What Is A Pessary And Do I Need One?
What the heck are pessaries? No, I didn’t say “accessories” - most women probably know what accessories are! Many people have no idea what a pessary is. I’ll be honest, until I started diving into the specialty world of pelvic floor physical therapy, I had no idea what a pessary was!
Today’s blog topic will cover:
What is a pessary?
Who needs a pessary?
How do I get a pessary if I need one?
I think I need a pessary, now what?
What is a pessary?
A pessary is a removable medical device that is inserted into the vaginal canal to provide support internally to the wall of the vagina. A pessary can help support the bladder, uterus, and/or rectum. Pessaries exist in lots of different shapes and sizes, with certain ones being more helpful for certain conditions. There are Rings, Donuts (not those kind of donuts!), Hodges, Gellhorns, Cubes and many other variations.
Who needs a pessary?
Pessaries are often a helpful tool for women experiencing prolapse. What is prolapse you ask? Check out a couple of our other blogs for more information about that topic including Pelvic Organ Prolapse: It’s time to start talking or My uterus is going to fall out.
Not every woman with prolapse NEEDS a pessary. Many women experience some degree of pelvic prolapse following a vaginal birth. Even women who have never had a vaginal birth can experience prolapse. Prolapse can happen to anybody who has struggled with a chronic cough, or chronic constipation which leads to excessive straining, or repetitious heavy lifting (for work or recreation).
Women experiencing heaviness or pressure that is limiting their ability to function during day to day tasks or with their workout routine may benefit from being fitted for a pessary.
How do I get a pessary if I need one?
Pessaries need to be individually fitted by a physician or medical professional who is trained in how to fit pessaries. In Minnesota currently, it is typically fitted by a urogynecologist. However, there are changes happening that may allow pelvic floor physical therapists to become trained in fitting pessaries as well!
I think I need a pessary, now what?
I would recommend reaching out to your local pelvic floor physical therapist. It is important to learn about ways to manage daily movements and tasks without putting addition strain on your pelvic prolapse symptoms. Pelvic floor physical therapists can guide you about the process of getting a pessary, or even recommend a trial of a temporary device that can be purchased in the store which may be a good step to trying an insertable device prior to committing to an individualized pessary. Regardless of whether or not you actually need a pessary, it is important for all women to learn about how their movements, their breathing, and their lifting techniques can impact their pelvic floor. Education, education, education!
Now you know what a pessary is! It’s like the word-of-the-day. Ask your friends and co-workers, see if other people know what a pessary is. If they don’t know, send them to our blog to learn!
Written by: Renee Hancock, Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist
