Uterine Prolapse Self Management Help for Women

Woman suffering from prolapsed uterus symptoms with legs crossed holding right hand over pubic bone and left hand over abdomenAre you looking for help to manage your uterine prolapse?

This Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy information gives you self management strategies to help you deal with uterine prolapse problems.

Uterine prolapse is one form of vaginal prolapse in women. The risk of uterine prolapse increases in mature women, however, younger women are also at risk of uterine prolapse and sometimes this diagnosis is made following childbirth.

Read on now to learn:

  • What is a uterine prolapse
  • Uterine prolapse symptoms
  • What causes a uterine prolapse
  • How to prevent uterine prolapse from becoming worse and protect prolapse repair surgery
  • Uterine prolapse exercises.

Prolapse Exercises e-Book

International best selling prolapse exercise guide for women with prolapse and after prolapse surgery.

Prolapse Exercises Book

Prolapse Exercises teaches you how to:

  • Exercise safely after prolapse surgery
  • Reduce your risk or repeat prolapse
  • Avoid unsafe exercises
  • Choose pelvic floor safe exercises
  • Reduce your risk of prolapse worsening
  • Improve prolapse support
  • Increase your strength and fitness
  • Strengthen your core
  • Lose weight

1. What is Uterine Prolapse?

Uterine prolapse is a “fallen down” uterus or womb slipped out of position. It happens when the uterus (or womb) loses the strong supports that hold it in place inside your pelvis.

The uterus is held up and in position inside the pelvis by a combination of strong ligaments or tissues (imagine ropes holding it up from above), and the pelvic floor muscles (supporting your uterus from below). When these supports fail, the uterus moves down within the pelvis, and the cervix (the strong muscle around the neck of the uterus) moves down inside the vagina.

This illustrates the importance of developing strong and healthy pelvic floor muscles with safe exercises if you’ve been diagnosed with a uterine prolapse or have had prolapse repair surgery.

2. Uterine Prolapse Symptoms

A prolapsed uterus may present with a number of different symptoms. When the prolapse is very mild you may have no symptoms.

Uterine prolapse symptoms tend to become more apparent as the prolapse worsens including:

  • Bulging, heavy/dragging feeling in the vagina
  • Lump coming down inside the vagina
  • Heavy feeling in the abdomen or pelvis
  • Difficulty inserting tampons
  • Problems emptying the bladder
  • Lower back discomfort.

3. What Causes a Prolapsed Uterus?

Some common causes of uterine prolapse include:

  • Pregnancy and childbirth causing damage to the pelvic floor during birth such as prolonged pushing, multiple births and large babies. Note that injury to your pelvic floor during childbirth may not become apparent until many years later.
  • Postnatal pelvic floor injury caused by constipation and/or inappropriate exercise
  • Chronic constipation and straining
  • Chronic coughing and/or sneezing
  • Wasting of the supportive structures in your pelvic floor during and after menopause
  • Obesity
  • Heavy lifting
  • Inappropriate exercise including high impact exercise, heavy weight training and intense abdominal or core exercises.

For comprehensive guidelines on which uterine prolapse exercises to choose, which to avoid, and walking with prolapse, refer to Prolapse Exercises by Michelle Kenway Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist.

4. How to Protect After Uterine Prolapse Surgery

There are a number of important steps that you can take to manage your prolapse and protect your prolapse repair if you’ve taken the step of having prolapse repair surgery.

Avoid:

  • Straining/constipation (see how to overcome bowel movement problems to learn how to empty and avoid straining)
  • Heavy lifting, pushing/pulling, bending
  • Smoking (to reduce coughing)
  • High impact sports (e.g. jogging, sit-ups, horse-riding, high impact aerobics)
  • Heavy resistance training
  • Intense core or abdominal exercises
  • Becoming overweight.

Do:

  • Pelvic floor muscle exercises – start pelvic floor exercises after prolapse surgery when you have your specialist’s approval to commence
  • Wear quality support briefs (underwear)
  • Speak with your specialist about the possibility of being fitted with a support pessary. A pessary is a prolapse support device that sits high inside the vagina. Many women find that using a pessary device helps them exercise their pelvic floor muscles and supports their prolapse
  • Practice good bowel habits (e.g. never strain)
  • Alternate activities (e.g. sitting/standing) and avoid prolonged walking and standing, especially when you’re recovering from pelvic floor repair surgery
  • Do tasks early in the day
  • Split tasks (e.g. do vacuuming over a few days rather than all in one day)
  • Manage your weight and lose weight if you’re overweight
  • Have a rest in the afternoon and elevate your legs if possible
  • Try to maintain good posture
  • Speak with your doctor to manage chronic cough, chronic hay fever and sneezing
  • Choose low impact pelvic floor safe exercise.

5. Uterine Prolapse Exercise

You need to be very careful about the types of exercise you perform to avoid worsening your uterine prolapse and after surgical repair for a prolapsed uterus (when you have your specialist’s approval to exercise).

Many everyday exercises can increase pressure on your pelvic floor and worsen your prolapse or even contribute to repeat prolapse after already having had prolapse surgery. Unfortunately fitness instructors may be unaware of the potential prolapse injuries with exercise, so make sure you’re fully informed about the exercises that are appropriate for you if you’re living with uterine prolapse.

1. Pelvic floor safe fitness exercise

Fitness exercise should be be low impact to protect your pelvic floor, which means keeping at least one foot on the ground at all time as you exercise. Ideal low impact fitness exercises include:   prolapsed uterine exercises

  • Cycling
  • Walking
  • Dancing – low impact types
  • Bush walking
  • Swimming

2. Pelvic floor safe strength and abdominal exercises

Use caution when engaging in  strength and abdominal exercises:

  • Avoid unsafe abdominal exercises and abdominal exercise machines to minimise downward pressure on your pelvic floor
  • Avoid inappropriate strength exercises and use protection strategies for strength training such as leg press and wide leg squats that increase pressure on your prolapse
  • Avoid heavy lifting and straining when lifting weights
  • Choose seated positions for all your strength wherever possible to support your pelvic floor
  • Avoid holding your breath when lifting weights, always exhale when lifting, lowering, pushing or pulling.

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