Words have power
Words have power.
The things we're told can be transformative, and can stick with us for decades. Words can influence our perception of our world, our safety, ourselves. The words we're told (and tell ourselves) become the stories with which we narrate our life.
What are the words that are told to people with pelvic organ prolapse?
We asked individuals in two support groups for POP about the things they had been told about movement and POP. As a person with POP and a provider working with people with POP, the answers we received were not surprising at all. Conversations about movement with POP rarely center around what a person can do, but largely of what they "can't".
Is it true that those with POP might benefit from changing the way that they move, temporarily or more longterm? Sure! And we are huge proponents of the many ways that can be done. Recommendations for people with POP to abstain from movement are done with good intentions, but unfortunately, the impact of those recommendations is often not considered. There are myriad benefits to exercise, most notably a reduced risk of early mortality! Most urgent, however, is the awareness that exercise can increase one's capacity for daily life. The reality is: most people with POP don't have the option to opt out of movement. People with POP are primary caregivers, they are employees and business owners, they are members of the military, they are hobbyists, they are people with active lives.
To tell someone to stop exercising in a way that is meaningful to them is to tell them to decrease their ability to perform movement they need (and want) to do well.
Another significant concern is the realization that not only are individuals being told to cease activity they enjoy, but they're often doing so without evidence that suggests the decrease is associated with improved pelvic floor outcomes over time.
Most importantly, however, is the removal of the individual from the discussion on what they "can" and "can't" do. By and large, the conversations about POP and movement choices aren't discussions, they are imposed restrictions. The individual is often reduced to simply a pelvic floor, considered incapable of making an autonomous decision that considers all factors, including (but not limited to) the pelvic floor.
We do not simply manage POP, we work with people. Upholding reductive and generalized information that may or may not be applicable to the person receiving that information is, we believe, not reflective of current best practices.
But have a listen yourself - these are the words of people with POP. They are powerful, too.
Thank you so much to the powerful people who contributed to this video:
Nicole Henderson
Vicki Causer
Brittany Burns
instagram.com/brittanyalexaburns
Kallie Denham
instagram.com/herphysicaltherapy
Erin Din
Kimberley Johnson
Rachel Van Norman
instagram.com/milkmonkeycookies
Theresa Carter
Suzanne Ko
Brooke Apperson
Kirsten Carruthers