Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) refers to the abnormal descent of a pelvic organ, such as the bladder, uterus, rectum, etc., into an area where it does not belong.
Many describe POP as an annoying protrusion or pressure in the pelvic region. Symptoms are often felt towards the vaginal or rectal openings, and there is rarely any associated pain.
Standing or impact activities tend to aggravate POP, while lying down tends to alleviate symptoms.
Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy can strengthen muscles of the pelvic floor that are designed to support and prevent POP. Additionally, Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy is paramount in normalizing intra-abdominal and intra-pelvic pressures, so to prevent further or future descent of pelvic organs.
Depending on the degree of POP, surgery may be required. Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy is suggested before and after surgery, so to prepare and then rehabilitate the pelvic floor muscles.
Without pre-operative strengthening of these muscles, patients will likely have a recurrence of the POP and require another surgery within 2-3 years. It is always best to go into surgery with strong muscles, as postoperative recovery will be that much easier!
