Massage for uterine prolapse?

Aloha Vitality,
I have researched Arvigo Massage, and practice the self-care massage that is described on the website arvigomassage.com (though not regularly) In talking with a couple massage therapists both in Hawaii and Colorado, I have learned that the Arvigo Mayan Abdominal Massage is similiar to the Hawaiian massage Lomi Lomi. The method of massage and repositioning in Lomi Lomi involves 'lifting' the organs starting at the top of the pelvic bone ... releasing the tension and turning or "huli" in Hawaiian.
What's to keep it there? I think that is where each of us woman with prolapse calls on the Ancient One within to create a daily discipline of mindfulness: food, posture and repositioned think for ourselves.
The massage aids the discomfort and can have good effect. Long-term progress is a one day at a time thing.
Good luck. Check in your community for practitioners and massage therapists who do arvigo or lomi lomi. I'm not familiar with Chi Nei Tsang.
Take care. Hawaii Born

hi every body, I have been "away" quite a long time, back to work , too busy, a little discouraged. things are worse, some days I'm so fed up with the red ball protruding out of me that i even think of surgery, I still have a lot of discharge, the doctor saw me and he could not believe my situation was so bad. Apparently no women of my age experience prolapses im my country. By the way, I MISSED YOU, there are many new friends, welcome to everybody. I will nedd some time to update, your contributions are always very interesting.
As for the Arvigo massage, I bought the book, it waa very interesting from an anthropological point of view, I tried the massage but unfortunately I seem to be non respondent to any treatment.
ornella

Hi Ornella

Welcome back. Sorry to hear that you haven't had the improvement that you expected. I guess that "little red ball" is more obvious than it should be. Sorry if I am stating the obvious, and I may not have the full story, but remember that you have to get out of posture to even have a look. It might be better not to look! ;-) What you can see when you bend over is not how your pelvic organs sit when you are in posture.

Only you can judge what is possible for you managing non-surgically. The choice may ultimately be 'heads you win, tails I lose'.

As for the comment that women of your age in your country don't experience prolapse. What he probably means is that doctors do not see them, or else you have very good quality obstetric care and posture teachers who were taught on a different planet. If it is the latter, I want it for the whole world!!

Prolapse is usually just irritating, maybe a bit painful, and a bit debilitating, and doesn't make you feel very sexy, but it not life-threatening, and society seems to think of sagging pelvic organs being inevitable as you get older. What young woman wants to tell the world that her body is aging prematurely? We are a vain lot. Maybe your society doesn't try and make women strive for the body of a sixteen year old, and values women's bodies as they are? I'd like that for the whole world too!!

Cheers

Louise

Perhaps your women manage it themselves. I think we would be better off a lot of the time if we didn't race off to the doctor with prolapse. More women might be in one piece.

Hi Ornella,

I, too, welcome you back! Are you doing the firebreathing regularly? It is a great help. The other thing is reaching menopause when things naturally shrink up. Much better than losing your biochemisty, which is kinda what makes us who we are! If such a trade solved prolapse that might be worth considering (for about a nanosecond), but we have much evidence that it only creates more problems - sooner or later.

:-) Christine

I tried to find something about this on the site but had no luck. Could someone point me to it? Sounds exciting.

And Ornella, I'm sending you all my heartfelt support for what seems like a little setback for you. Hope it's a short one. I too have the days/weeks of setback where I think my current path isn't the right one, then I bounce back for a while and keep moving forward. Good thing we all have each other for support.

Hugs,
Ann

Hi Ann,

Look on the Bodywork Forum...it's still on the first page of topics.

:-) Christine

Just to say sorry you've been having a hard time.. do you mind me asking how old you are ane what country this is that doesn't have women who have prolapse?! They must know a secret we don't. I know how you feel though, my prolapse happened at 29 and it always feels like I'm the only one of my friends that has experienced it. I have one friend who seems to have similar symptoms some days but just doens't go to the docs about it.

x

Hi I just joined the group, came upon the site while trying to find some info on prolapse. Ive been diagnose at a stage 2, this a.m. Im scared as hell, 35 yo, 3 kids and opted to take out the uterus but Im afraid, even after reaching home I still have so much unanswered questions. I dont know how to do the pelvic exercises, dont know how to sit, stand, whether I can bend or not. Im just so off! Where I can go to find the necessary info. How do I deal with it, its a case that the doctor has rarely seen and according to her never at my age. Its almost out about 1/2 inch from the entrance, I have constant back pains and discomfort in my abdomin. Do you have any info can update me, re how to live with it so as not to make it worse. about 4 months ago I went to the gynea when I just realized something was not right down there, nothing was done or diaganosed then, now its seemed to hav ejust plopped out so quickly she thinks Im lifting heavy objects and I must stop my Aerobics or any excercise that involves jumping. What are the other do's and donts please. My gynea seemed to have very little info. on the subject, I just decided I have cried enough, now I need to help myself so I got on the pc and my search led me to this forum, help plz! anything Im desparate.

thanks in advance.......Samantha

Hi mummy76, thanks for your sympathy. To answer yr question, I'm 38 now and three kids. I have been dealing with the prolapses for six years, since my second child was born, but something must have got "out of order" with the first one. Anyway, it did not bother me until the second one was born. I must admit that since I've gone back to work (I'm a teacher) I often forget about the posture. All the same, I manage to control my bladder since I've come across this site, and this is great; when it gets too full I have problems in voiding it because the urethra gets squeezed, but with Christine' s methods I know how to solve the problem - THANK YOU CHRISTINE- I am perfectly aware that until all my organs are "with" me, I can manage in some way, whereas I would not be any more in control after any surgery, but some days are really hard, it burns, it itches and ... I can see it just as I stand up in front of the mirror (sorry ...).
By the way, I live in Italy, I hear sometimes of Urinary incontinence problems that women disregard (how can they ...) but I have met no other woman of my age with my same problem. I will have to move to the States ...

ornella

stupid me for losing sight of you girls! Of course I have not tried the fire breathing, it's been months since my latest connection to the forum. I will try and let you know. Thanks for continuing your work with and for us.

ornella

Hi Sanbloom and Ornella!

I am so interested in both of your recent experiences with Dr's who maintain that you are such "unusual" cases with your prolapse. I don't believe for a minute that you are experiencing anything uncommon among women who have had children.

I have researched this recently and have found the following research studies on www.pubmed.gov :

Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shaled University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. [email protected]
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: The status of pelvic supporting organs and possible related factors in a population of Iranian women, 18 - 68 years of age, were studied in primary health care centers. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 3,730 women were visited in three primary health care centers. The status of their pelvic supporting organs was measured according to the pelvic organ prolapse quantification system. Stages of prolapse were evaluated for trends in terms of various variables, using the Pearson chi2 statistical test. Demographic and obstetric factors were tested for potential confounding variables with logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The mean age was 36 (range: 18 - 68) years. The overall distribution of pelvic organ prolapse was as follows: stage 0, 47%; stage 1, 23.1%; stage 2, 18.3%; and stage 3, 11.6%. Based on logistic regression analysis, age > or =50 years, menopause, gravidity >3, parity >3, number of vaginal deliveries >3, history of operative delivery, history of vaginal delivery without episiotomy, and home delivery were found to be independent risk factors for development of pelvic organ prolapse. CONCLUSION: The overall rate of prolapse was 53%, with most subjects having stage 1 or 2. Several factors influence development of pelvic organ prolapse.
PMID: 16649354 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, UK.
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence of pelvic organ prolapse in rural Gambia. DESIGN: Community-based reproductive health survey. POPULATION: 1348 women residing in 20 villages in rural Gambia. METHODS: Health questionnaire and standard gynaecological examination to detect symptoms and signs of pelvic organ prolapse and other reproductive diseases. Association between prolapse, socio-demographic data and other morbidities was examined. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Presence and degree of pelvic organ prolapse. RESULTS: Out of 1067 women consenting to speculum examination 488 (46%) were found to have some degree of prolapse. In 152 women (14%) the prolapse was severe enough to warrant surgical intervention. After adjustment for confounders the likelihood of pelvic organ prolapse increased with parity and age and was higher in women of the Wolof tribe, pregnant women, those with insufficient perineum, and moderately and severely anaemic women. Only 13% of women with moderate or severe prolapse reported symptoms on direct questioning. CONCLUSIONS: Pelvic organ prolapse has a high prevalence in this first community-based study of prolapse in West Africa. Many of those affected did not complain about their problem, thus increasing the large, silent burden of reproductive morbidity in this population. Parity was confirmed to be the strongest risk factor followed by age and anaemia. Ethnic origin was a previously unknown risk factor suggesting possible genetic factors in the pathogenesis of prolapse.
PMID: 12013164 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Ethnic origin may be a factor here and I haven't been able to find any similar studies carried out here in the States or in Europe. Christine, do you know of any?

I truly don't think that you are in the minority in Italy Ornella. Perhaps culturally women simply don't go to their Drs as often there but tough it out alone more frequently.

Since I have had these issues and have starting putting it out there, I have encountered at least 6 other women who I personally know here in the States, and in the UK with prolapse to a greater or lesser degree. They also have women they know who have similar issues. I am sure there are more who either don't know they have prolapse, or don't wish to speak of it. I believe, for what it is worth, that this is quite representative of women generally.

I don't know if this information helps you both to feel less "unusual" with all of this because you aren't, really!

Sorry for the loooong post, I will get off my soap box now! :)

Michelle.

P.S Samantha, you have time to research all of your options in regard to this. Read as much as you can here and elsewhere so that you can make a thoroughly informed decision about whether to have surgery or whether to try other less invasive methods like so many of the women here! Take care.

I would not like to be misunderstood, But why are these researchs led in those countries? Could not this mean that prolapse may be caused by "bad" hospital and medical conditions, whereas, as all evidence of our personal experiences here in this forum shows, so many medical interventions may have caused our prolapse?
I am not sure I explained well. I'm too tired and going to bed.
See you soon
ornella

Ornella,

I don't know why research into prevalence of prolapse would be carried out in these countries specifically, it is something I have thought about as well! I guess there could be any number of reasons.

I am sure too that specific ethnic, cultural, and social differences play a part in the research results. These would very probably create different outcomes in different parts of the world with a similar study.

Michelle.

Hi All, thank you very much for the information and advice, Michelle, Im truly grateful. I have been researching most of the day and have decided to revisit my Dr in the a.m to discuss some less severe treatment for a start. She does not believe that the physiotherapy works but has given the referal, so I am going to see how that work and I'll acquire some more literature, etc on the issue.
Anyone knows anything about the Kegelmaster2000, like any success stories. I came across it in my research and ordered it online today! Will it help? Im willing to try anything within reasons to prevent the condition from getting any worse!
Thanks again! God help us all!

Hi Ornella

It is a good question, and I would guess the answer is twofold. Firstly somebody has asked the question in those countries, and secondly that researchers do communicate and collaborate over international boundaries, and need results like these to build on the theories about causes, and also to learn from each other.

I came across a paper on a university website which talked about a programme they had done in a very undeveloped African nation, assessing prolapse and fistulae in women, and doing surgery to give these women back their lives, which for some had been affected terribly by their conditions. The philanthropic side of me said, "Wow! Isn't that wonderful." The cynical side of me said, "Oh, that's really great; they are taking trainee gynaecology students to a Third World country to let them learn their trade on women who will have no backup when all the surgery fails in five years' time." I guess the truth is a combination of the two situations. But the fact remains that women all over the world suffer prolapses, and we all need the research done. It is a pity the research assumes that surgery is the only way of dealing with it.

Yes, I think the other question you have asked about whether or not medical procedures and hospitalisation for childbirth worsens or improves the incidence of prolapse, is a good one. I believe that it is one of the reasons that the modern homebirthing movement continues. The dilemma in developed countries is that hospital birth has become an industry in its own right and a lot of government money is put into it, so it has a very good reason for lobbying heavily for its own existence and growth.

I really do not envy today's birthing mother. My youngest is now nineteen. There are so many choices available, and many doctors actively promoting caesarian section for their patients. To choose a homebirth, in Western Australia at least, is not an easy path.

Cheers

Louise

Hey Louise,

I saw a feature on Oprah a couple of years ago about the work a specific gyn is doing in Africa with very young women/ girls repairing vaginal/ rectal fistulas after long and damaging labors. The Dr is rather famous for this I believe as these women are completely ostracised and rejected by their communities after experiencing this. I wonder how many of these women also have prolapse issues? Probably a fair number, although this of course was not addressed in the show.

Just a side line but interesting non the less.

Michelle.