Acupuncture for prolapse?

[1newname]

Have you had it and did it work? I know I might be clutching at straws but I'm desperate.

To do what? A prolapse requires surgery.

What do you think acupuncture willl do?

I have no idea but I know it can help with some conditions. I don't know what the mechanism is. It's not considered severe enough for surgery but is having a really bad effect on me

Could they sort of pin it up?

Doing regular pelvic floor exercises helped me a lot when I had a mild prolapse.

A prolapse is a mechanical rather than systemic failing so can’t see how something like acupuncture could help. Ask to be referred to a pelvic physiotherapist - I saw one in the NHS and she identified the type of prolapse more accurately than the GP or consultant had. There are private ones as well. There is a wealth of info on pelvic floor exercises (Kegels) all over the internet that will help.

Has the consultant tried pessary support ? Can take a while to find the right one but it can really help. It’s a urogynaecologist you need to see, the first gynaecologist I saw was not a specialist in this as prolapse can be uterine, bladder (cystocele) and rectocele or a combination of all three.

It makes a difference if you are pre or Post menopausal - if post, estriol cream can help.

It’s a horrible situation but I would advise not rushing to surgery - it’s a major surgery with long recovery and can relapse. When it works it’s excellent but it’s not magic wand- some women can resume all previous activities but my personal experience was that returning to the gym too quickly was a big mistake.

I've seen two different GPs (both said it was mild, one said it was fine to go running straight away, ha!) and two women's health physios. One just recommended kegels, the other more exercises. I'm just deflated and desperate. I'm only 40 and can't believe I have to live like this. No menopause symptoms and kids are in their teens

How bad is it? I’m 70 and the specialist physio says it’s a stage 2 so not causing symptoms. Pelvic floor exercises should help (I’m very bad at remembering).

I've been told it's mild but it doesn't feel like it 😕

If it’s affecting you, see a specialist physio although you’ll have to go privately unless your surgery has one attached. Exercises can really help (if you do them of course).

There are kegels devices to tone the area, that will do more kegels for you than you can do alone. Try that. Acupuncture can help tonify laxity but not to the degree you hope for.

My heart really does go out to you - there are forums full of women saying they are struggling so much but are told it’s only mild. I would push to see a consultant - they see so many more variations of how a prolapse presents than a GP. Turned out the symptoms I was enduring was caused by a rectocele (weakness in the back wall of the vagina ) rather than the minor womb prolapse. Suggestion was that it was birth injury (big babies) wasn’t revealed until thinning of wall started heading into menopause. The symptoms can feel very similar to uterine prolapse. There’s also the rarer enterocele which can cause similar sensations.

I had rectocele surgery which was great until it failed then joined by cystocele for which I had surgery then finally, post menopause. my uterine prolapse increased. That is now helped by a pessary but it’s not entirely relieved. I have a great urogynaecologist now and we have talked about hysterectomy but that is going to be the last resort, based on my particular history.

If yours is uterine, if the decision is to have surgery it would either be to support the womb or remove it. In terms of recovery, it is fairly similar. The discredited mesh support is no longer used in the UK as it has caused so many injuries, though I have
a friend who it has been fine for.

I'd definitely say acupuncture is a no and if you haven't tried a pessary that will be a much more fruitful line of enquiry! I have one now and although it's taken 4 different attempts to find the right shape and size, it's finally been completely life-changing. I was on the point of giving up and going for surgery but I no longer notice my prolapse at all. I've even returned to doing short runs and hope to build up distance. So a prolapse doesn't always "require" surgery. I massively recommend you look up Margot Kwiatkowski (her programme is called P4Moms Postpartum Prolapse). She is a great expert and has prolapse herself. She has exercise regimes to strengthen the whole core system, rather than just the pelvic floor muscles, which is what kegels do and is usually not sufficient. She has a good Instagram page. Other good people to follow are Get Mom Strong and Lauren Ohayan. Hope that helps!

Mine is a cystocele. GPs weren't particularly helpful or sympathetic. I've made another appointment and am going to push to see a specialist.

With the pessary, did you get it on the NHS? And is it the one that stays in for 6 months?? I can't afford to keep doing everything privately

Why do you say acupuncture is a No? Although you have lots of other useful suggestions here for OP, I am wondering why you have dismissed acupuncture so easily? There are quite a few misconceptions about how useful it is, and for what conditions. Perhaps an acupuncturist will come on and advise. If OP does consult one, it is important to get someone qualified, who has done the full dedicated training that takes years, not just someone from the GP surgery who has done a few weekends for particular conditions.

I'm afraid I live in another country so it's not the same system. I was about to see a private clinic for the pessary before we moved abroad. I'm sorry I can't advise about the UK but I imagine you just have to do a lot of pushing. I'm sure you can get them on the NHS it's just going to be slower.

My pessary can stay in for 3 months then you take it out, wash it and put it back in. It's difficult to begin with but you get used to it. I also tried one of the ones that you have to take out at night. It was a lot of hassle although I think if it had stopped the issues I would have sucked it up.

Oh I just remembered another person - Clare Bourne. She is UK-based pelvic physio (also with prolapse) who has worked in the NHS and she does remote consultations so you could maybe just do one of those and she could advise about how to navigate the system. Also great Instagram account.

For how long did you work with the pelvic physios? It takes a good long while for the exercises to help.

Yes - free on NHS. There are different types of pessary, mine (is in for 3-4 months, and within each type there are different fittings. There is a daily or occasional wear one called a cube pessary that didn’t suit me but some find that more useful. I tried several types and sizes before settling on the right one.

My consultant passed me onto a specialist nurse practitioner within her team and I have found these to be practitioners to be very patient and experienced.

If it’s primarily a cystocele you definitely need a urogynaecologist rather than a general gynaecologist and I’m now not surprised that the GPs are not as familiar. Look up the consultants who are on the team in your local hospital(s) or where you would like to be referred .

Give yourself a proper chance at physio and trying to rehab first. Find a decent physio who will work with you over the longer term.

I only had a couple of sessions because of the cost. I'm definitely not consistent enough but when it feels like it's not working it puts me off!

@Jean24601Valjean that sounds quite good.