Pelvic organ prolapse may not be due to weakness

Strengthening the pelvic floor muscles may not be the answer

  Pelvic organ prolapse has often been defined as a condition related to weakness of the pelvic floor and described as a “falling down of the pelvic organs.”  This has created a sense of fear for many women; feeling that their bladder, uterus, or rectum might just fall out😬 Now there are times when there is damage to muscle or ligament that can definitely decrease the support structure for the organs, however, in many cases the cause may be tension.

  New research points at a tensegrity model to explain why pelvic organs may shift out of place.  In a tensegrity model, everything is suspended by a network of tension.  The myofascial system of the body can be described this way.  If one area is pulled it can affect another area.  Using this model, the pelvic organs may be pulled down or to the side but are not falling down.
  I’ve seen this with many women in my practice!  Their strength is good but they still have prolapse.  It’s been amazing to see how prolapse symptoms improve when we address the actual cause: tension not weakness.
  Many women don’t realize they even have an issue with pelvic organ prolapse.  Common symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse include:

• Bladder or bowel leakage
• Difficulty starting a stream of urine
• Difficulty emptying the bladder completely
• Constipation
• Low back pain
• Pain with sex
• A feeling of pressure or heaviness in the pelvis 

  Wondering if tension could be the reason for your pelvic floor issues? 

Contact April@pelvicbalance.com