Health Organization for Pudendal Education

JeanieC wrote: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.

Maybe if it's post-op and the nerve has been released then it's OK?

Violet M wrote:Maybe if it's post-op and the nerve has been released then it's OK?

Thanks for the reply Violet. I had not really thought about it that way

Dr Dellon is definitely talking about immediate postoperative water therapy in the section I was referring to. I was thinking more about for people who have had surgery, but have not had pain relief, and are wondering if perhaps their nerve could have re-entrapped in some way, which is my personal situation right now.

Jeanie, yes, I think if your nerve is re-entrapped you might want to avoid the frog kick.

Violet M wrote:Jeanie, yes, I think if your nerve is re-entrapped you might want to avoid the frog kick.

One of my favorite strokes is the side stroke, one which isn't so popular. If you know this stroke, the legs really don't part sideways as they do in the breast stroke and in the elementary back stroke, both employing the frog kick-- the legs are flexed at the knees and whipped to be straight for propulsion but they're sort of in the same planes as they are when walking even though the side stroke swimmer is on one side or the other. In the past while having this pelvic pain, I was able to do the side stroke and those leg movements didn't seem to make the pelvic pain worse. But earlier this year, I thought that the side stroke had suddenly become a bad stroke for me--> my pelvic pain worsened a day or two after doing the side stroke so I stopped doing the side stroke. I figured my pelvic pain condition had worsened and that was why I thought it best to not do the side stroke.

I suppose if any here are doing the side stroke, it must work for you without making the pelvic pain worse.

Hugh, one reason I like the side stroke is it doesn't seem to take as much energy as some of the others!

What kind of swimsuit do you use? I would like to try swimming, but since underwear is so aggravating, as well as wearing pants and walking, wouldn't a swim suit/board shorts be as well?

Light running shorts and running bra do the trick in the pool if I'm flared up.

I have PN diagnosed late 2009, so more than 2 years in now, I find swimming good, but not too much kicking and breatstroke is a no no for legs. I can only swim laps when I'm not in a flare up phase though and I find if I try to do it 3 days in a row, that is too mch for me. What I try and do is to sometimes just use my arms and concentrate on relaxing the pelvic muscles, it is quite hard to do, but will be better in the long run. When I can, I walk, thanks for the tip about the hills, didn't know that, not a lot of flate ground where I live. I find that walking also relaxes the muscles, only when I can do it that is. Cheers, Robyn K