Prevent Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) with Better Birthing Techniques.

By Marianne Ryan PT, OCS Clinical Director MRPT Physical Therapy A very common side effect of childbirth is Pelvic Organ Prolapse, POP, some studies show up to 25% of women will develop it at sometime in their life. What is Pelvic Organ Prolapse?POP occurs when organs such as the uterus or bowels slip down from their normal positions inside of the pelvis. There are different degrees of how much the organs slip, in severe instances organs can protrude outside of the vagina, especially when performing activities that require abdominal bracing such as heavy lifting, sit-up exercises and even passing a bowel movement.

POP can lead to several complications such as incontinence, pelvic and back pain and sexual dysfunctions. Prevent Pelvic Organ Prolapse With Better Birthing Techniques: Did you know that certain childbirth techniques could reduce the risk of developing pelvic organ prolapse (POP)?The more strain placed on the pelvic floor during childbirth, the more a woman is at risk of developing POP. Choosing better positions, breathing techniques, and timing can benefit both mom and baby. To read more about this in an article I wrote for the Association for Pelvic Organ Prolapse, "Reduce the Risk of Developing Pelvic Organ Prolapse: Birth Techniques For Less Strain on Pelvic Floor Muscles", click here.

‍Did You Know Physical Therapy Treatment Can Reverse or Reduce the Severity of POP? In an earlier post I discussed a study that shows that  1/3 of the surgeries performed to reverse Pelvic Organ Prolapse fails within 7 years. That is a really bad statistic! click here What most people do not realize is that physical therapy treatment has been proven to reverse or lower the severity of the amount of slippage, and therefore may be used in the treatment of incontinence, pelvic and back pain and sexual dysfunctions.