Health Organization for Pudendal Education

Hello!
I suspect I have a pudendal neuralgia. I think of testing rowing as a sport. The perineummuscles seems to be inactive during this sport. However, you put quit a big strength on the legs although you glide on a sledge during the movements.
Do anyone have experience of the suitability of this exercise if you have PN?/Tommy Persson

It requires sitting, right? If sitting bothers you then maybe it's not suitable? Also, I think some of the leg muscles are closely tied in with the pelvic floor muscles.

Violet

In rowing, I think bent legs are brought up to the chest. That can stretch the pudendal nerve and cause problems for some people.

Emily B.

I woud not recoment it depending on your rocking motion you are going to be rotating your weight right over the nerve.

IF you think you may have a pudendal issue get it checked by somone who can diagnose it. An internal exam, ive had these 3-4 times now, takes 5 min. Dr. conway does it by pushing on the ligaments through the anal cavity. Its not painfull, unless you have an issue.

Doing sprots and exercise with a pudendal issue will just make it worse, the more trama the nerve takes the longer it will tke to heal. I was misdignosed the first 2-3 years of PNE and that was the time the less invasive sirgeries are more effective.

I read somewhere that rowing could be okay because the pelvis remains level throughout.
However, I’m a former rower and my thoughts are:
1. I’ve seen advice in various places not to do squats. Since the leg compression in a rowing stroke is a bit like a squat, I think rowing could be unhelpful.
2. If you’re thinking of rowing *on the water*, if you are going ahead do sculling rather than sweep rowing. Sweep is asymmetrical, which I suggest would tend to make any muscle imbalance worse.
3. As others have said, above, I think there’s a danger of compressing nerve on seat when rocking over, which I think you want to avoid. Hence rowing or sculling probably not a good idea.
4. When I was rowing and cycling *a lot* my adductors got very strong, short and tight. I think this imbalance is linked with me later developing pudendal irritation. So I think rowing would be a bad idea *for me*.
If your pain is manageable you might try a rowing machine, but I’d suggest get a coach to make sure you have correct technique, and start with VERY SHORT session. Personally, I think I would know within 1 minute whether it was likely to trigger pudendal nerve pain. I’ve recently had a physio exercise of rowing arm action with a band, and I very quickly stopped doing it as I think it causes me to tighten pelvic floor, and hence more pain.