5 Basic Tips to Keep your Prolapse from Getting Worse

We’re here to tell you that not only are there ways to keep your prolapse from worsening, but there are ways to resolve your symptoms completely!! 

If you’ve never heard of pelvic organ prolapse before, it’s when the organs within your pelvis, such as your bladder, uterus, or rectum, begin to shift down towards the vaginal walls and opening. Symptom-wise, you might experience:

• pressure or bulging in the vagina that worsens with activity 

• incomplete emptying of the bladder or bowels

• discomfort with sex. 

If you’re experiencing these issues, it is not only inconvenient but it can be concerning to not know what is going on down there! 

The good news for anyone struggling with a prolapse diagnosis or symptoms is that Pelvic Floor PT has been shown to be very effective in helping treat and manage the symptoms of prolapse. So if you’ve found your way to our website- you’ve already taken the first step, so, way to go!! 

If you struggle with POP, reach out to us at contact@revitalize-pt.com for more guidance on managing and treating your prolapse. 

Prolapse Tip #1: Watch your breath!

Watch your breath! Holding your breath during exercise, bowel movements, or other every day tasks can cause big increases in your intraabdominal pressure. All that extra pressure puts a lot of stress on your pelvic organs and pelvic floor which could be a potential cause for your prolapse.

The coordination of breathing is so important during all functional tasks! Timing your inhales and exhales should coordinate with different phases of your movements in order to keep the pressure in your abdomen from getting too high. You want to exhale as you perform the hardest part of the movement. For example, when standing up from a chair, you would exhale. Some other examples would be exhaling as you lift something heavy or as you are pushing during a bowel movement. In addition to abdominal pressure regulation, coordinating your breath also helps you make sure you aren’t holding your breath. 

Prolapse Tip #2: Work on being more ‘regular’ with your bowel movements

Work on improving your GI health. Women who experience constipation are more likely to also experience pelvic organ prolapse symptoms due to the repetitive strain on the pelvic floor.  

Prolapse Tip #3: Look for the root of the problem

Address any possible contributing factors with a PT. There are many possible causes for prolapse, so treating the root of the problem such as DRA, PFM overactivity, or PFM weakness can reduce the POP symptoms you experience. 

Prolapse Tip #4: Listen to your body
Listen to your body and don’t overdo exercise/activity. One of the most common symptoms of POP is bulging or heaviness in the vagina that worsens as the day goes on. If you feel your symptoms beginning or worsening throughout the day, take a rest and use gravity to help ‘realign’ your prolapse before continuing whatever you were doing. 

Prolapse Tip #5: Avoid ‘Dr. Google’
Avoid Dr. Google when it comes to looking up prolapse. The images on there are typically scarier and much more severe than what most women experience. Googling and looking at those images will only psych you out and cause more anxiety. Instead, talk to a trusted women’s health medical provider such as your OBGYN, a Pelvic Floor PT, or a urogynecologist. It is important to be informed and aware of what’s going on with your pelvic floor,
but it’s also important to use trustworthy sources of information!

Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy has been shown very effective for symptom management with a prolapse diagnosis.