Pelvic floors, Prolapse and Pessarys

While a lot of women have heard about the elusive ‘pelvic floor’, not many women

are told about the other important p’s- prolapse and pessarys.

Prolapse is a condition that affects up to 75% of women across their lifespan,

and yet this unspoken ‘p word’ comes with a huge amount of fear, concern and worry.

Prolapse is a term that means ‘slipping forth’ and is literally a word explaining the descent of your organs in the pelvis. Unfortunately, as standing mammals, our pelvic floor and organs are directly below a significant amount of our body weight- so the only place they can go, is down. Combine the effects of gravity, pushing in labor, some constipation or a respiratory condition and your organs are being forced downwards under a lot of load.

 

Unless you have a pelvic floor and connective tissue of steel, things are bound to move slightly. 

 

Prolapse is graded by how much movement there is of your internal organs; Stage 1 and 2 mean your organs are still above the entrance of the vagina, while Stage 3 and 4 means they are below the level of the vagina. The symptoms will vary from woman to woman and each case needs to be assessed individually so a treatment plan can be discussed.

So where does the 3rd ‘p’ come into this?  PESSARIES!

 

Pessaries are a conservative option that can assist women in decreasing their symptoms and preventing a prolapse from getting worse.

Pictured are ring and cube pessarys.

These devices are fitted to you based on your needs by a qualified women’s health physiotherapist.

When fitted correctly, you cannot feel them internally and they can resolve symptoms such as heaviness, dragging, low back ache and leakage.

 

If you are concerned that you have these symptoms, have been told you have a prolapse, or want to have your pelvis assessed, get in touch with a women’s health physiotherapist who can assess you and provide you with a series of options for your own individualised treatment. 

You do not have to live with the symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction or prolapse.