What does uterine placement have to do with our health? Everything!
Our pelvic spaces are a complex intersection of stability and movement, top and bottom, intake and release. Many important nervous, circulatory, and fascial structures originate in this area. And smack in the center of it all is the uterus. The uterus is the Queen around which all of the other organs and tissues orient.
What happens when the Queen forgets her good posture?
Current Western medicine gives us anatomical names for some of the off-centered states: retroverted or backward leaning, antiverted/forward leading, retroflexed/backward bent, and antiflexed/forward bent. A uterus can also be tilted to the right or left. Our modern health system is also rarely concerned with any but the most severe of malpositions. This is where we look to folk medicine and other systems (including our own before the 1700s) for a more accurate reflection of clinical or lived experience.
Pretty much all traditional medicine has something to say on the downfalls of a wandering uterus. Because form and function are intricately linked in nature, the stress put on the other tissues when the uterus is misaligned can lead to a wide variety of symptoms. The basic list consists of pain, bladder issues, bowel problems, menstrual dysfunctions, and even fertility challenges. Just by looking at the diagram to the left, you can probably see how a wonky uterus can cause some of these issues especially during menstruation when the uterus is larger.
What cases a displaced uterus?
As with any condition that involves muscles and ligaments, the causes area varied. Here are a few:
High impact exercise such as running or kickboxing
Abdominal surgery
Pregnancy and birth
Carrying heavy loads
Excessive coughing
Straining with defecation
Cold feet
Wearing high heels
Hip and pelvic girdle dysfunction or injury
Stress
What can you do?
One of the most effective ways to realign the uterus is through massage! That’s right. A few simple self massage techniques can help to put Queen Uterus back on her throne. The pictures below depict how the uterus moves when the Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Massage® are applied. The top shows the uterus before the massage. See how it is retroflexed? The middle image is of the uterus during massage and the bottom is the uterine position after. Look at how much better she is sitting!
Thank you to Dr. Men-Jean Lee at University Hospital North and Andrea Muraskin, whose uterus this is, for sharing these amazing images!
Do you think your uterus could use some help sitting pretty? What symptoms are you experiencing? Have you ever even thought that how your uterus is positioned could cause these symptoms? Have you ever tried abdominal massage that helped? Share your experience in the comments! And remember to pass this on to someone you think it could help or who would find it fascinating!
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Rhiannon Flores-Drennen
LMBT & Founder of Philosopher's Stone Therapeutic Massage
Serving Haddonfield, NJ and Surrounding Areas
Rhiannon loves helping you solve your pain puzzles! A chronic pain specialist with a sub-specialty in pelvic dysfunction, she understands the huge impact pain can have on your life and is dedicated to helping you reach your health goals so you can enjoy your life fully and whole. Though her style can sometimes be described as "therapeutic fluff," she is not the therapist to see for a "just to treat myself" massage.
Augmenting her initial massage training with multiple courses and certifications including SMRT, ATMAT, and IHPS she has the skills to create effective and lasting change for you. But don't go on blind faith - check out her amazing reviews!
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