What is a prolapse?
A prolapse (organs "dropping", in everyday language) happens when the tissues and muscles supporting the pelvic organs weaken: the bladder, uterus or rectum then sags into the vagina. Depending on the organ, it is called a cystocele (bladder), uterine prolapse (uterus) or rectocele (rectum).
The most common signs: a heaviness in the lower belly that worsens when standing and at day's end, a feeling of a bulge or mass at the vagina, discomfort with effort or during sex, sometimes bladder leaks or difficulty emptying.
It is far more widespread than people think: a large share of women who have given birth have some degree of descent, often mild and without symptoms. Pregnancies, deliveries, menopause, chronic constipation and heavy lifting are the main culprits.
Let's be perfectly clear
The Emsella chair is not a treatment for prolapse. No muscle strengthening "lifts back up" an organ that has already dropped. If you feel heaviness or a bulge, the first step is not the partner pharmacy: it is a medical assessment (your doctor or gynecologist), ideally completed by a pelvic floor physiotherapist. We would rather tell you now than point you toward a session that would not help you.
What pelvic floor strengthening can genuinely do
So why talk about it here? Because the pelvic floor remains the hammock supporting the whole pelvis, and its tone matters at three moments:
- In prevention. A toned pelvic floor supports the organs better and reduces the pressure that encourages descent.
- With a mild prolapse. Studies suggest that pelvic floor rehab can ease certain symptoms (heaviness, associated leaks) and help slow progression. It is a supporting role, not a correction.
- As part of a care plan. After assessment, if your care team agrees, strengthening (Kegel exercises, physiotherapy and, where appropriate, Emsella) can fit into the overall plan.
If your main concern is actually bladder leaks, with or without a mild descent, that is where pelvic floor strengthening is in its element: see our home page on bladder leaks and the postpartum pelvic floor page.
See a doctor promptly if…
- a bulge is visible or protrudes at the vaginal opening;
- you have difficulty urinating or passing stool;
- the heaviness comes with pain or bleeding;
- symptoms are progressing quickly.
Those situations belong with a doctor, full stop. Your pharmacist can help you find your way through the system. That, too, is what a neighbourhood pharmacy is for.