Be active and comfortable despite prolapse!
Prolapse may be barely noticeable or it may feel like your insides are falling out. It may be a nuisance or it may be pulling enough to cause pain. Prolapse is highly variable not only from person to person, but also daily or even hourly.
So what exactly is prolapse? Simply put, it’s a scaffolding issue which allows for some change in the support structures around the pelvic organs (bladder, rectum, vagina, uterus, intestines) and there can be one or several variations within the same person.
Number blindness can be helpful in a way here. By that we mean that the technical grade of your prolapse frequently does not correlate with the severity of symptoms. Grade IV may be way less symptomatic than grade I – and vice versa. In other words, how prolapse affects each person is very different, which is why we provide individualized treatment plans for each person that we see.
To be clear, physical therapy does not fix prolapse. However, we can do a lot together to change your experience of prolapse. We are able to modify and instruct in:
- Pressure regulation to reduce pushing down onto the organs
- Mobility and strength training to support the organs
- Body mechanics training to prevent further progression of the prolapse
- Pessary integration when appropriate
- Self care strategies to improve tissue integrity for reduced prolapse sensation
- Prehab and post surgical rehab and education
Through these and other strategies PT can reduce or eliminate your prolapse symptoms!