positive experiences of physio + prolapse

[topogigio]

Hi everyone

Jus getting my head around rectocele and mild uterine prolapse, both grade 1 . Have done a mumsnet search and read all there is in the posts.

Before any surgery , will be doing intensive physio with a specialist womens physio. At the moment feel achy in pelvic floor , get a little back ache and sometimes feel a sensation of something there (but have done so much reading not sure if I making some of these things worse by thinking about them!)

The internet is full of scare stories so I have decided so before I abandon all hope and resign myself to surgery, anyone had any success with physio? Positive experiences would be really appreciated - I am little scared and worried about it all

Hmm - I wonder if that means no positive experiences....

Hi top

I've had 6 months of physio. Started off with a moderate to severe prolapse (don't know what 'grade' that is). It has improved quite a lot with physio (I now don't get as heavy a dragging sensation). However, I was sent away after the last session to consider whether or not I wanted to now move to surgery....

Speaking to others about prolapses, it is amazing how common they are. I know at least a couple of people who had success with physio alone.

Thanks Reggie , I was beginning to feel like I was the only one - although of course the amount that came up on prolapses when I did a search does seem to indicate that it is really common .

Was yours a uterine prolapse or other, if you don't mind me asking? Pleased that physio has had some effect for you even though it hasn't completely fixed the problem. Being a woman is really rubbish sometimes !

Am happy to answer any questions if I can help.

Mine was a cystocele (spelling?) where the bladder prolapsed. Thankfully I have not been troubled with incontinence issues despite its severity.

Main issues for me have been sex (lack of sensation but probably more me being very conscious of the prolapse); using tampons (I hate towels but that is what I am currently doing); and excercise (I have been told to avoid running which is great for me for weight management) and swimming (where it feels like I am sucking in the whole volumte of swimming pool water with each breast stroke).

Thanks Reggiee - I have the same issues - though the swimming one became apparent as soon as I had my first baby the others are more recent.
Will keep clenching for 6 months and see what happens.

I had cystocele and rectocele after DS2 born 12 years ago. Not a major problem apart from mild stress incontinence.
I did not want to risk surgery while my children were young, but last year went to GP for advice as stress incontinence was getting worse. She referred me to a physio and I was quite sceptical but I had heard that very few people do PFEs correctly.
Anyway I'd say the physio was ruthless. But,after 3 months there was a noticeable and sustained improvement.

I had surgery and then physio (was severe enough that they didn't bother doing it the other way round!) and I thought the physio was excellent. I definitely hadn't been doing PFEs correctly and it was worth going to.

Thanks in the chicks, really glad you managed to get such good results. Did the physio have any effect on the rectocele?
I wonder whether physio tends to be most effective with bladder/ continence issues ? Anyone had any success with uterine prolapse?

Thanks Serenity - has the surgery given you the results you want, if you don't mind me asking?

It did (had it 6 years ago) I have to make sure I keep up with the PFEs though, because it can still drop again. I have hyperelasticity though so am more prone to prolapsing anyway.

The physio did nothing to change either prolapse but it improved the whole muscle area. No doubt at all I was not doing PFEs correctly ans was lazt about them.
I have asthma (cough)and hayfever (sneeze) and I fear I could well undo any surgery. However I can go weeks without any stress incontinence where it was daily before.

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