Frequently Asked Questions
The first module is now available and is called Pelvic Exercise 4 Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP). Most of the FAQs below are about POP. As we put more modules online focusing of Pelvic Health, we will add to the FAQs regarding these Women’s Health issues.
Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) is a hernia within the vagina, caused by a stretching of connective tissue within the pelvis. This leads to your pelvic organs (bladder, uterus, and or bowel) dropping downwards and pushing into the vagina. Women have reported feeling the following bothersome symptoms:
- Something coming down from or in the vagina
- An uncomfortable feeling or pain in the vagina which is worse when standing
- Heaviness or dragging feeling in the lower stomach and lower back
- A need to strain (push) to empty the bladder or bowel
- A feeling that the bladder or bowel is not completely emptied.
POP can be called different names. It can be referred to as an Anterior Vaginal Prolapse or Cystocele where the bladder is falling into the front wall of the vagina. Posterior Vaginal Prolapse or Rectocele where the bowel is moving into the back wall of the vagina. You may experience a Uterine Prolapse where the uterus comes down centrally into the vagina.
Pelvic Organ Prolapse is caused by weakening and stretching of the supportive ligaments that suspend the pelvic organs within the pelvic cavity. Prolapse is associated with pregnancy and childbirth where the opening of the vagina may be stretched, and the pelvic floor muscles weakened, thus not providing the support required to elevate the pelvic organs within the pelvis during everyday activities.
POP can affect the way the bladder and bowel work. Sometimes frequency- the increase in need to empty the bladder or bowel. It can also have the opposite effect by contributing to not easily being able to fully empty the bladder or bowel.
POP can also be associated with repetitive heavy lifting, chronic constipation, being overweight and having a chronic cough.
POP bother can vary during the day, often associated with worsening at the end of the day and more bothersome with prolonged standing and walking.
Pelvic Exercise4U module for Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) is a series of six videos that will educate you on the anatomy and function of the pelvic floor muscles and the abdominal cylinder muscles introducing you to the importance of Pelvic Floor Muscle Functional Training.
Pelvic Floor Muscle Functional Training (defined by International Continence Society-ICS) is training and exercises that incorporate a correct Pelvic Floor Muscle contraction into activities of daily living. How we choose to breath, sit, go from sit to stand and walk. It is co-ordination training: the ability to use various parts of the body together smoothly and efficiently. Coordination training of the Pelvic Floor Muscles with other muscle groups of the body. Pelvic Floor Muscle Functional Training aims to elevate and best support your Pelvic Organs in everyday activities of life.
You will see detailed animations based on real MRIs of pelvic floor muscle contraction and showing how these contractions move the pelvic organs up and forward to be best supported on the pubic bone – that’s the bone at the very front of your pelvis. Your pelvic orientation, related to your everyday postures, and impacted by your everyday activities and how this is important to reduce the load on your pelvic floor.
The detailed animations will also show you key muscles of the abdominal cylinder (The Core) including the deep hip muscles. Coordination training of these various parts of the body work together smoothly and efficiently to best support your pelvic organs through lifestyle modifications for everyday function.
Empowering U to Elevate your POP in functional movements of life. …. & Reduce your POP bother.
The pelvic floor muscles can be thought of as a sling, or hammock, of muscles that attach from the pubic bone at the front of the pelvis to the coccyx at the back of the pelvis, animation available in our modules.
The pelvic floor muscles attach to all the pelvic organs, the urethra (wee tube), the vagina, and the bowel. The pelvic organs rest on the pelvic floor muscles. It is important to have strong, stiff, reactive pelvic floor muscles that can sit high in the pelvic cavity. The pelvic floor muscles can be seen as an important structure to close the opening of the vagina to prevent the vagina moving downwards to the opening and beyond – bothersome symptoms of Pelvic Organ Prolapse.
These muscles ideally need to be strong to resist increases in intra-abdominal pressure which occurs with a chronic cough, very heavy lifting, straining to empty the bowels, and dealing with pregnancy and the unavoidable Motherhood Load. Pelvic floor muscle strengthening is particularly important for the Menopausal woman who may be experiencing thinning and weakening of the supportive tissues of the pelvic organs.
Follow our Step-by-step program to regain control of you prolapse
Pelvic Floor Muscle Strength Training is evidence based and the first line of exercise that you would do if bothered with pelvic organ prolapse symptoms. This exercise is an isolated pelvic floor muscle contraction. It is important to be committed to strengthening your pelvic floor muscles for at least four months. Robust evidence shows that when doing pelvic floor muscle exercise or Kegels you need to work the muscle to near maximal contraction working towards a six second hold with repetitions of up to ten times and completed three times a day. Women who have done this program show their pelvic floor muscles become thicker, more highly elevated in their pelvic cavity, stiffer to resist the downward intra-abdominal pressure and have improved closure at the opening of the vagina.
However, we know that some women with Pelvic Organ Prolapse especially in the post-partum phase do not get better with this program, so it is in Gill’s expert opinion as research is lacking that it is important to progress to Pelvic Floor Muscle Functional Training. This is associated with the orientation of your pelvis in everyday activities. Positioning your pelvic bones, Posture Focus, so they are positioned against gravity to best absorb the downward intra-abdominal pressures that loads the pelvic floor and contributes to prolapse bother. Sharing the load between the bones of the pelvis and the soft tissue of the pelvic floor aims at reducing bothersome symptoms of Pelvic Organ Prolapse.
Pelvic Floor Muscle Functional Training (defined by International Continence Society-ICS) is training and exercises that incorporate a correct Pelvic Floor Muscle contraction into activities of daily living. How we choose to breath, sit, go from sit to stand, bend, lift, walk and run. It is co-ordination training: the ability to use different parts of the body together smoothly and efficiently. Coordination training of the Pelvic Floor Muscles with other muscle groups of the body. Pelvic Floor Muscle Functional Training is the focus of Pelvic Exercise 4U and aimed to elevate and best support your Pelvic Organs higher in your pelvis for everyday activities of life.
PEx4POP is a series of six videos that need to be viewed systematically slowly working through the videos from one to six at in the comfort of your home.
You will start with strengthening your pelvic floor muscles aided by the fabulous animations to enhance your visualisation of the deep important muscles.
You will then be introduced to Abdominal Cylinder or ‘The Core’ (loads of fabulous animations) the Abdominal Cylinder Video -3 commences the movement towards learning and practicing step by step elements of Pelvic Floor Muscle Functional Training.
Video 4 further develops the elements of Pelvic Floor Muscle Function Training with a Mat Pilates focus and Video 5 has a Functional Fitness focus.
Video 6 joins all the tutorials together into a 10-minute Pelvic Floor Muscle Functional Training program. This intelligent Pelvic Exercise routine can be done several times during the week maybe straight after your walk or chosen exercise time in the comfort of your home.
Once mastered you can incorporate this exercise program especially the Mind-body Focus into your fitness repertoire whether at gym, walking or out for a jog. This Functional Workout will assist in achieving strong Pelvic Floor Muscles, functioning ideally in everyday activities across your life span. Assist you in making positive lifestyle modifications aimed at reducing Pelvic Organ Prolapse bother.
This module Pelvic Exercise 4 Pelvic Organ Prolapse is an evidence-based program and where evidence is lacking, based on expert opinion.
- To access Module – Pelvic Exercise 4 Pelvic Organ Prolapse, hover your mouse over Modules at the top of this page and select Module – Pelvic Exercise 4 Pelvic Organ Prolapse.
- You will be taken to the sales page to purchase the module.
- At this point, you will create an account or log in if you already have an account.
- From your purchase date, you’ll get lifetime access to Module – Pelvic Exercise 4 Pelvic Organ Prolapse.
If you don’t feel this educational module has been delivered on expectations, you can reach out to Gill via the contact page. Gill will organise a time to have a phone conversation with you to discuss your issues. Following this discussion and clinical reasoning,, Gill will be happy to organise a a full refund within 12 weeks of your purchase date.
Why choose our programs:
- Pelvic Exercise 4 Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) offers genuine, evidence-based help and education for women who are seeking a better way to move functionally to reduce POP bother in everyday life.
- Offers expert help from Physio Gill who has been teaching this method to hundreds of women with POP bother.