Doing massage therapy with prolapse

Submitted by Sassi246 on May 13, 2018 - 5:25am
Body: 

I recently discovered I have a prolapse. I'm 61. I thought it was uterus but now I wonder if it's bladder. Or both. My doctor said it was uterus and she also felt my bladder. Anyway my question is about my work. I do massage therapy. I am trying not to bend over as much as possible. But it's impossible not to some of the time. Also it's difficult to give pressure without bending over. I try to remember to bend at the hips and not hunch over. Is my work going to inhibit my ability to reverse the prolapse. I'm very new at this (about two weeks) and am trying to get the posture right. I'm using a generic belt to support my pelvis when I work (in place of Christine's belt til I can afford hers) to help maintain the posture during work.

Also on another note, I am going to have to take a road trip in one week that will be 9 hours driving time one way. And then back the same 9 hours the next day. I'm worried about sitting this long as the seats in the car are not very Conducive to the posture. When I am driving just around town I try to sit forward and not lean back and put a pillow behind my back. But it's so uncomfortable to drive like this. Any suggestions about this would be appreciated. I'm worried it will make my condition worse. But it's an unavoidable trip.

Forum:

Surviving60

May 13, 2018 - 5:51am

Hi Sassi - I'll start with driving. Yes, it's not great for prolapse, but most of us have to do it every day. Don't try to sit forward when you drive.....I can't even imagine the strain that would cause. Adjust your seat to an upright position, then place that cushion (or whatever you have) in the small of your back. On a long trip, take breaks to walk around as often as you reasonably can. That much driving in such a short time....yes, you will feel it. If you can, do the hands-and-knees thing in between and really let those organs fall forward, for some relief. We all have to do things that unavoidably aggravate our symptoms from time to time. It's not a setback, it's just part of the journey. It will help you realize how much mobility those organs actually have.

When standing over someone who is receiving massage, I'd say you just have to keep working on what you already know. Hinging at the hips, rather than rounding the back and flattening out the lumbar curvature, is the only way to go. I myself don't know of any way to improve on that. Having a strong shoulder girdle and upper-body strength, which you can develop as part of this work, will help you do that without too much strain and fatigue. Use your non-work time to best advantage for quality rest and some good stretches. Stay confident....this does work. Give it time. - Surviving

Sassi246

May 13, 2018 - 2:04pm

Thank you so much. You are giving me so much hope. Since this is all new to me I have been feeling so hopeless and scared. None of my friends and family understand this route. They all think I should just have a hysterectomy. Thank you again.

Surviving60

May 13, 2018 - 3:08pm

We all need support, but we don't always get it from those around us. As prevalent as this condition is, it is kept so hush-hush, that it can feel like a very lonely journey when you're going through it. Oftentimes, friends and family are only trying to help, but they can't, so it's up to you to leave them out of the discussion and proceed in your own way. The majority of prolapsed women still have way too much trust in the medical system to help them. I was never one to go running off to the doctor, and I feel like this put me way ahead of the game when it came to dealing with this. - Surviving

everhale

May 14, 2018 - 2:06pm

HI Sassi,
I just wanted to add to Surviving, as I used to be a massage therapist (many years ago) and now live with prolapse. I agree that it's really important to hinge at the hip, which hopefully you were trained to do anyway. The strength that comes through your arms should be coming from your upper body, your whole body really, and not just the arm strength. In other words when you bend your knees and use your hips to really bring the strength from the ground, through your body, then there should be much less effort and no need to curve your back or strain yourself. And it allows you to keep that curve in your lower lumbar region too. Being strong is great, and engaging our bodies, even with prolapse, is great too, even if it feels counter-intuitive sometimes.
It's wonderful that you found this site so early and can get going on the posture and breathing right away.
Best wishes!

Surviving60

May 15, 2018 - 5:56am

Thank you everhale, this is a helpful post and we're glad to hear from you! - Surviving

Sassi246

May 17, 2018 - 9:53am

Thanks so much to everyone for all the support and hope you give on this site