Need your thoughts. I'm seeing a PT not for my PN, but for lower back and hip pain exacerbated by a car accident. The PT is a manual PT. I've found that the movements/stretching the PT uses are causing major flares of my PN. Does anyone have suggestions on what stretches need to be avoided for those of us with PN?
Thanks for your help.
What stretches should be avoided??
What stretches should be avoided??
Avid tennis player and bicyclist, at one time a runner. Have worked out with weights. Currently coaching tennis. Onset PNE - 1996. Surgery with Dr Robert in Nantes - 2003. Little if any relief from surgery. Perhaps due to number of years of entrapment. Have tried every type of pain med available. Either can't tolerate or they work for a while and then quit working. Currently trying Nucynta and Oxycodone.
Re: What stretches should be avoided??
Don't bend from the hip to try to touch your toes. That's definitely a no-no. Any stretch that hurts your back or perineum while doing it should be avoided. Psoas stretches are good. You should take a look at Amy Stein's book on pelvic pain. She recommends a lot of stretching exercises, most of which work fine for me and do not aggravate the PN.
Athlete until pain started in 2001. Diagnosed with PN in Nov. 2010. Probable cause: 3 difficult labors, 5 pelvic surgeries for endometriosis, and undiagnosed hip injuries. 60% better after 3 rounds of shockwave therapy in Cornwall, Ontario (Dec - Feb/12). 99% better after bilateral hip scopes for FAI and labral tears (April and July/12). Pelvic pain life coach Lorraine Faendrich helped me overcome the mind/body connection to chronic pain: http://www.radiantlifedesign.com
Re: What stretches should be avoided??
No bringing knees up to chest past 90°. No squatting. That pulls on pudendal nerves. For some, no core strengthening.
Emily B.
Emily B.
Re: What stretches should be avoided??
Thanks for your help.
Avid tennis player and bicyclist, at one time a runner. Have worked out with weights. Currently coaching tennis. Onset PNE - 1996. Surgery with Dr Robert in Nantes - 2003. Little if any relief from surgery. Perhaps due to number of years of entrapment. Have tried every type of pain med available. Either can't tolerate or they work for a while and then quit working. Currently trying Nucynta and Oxycodone.
Re: What stretches should be avoided??
It really varies from person to person. In my case, gentle toe touching and bringing the knee up to the chest can cause flare ups, but were also key to my recovery. Hyper-avoidance is not neccesarily a good thing. I think the trick is to try and understand the nerve; i.e How it is, what it wants, what it doesn't want etc. It's very tricky though.
Pain started Aug 2008 after prolonged sitting.
Referal to Dr Natasha Curran Nov 2008.
First Nerve Block Jan 2009.
Second Nerve Block Feb 2009.
Physiotherapy Feb 2009.
Started practicing sitting four times a day with the amount being increased by 10% each week:-
Feb 2009: 5 seconds x 4
Nov 2009: 1 minute x 4
Dec 2010: 1 hour x 4
July 2011: 3 hours x 4 (cured)
Had relapse in March 2012.
Sitting normally again October 2013. No pudendal pain, but some lingering muscle tightness.
Referal to Dr Natasha Curran Nov 2008.
First Nerve Block Jan 2009.
Second Nerve Block Feb 2009.
Physiotherapy Feb 2009.
Started practicing sitting four times a day with the amount being increased by 10% each week:-
Feb 2009: 5 seconds x 4
Nov 2009: 1 minute x 4
Dec 2010: 1 hour x 4
July 2011: 3 hours x 4 (cured)
Had relapse in March 2012.
Sitting normally again October 2013. No pudendal pain, but some lingering muscle tightness.
Re: What stretches should be avoided??
Wow SkyBlue, I've been doing the "hyperavoidance" thing which really helped my pain. I'm really going to have to rethink this, as my goal is recovery. Thanks everyone for such good and thoughtful advice. I'll have to look into Amy Stein's book too; I was thinking of buying it and now it's good to hear it's helped some on this forum.