Training with Perifit: Can you use it if you have a prolapse?

Short answer, yes! We recommend that you use Perifit as soon as possible to avoid surgery which may be necessary down the road.

Pelvic floor exercises can improve the symptoms in mild and moderate cases (1st- to 3rd-degree prolapse) and help to prevent the organs from slipping down further.

However, with a beginning prolapse, you should be extra careful to practice with proper Kegel form and avoid any voluntary or involuntary action that increases the intra-abdominal pressure.

Prolapse

Many women and birthing persons don’t even know that Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) exists, and that there are treatment options for them. Surgery is one, and can be very effective for severe cases of POP. We always want to start with conservative and low risk treatment first, and then progress to surgery if needed.

The most effective and main part of conservative, non surgical treatment is pelvic floor rehab exercises. Studies show this to be an effective way to lessen symptoms of prolapse, improve support of the prolapse so it is not as severe, and keeps it from getting worse.

Using Perifit to help with your prolapse

You have to visualise the pelvic floor as a hammock under your pelvic organs.

 

Adding breath into the equation

As you can see in the visual below, the pelvic floor acts like a second diaphragm:

When you inhale, your diaphragm and pelvic floor lower, and the abdominal wall goes out. This prevents intra-abdominal pressure from increasing as a consequence of your inhalation. And when you exhale, the diaphragm and pelvic floor go up, and the abdominal wall goes in. This is the usual way we function as human beings. So, you could follow the flow and try to contract your pelvic floor muscles when exhaling and relax them when inhaling.

It's actually quite difficult to identify and find your pelvic floor muscles! Think about squeezing your vaginal or anal muscles as if you were going to hold in gas, or stop your urine stream (but don’t practice this while actually urinating on the toilet!). Think about lifting your pelvic muscles up and toward your head, without holding your breath, clenching your buttocks, or squeezing your thighs.