When I first “cracked the code” on stabilizing and reversing prolapse, and wrote and published Saving the Whole Woman, I set up this forum. While I had finally gotten my own severe uterine prolapse under control with the knowledge I had gained, I didn’t actually know if I could teach other women to do for themselves what I had done for my condition.
So I just started teaching women on this forum. Within weeks, the women started writing back, “It’s working! I can feel the difference!”
From that moment on, the forum became the hub of the Whole Woman Community. Unfortunately, spammers also discovered the forum, along with the thousands of women we had been helping. The level of spamming became so intolerable and time-consuming, we regretfully took the forum down.
Technology never sleeps, however, and we have better tools today for controlling spam than we did just a few years ago. So I am very excited and pleased to bring the forum back online.
If you are already a registered user you may now log in and post. If you have lost your password, just click the request new password tab and follow the directions.
Please review and agree to the disclaimer and the forum rules. Our moderators will remove any posts that are promotional or otherwise fail to meet our guidelines and will block repeat offenders.
Remember, the forum is here for two reasons. First, to get your questions answered by other women who have knowledge and experience to share. Second, it is the place to share your results and successes. Your stories will help other women learn that Whole Woman is what they need.
Whether you’re an old friend or a new acquaintance, welcome! The Whole Woman forum is a place where you can make a difference in your own life and the lives of thousands of women around the world!
Best wishes,
Christine Kent
Founder
Whole Woman
granolamom
August 1, 2011 - 7:12pm
Permalink
pelvic floor
hi minimoo
I encourage you to take some time to read the faqs here, might help explain things a bit.
for right now, I will try to answer some of your questions as best I can..
Do you know exactly what causes the bladder to prolapse?
I think there are usually many reasons a woman experiences a prolapse, usually a combination of genetics, lifestyle, circumstance, etc. so while we never really know the answer to 'why me', we can probably say with certainty that a bladder prolapses when it no longer is supported in its natural position.
Is it just that the vaginal wall has been damaged and this no longer provides the support to the bladder?
the vaginal wall is only one of the structures/systems in the body that provides support to the bladder. in my understanding, it is not even the main player, but rather the last-ditch effort. the bladder, normally, is supported from above by fascia and ligaments and should be positioned in a pocket formed by the lower abdomen, and over the bony part of the pelvis. this shape is maintained by the posture described on this site and the pelvic organs are pinned in place by the forces in the body (breathing, movement, etc). when a woman is not holding herself in this way for years and years and years, the fascia gets stretched out, the abdomen no longer has room for the bladder and uterus, the pelvic organs are not being held over bone but suspended over a hole (vagina) and we are all hoping that the vaginal wall will compensate.
if there has been damage to the vaginal wall, this process is sped up or even created due to the acute injury. but even women with injured vaginal walls can reverse a prolapse to some degree by shoring up the other supporting systems.
My physio said that as the vaginal wall is tissue it cannot be strengthened naturally (like a muscle). Does this mean it does not repair itself naturally at all?
I will leave the anatomy to the pro's (louise? christine?) because I am rusty. but iirc, the muscles we call 'pelvic floor' are not the same as vaginal wall. iirc, your physio is correct that one cannot strengthen the vaginal wall the way one strengthens the biceps or quads.
however, strengthening is not the same as repair. I believe that so long as you are alive, your tissues - all of them - are capable of some degree of repair.
Isn't there some laser machine or something that can renew the vaginal wall tissue?
I have no idea and I think that is besides the point. a prolapse is rarely caused solely by vaginal tissue in need of renewal, and is unlikely to be reversed by renewal of vaginal wall tissue.