Plese help

Hi London

Yes, I had my cervix hanging low and over to one side for a while. I suspect my cystocele was taking up all the room on the other side because it's fascial supports were damaged on that side. Eventually I think the fascial supports of my bladder on the cervix side gave way as well and it all evened up again. The good news is that my cervix is now in the middle and much higher. I would not know I even had POP most of the time now. You can read my story in full in the Members' Stories Forum.

Cheers

Louise

hi there
first, to answer your question, yes, a bladder prolapse can be more on one side than the other.
but also, proper diagnosis is really important, so I hope you get that sorted out. a while back there was a member here who thought she had a prolapse and it turned out to be a cyst, which she had removed, I believe.
if what you are dealing with is a prolapse, I'd strongly recommend reading as much as you can here (start at the homepage and look for the faq's) to learn what you can do to prevent it from getting worse, stabilize and reverse a prolapse.

Hi London

Yes, there is a lot to get your head around. All I know is that this Wholewoman stuff works for me and I cannot see that I will ever need surgery, though I may be proved wrong. Yours may get worse, or it might change. You don't say how big the cyst was, or if it is still there. It may be a factor. As long as it is just a cyst that doesn't bother you much, it might not matter, but having the medicos monitor it may be wise, and it may give you problems falling pregnant again if that is your plan. They have been known to go away. See Christiane Northrup's book Womens Bodies, Women's Wisdom.

The prolapse is simply organs that have slipped back or forwards, and down, as a result of the breakdown of their fascial supports, and Christine Kent's model of pelvic anatomy shows us that continual direction of intraabdominal pressure downwards through the vagina as a result of poor (normal, western, late 20th century, androgenous) posture is a major aggravating factor. Abnormal intraabdominal pressure is also produced by chronic coughing or vomiting and repeated straining that comes from constipation. It is not a long jump to including an extra mass in the pelvis, no matter how benign, pushing on the perhaps already weakened pelvic fascia from one side, to the aggravating factors, but childbirth surgical interventions and injuries seem to be the main initiatiang event for POP.

Your POP's may not worsen but there is no doubt for me that you will need to be careful with your posture, particularly during load bearing, and minimise straining, vomiting and chronic coughing for the rest of your life. Fascia cannot be healed once breached, but I think they can be reshaped as long as they have good support from posture. Once you have POP you will always have it, but it needn't cause you problems big enough to make you think about having surgery once you are managing it properly. It will be interesting to keep track of younger women as they make their way through their lives to see how much they do worsen. I know the descent of my cervix started when I was 29, with the birth of my first child. I had a retroverted uterus before that. I suspect mine started with posture as a teenager, when I used to tuck my tummy in consciously cos I was the only one in my group who had a belly, and I didn't like it! If you are going as well as me at 55 I think you will be OK, and mine are at the entrance to my vagina when I bear down. Posture, diet, clothing and good lifting techniques keep them all well up 95% of the time.

Cheers

Louise

ps We spend inordinate amounts of energy teaching little children to not climb on tables, wall units, cars, roofs etc, and more energy taking them to playgrounds and activities where they can learn to climb high things in safe conditions. Do these doctors think little children are incapable of climbing a mother or a grandmother, or a stroller, or a car seat, or a bed with ease? :-)

Hi London

Yes, I too was always told that a large lumbar curve would give me lower back strain. I ensured for half a lifetime that I didn't have a large lumbar curve in an effort to solve the lower back pain that I have had for many years. Guess what? Now I use WW posture, the bad back (and the ragged lumbar discs that seemed to cause it) are now basically things of the past. Any good anataomical atlas will tell you that the upper and lower surfaces of the lumbar vertebrae are not parallel, to allow for the gradual lumbar curve. I think in straightening the curve for all those years I was causing uneven pressure on the lumbar discs, which is what blew them out. Now I have a larger lumbar curve again and more relaxed abdominal muscles the lower spine finds its own shape.

As for strengthening the fascia, I think that the pelvic fascia are like a fitted suit for the pelvic organs. If the organs are not into the jacket properly, like it was pulled on in a hurry, and the shoulders are half hanging off, and the buttons won't do up, there will be seams and fabric that is under constant pressure to rip to relieve the pressure. If you put the (well-tailored) jacket on properly it will fit snugly and allow easy movement without straining the seams. Even if there is a seam that has come undone, or a rip in the fabric, the jacket will still sit neatly and not gape when it is done up properly.

I think that's how it is with endopelvic fascia. Stand how your body was designed to stand and the fascia will fit the organs exactly. Even if the fascia is damaged it will not be under further pressure to rip further as long as the pelvic organs are well forward and underpinned by the strong pubic bone.

So I don't think you can strengthen fascia any more than by allowing it to assume the shape it was designed to have, and not push and shove it into artificial configurations. Maybe it can repair itself if the artificial pressures are removed. How else can I explain that my retroverted uterus has flipped forwards again since doing WW posture?

I don't think it is the shape of the lower spine that causes lower back strain. It is what happens above that causes the lower back strain. If the thoracic curve is too pronounced, ie slumped shoulders, the lumbar curve will have a smaller radius, and a tighter curve. If the thoracic curve is straighter with a proud carriage of the chest and relaxed shoulders, the radius of the lumbar curve is actually much greater, a much larger, but gentler curve, although looking more pronounced. Well, that's what my body is telling me. My spine is now much more like a spring, with more ability to absorb jarring movements. You can't just look at one part of the spine and say it is the cause of pain. The spine is one organ. It is the whole shape of the spine that is important, not just the lumbar bits.

Cheers

Louise

Hi London

You can find my detailed story in the Members' Personal Stories Forum. This is why we started that Forum. There are a few stories there. I hope some other long-standing members will document their stories for the benefit of new Members like yourself. I found it beneficial to write it all in Word document before posting it, because long-forgotten events came back to me while I was writing it. I have edited it a couple of times too, as other things have come to mind since then.

It is quite long and detailed so hunker down with a coffee and a cut lunch. When you have read it I will be happy to talk about whatever bits you want me to, and answer your questions. :-)

Cheers

Louise