Have you recently been diagnosed with bladder prolapse and do not know what to do next?
If you wanna avoid primary surgical treatment, you must know that there are other treatments for bladder prolapse. Keep in mind you will need a thorough evaluation from a multidisciplinary team to understand what accommodates your needs.
In this article, Dr. Lucas Minig and his team will tell you about the meaning of bladder prolapse, its treatment, and what are the different prevention strategies.
What is bladder prolapse?
It is a bulge of the bladder into the vagina. It happens due to a progressive weakening of the vaginal anterior wall that holds the bladder in its usual place.
The weakness of the vaginal wall mainly responds to a history of pregnancy. At the same time, the number of pregnancies, the termination by vaginal labor, prolonged vaginal labor, and the use of forceps to extract the baby, overweight and chronic cough are contributing factors to the presence of prolapse in a woman.
It is usually diagnosticated a the age of 50-60 years. Its magnitude and symptom severity tend to progress over the years, and women usually consult their Gynecologist for the first time around the ages of 60-70.
What are the symptoms of bladder prolapse?
Most women with bladder prolapse are asymptomatic. However, as the prolapse and the magnitude of the defect progress, women can start gradually getting the sensation of “vaginal pressure”. More rarely, some women can have recurrent infections.
Most important exercises to prevent bladder prolapse or its progression
In a few words, ways of preventing bladder prolapse are divided into two big groups:
● Those meant to strengthen the pelvic muscles. Aquellas destinadas a fortalecer los músculos de la pelvis.
● And those intended to avoid triggering factors that weaken the pelvic muscles.
Exercise and tone the perineum muscles (pelvic floor)
In recent decades many exercises have been tested to prevent bladder prolapse in women.
Some non-surgical treatments for bladder prolapse with exercise are:
1- Kegel Exercises
Kegel exercises can be done at any moment when seated or lying, or while you perform daily activities such as eating, driving, watching TV, or working at your desk, among others.
To perform Kegel exercises you must pretend to pee and then contain the urine. The muscles that control the urine stream have to be relaxed and contracted. It is important to identify the correct muscles to contract so the treatment for bladder prolapse is effective.
For example, when you urinate, start and then stop; you will feel the vaginal bladder, or anal muscles contract and ascend. These are the pelvic muscles. If you feel them contracting, you have performed the exercise correctly. On the other hand, the thighs, buttocks, and abdomen must remain relaxed.
Another option is to introduce one finger inside the vagina, tighten the muscles as if you were retaining your urine, and then urinate. You must feel the muscles contract and move upwards and downwards.
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How to perform Kegel exercises
● Empty bladder
● Sitting or lying down
● Contract the pelvic floor muscles and keep them tight for 3 to 5 seconds.
● Relax the muscles for 3 to 5 seconds.
● Repeat 10 times, 3 times a day (morning, afternoon, night)
2- Abdominal hypopressive gymnastics
Abdominal hypopressive gymnastics is another technique to solve bladder prolapse naturally. It is a series of abdominal exercises that create hypopressure inside the abdominal cavity.
In essence, a contraction of the diaphragm muscle is carried out during exhalation (which is called expiratory apnea). This result in a suction effect on the abdominal organs; thus, the negative pressure inside the abdominal and pelvic cavities, produces a reflex contraction of the pelvic floor and the abdominal muscles.
Abdominal hypopressive gymnastics has proven useful, not only to improve urine continence in women, but also the aesthetic look of the abdomen, sex life, the recovery of the pelvic floor after labor, and the back’s tone.
3- Postural reeducation
Global Postural Reeducation (GPR) is a novel physiotherapy method developed by French physiotherapist Philippe Souchard that can be applied as bladder prolapse treatment. It is a soft, progressive, and active physiotherapy method, that can be done at any age, respecting each person’s capabilities.
GPR is based on a thorough analysis, study, and observation of the anatomy, physiology, and the way human beings become ill. Afterward, a series of specific exercises aiming at improving the natural posture of people, and thus their aches and discomforts, are established.
Therefore, the most relevant way to prevent urine incontinence issues and pelvic organ prolapse is maintaining a healthy weight, and doing timely exercises if you have an incipient prolapse or have had vaginal labor.
Once the prolapse has developed, you must visit expert professionals to make a correct diagnosis and approach the problem from a multidisciplinary perspective. This way, the best treatment for bladder prolapse can be outlined according to the needs of each particular patient.