Chiropratic help

Hi Amy,

I think both are pretty imperfect sciences!

From my own perspective, prolapse is not something anyone can fix for us but is a whole body problem that requires a permanent change in the way we use and hold our entire musculoskeletal system. If the chiropractor can help you with proper realignment and teach you to hold yourself in that way, great! Many women are living well with these conditions, and it is reasonable to exhaust more conservative avenues before considering surgery.

The risks with uterosacrocolpopexy include mesh erosion, recurrent cystocele because your cervix/front vaginal wall is being pulled in constant tension toward the back; recurrent uterine prolapse because the stretchy cervical muscle cells become particularly elastic when the uterus is immobilized; and the possibility of chronic and difficult constipation due to damage to a manipulated bowel

My gyno recently went to a gynecology conference where the subject of prolapse was big. He said they are beginning to shy away from using the mesh because of just these difficulties. I too am looking at some way to re-hang the uterus back up where it belongs as opposed to losing it, so I understand where you're coming from. I don't want to lose my uterus, but on the other hand, if these surgeries have a good likelihood of not being permanent answers, I don't want to just have to have more surgery down the line. I would rather deal with an inconvenient prolapse than buy into the hell of post-surgical complications. Right now the pessary is working well for me and I don't really see any advantage of having the surgery at all. I would be curious what your doctor says about Christine's book.

As for chiropractic, I talked to my chiro about it. He says, there are some chiropractors who will claim benefits of all kinds on all body systems from chiropractic adjustments. My chiro says he does not subscribe to that philosophy because there is not hard research backing up all these supposed benefits. He sticks to treating direct spinal impingment symptoms because that is what research does show chiro benefits. Your chiro may have anecdotal evidence of benefit for prolapse, but I doubt he has a scientific, published study proving chiro adjustments cure prolapse. On the other hand, it certainly won't hurt. And one of the best things for a prolapse problem is general good health. Spinal adjustments reduce pain and promote spinal health which in turn promotes general overall wellbeing. So I would go with your chiro and let him do his thing, but personnally, I would not expect it to have a profound and direct difference in your prolapse. But who knows, the body/mind is a marvelous thing and there is no telling what might help you.

Anneh

Hi Amy,

I go to a doctor of osteopathy and also a chiropractor. Depends how I feel as to which one I go to. I have had very good luck with the D.O. working on my lower back, making sure my pelvis is level, and doing the cranio sacral therapy. No, it has not made the problem go away but it has helped me to go through days without even thinking about the prolapse. I've gone to many chiropractors in my lifetime, some are good and some are not. It's aggravating to find one who is a little on the rough side and makes you feel worse than when you went in. Finding a very good chiropractor is absolutely wonderful - those I wouldn't trade for anything. Try the one you mentioned, if he helps, great, if not, find another one. They all have a different "touch". Do the modalities that make you feel good, you'll know immediately if it's something you want to continue doing.

I like both my chiropractor and the D.O. The chiropractor is about half the price, so I use him between the D.O. visits. Besides, my insurance does pay for the chiropractor but not the D.O.

Best of Luck

Grandma Joy

Hi there,
I've been seeing a chiro for 3 years now and there are actually 2 that alternate in the practice but when I get the good one, which I try to do whenever I can and my schedule fits, i really feel major improvements in evergy level and overall well being, lower back pain relief and esspecially my TMD, which is another one of those mysterious women's diseases that are blamed on hormones or emotions or both. The great Laringo.....specialist said there was nothing he could do for me short of running some expensive tests that would confirm my TMD but do nothing to treat it and that surgery was the only cure he could think of but didn't really recommend it until the pain becomes really unbearable. My dentist kept saying I grinded my teeth even though there was no physical sign of that and wanted to get me to wear a nocturanl dental damn and I was going crazzy with pain, not being able to eat and swellings on both sides that completly changed my appearance. Well, after a few weeks of chiropractice it miraculously went away. The adjustment at the base of the neck does something to let the sinus fluids (over a pint a day they say in normal people) drain properly through the lymph nodes and that relieves the pressure on the jaws and ears so they don't swell and don't hurt like they uesd to, esspecially when I slept. This is my explanation for how it works. For my prolapse however I've not been able to accomplish as much with chiropractice though it definitely helps some, but not enough and I keep thinking that there may be other manipulations that chiros who specialize in lower back issues may know how to do. My chiro just does the regular snap on the side, depending which side the vertebra seems more subluxated in that region upon palpation, but I'm sure there must be something else that would more directly affect the lower tail bone part which in my case was pretty damaged by back labor of 36 h and I think that's what caused the prolapse as well. Seems to fit in with Christine's ideas from the book too.

Anyway, if anybody knows any specific chiro techniques and knows what they are called that can improve the tail bone area in particular, please let me know. Thank you so much and good luck to all. It's an amazing journey we're all on and it's so great to have a forum to share and learn.
-Elaine

I began chiropractic treatment about 7 or 8 months ago...I had loads of issues...neuralgia, migraines, shoulder bursitis, ankle bursitis, tendinitis in one finger and a cyst in my wrist. this chiro is one who claims he can help practically anything from autism to IBS so that raises a few red flags. but I went in with what I think was an open mind and reasonable goals. Neuralgia disappeared after one visit. tendinitis after the second or third. shoulder bursitis is almost gone and no longer painful. my neck and shoulder pain (which was so chronic I forgot that I was in constant pain until it was gone)is gone hand I'm sure all of this has had a positive effect on my posture. so if you can afford it, why not try the chiro? I just wouldn't hope that it can 'cure' a prolapse.

Hi Amy,

Well, I am not surprised you got a negative response. Sometimes I think doctors' egos just will not let them listen to anything that goes against their own views and training. Plus they are always rushed to get to the next patient. It is rare to find a doctor who is open minded and willing to listen to your ideas, much less work with you in ways that are not his/her usual practice. Whenever you find such a doc, hang on to him! Also, I would expect a female doctor to be more sensitive, but I have found that is not the case. You can't count on a woman being any more understanding just because they're female.

Anneh

You can always cancel surgery, up to just before they put you under! Yeah, you'll p*ss off the doctor, the hospital, and everyone may charge you money for wasting their time, but it's YOUR body, and YOU must live with the results.

I have heard a lot of positive feedback on other sites from women who have had the surgery, but ALL of it is from women who only recently had it. I have not yet heard a single person say, "I had the surgery 15 years ago and it is still holding up fine." Have you SPECIFICALLY questioned the doctor about HOW LONG this surgery is going to hold up? It might be that the doctors view it as only a ten year solution, knowing you will be back for more surgery later. If it were truly a forever fix, I'd do it in a heartbeat, but the more I research it, the more I see that there are problems years out. When I think about that, I think I'd rather just put up with the inconvenience of the prolapse and/or pessary. At least that is a KNOWN evil... but surgery is a risk for UNKNOWN evil. One of the unknowns is the myraid of complications. Are you having a bladder sling? Have you researched and read about the negative complications of that repair? Some women are very happy with the results, but others express great regret and wish they could turn back the clock. I'm still researching it, and I will always be open to new procedures... but the problem is, if a new procedure is invented today, we won't [i]know[/i] it works long term for a decade or more.

I too notice an increase in discharge with the pessary. I am not sure however, that it is a true increase. I think it is possibly just that the normal discharge, which is a continuous stream more or less, collects around the pessary and stays there, to be a big mass when you remove it, or either discharges in a clump. If it is a true increase - I suppose the body is trying to dislodge a foreign object. If this is the case, then yes, it is "abnormal", but is it dangerous? I doubt it... when you compare the "damage" it might do to your health to the damage a surgery-gone-bad will do to your health, I'll take the discharge any day.

Trampoline... jumping up and down. Yes, I'd say since prolapse is a gravity problem, and the deceleration of the downward hit gives you increased G forces, that would make the uterus slide down. Have you tried jumping on the trampoline WITH the pessary in place? Jumping is good for you... strengthens core muscles and in the long run that can only improve your prolapse, or at least your overall health. Perhaps after you see Christine's video you can jump in a better posture that will help keep the organ from sliding down.

I couldn't say whether you should go through the surgery or not. I understand there are some doctors out there trying hard to address the negative complications of such repair surgery, and improve outcome. If you have a great surgeon and you've researched options, etc. perhaps it will benefit you (short term only???), but if you haven't, if you've just gone with your regular doctor's advice without investigating alternatives, I think I would be inclined to chicken out and cancel.

Anneh

In actuality, the human body is a gravity-free system that works by tension/compression