Uterine Prolapse Concerns

[mscott]

I'm really interested in starting a strength-training program but I have health-related reservations and was wondering if anyone was able to help. I'm a 40-year-old woman and I need to get stronger and am very motivated to do so. I have osteoporosis in my spine and generally am not very strong but I do stay active and am pretty fit. My concern is that there is a history of uterine prolapse in my family (both my mom and my sister have it) and my sister, who is a gynecologist, has warned me against intense weight programs. She says the two biggest contributing factors to uterine prolapse are vaginal childbirth and heavy lifting (and some of her patients are women body builders). I don't want to develop this condition but the only advice I've read is from doctors saying not to do it or strength trainers saying to definitely do it. Can anyone shed more light on this or point me to evidence I can trust? I really want to get stronger but don't want to injure myself.

[Tom Campitelli]

I have not heard of this happening, but this is out of my field of expertise. We'll ask.

[mscott]

Thank you!

[mscott]

Hey there, I'm just checking in to see if anyone found info on this?

[Tom Campitelli]

So far, no one has. Uterine prolapse is not normally associated with weight training, but I cannot speak to what the risk factors are in people who have a genetic disposition for it. At the end of the day, you need to lift things in daily life. You can almost certainly start a weight training program. Whether you become a competitive powerlifter or not is another matter. Once again, I am not your doctor here, but my impression is that this was associated with childbirth and it is something that happens in fairly close proximity to it. You have bone density problems which will negatively impact your life. We can say that without reservation. Once again, you have to lift things in daily life and your bones need to be more dense. There is some weight that you can safely squat and deadlift. Start there, see how things feel.

[Tom Campitelli]

This journal article may be of some interest. It is not free, but I would bet a university library, or even a local library could probably hook you up via interlibrary loan.

http://journals.lww.com/clinicalobgy...olapse.16.aspx

[Tom Campitelli]

Also of note from this abstract:

Pelvic Organ Prolapse in Older Women: Prevalence and Risk Fa... : Obstetrics & Gynecology

CONCLUSION: Some degree of prolapse is nearly ubiquitous in older women, which should be considered in the development of clinically relevant definitions of prolapse. Risk factors for prolapse differed depending on the definition of prolapse used.

Like many things in medicine and life, the answer boils down to, "We're not quite sure. It is complicated." In my 20 minutes going through some of the literature, vaginal childbirth appears to be the big thing people look at as a causative agent, not heavy lifting.

[mscott]

Thank you so much. I really appreciate you looking into this and your thoughtful response.