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.
Explore our insightful blog articles on pelvic health, where we delve into essential topics that empower and educate. From understanding pelvic floor disorders to strategies for conquering infertility, our content is designed for those seeking knowledge and support. We discuss the latest research, expert advice, and practical tips to enhance your well-being and foster a deeper connection to your body.
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The Origin Fund is dedicated to facilitating access to services that address a person’s physical, emotional and medical needs. Our focus is on individuals with pelvic health dysfunctions, and we are dedicated to improving the biopsychosocial aspects of each person as a whole. Through education, outreach and providing access to these services, we can support individuals on their journey to address their pain and dysfunction—linking patients to our network of referrals that provide these services.
Read more: Introducing The Origin Fund - Helping Women in Need
Our team at Femina Physical Therapy is committed to providing the highest level of evidence-based care. That is why we are conducting a research study to determine the effectiveness of low intensity shockwave therapy for painful intercourse, or dyspareunia as it is known clinically. We are searching for volunteers to participate in this high quality study. Those who qualify to participate will receive a significantly reduced rate on all visits related to the study + will receive our world-class physical therapy program for treating painful sex!
Read more: Participate in a High Quality Study Using Shockwave...
If you have been following along, this is the third part of our hormonal birth control and vulvodynia series. First, we covered how combination methods of birth control (containing synthetic forms of both estrogen and progesterone) could lead to vulvodynia. We then explored if there is a risk of developing vulvodynia after the insertion of a hormonal intrauterine device IUD). In this post, we will delve into the relationship between the progesterone only birth control pill, also called “the mini pill,” and vulvodynia. As a quick refresher, vulvodynia is pain on the vulva, or external genital tissue. For more information about vulvodynia, check out this post on our website.
Similar to the hormonal IUD, the mini pill works as a contraceptive by thickening cervical mucus and thinning the lining of the uterus to prevent a fertilized egg from implanting. Similar to the IUD, it is an expected side effect to experience spotting in the first few months of use1. Interestingly, some women will no longer ovulate, while some will continue to, about 4 in 10, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists1.
Read more: Hormonal Birth Control and Vulvodynia Part 3: The Mini Pill
It’s truly amazing what bodies endure during and following pregnancy. We praise all the new parents that come into the clinic for their resilience not only physically but mentally, taking care of themselves as well as being a caretaker 24/7 whether it’s one child or three children, it really is a super power.
I just returned to Los Angeles after completing an amazing eight day trip to Beijing, China. There I had the opportunity to work with the Chinese Olympic Committee,their rehabilitation staff and athletes. I gave two lectures with hands-on labs to their physiotherapists on Hip Impingement and Cyclist's Syndrome (Pudendal neuralgia in cyclists). Did I talk about the pelvic floor muscles in both lectures? You bet I did! Monica is my awesome Mandarin translator pictured standing next to me below.
Read more: Heather returns from work with the Chinese Olympic Committee
Constipation and pelvic floor disorders often go hand-in-hand for clients with hypertonic (tight) pelvic floor muscles and with associated symptoms like pelvic pain, pain with sex, and urge incontinence. So, let’s get your constipation in control!
If you think about what is housed inside of the pelvic bowl, three important systems have to co-exist and share a limited amount of space:
Read more: Manage Constipation Naturally for Better Pelvic Floor...
With new year’s resolutions, a lot of us will be starting new workout routines to shape up. While exercise is a cornerstone of physical health, a little talked about side effect of increased athletic training, particularly for those with female anatomy, is urinary incontinence. A comprehensive literature review published March 2018 in International Urogynecology Journal found that female athletes have an increased the risk for urinary incontinence.
Urinary incontinence is the loss of bladder control. Urinary incontinence affects up to 1 in 3 women. The two most common types of urinary incontinence that affect women are stress incontinence and urge incontinence (also called overactive bladder, or OAB). Incontinence affects twice as many women as men. This may be because pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause are contributing factors to urinary incontinence. Urinary incontinence should not be considered a normal part of aging, and it can be treated.
A new article published in September, 2018 by Lamerton, Torquati, & Brown found that being overweight (BMI 25-30) increased risk of urinary incontinence for young and middle aged by 35% and obesity (BMI ≥30) almost doubles the risk at 95%.
Two recently published articles, in the International Urogynecology Journal and in Neurourology and Urodynamics talk about the positive outcomes of treatment with trained pelvic floor therapists. Today is a basic rundown of what kinds of credentials, training, and skills a pelvic floor physical therapist has to offer you.
Pelvic floor therapists are often physical therapists (PT), a discipline that requires academically rigorous coursework and covers topics from anatomy and kinesiology, to neuroscience, and the evaluation, treatment, and management of common diagnoses. They are also trained in a medical system, and are aware of "red flags" in signs and symptoms that patients may present with. These "red flags" will typically require additional medical referral to rule in or out (i.e. suspected masses, infection, etc).
You will often find a jumble of letters after your pelvic floor therapist’s name. Here is a breakdown of what those letters mean:
PT, MPT, MSPT, or DPT: These letters represent the degree that your pelvic floor physical therapist earned. For many years, physical therapists earned a bachelor's degree prior to becoming licensed. Later, schools transitioned to master's degree programs. The letters MPT or MSPT indicates a master's degree in physical therapy. Most programs today now train therapists for a DPT degree, which stands for doctorate of physical therapy.
Menopause is a period of life transition for many of us. Today we will review what menopause is and how symptoms can negatively affect pelvic health, including bowel, bladder and sexual function.
Menopause is an important life transition for those with female anatomy, marking the end of the regular menstrual cycle and the transition to life beyond the reproductive period.
Babies born with female anatomy have a set number of eggs which are stored in their ovaries. The ovaries make the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which control monthly periods and ovulation. Menopause happens when ovaries no longer regularly release an egg every month and menstruation stops.
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, more than half of those who have periods suffer from “dysmenorrhea” (pain associated with their cycles) 1-2 days each month.
There are two main causes of the pain associated with menstruation:
Read more: Painful Periods Treatment Options | Can Pelvic Floor...
Tightly Wound has been released, watch it today and share it with your loved ones and anyone else who may need more education on vaginismus and pain with sex.
Tightly Wound is a 15-minute animated short by Shelby Hadden. Our very own Heather Jeffcoat, DPT is one of the producers of film.
A modified Pilates program can be a fantastic way to improve the strength of the pelvic floor muscles. A 2018 study by Lausen et al. had clients attend weekly one-hour Pilates classes over the course of six weeks. These classes used a type of Modified Pilates which consisted of Pilates exercises which had been modified and led by a physical therapist to specifically target the pelvic floor for the management of urinary incontinence. Those who attended the Pilates classes reported less leakage, improved self-esteem, decreased social embarrassment and lower impact of incontinence. Some of the women also reported improvement in their personal relationships after attending the classes.
In another 2011 study by Phrompaet et al., researchers found Pilates to be an effective treatment for instability in the low back and pelvis, which is a common contributor to pelvic pain and pelvic floor dysfunction.
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?
Rectal prolapse and hemorrhoids can both cause irritation, discomfort, and pain in the anal region. However the causes and treatment can be different for both conditions.
Hemorrhoids are veins in the lower rectum that become swollen or stretched. They are similar to varicose veins in the lower legs. There are two types of hemorrhoids: internal and external.
Internal hemorrhoids are swollen veins inside the rectum. Sometimes these swollen veins begin to descend and come out through the anal sphincter.
External hemorrhoids: are swollen veins that can be seen and often felt under the skin outside around the anal sphincter. Usually they look like a small bulge and are the same color as the skin.
Read more: What is the Difference Between Rectal Prolapse and...
A study presented at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association this past May of 2018 shows that a 3-month yoga intervention can reduce the frequency of urinary incontinence (UI) in women aged 50 years or older.
In the randomized trial completed by Dr. Alison Huang, MD and colleagues, a 3 month yoga therapy program was conducted with a group of 56 ambulatory women aged 50 years or older. These women had previously reported daily leaks and were not using any other clinical UI treatments.
The yoga program consisted of classes twice a week and one session of home practice weekly for three months. The therapeutic yoga classes were based out of the BKS Iyengar style of yoga.
After the three month trial, researchers saw a 74% decrease in daily leakage reported by the women in the yoga class. The women reported no negative outcomes related to the yoga practice.
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
On May 6, communities across the country including downtown LA gathered for the March for Moms to bring about changes to improve the health of mothers and birthing families in the United States. Femina Physical Therapy was there to join the national movement to address the maternal health crisis in our country. It was a wonderful day connecting with the community of concerned parents, community members, and health practitioners.
Together, we were able to call attention to issues affecting moms in Los Angeles.
Read more: Femina Physical Therapy and the March for Moms in Los...
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