You’re Not Alone: Symptoms of Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Guest Post: Amanda Alling, PT, DPT, PRPC Clinical Director: Westchester Commons

You’re Not Alone: Symptoms of Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Let’s face it. As women, there are a multitude of topics we talk openly about.

Experiences with child labor. Working mom and stay at home mom challenges. Even sex.

But when it comes to discomfort in your pelvic region, many women hesitate to open up.

By the time women end up in my physical therapy clinic, they’ve been suffering from discomfort they’ve told no one about, or assumed was just a natural course of their lives, for months or even years. In fact, in many cases, it’s pelvic organ prolapse.

WHAT IS PELVIC ORGAN PROLAPSE:

First and foremost, know that this is a common condition, particularly for older women. Prolapse means to fall and pelvic prolapse happens when the pelvic floor – the sling of muscles that stretches from your buttocks and around to your abdomen – become weak and are not able to properly support the pelvic organs (uterus, bladder).

WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE?

Lower back pain that worsens as the day progresses.

Sometimes it feels heavy, or like pressure in your pelvic or abdomen. It’s like your pelvic (or private) organs want to fall out.

Sometimes the discomfort stretches along what feels like the band of muscles from your tailbone to your pubic bone.

You can’t stand for long periods of time, or for any period of time, for that matter. You may have difficulty standing for prolonged periods of time.

Sex is no longer comfortable. Muscles in your abs even feel tender.

You may experience urinary incontinence. You’ve become incontinent and have to urinate more frequently and with greater urgency. Sometimes you can get to the bathroom in time. Sometimes you don’t.

You might have difficulty emptying the bladder or the rectum.

HAVE THESE SYMPTOMS? GET IT DIAGNOSED AND TREATED.

Physical therapists and physicians can perform examinations in private treatment rooms to help identify the cause of the pelvic pain. Physical therapy is a non-invasive treatment option because treatment can include helping strengthen the muscles that keep the pelvic organs in place, helping prevent further pain.

QUESTIONS?

Call the Westchester Commons Tidewater Physical Therapy Clinic anytime to talk and ask more questions – 804.858.0220. The sooner you identify what is causing any pain you’re suffering from, the sooner you can be treated and get back to your active life. And let’s face it, women and moms need to be moving pain free.

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Amanda Alling, PT, DPT, PRPC is the Clinical Director of the Tidewater Physical Therapy Westchester Commons location in Richmond. The clinic spealizes in comprehensive physical therapy, balance and fall prevention, work conditioning and women’s health. Women are treated at the Westchester Commons clinics for physical issues resulting from pregnancy, osteoporosis, pelvic problems or mastectomies. Learn more about Tidewater Physical Therapy and its more than 30 clinic locations at www.tpti.com.