Hypopressives for Pelvic Organ Prolapse
Pelvic organ prolapse occurs when one or more of the organs (uterus, bladder, or rectum) in the pelvis slip down from their normal position & bulge into the vagina.
How common is pelvic organ prolapse?
Roughly 50 percent of women who have been pregnant will have some kind of prolapse.
What causes pelvic organ prolapse?
With the extra weight of your baby and hormone changes your pelvic floor is weakened during pregnancy, and then again after giving birth. This weakening or loosening of the muscles and tissues supporting your pelvic organs allows one or more of the pelvic organs to drop or press into or out of the vagina.
How can Hyporessives help reverse prolapse?
Hypopressives not only increase the resting tone of the pelvic floor, with repeated training they also help the pelvic organs to sit higher and relieve the pressure and heaviness into the vagina. We used to think that the organs of the pelvis “fell out” as a result of weakness in the pelvic floor. The answer to this seemed to be, do a great number of Kegel exercises to target those weak pelvic floor muscles. Unfortunately, the reality for many women has been that they have not worked to solve their problems. What we now know is that the pelvic organs don’t “fall out”, but they are actually pushed out, by increased intra-abdominal pressure. We therefore need to look at the pressure system that exists in our core canister, known as Intra-abdominal pressure.
Standard “core” or abdominal exercises like crunches and sit ups increase the intra-abdominal pressure, effectively pushing the pelvic organs down or out. Hypopressives on the other hand strengthen the pelvic floor and abdominal floor without the unwanted downward pressure.
Getting started: Relieve Prolapse through hypopressives
For the Hypopressives classes it is important that you learn the Apnea technique properly so that you can get the most out of the classes and the time you invest in yourself. Each week Simone runs Fundamentals sessions on Zoom where she explains the technique and guides you through all the steps. She will also give you feedback to make sure that you’re doing it correctly. For some, the technique may come more quickly than others. Some of her clients, who are tighter in the ribs and thoracic spine do tend to take a little longer.
And here’s the golden rule – for impactful change, Simone recommends at least three 15 to 20-minute workouts per week. Consistency is your best friend on this journey towards wellness.
