Hold back the scalpel

SURGERY should be the last resort for those faced with a deteriorating health condition, especially if exercise and other natural methods can help. BT Living looks at how pilates, yoga and therapeutic essential oils can improve some common ailments.

The condition: Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP). POP isn't commonly heard of, but it often affects one out of 10 women by the age of 80. Deborah Wong, a general physician who now runs Breathe Pilates which specialises in clinical pilates, notes how it's one of the more common operations conducted at KK Women's and Children's Hospital. POP happens when the muscles and ligaments supporting a woman's pelvic organs weaken. The pelvic organs can then slip out of place. POP can worsen over time, and you may need surgery to fix it. There are different types of POP, but they tend to be triggered off by childbirth or menopause, which causes weakening of tissues.

The exercise: There is a fine equilibrium keeping our pelvic organs in place, a balance between the contraction of our pelvic floor and the increased abdominal pressure from the organs in our abdominal cavity, says Dr Wong. In mild cases, pelvic floor exercises help to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. The fundamentals of pilates lie in developing core strength. "The pelvic floor muscles, along with the deep muscles of the back and abdomen, form the group of muscles we work when we focus on developing core strength," explains Dr Wong.