Prolapse

[Laurie]

Haha…a topic that most don’t want to talk about…and when they do, is filled with a lot of misinformation and not always success in treatment. :wall: There are many types (for those of you who don’t know). It can be very difficult to live with as it is uncomfortable and can certainly be life-altering, but is a common condition that needs to be talked about more and in a very productive way.

I know in some ancient cultures, there were herbs that were used to lift the uterus, the bladder and other organs. Lots of this information has been lost as “civilization” takes over.

I would like to know what has been used successfully in the herbal world as this information seems to be very hard to source. So here I am posing this most uncomfortable question here… :blink:

[IdahoHerbalist]

What’s a little female anatomy discussion among friends! 😛

[Laurie]

Actually, men can have prolapse of internal organs too, and I understand that it is quite painful…although of course, not all the fallen organs are the same as a females. :blink: Really, it is a good discussion to have…so everyone is informed.

I know a lady who actually had her uterus fall out years ago. The medical system says this is past help. Cut it out, put in mesh (we all know how well that works), or stuff it in & sew it shut. However…she said she put it back in and for years had no issues with it…even though she did heavy work. Any information I read says not to work like that, do heavy lifting nor wear waist restricting clothing as it makes it all worse. She did it all. Naturally, I asked what she did to help, but she could not remember. :face palm 2: So close, and yet so far…

[Dr. Patrick JonesHomestead Instructor]

I would take raspberry leaf to tone things up and comfrey and horsetail to strengthen the connective tissue. I’d also do Kegel exercises.

Doc

Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

[SummertimeStudent]

Oh yay for someone posting about this! Doc, are your herbal recommendations still the same? Would you recommend them in tea or tincture form? And what about douching with the tea?? I’ve actually heard Dr. Christopher recommend a yarrow tea douching for this issue and I wondered about douching your Herbal wound formula for pelvic floor organ, muscle and tissue repair? Thanks so much for your help!

[Laurie]

Summertime, I asked a question here because I want to know all that is available to me. It is such a hush, hush subject. It needs to be out in the open so women (and men) can get real help other than pessories & surgeries. I am generally a private person, but not when it comes to helping others in this area. There is much misinformation out there and many charlatans preying on scared women.

What you need to know is kegels, running/jogging, trampolining, doing planking, setups, push-ups & upside down bicycle can do more harm than good. Lifting heavy objects isn’t any good either. You don’t want to put downward pressure on your internals, as often this can cause the issue or make it worse.

Hip circles are great and very gentle. Lunges & walking is great! Crawling is good. Squatting if you feel comfortable doing so is great! Drinking water…so staying hydrated is important. Making sure you aren’t constipated (no pushing) & using a squatty potty (or equivalent) helps. Cornsilk tea is good to tone the bladder, reducing leakage. These things have helped me without having to do much else. Um…s*x is very good to help correct this as well. ; )

Douching isn’t the best, as it can lead to infection & disruption of the natural cleaning process, although I have seen a recommendation to use a bolus with various herbs. It includes (powdered herbs) squaw vine herbs, slippery elm bark, yellow dock root, comfrey root, marshmallow root, chickweed herb, golden seal root, mullein leaves. These herbs are mixed with coconut butter. This is followed by a slant board combo concentrated tea of oak bark, mullein herb, yellow dock root, walnut bark or leaves, comfrey root (Ya, Doc!), lobelia, marshmallow root. You can find specifics on Dr. Christopher’s site as you mentioned.

Doc, I second Summertime’s question. What about the herbal wound formula? I suspect your other recommendations are for tea. Internal + external herbs + correct exercises sounds like a perfect combination!

[Dr. Patrick JonesHomestead Instructor]

Yes, my herbal recommendations were for internal use. Kegels, properly done, probably shouldn’t be lumped in with trampolines etc…

I don’t know that vulneraries like those in the wound formulas would help.

Let me see if I can get my wife to chime in on this. She’s a midwife and is quite a lot smarter than I am in this area. 🙂

Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

[Laurie]

Running & jogging, trampolining and anything that jars, is certainly not good. Bicycle exercises hurt, as does sit ups & push ups, some pilates & yoga exercises, crunches & planking also are not wise. Lifting heavy objects and restrictive clothing around the waist also is bad practice. Slouching will make things worse too.

I forgot about laying on your back, with knees bent, & elevating your butt with a pillow for 10 minutes when things get tough. This is great to take gravity’s pressure off for a bit before doing any exercise.

Walking actually quite safely exercises the kegel muscles, exercising them in conjunction with all the other connective muscles. Done improperly or at the wrong stage of prolapse makes things worse. I am still really on the fence about purposely doing kegels. On that note, walking did great things for me, & belly dancing (which was designed to prepare for birth & healing postpartum) is ideal, except for the hip drop, which jars.

Did I mention cramp bark for hormonal issues & corn silk for a leaky bladder? I can’t see my previous posts ATM.

Midwife wisdom in addition to what I have found would be great! My midwives were not knowledgable in that area, sadly enough. I think that they should all be well versed in early & more advanced treatment.

There are some people with good information, but I have found that there are many people out there with “wisdom” that they are profiting from (from conventional doctors to prolapse focused businesses) who are only in it for money. Some physiotherapists/osteopaths are not immune to that either. I’ve been to some of those & it was not good. To weed through the bad advice & practitioners to find the good advice is a lot of work, but in the end, usually quite rewarding.

[Dr. Patrick JonesHomestead Instructor]

Laurie wrote:

There are some people with good information, but I have found that there are many people out there with “wisdom” that they are profiting from (from conventional doctors to prolapse focused businesses) who are only in it for money. Some physiotherapists/osteopaths are not immune to that either. I’ve been to some of those & it was not good. To weed through the bad advice & practitioners to find the good advice is a lot of work, but in the end, usually quite rewarding.

It’s shocking how much really awful advice there is on the internet. Most of it is cut and pasted from other really bad sources without a thought.

Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

[Laurie]

And that’s why I appreciate your experience & wisdom. :notworthy: Thank you!

[Dr. Patrick JonesHomestead Instructor]

OK, i talked to the smart midwife lady. She said this is where to go.

http://savingthewholewoman.com/

Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

[Laurie]

I was hoping for herbal recommendations based on old midwife knowledge. I know it exists. I’ve heard of it referenced but nobody ever remembers what it is. A certain douche was used in S. America and worked said one lady, but didn’t know what the village midwife had given her mom.

With all due respect, Doc, Whole Woman is one that I definitely avoid at all costs and never will endorse after learning what her recommendations are. Her information is very flawed and many of her followers (her included) get very verbally abusive if you mention any helps outside of her particular program that she makes money with. I know…I was one of many recipients of some rude comments on a forum (not hers) where they were discussing finding solutions. I had purchased her DVD and honestly, it is not good in any way. I was certainly ripped off. I should probably throw it out already…uh, I think that I finally did, come to think of it.

Since it seems like I can name drop (I didn’t know if I could)…

Katie Bowman is very good. You could start here:

She is free and solid.

Brianne Grogan has some good ideas (with the exception of planking). Look for her LIFT series now on YouTube. She runs FemFushionFitness. She is also free and solid.

It might not hurt to look into Mayan massage either. You do learn a lot about where everything may be sitting and how to do self care massage. It is very good.

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