Learn All About Pelvic Organ Prolapse and the Role of Yoga in Recovery
Yoga can help manage pelvic organ prolapse, but there are also some poses, movements and breathing methods that could make the condition worse.
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Yoga can help manage pelvic organ prolapse, but there are also some poses, movements and breathing methods that could make the condition worse.
"Prolapse" refers to a descending or drooping of organs. Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) refers to the prolapse or drooping of any of the pelvic floor organs, including: the bladder, uterus, vagina, small bowel, or rectum. These organs are said to prolapse if they descend into or outside of the vaginal canal or anus.
Read our previous blog for more information on prolapse and how pelvic floor therapy can help.
Yoga has been found to help women with urinary incontinence, but will it help with prolapse?
Do you feel a bulge or feel like you are sitting on a ball in the pelvic area? What should you do? Don’t freak out, there is help for you! Here are some things to get you started:
Not all prolapses are the same. They can vary based on which organ is descending and how far it has descended (grade).
Prolapse will be diagnosed based on which organ is descending:
Read more: Body Mechanics and Posture for Prolapse Management
It’s Pelvic Organ Prolapse Awarenesss Month. Today we talk about something that’s often not talked about and lay out ways prolapse can be avoided and treated with proper pelvic floor physical therapy.
"Prolapse" refers to a descending or drooping of organs. Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) refers to the prolapse or drooping of any of the pelvic floor organs, including: the bladder, uterus, vagina, small bowel, or rectum. These organs are said to prolapse if they descend into or outside of the vaginal canal or anus.
Prolapse is sometimes given these specific names to describe which organ is descending:
Cystocele: The bladder falls backward into the front (anterior) vaginal wall
Urethrocele: A prolapse of the urethra (the tube that carries urine) into the vaginal wall
Uterine prolapse: prolapse of the uterus
Vaginal vault prolapse: prolapse of the vagina
Enterocele: Small bowel prolapse
Rectocele: the rectum falls forward into the back (or posterior) vaginal wall.
Read more: Treating Pelvic Organ Prolapse with Pelvic Floor Therapy
Pain, fatigue, and other symptoms associated with endometriosis can affect quality of life, including sexual health and happiness. In fact, a study published last year found that patients with endometriosis have more than twice the sexual dysfunction as compared to women without the disease (Fairbanks, Abdo, Baracat & Podgaec, 2017). Below is a list of common sexual health problems associated with endo and some strategies to help:
Some people with endometriosis report that pain and fatigue can be better or worse at certain times of the month. Keeping a diary can help identify patterns of pain associated with the cycle. Estrogen levels peak during ovulation, usually day 12-15 of the cycle, leading to higher pain levels for some with endometriosis. Knowing how your body feels during different parts of the cycle can help you make decisions about when to engage or avoid in sex to manage your pain.
If you are thinking “YES,” you are not alone. In a study by Bahouq et al. in 2013, 81% of clients with low back pain reported sexual problems and 66% of those clients reported never bringing the subject up with their doctor. As we all know, sex is an important activity for many. Today’s post will shine a light on the latest science based recommendations sex positions for those with low back pain and how the therapists at Femina PT can help.
Read more: Does Sex Give You a Backache? When to Choose Missionary...
Sexual problems are a side effect of cancer treatment that oncologists don’t often talk about, but there are treatments to help, including the pelvic floor therapy that we do at Femina PT. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, hormonal therapy, stem cell transplantations, and other procedures can negatively affect quality of life, including sexual health and happiness. These side effects are not limited to cancers of the sexual organs either. Cancer treatment anywhere in the body (cervix, breast, throat, GI tract) can lead to changes in sexuality.
January is a great time to make resolutions, fresh starts, and to start committing to self-care! It is also Cervical Health Awareness Month. Today we chat about the Pap test. If you are an adult with female anatomy living in the United States, chances are you have heard the term “Pap test” or “Pap smear.” But why they are important and what can you do if you can’t tolerate a gynecological exam with a speculum?
Pelvic floor issues such as vaginismus, vulvodynia, and vulvar vestibulitis can make it hard to have anything inserted into the vagina. Be it a penis, tampon, or a speculum, commonly reported symptoms include intense burning and stinging, sharp pain, a feeling that you “will tear,” or like you are “hitting a wall.” These are all conditions that are treatable at Femina Physical Therapy. Our therapy along with your healthcare team can help restore your ability to take care of your reproductive health as well as your sexual health and pleasure.
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Haga clic aquí para la versión española Sex Without Pain: A Self-Treatment Guide To The Sex Life You Deserve was written by Heather Jeffcoat, DPT, a physical therapist with countless successes in treating pain of this type. Women with vaginismus, overactive pelvic floor, painful intercourse, vulvodynia, vulvar vestibulitis, vestibulodynia, dyspareunia, interstitial cystitis have all benefited from her unique program. Heather uses her orthopedic background to approach treatment of these muscles like they are....muscles! She utilizes a self-treatment tool called a dilator to provide massage and other muscle relaxation and stretching techniques in a gentle fashion to return a women's muscles back to a resting, rather than guarded, state.
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Months after giving birth, it was difficult for me to go from a sitting or lying position up to a full standing position without feeling that I had to remain hunched over until a bit of time had passed to get fully upright. However, after taking Heather’s course, I learned exercises to get my body back to normal. She also showed me correct ways to lift and carry my son as well as put him in/take him out of the carseat and stroller. This class was really beneficial and...
I had tried Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy before (with another PT) and I had a really bad (painful) experience. A friend of mine and fellow patient, told me about Heather, Laureen and Femina PT (née Fusion Wellness & Physical Therapy) and I decided to try again. I am so happy I did! Femina PT have, literally, changed my life. I was able to do again things I couldn't do for over 10 years!! Their bedside manners are impeccable, their knowledge and understanding make me...
I wanted to let you know that my pelvic floor held strong and gave me no trouble whatsoever in my trail race this morning (12 miles)! In a way, I felt like I ran better than ever because my core feels so rock solid from all the exercises you have me doing. That was especially valuable on the technical downhill - I just flew down the trail because I had confidence in my balance and form. Thank you for helping me get back to doing what I love. -- A.W., age 32 (completed...
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