Health Organization for Pudendal Education

wow! thanks for all the helpful responses, I greatly appreciate them. Ok, I mush say... how sad is it that laughing can actually cause a flare. This condition is seriously $%&^#/!

Seriously, thanks
Stephanie

Swimming helped me a lot! My symptoms really decreased. However it's important for me to swim regularrly. I have take a break for more than 3 days I feel much worse.

What kind of strokes does everyone tend to do? I mostly do the back stroke and my neck gets sore but my PT recommended not to do the breast stroke.

Steph

No frog kicks that's why no breast stroke. I do the breast stroke and just let my legs hang behind me. I do a variety of strokes and exercises in the deep end with a floatation belt and sometimes the water weights. Since surgery I've been back in the pool about 3-4 weeks and it is slow going but everytime gets a little better. I find water walking just flares up my legs so I don't water walk.

I have problem with feet also, so I can't walk much. PT says swimming is good for groin. Been doing it since first of year. I don't know if it is good for PNE, but it sure feels good to get some exercise even though I don't like swimming, specially in public pools.

I've always read not to do breast stroke too, because of the frog leg kicks causing repetitive hip flexion, but now Dr Dellon has confused me by saying specifically to DO Breast stroke (p.340 of ch 12). This is important to me as I really like to do breast stroke and swimming is the main exercise I am able to do. I had started doing breast stroke again, but think maybe I should play it safe and just do straight leg kicks.

Those of you who are Dellon patients, it would be great if you could ask him to shed more light on this. He obviously feels that water therapy is very important to prevent nerve re-entrapment.

I know that breast stroke leg kick is going to result in more symptoms for me and like you I would much rather do that stroke (used to be good at it)

nyt wrote:Since surgery I've been back in the pool about 3-4 weeks and it is slow going but everytime gets a little better.

NYT,
Does being in the water help you at all? Not so much from an excerise standpoint, but even just to float? I just have a little 12 foot inflatable pool and it's been a godsend for me this summer!
It's not big enough for me to swim laps in, but I can do some limited exercises (dog paddle, gentle leg kicks, make large circles with my arms) and my most very favorite thing is diving and gliding from one side of the pool to the other. I love the feeling of being weightless and NOTHING hurts while in the water. I often wish I were a mermaid!
Hugs,
Karyn

I just love the feeling of being in the water even though it is painful when I swim. However, it is the easiest place for me to get exercise. As we all know, not doing anything at all and laying in bed all the time is the worst thing one can do. It is all about finding that perfect balance, which by the way I'm terrible at!

Even if a dr. told me to do frog kicks I physically can't do it with my right leg because of the obturator nerve damage. I have tried in the past and I can bring my legs partly up to start but then my right leg just flops when I try to do the whip part of the kick. For me, when I tried in the past I could feel it pull in the area of Alcock's canal and then I would get a terrible flare in my perineum and rectum. So for me, no frog kicks.

We swim at our local "Y" 2-3 days a week and right now the pool is closed for maintenance until after Labor Day. My plan is to start going 4-5 days a week after Labor Day.

nyt wrote:It is all about finding that perfect balance, which by the way I'm terrible at!

You're so not alone with that, NYT. I'm very happy to hear the pool makes excerise easier for you. How about pain relief, though? Even temporary, from gliding or floating?
I'm so glad you have a pool local to you!
Hugs,
Karyn