Pelvic Floor problems helped by RAW?

[katchmoleen]

Obviously a question for the women here, lol. I have a second degree prolapse and a pretty large rectocele. I had planned to have it repaired later this year, but now have been reading a book called "Saving the Whole Woman" about the dismal failure rate of pelvic floor surgery and how it hurts more than it helps. My prolapse is just bothersome, irritating, rather than a real problem. The rectocele is only a problem if I get constipated which is definitely NOT a problem with raw, lol!

Anyway, she says that good nutrition can help the round ligaments tighten and heal themselves, as well as recommending certain exercises and posture. So my question is, have any of you seen pelvic floor problems improve with raw eating? I definitely am NOT going to have the surgery....I can live with things as they are now.

[Thick]

I don't have any knowledge about those issues exactly, but I can tell you that losing weight with raw will definitely take a lot of pressure off of your pelvic floor.

Also, I had at one time asked my midwife about a similar surgery and she told me that the best way to help your pelvic floor is to walk and do kegels--but she emphasized walking.

[katchmoleen]

I've had this problem for fourteen years and have done a lot of walking and kegeling. I have strong sphincter muscles as a result, no leaking problems, but the muscles that are weak are involuntary muscles, so I don't know that any exercises I will do will actually tighten them up. At least it hasn't worked so far.

[Azaria]

This site is a source of fantastic info: http://wholewoman.com/

I hear what you are saying about involuntary muscles....you can't really 'work' those, but you can strengthen and tone the others. Modern day understanding of pelvic floor exercises is rudimentary, really. Have you considered a pelvic floor physiotherapist?

[spicyfull]

That's all I know of is the Kegel also for Most anything Prolapsed. I also would keep Searching, the answer will come, Surgery should never be an option in that area. Hope your answer is revealed soon. My Best to you......

[Ilse W.]

Using a rebounder (in my opinion at least) exercises every cell in your body and strengthens ALL muscles.

[sport]

I do have this problem. I was diagnosed in 2001 and told that I would need surgery in a few years.
Since then I have gone raw and done my exercises and it has made a huge difference. I am not now expecting to ever have surgery.

[katchmoleen]

That's just what I wanted to hear Sport. THANK YOU!
What exercise program have you followed? I have gotten on the internet and seen a number of programs, including the Whole Woman one mentioned above.....but they all seem to lack actual accounts of healing.

[Azaria]

Oh katchmoleen, rest assured there are PLENTY of success stories...you just don't hear about them in normal life (no one talks about these things anymore. Sigh.) Most recently a client of mine had a bladder that was poking out of her vagina (result of two previous ceseareans that weakened the attahcements of her bladder...so her bladder prolapsed after pushing out baby #3 vaginally).

It took a few months but she stuck to our plan of about 4 different pelvic floor exercises AND doing them in inverted poses to engage the help of gravity...and what do you know, she has NO prolapse nor continence issues anymore (despite being told to have surgery at 6 wks post birth).

The female pelvic floor is just as strong, if not stronger, than the rest of our body. NEVER forget this!!!

http://www.mosnews.com/weird/2009/07/07/strongvagina/

[katchmoleen]

Haha! Loved the link! My vaginal muscles actually got quite strong after I started using a cup rather than tampons or pads, because I had to hold the darn thing in constantly or it fell out unexpectedly! I have no problems with incontinence or that kind of thing. What kind of exercises did you have your client do? Can you point me to a resource? TIA

[sport]

That's just what I wanted to hear Sport. THANK YOU!
What exercise program have you followed? I have gotten on the internet and seen a number of programs, including the Whole Woman one mentioned above.....but they all seem to lack actual accounts of healing.

The only exercise that I specifically do for this is when I am taking a pee I constantly stop and start.
Other than that I have increased my overall exercise levels including using the rebounder but I had not realised that it may be helping this specific problem.

[sport]

Good Morning again.
I had posted my message on your page before I realised that you had left one on my page asking for specific info. Between that and my previous post on the thread you will gather that the only thing I did was go raw and do the stop start routine. I had a fairly bad report on diagnosis and he was describing it as an elephants trunk when he was watching the monitor. He booked the hospital immediately for the following month but I went for a 2nd opinion and he said I would need it down the road but could wait a few years.
I can not say that I am perfect now but I am no longer aware (even vaguely) of a problem during my day to day life. I would have to go looking to know that something is wrong.
I do not know if that simple practice of stopping and starting is the main cure but I think that being raw must have played a part.

[katchmoleen]

I read the book "Saving the Whole Woman" and she felt that nutrition has a whole lot to do with it. I have kegeled my brains out and it didn't make a huge difference, so I am hoping that nutrition does. It makes sense if you think about how raw fixes so many things, why would it not help stretched out tissues go back to normal? I have to confess I am a bit skeptical of the exercises in the book as they seem very new age-y and not a lot to do with the actual pelvic floor. My husband would probably like the belly dancing recommendation though.;)

[Azaria]

My vaginal muscles actually got quite strong after I started using a cup rather than tampons or pads, because I had to hold the darn thing in constantly or it fell out unexpectedly! I have no problems with incontinence or that kind of thing. What kind of exercises did you have your client do? Can you point me to a resource? TIA

There are soooo many different layers of the pelvic floor. Really, it boggles the mind. It sounds like your external layer is pretty solid but your internal ligaments and fascia are not so strong, hence the prolapse.

I would really recommend a physio or someone who in their line of work has lots of experience with the pelvic floor, if that is an option for you. If not, then learn as much as you can about the inner workings of the vagina and how the soft tissues attach to the bony pelvs....what attaches to what and what helps hold the uterus, baldder, etc in place. There are basically 3 general areas: ligaments supporting the uterus, the deep muscle layer, and the external vaginal muscles.

Try to gain a general understanding of what and where these are (Spiritual Midwifery remains one of the simplest user friendly texts I have come across!) Be feeling internally you can try to isolate these areas and you will be able to tell if they are lax or tense. There will often be asymmetry as one side will overcompensate for the other. Anyway, once you have gotten familiar with how it feels inside as you actively try to tighten and relax diffferent areas, you will have a better sense of what your work is actually doing. Many times women work their butts (no pun intended) off doing these kegels but they are actually only tightening the superficial layer, or only strengthening the deeper muscles layers. The aim is to be able to isolate these layers AND the specific regions and structures of each of them

The only exercise that I specifically do for this is when I am taking a pee I constantly stop and start.

Just a word of caution....this is very helpful for isolating the superficial layer that generally controls the fibers of the urethra, but I've seen lots of women get bladder infections from this method. Once you can isolate this area it might be worth thinking about doing it at times other than peeing?

Gee, I did NOT mean to write this much. Have to run now but will be back with some specific exercises if you would like

[sport]

Just a word of caution....this is very helpful for isolating the superficial layer that generally controls the fibers of the urethra, but I've seen lots of women get bladder infections from this method. Once you can isolate this area it might be worth thinking about doing it at times other than peeing?

I have been told this before but I have decided that risking an occasional infection is preferable to the alternative (incontinence later in life).