort. Surgery should only be used in severe cases and definitely not if you are looking to have more children in the future.
If you would like to get ahead on strengthening your pelvic floor region before birth, before pregnancy, or if you are postpartum and would like to begin treating your pelvic floor, give us a call here at Arancia Physical Therapy at 401.602.7006 or by reaching out to us online here. We look forward to hearing from you!