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Conditions We Treat  /  Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Women's Pelvic Health

Pelvic Organ Prolapse Treatment in Bakersfield

A heavy, dragging feeling or a bulge in the vagina is often pelvic organ prolapse. It's common after childbirth and menopause, and pelvic floor physical therapy is a recommended first treatment.

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Yes, physical therapy can help pelvic organ prolapse. The UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends supervised pelvic floor muscle training for at least 16 weeks as a first option for women with symptoms of mild to moderate prolapse. It can ease heaviness and pressure, improve support, and help you stay active. At ARI Physical Therapy in Bakersfield, that care is one-on-one and private.

Does this sound like you?

✓A heavy or dragging feeling in the vagina, often worse at the end of the day
✓A bulge you can feel or see, or a sense that something is “falling out”
✓It gets worse after standing, lifting or exercise, and eases when you lie down
✓Trouble fully emptying your bladder or bowels
✓Needing to press on the area to empty your bowels
✓Low back ache or leaking that goes along with it

What prolapse is, and why it happens

The bladder, uterus and rectum are held up by the pelvic floor muscles and supporting tissue. When that support weakens, one or more of them can drop and press into the vaginal wall. Vaginal childbirth is the most common reason, and the hormone changes of menopause, long-term constipation and straining, heavy lifting, a chronic cough and family history can all add to it.

Prolapse ranges from mild, where you may barely notice it, to more advanced. Physical therapy helps most with mild to moderate prolapse, and it also helps women who use a pessary from their doctor or who are preparing for, or recovering from, prolapse surgery.

What treatment at ARI looks like

1
A one-on-one evaluation

Your first visit takes about 45 to 60 minutes. We talk through your symptoms, pregnancies, bladder and bowel habits, activity and goals, then assess how your pelvic floor and core muscles work. Your therapist explains every step first, and you decide what you’re comfortable with.

2
Pelvic floor training that fits you

Pelvic floor muscle training done correctly, with feedback and a clear plan to build strength and endurance, plus breathing and core coordination.

3
Everyday strategies

How to lift, carry and exercise with less downward pressure, toileting habits that avoid straining, and a home program. If you use a pessary or see a urogynecologist, we work alongside your doctor.

No referral needed to start. In California, you can see a physical therapist directly for up to 12 visits or 45 days, whichever comes first. Some insurance plans still require a referral for coverage; call us at (661) 282-8584 and we'll help you check.

When to see a doctor first

See your doctor or gynecologist promptly if you have:

  • A bulge that you can’t push back in, or that is sore, raw or bleeding
  • Trouble passing urine at all, or feeling your bladder never empties
  • Repeated urinary tract infections
  • Any vaginal bleeding after menopause

Why women choose ARI

Pelvic floor care at ARI is for women, and it is always one-on-one at our Bakersfield clinic: 8200 Stockdale Hwy, Suite B2, in the Town & Country Village center next to Trader Joe's. Our clinic director, Deepa Konnur, PT, MPT, OCS, has postgraduate pelvic rehabilitation training from the Herman & Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute. We accept most private insurance plans and Medicare, and we have staff who speak Spanish and Hindi.

Prolapse FAQs

Pelvic floor physical therapy can reduce symptoms like heaviness and pressure and improve support, especially for mild to moderate prolapse. It may not reverse an advanced prolapse, but it often helps women stay active and comfortable, with or without a pessary or surgery.
Usually yes. Your therapist will show you how to breathe, brace and lift in ways that put less pressure on your pelvic floor, and build you back up to the activities you enjoy.
It's a good idea to have a gynecologist or urogynecologist confirm the diagnosis and discuss options such as a pessary. Physical therapy works alongside that care.
No. In California you can see a physical therapist directly for up to 12 visits or 45 days, whichever comes first. Some insurance plans still require a referral for coverage, so call us at (661) 282-8584 and we'll help you check.
Yes. Pelvic floor therapy after surgery helps you recover strength and return to activity safely, and teaches habits that protect the repair.

Common questions

Ready to feel better?

Talk to a licensed physical therapist at ARI, one-on-one. Request an evaluation and we'll get back to you, usually within one business day.

Request an EvaluationCall (661) 282-8584

Sources

  1. Pelvic Support Problems. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
  2. Pelvic Organ Prolapse. Office on Women’s Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
  3. Pelvic Support Problems. MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.

This page is general information, not a diagnosis. If you have symptoms, a licensed clinician should evaluate you.

Clinically reviewed by Deepa Konnur, PT, MPT, OCS, board-certified Orthopedic Certified Specialist · Reviewed September 2026