Do you have trouble walking?

[Lernica]

Just wondering how many PNers have trouble walking. I cannot walk for more than twenty minutes (very slowly, like a very old lady) until my sacrum starts feeling like it's getting pulled apart and the pain shoots up to 9 or 10. If I'm alone in experiencing this symptom then I will explore other possible causes for it.

Thanks.

Warm regards,

Lernica

[JeanieC]

Hi Lernica,

I am sorry to hear you have so much trouble walking, and have had to give up working because of pain.

To answer your question, I don't have trouble walking as far as my sacrum hurting. My perineal/rectal pain is still there when I walk but I find it one of my better activities as it takes my mind off the pain a bit . My sacrum does hurt when I wake up in the morning and won't go away until I get out of bed and massage the area, then the pain moves quickly to its usual place in the pelvic floor. This was present before PNE surgery too.

I am sure you are not alone, though, as sacral pain is mentioned quite a bit on the forum.

Best wishes,
Jeanie

[river133]

I agree with Jeanne, i have walked for the past 2 years with this pain and I do also forget somewhat about the pain... I am still waiting for the rectal pain to subside since surgery 4 weeks ago... Guess I have a good while to wait for it to get better... Very darn cold here up in Mn.. Below 0. Just need for it to get a bit warmer before I get out there again... I do hope you can get your pain figured out so you can go out waking , It is so good for our spirits... I wish you well and send you warm hugs... Ellie

[Amanda]

Lernica

Walking is the greatest cause of pain for me at times, I generally use a crutch to lean on when the spasms hit when Im walking....the worst part for me is the bladder spasms when I walk as any friction seems to make me want to go to the loo more often!!!
I do try to walk often to keep muscles active however I have to be careful as too much does cause terrible flareups.

[Karyn]

Yes, walking is a problem for me, too. I can get by from room to room, but that's about it. Even going from the parking lot to the store is an adventure. My sacrum starts screaming at me, I get these stabbing/pinching/pulling sensations in the creases of my legs, buttocks sciatica, abductors, feels like razor wire wrapped around my hips and electric shocks in my pubic bone area. I also have a really, really hard time with unever surfaces (inclines & declines). Anyone else have a problem with any of these?
Warm regards,
Karyn

[nyt]

Alot of walking is a problem for me. I also walk like an old lady and don't go very far. Several of my neighbors ask if I want to walk with them and say "No can do." Inclines, declines and stairs are problematic. Stairs kill me. We sold our 2 story house last year and moved into a ranch because the stairs were such a problem. I plan my day if we are going grocery shopping because that is all I can do. We do try to swim twice a week for exercise and I have a modified yoga and Tai Chi routine I do every morning. Trying to find the balance to keep moving without flares can be a HUGE challenge.

[Lernica]

OMG (as my kids would say) it's SO good to hear that others having the same problems walking as me. I mean, I feel really badly for you, but it warms my heart to know that I'm not alone. I continue to be amazed at how disabling PN can be; how a little "ribbon" of a nerve can cause so much pain and disability (to quote Prof. Vancaille (sp?)).

In my case, I feel all the muscles of my pelvis tightening up when I walk, and by the end it feels as if my pelvis muscles have locked right up. Has anyone tried taking muscle relaxants to help with the walking?

I am waiting to see a pelvic floor PT; she's not available until February. Hopefully she can teach me some pelvic muscle relaxation exercises.

For me, inclines and stairs are harder to walk on than flat surfaces, but going down stairs is fine. Sometimes I feel like a good workout might be to find a highrise building and walk down several steps of stairs and, if possible, to repeat the process after taking the elevator up again. I will do this once my pain starts abating and I can walk comfortably again. I'm hoping the Gabapentin will help me soon. So far it has had no effect whatsoever on my pain.

I have stopped going grocery shopping. I send hubby.

Thank goodness I can swim. I go to the local Y every day for a 20 - 30 minute front crawl swim, followed by a looooong soak in the hot tub whirlpool. It's heaven, it's hot and it's gravity-free.

Warm wishes from your sister in pain,

Lernica

[drds89]

My first time, during recovery, stairs and walking briskly were not a problem (gave up inline skating for risk of falling again) and about 3 months into recovery, found myself bounding up the stairs like nothing ever happened.

THIS TIME, no way. I still cannot step up with R leg, go up steps only once a day (for bedtime), L leg up, one step at a time, very slowly. I cannot walk for recreation, only short distances and slowly, otherwise, there will be a flare. My teaching 1/2 day Tuesday afternoon, requires a lot more walking, and everyone there knows what kind of day it is by how I'm walking (normal pace vs 90 year old).

[TracyB7777]

Walking actually feels really good. I'm not sure if its just getting outside into the sunshine (live in so az, it's beautiful here right now). It definitely helps my mood. I can tell you that during a flare I do find myself dragging my left leg and walking like a little old lady. I still do the shopping but again, having to sit to drive doesn't help and I end up on the couch for the rest of the day/night.

[pianogal]

gosh, I'm not alone!

walking used to be fine when I first had pne, but over the past 4 years it has been bad. The botox made it much worse for me... making trips to the store flare me up whereas before I could spend 4 hours at disneyland with no problems. I hope the botox wears off soon.

i get a pinch in my labia on the right side pre- botox. Post botox, I am limping along like an old lady... in fact sometimes old ladies pass me.

my sacrum doesn't hurt with walking though. I recommend trying a sacroiliac belt and see if that helps you out.