One in two women will
develop a prolapse, but again this is one of those secrets that is
never spoken about and therefore often never dealt with.
Strengthening your pelvic floor muscles and making some lifestyle
changes can reduce or resolve symptoms of a pelvic organ prolapse.
A pelvic organ prolapse is
when either the bladder, bowel or womb bulges into the walls of the
vagina which have often been weakened through various stages of life,
such as pregnancy, birth and menopause, as well as chronic
constipation and jobs involving heavy lifting. This may or may not be
accompanied by symptoms. However, if you feel a lump, or a bulge in
the vagina, or as if something is there or something has come down,
or you get an aching, dragging feeling if you have been on your feet
all day, then it can really affect the quality of your life. It can
also cause urinary and bowel symptoms or make you feel uncomfortable
during sex.
The pelvic floor muscle has
two roles. One is to help with toileting and the other is to support
your bladder, bowel and uterus. With a prolapse, the muscle fibres
that need to be strengthened are the endurance ones. Therefore they
are constantly working. If you brace your pelvic floor muscles every
time you are lifting this can help strengthen them. Ideally if you
have been diagnosed with a prolapse then you should avoid lifting
heavy objects.
One way of dealing with a
prolapse is surgery, but it is not always the best option and you
should always first try a more conservative approach - which often
produce very good results and avoid the need for surgery entirely.
Your women's health physiotherapist can show you suitable exercises
and other treatments, and suggest appropriate lifestyle changes.
If
you have a prolapse and would like to book an appointment, please
contact me on 0544485086 or by email to tamaramay.physio@gmail.com. I
can arrange to see you in Bishvilaych
Women's Comprehensive Medical Centre in
Givat Shaul, Jerusalem or a home visit if you live in Gush Etzion.
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