How A Pelvic Floor Therapist Can Change Your Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Physio&SoleClinic Pelvic Organ Prolapse, Physiotherapy April 19 2022

The pelvic floor is made up of a group of muscles that stretch like a hammock across the pelvic opening. These muscles, along with the surrounding tissues help to support and hold the pelvic organs  – the bladder, uterus, vagina, and rectum in place. When these muscles and tissues stretch or become weakened, it can result in the pelvic organs descending through the vaginal canal.. This is known as pelvic organ prolapse and it is one of the most common conditions afflicting many women from around the world. A prolapse may not be life-threatening; however, it can cause pain and discomfort in patients; while surgery is one of the treatment options available, many healthcare professionals would recommend you to visit a pelvic floor therapist or womens’ health physiotherapist as the first-line therapy. 

What Causes A Pelvic Organ Prolapse 

A pelvic organ prolapse happens when the tissues and muscles supporting your pelvic organs become too weak. This can usually be attributed to having increased pressure in the abdomen for a prolonged period. As such, pregnancy, labour, diastasis recti, and many more can put you at increased risk of developing pelvic organ prolapse. Other common causes include: 

• Conditions that cause excessive strain on the pelvic floor such as chronic constipation, obesity, respiratory problems accompanied by chronic cough, and heavy lifting. 
• Pelvic organ cancers 
• Ageing and menopause 
• Hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus) 

How Do I Know If I Have A Pelvic Organ Prolapse 

One of the most common and noticeable symptoms of prolapse is a bulge at the opening of the vagina. While this bulge is not dangerous, it can feel very uncomfortable. The following are other symptoms you can keep a lookout for, especially if you have experienced pregnancy, labour, and childbirth: 

• Difficulty urinating: When the prolapse pulls your bladder downward, it bends the ureter (the tube for urine to exit the body. As such, you may be unable to empty your bladder completely, and with time, this can lead to urinary infections. Likewise, if the prolapse pulls the rectum downward, you may experience difficulty with defecation. This can result in hemorrhoids and worsening prolapse. 
• Pressure in the pelvis and lower back pain: The internal pressure of your pelvic organ tissue pushing against the muscles in your pelvis can cause muscle aches and give you the feeling of something “falling out”.

• Pain during sex: Having a prolapse can irritate the inside of your vulva and cause painful sex. Furthermore, the pulling from the prolapse can lead to further pelvic muscle strain and soreness during intercourse. Women who are sexually active may also feel more uncomfortable and self-conscious about their bodies during sex as a result of the bulge in the vagina. 

Many women in Singapore tend to be embarrassed to talk about their pelvic organ prolapse, however, it is something you need to discuss with your gynaecologist or doctor. Ignoring the condition can lead to other serious complications to arise. If you are uncomfortable with seeing a male doctor, you can always reach out to us at WACC. As a women’s health clinic, our team of female clinicians and physiotherapists empathise and understand women-related issues. Hence, we take a holistic treatment approach to resolving your health conditions so you can lead a better quality of life. 

Treatment Options Available For Pelvic Organ Prolapse

If you do not present any prolapse symptoms upon examination, or if the condition is mild and does not hinder your daily activities, you may not need medical treatment. Instead, your doctor may recommend you make certain lifestyle changes to prevent the condition from worsening. 

Some of these include: 

• Keeping your body weight within healthy limits. This prevents the weight of your abdominal contents from pressing the pelvic floor and further weakening it. 
• Eating a fibre-rich diet and drinking plenty of water to avoid constipation. 
• Tightening your pelvic floor muscles before lifting heavy objects, changing positions, coughing, or sneezing. This is usually taught by your physiotherapist. 
• Quit smoking if you smoke regularly.  
• Avoid certain actions such as prolonged squatting or constant lifting of heavy objects. 

In cases where your pelvic organ prolapse is more severe, or the symptoms are affecting your daily activities, then there are several treatment options to consider. Depending on your condition, the doctor may recommend you to see a pelvic floor therapist to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles,  hormone treatment, vaginal pessaries, and surgery. However, as mentioned earlier, the first-line therapy is pelvic floor exercises. 

During your first visit to a pelvic floor therapist or a women’s health physiotherapist, they will perform a physical examination to determine the severity of your condition. Based on the findings, your physiotherapist will then tailor the rehabilitation therapy for your specific needs. You will also be prescribed a series of pelvic exercises to do at home. 

How Can A Women’s Health Physiotherapist Help Me? 

Through sessions of physio at our women’s health clinic in Singapore, we can help to build muscle and structural support of the pelvic floor through regular strengthening exercises. This can be done through Kegel exercises. Your women’s health physiotherapist may teach you to squeeze and release the muscles often used to hold in gas. 

Your pelvic floor therapist may also correct your posture when exercising and lifting weights.

One common tip that we often tell our patients is not to hold their breath when lifting weights. This prevents them from creating extra pressure on their abdomen, which can further aggravate your prolapse. 

Besides providing you with pelvic floor physiotherapy, our women’s health clinic in Singapore also addresses bladder problems associated with pelvic organ prolapse. These can include incontinence, urinary retention, and more. Our women’s health physiotherapists can also advise you on approaching sexual intimacy and managing your prolapse during exercise and in the workplace. 

Lead A Better Quality Of Life With Us

Most of the time, pelvic organ prolapse will go away with physiotherapy. However, your doctor may recommend surgery if your condition does not improve with conservative treatment. 

There are two main aims of surgery: 

• Provide support for the prolapsed organ 
• Remove the prolapsed uterus

Don’t live through the pain and discomfort. Reach out to our clinic to book your appointment if you think you might be suffering from a pelvic organ prolapse. Our women’s health physiotherapists can help you get back to doing what you love through physiotherapy.