Prolapse: Minimizing the Fear and it’s not all about the uterus.
Generally speaking, prolapse is a term that describes the downward movement of one or more organs in the pelvis. Often, women think about the uterus when someone talks about prolapse. However, prolapse is a term that can describe the downward movement of any one or more pelvic organs. Let’s talk about types of prolapse:
Cystocele - downward movement of the bladder into the anterior wall of vagina
Urethrocele - downward movement of the urethra into the anterior wall of the vagina
Cystourethrocele - downward movement of the urethra and the bladder into the anterior wall of vagina
Uterine prolapse - downward movement of the uterus (womb) into the top portion of the vagina
Uterine vault prolapse - downward movement of the cervix/lower portion of the uterus which is common after a hysterectomy, it moves down from the top portion of the vagina
Rectocele - movement of the posterior wall of the vaginal canal due to movement of the rectum
Men (and women) can also experience a rectal prolapse, which is when the rectum moves down and out of the anal opening. So, there are clearly a lot of different types of prolapse. When you perform an online search about prolapse, it can sounds very and look scary! I’m here to tell you, it doesn’t need to be scary!!
It is very common for women to have some degree of prolapse following a vaginal birth. It is also common to occur in people who experience a chronic cough (maybe due to emphysema, or asthma), people who work in jobs with frequent heavy lifting, people dealing with chronic constipation, or other conditions that frequently increase abdominal pressure. Prolapse is usually graded on a scale of 1 to 4, with the number assigned based on how much movement is happening. A grade 1 prolapse indicates some mild laxity of the tissue and grade 4 being that the tissue protrudes beyond the vaginal opening (or anal opening) and may require assistance to push it back into place.
What are symptoms of a pelvic organ prolapse?
Heaviness of the perineum, lower back, or lower abdomen
Achiness of the perineum, lower back, or lower abdomen
Pressure of the perineum, lower back, or lower abdomen
Discomfort, pain, or feeling of "hitting something” during intercourse
Feeling or seeing a bulge in the vaginal opening
Needing to push organs back into place to fully urinate or complete a bowel movement
Symptoms that worsen as the day goes on when on your feet for longer durations, or worsen during a cough
Urinary leakage
Incomplete emptying of the bladder, or feeling like you can’t fully empty the rectum during a bowel movement
Vaginal spotting
While it is common to experience some degree of prolapse, it is not normal to just accept symptoms of a prolapse. Pelvic floor physical therapists can help you to live your life without symptoms from a prolapse. It doesn’t need to be scary! Physical therapy will help you learn how to manage symptoms you are experiencing (or get rid of those symptoms all together!) as well as learning how to avoid worsening the degree of prolapse that is present.
Don’t let prolapse be a scary thing, reach out to Shift Physical Therapy to help you return to your life without prolapse symptoms.
Written by: Renee Hancock, Pelvic Floor Specialist
