Rehabilitation for Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Pelvic organ prolapse is a pelvic floor disorder that affects about half of all childbearing women at some point. It is most often diagnosed in menopause, as estrogen levels decrease and result in further weakening of the muscles and tissues of the pelvic floor that were damaged during pregnancy and childbirth.

Prolapse occurs when the pelvic floor, or the support structure for the pelvic organs, is no longer able to hold organs—like the uterus, intestine and bladder—in their proper place, allowing them to drop downward and rest against the walls of the vagina.

The most common symptoms of prolapse include pressure or a downward pulling feeling in the pelvis, pelvic pain, urinary incontinence, pain during intercourse, low back pain and constipation.

Many women are asymptomatic, and as such do not require treatment, but would benefit from pelvic floor maintenance to prevent future problems. For women experiencing symptoms, rehabilitation comes in many forms.

Maintenance

Women should be especially mindful of pelvic health throughout pregnancy and during the postpartum recovery phase. Multiple vaginal births, difficult labor, a baby with a large birth weight, or children born in short intervals of one another all increase risk.

Performing Kegel exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor throughout pregnancy can help achieve shorter labor time and an easier birth. They can also prevent urinary leak issues that are common during the third trimester.

Other risk factors associated with lifestyle are smoking, obesity, chronic cough and high-impact activities. Women should work with doctors or physical therapists to decrease these risk factors.

Physical Therapy

Pelvic health has become a specialty in the field of physical therapy, which is no surprise considering its success in treating pelvic floor disorders. A physical therapist can help prepare a mom for childbirth and recovery afterward. Physical therapists will focus on improving pelvic muscle function, increasing core strength and decreasing symptomatic pain.

Using biofeedback, therapists can locate and offer instruction on how to isolate the pelvic floor muscles to get optimal results when performing Kegel exercises or pelvic clocks. Other techniques used by therapists include pelvic massage, manual stimulation, Pilates-based exercises for core strength and posture correction.

Vaginal Pessaries

A pessary is ring, square or other shape made up rubber or silicon that is put into the vagina to take up space and halt prolapse. Certain sizes and shapes work better for different people and different types of prolapse; the right one will be determined by your doctor during the initial fitting.

Women with severely deteriorated pelvic muscles may not be able to keep a pessary in place; however, many women do experience relief. Pessaries can be worn for up to three months, at which point they need to be removed, cleaned and replaced. Some pessaries can be kept in during sex, but most women choose to remove them.

A pessary can be worn to reduce symptoms, but not as a cure for prolapse. A pessary treats symptoms while in place, but prolapse returns when the pessary is removed. Pessaries can cause constipation, urinary tract infections and increased vaginal discharge.

Surgery

Surgical intervention to treat pelvic organ prolapse is fairly common, but women should be aware of the risks involved. One method uses transvaginal mesh to provide support to the pelvic floor, and another more conservative method uses sutures. Organ perforation, mesh erosion and infection have been reported with transvaginal mesh—often leaving women to face revision surgery and ongoing pain.

A statement issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported that complications with transvaginal mesh are NOT rare, and the procedures using them are no more effective than conventional options. Discuss these and other surgical options with your physician.

Linda Grayling writes for Drugwatch.com. Linda has a number of professional interests, including keeping up with the latest developments in the medical field. Join the Drugwatch community on our Facebook page to find out more.

Greensboro, N.C. (January 16, 2013) – BreakThrough Physical Therapy welcomes Mark Watson, MPT, MBA, OCS, as the company’s new Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Watson joins BreakThrough after an extensive search to find an executive with a broad range of leadership capabilities and significant accomplishments in the physical therapy profession.

Watson brings to Breakthrough more than 15 years of clinical and managerial experience. In his role as COO, he will oversee the company’s day-to-day operating activities, set strategic direction, and provide expert care to patients and leadership for directors.

“Mark brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of results” says BreakThrough CEO, Jeff Hathaway, DPT. “His clinical and leadership success and commitment to quality care will make him a valuable asset to BreakThrough’s patients, staff, and its surrounding community.”

Mark earned his Master of Physical Therapy degree from Duquesne University and his MBA in Health Systems Administration from Waynesburg University. He is an Orthopedic Certified Specialist by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties and also serves as adjunct faculty in Duquesne University’s Rangos School of Health Sciences.

“It is a privilege to join the leadership team at BreakThrough Physical Therapy” says Mark Watson, MPT, MBA, OCS. “I am excited to be part of a family of clinics that has the reputation of delivering compassionate, comprehensive physical therapy care with excellent results.”

About BreakThrough Physical Therapy:
BreakThrough Physical Therapy is a private physical therapy practice with six locations in Greensboro, Fayetteville, Morehead City, and Winston Salem, North Carolina. All BreakThrough physios utilize the newest research to deliver the best results for patients in the fewest visits. BreakThrough physios pride themselves in being experts in physical therapy, delivering hands-on treatment to achieve optimal results for patients suffering from sports related injuries, back pain, achy joints, wounded hands, and work injuries. For more information visit BreakThroughPTClinics.com.

BREAKTHROUGH PHYSICAL THERAPY OPEN HOUSE Second Location Celebration!

Tuesday, October 9, 2012
3:30 – 6:30 P.M.
4140 Ramsey Street, Suite 111
Fayetteville, NC 28311

Everyone Receives A Free Gift and Great Door Prizes will be given away throughout the event!

You’re invited to share an evening of fun for the whole family at our grand opening event! We will feature a ribbon cutting ceremony, informative discussions, refreshments, door prizes and that’s not all! Find out how to MAXIMIZE your FUN FACTOR in FAYETTEVILLE with our special guests:

• Fayetteville SwampDogs and their mascot Fun-Go
• The Climbing Place
• Golf Pros from Cypress Lakes Golf Course

Event Schedule
3:30 – 4:00 P.M. Meet & Greet with Your BreakThrough Physios and Staff
4:00 – 4:30 P.M. Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting
4:45 – 5:00 P.M. Discussion with Adam Autry, DPT: “Taking the Ache out of Headache: How Physical Therapy Can Help”
5:15 – 5:30 P.M. Discussion with Corey Smith, DPT: “Foot Camp – Boot Camp to keep your feet happy and healthy!”
5:45 – 6:00 P.M. Discussion with Lucas Simoes, MS, PT: “BreakThrough the Pain Cycle: Our Hands-On Approach to Relieving Pain”

910-920-4903
www.BreakThroughPTclinics.com

Expert in Pelvic Rehabilitation Helps Women Solve Incontinence Issues

BreakThrough Physical Therapy, a private physical therapy practice with locations across North Carolina, announces the recent addition to their staff, women’s health expert Jolene Faught, PT, MPT. Jolene has more than eleven years of experience treating conditions that affect women’s health such as incontinence, pelvic pain, pregnancy/post partum related pelvic floor and back problems, osteoporosis, post-mastectomy care, and fitness and wellness. During the past four years, Jolene has focused almost exclusively on pelvic rehabilitation, earning certification from the accredited Herman and Wallace Pelvic Rehab Institute on the issues of incontinence and pelvic pain.

Since 2005, Jolene has had the opportunity to share her passion about choosing physical therapy as an option for pelvic floor treatment at various healthcare educational seminars. Her “What Every Woman Should Know” community lectures were extremely effective in sending a message to women who suffer from incontinence and pelvic pain that these conditions do not have to be permanent and physical therapy is an alternative to medications that could possibly cause side effects.

“Over the years I have been amazed by the number of women who believe they should hide the condition of incontinence and learn to live with it,” states Jolene. “I’d like every woman to know that physical therapists can help; we are the only medical professionals that take the spine, hip, abdomen, pelvic floor, dietary habits, lifestyle, and scars into account when developing tailored treatments for our patients. This customized approach to patient care yields incredible results; there is no need for anyone to live with leaking or daily pain.”

According to the National Association for Continence (NAFC), incontinence is defined as the involuntary loss of bladder or bowel control. It is estimated that 75-80% of the 25 million adult Americans who suffer from incontinence are women. Pregnancy and childbirth, menopause, and the structure of the female urinary tract are the primary causes of incontinence for women. Studies also show that on average, women will wait 6.5 years from the first time they experience symptoms until they obtain diagnosis and treatment.

“My bladder was controlling my life- my husband said it was controlling his as well!” said a recent urinary incontinence patient treated by Jolene. After just seven visits, this particular patient’s daily urinary frequency was reduced by more than 60%. “There were so many things [that] I wasn’t able to do and places I was unable to go. I was in a lot of pain [from bladder spasms]! I now have my life back!”

Jolene’s extensive educational training also allows her to develop physical therapy programs for men who were diagnosed with prostate cancer and suffer the side effect of incontinence due to radiation treatment or surgery.

BreakThrough physical therapists are different from other providers in the treatment of urinary incontinence because they use the latest scientific evidence and tools to get patients better, faster. This also allows patients to avoid the costly use of prescriptions and surgery. To learn more about BreakThrough’s treatments for women’s health issues please visit BreakThroughPTClinics.com

Allow me to introduce myself – my name is Jeff Hathaway I am a Physical Therapist and the co-founder of BreakThrough PT. I appreciate you taking the time to read this inaugural blog. My hope here is to provide something of value to you – not sell you or anyone on BreakThrough specifically but rather focus on the questions in healthcare today that matter. Get all of us to ask better questions, to become better educated about healthcare and to explore possible solutions.

We will talk about things such as unnecessary medical care, myths that drive poor healthcare decisions, healthcare reform issues, and other timely issues that affect all of us. We will also post news on specific injuries or medical conditions relevant to you. I would love to hear your ideas on topics we can cover. Just comment on this or any future blog.

Physical Therapy is something i am passionate about because it aligns with so many of my values and i believe can provide a few answers to questions people have about resolving some of the healthcare issues. So sit back read and please provide your feedback, opinions, ideas to the postings here. I want this to be a regular conversation that we collaboratively work to increase awareness, stimulate ideas and hopefully solve a few problems along the way.

Thanks for tuning in!!