Pelvic Organ Prolapse

June 2, 2024

Pelvic Organ Prolapse, also known as POP, occurs when the pelvic floor, which is the collection of muscles, ligaments and connective tissue, can no longer adequately support the organs in the pelvic region, and they start to drop from their normal position.

Organs that can prolapse, or drop down into the vaginal canal, could be the uterus, the vagina itself, bladder (most common and called a cystocele), urethra (urethrocele), small intestine, or rectum (rectocele). When this occurs, women may sense a falling out feeling, a heaviness, or pressure in the perineum. They might see or feel something at the vaginal opening they’ve never noticed before. It can contribute to urinary incontinence, urinary urgency, voiding dysfunction, sexual dysfunction, and pelvic pain. If still menstruating, women may notice tampons or menstrual cups aren’t feeling the same or staying in place.

Prolapse can be caused from changes during pregnancy and childbirth that weaken the pelvic floor muscles, but it can also affect women who never had children. Aging, hormone changes during menopause, obesity, connective tissue disorders, prior hysterectomy, and chronic straining habits can all impact pelvic organ prolapse. Straining habits could include chronic constipation, chronic coughing, or lifestyles/jobs that require repetitive, heavy lifting.

Pelvic Floor Specialists at New Life Physical Therapy can work with you to find the right path for you to assist and help manage your prolapse concerns.

  • Addressing constipation by looking at fiber intake and adequate water intake. Current recommendations for water intake is your body weight in pounds, cut in half, in ounces. If you weigh 150 lbs, you should be drinking 75 oz of water each day. Also address proper breathing and positioning during defecation to minimize straining.
  • Teaching proper pelvic floor muscle and surrounding hip and core strengthening. This does not just mean Kegels, but more three-dimensional, whole-body movements. Will encourage joining the My Core Floor program to address mobility and strength deficits as well as open up a library of resources on POP and other pelvic concerns all for free.
  • Addressing proper breathing strategies when lifting to decrease intra-abdominal pressure and naturally engage our core.
  • Counseling on use of a pessary and if it is needed. A pessary is a small donut shaped device that is placed in the vaginal canal to help hold and support the dropping pelvic organs. It can help with managing symptoms as well as decrease incontinence.
  • In more significant cases that aren’t responding to these conservative treatment measures, surgery may be indicated, but I always encourage this to be a later option. These underlying factors should still be addressed to maximize your surgical outcomes.

Not sure where to start? Call or email us to schedule an initial evaluation and determine what options are available to you.