Help my inflamed pudendal nerve. Can't sit down.
March 12, 2012 12:07 PM Subscribe
I have an irritated pudendal nerve and can't sit down for longer than 30 minutes--help!
In August, during exercise I somehow irritated a nerve right between my legs, where my leg hits my groin (so that it felt like I had been riding a uncomfortable bike seat for a long time) and also a spot in the front near my hip flexors. I went to a few doctors over the course of several months and no one seemed to know what to do. It did improve but I decided to see a physical therapist. We've been working for about 6 weeks when a deep massage irritated the spot near my sit bones and now I'm having trouble sitting! Ugh-a new problem! Apparently it is all the same nerve, the pudendal nerve, and now we have to work to calm the nerve somehow. My butt muscles feel very tight (I suppose trying to protect the painful nerve) but I don't know what to do. YANAD or a physical therapist, but if anyone has had any experience trying to calm this nerve, I'd love to get your advice.
What I am doing:
* short periods of ice
* 800 mg of ibuprofen
* trying to lay off of it
* sitting on bunches of pillows
Now what? Acupuncture? Stretching? No stretching? No exercise? Different anti-inflammatory? I imagine this may be similar to having sciatic pain...what works? Any and all advice much appreciated! You can also be send to: throwawaynervepain@gmail.com
In August, during exercise I somehow irritated a nerve right between my legs, where my leg hits my groin (so that it felt like I had been riding a uncomfortable bike seat for a long time) and also a spot in the front near my hip flexors. I went to a few doctors over the course of several months and no one seemed to know what to do. It did improve but I decided to see a physical therapist. We've been working for about 6 weeks when a deep massage irritated the spot near my sit bones and now I'm having trouble sitting! Ugh-a new problem! Apparently it is all the same nerve, the pudendal nerve, and now we have to work to calm the nerve somehow. My butt muscles feel very tight (I suppose trying to protect the painful nerve) but I don't know what to do. YANAD or a physical therapist, but if anyone has had any experience trying to calm this nerve, I'd love to get your advice.
What I am doing:
* short periods of ice
* 800 mg of ibuprofen
* trying to lay off of it
* sitting on bunches of pillows
Now what? Acupuncture? Stretching? No stretching? No exercise? Different anti-inflammatory? I imagine this may be similar to having sciatic pain...what works? Any and all advice much appreciated! You can also be send to: throwawaynervepain@gmail.com
This protocol was prescribed to me for tendon pain, but I used it once for firey nerve pain from my groin area - it worked but you should probably should ask your doctor first...
Two of my doctors over the decades have had me use big doses of ibuprofen for stabby foot and knee pain. Both times they told me to take 600mg 3 times per day (equally spread out, and always with food) for up to 6 weeks. With the knee issue, it wasn't quite done twinging after 6 weeks, so she said I could drop down to 400mg x 3/day for a week or two more. And she gave me the go ahead to self-treat in this manner if it ever happened again. The warnings were to stop immediately if I developed stomach pain, and to come back if I had recurrences too often.
She said I was just saturating my system with anti-inflammatories to give the area enough time to heal without irritation. It is important to stay consistent, and to keep up with the regimen for a few weeks even after the pain stops.
I hope you find the solution quickly!
posted by jenmakes at 1:55 PM on March 12, 2012
Two of my doctors over the decades have had me use big doses of ibuprofen for stabby foot and knee pain. Both times they told me to take 600mg 3 times per day (equally spread out, and always with food) for up to 6 weeks. With the knee issue, it wasn't quite done twinging after 6 weeks, so she said I could drop down to 400mg x 3/day for a week or two more. And she gave me the go ahead to self-treat in this manner if it ever happened again. The warnings were to stop immediately if I developed stomach pain, and to come back if I had recurrences too often.
She said I was just saturating my system with anti-inflammatories to give the area enough time to heal without irritation. It is important to stay consistent, and to keep up with the regimen for a few weeks even after the pain stops.
I hope you find the solution quickly!
posted by jenmakes at 1:55 PM on March 12, 2012
Is this an irritated piriformis muscle? That must be such a nightmare to deal with.
The thing that has helped for me, after seeing a PT, was realizing that no advice applies 100% of the time. I was recommended stretches, but as my muscle was--basically-- hyperextended already, since it had been cramped in some places for a while, these became overstretches. It's complicated, and the worst part is that it's hard to picture all those places inside. But there are some diagrams online if you google "piriformis syndrome."
It helps to listen to your body on this. Te tight feeling in the buttocks can be eased somewhat by rolling on a tennis ball. Not too much, as this can cause irritation, but rolling around back there can release the trigger points where a lot of the tension builds up.
The most effective solution for me has basically been stretches, consistent ones, that lengthen the hamstrings. Like lying in bed with my legs straight up against the wall. These have to be started, obviously, after a flare up, as stretching an already irritated muscle is no good. I would say wait 2-3 days after a flare up.
This will go away with time. The best thing is doing what you are already doing, waiting and stretching.
By the way, try experimenting with different chairs-- they definitely feel different. I have been successful with chairs that are high off the ground and have a very solid supportive back, (and also are hard in the seat), although it sounds like your problem is a bit different from mine.
Avoid running and cycling. Just as an afterthought, if you are on antidepressants, this may cause issues as well, as certain medications can lead to muscle tension as a side effect.
posted by kettleoffish at 5:04 PM on March 12, 2012
The thing that has helped for me, after seeing a PT, was realizing that no advice applies 100% of the time. I was recommended stretches, but as my muscle was--basically-- hyperextended already, since it had been cramped in some places for a while, these became overstretches. It's complicated, and the worst part is that it's hard to picture all those places inside. But there are some diagrams online if you google "piriformis syndrome."
It helps to listen to your body on this. Te tight feeling in the buttocks can be eased somewhat by rolling on a tennis ball. Not too much, as this can cause irritation, but rolling around back there can release the trigger points where a lot of the tension builds up.
The most effective solution for me has basically been stretches, consistent ones, that lengthen the hamstrings. Like lying in bed with my legs straight up against the wall. These have to be started, obviously, after a flare up, as stretching an already irritated muscle is no good. I would say wait 2-3 days after a flare up.
This will go away with time. The best thing is doing what you are already doing, waiting and stretching.
By the way, try experimenting with different chairs-- they definitely feel different. I have been successful with chairs that are high off the ground and have a very solid supportive back, (and also are hard in the seat), although it sounds like your problem is a bit different from mine.
Avoid running and cycling. Just as an afterthought, if you are on antidepressants, this may cause issues as well, as certain medications can lead to muscle tension as a side effect.
posted by kettleoffish at 5:04 PM on March 12, 2012
Try an inflatable waffle pillow. If you have a Walgreens nearby with a home-health section, they should have them.
posted by IndigoRain at 9:01 PM on March 12, 2012
posted by IndigoRain at 9:01 PM on March 12, 2012
I had pain in my tailbone that turned out to actually be my hip. A physical therapist got me 90% better, but what's keeping the pain away -- as far as I can tell -- is fish oil. I take 4,000 mg a day of Omega-3 fish oil from Costco. When I run out or forget to take it for a while, the pain comes back.
I'm thinking that either it's a placebo, or it has something to do with fish oil being anti-inflammatory.
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:57 PM on March 13, 2012
I'm thinking that either it's a placebo, or it has something to do with fish oil being anti-inflammatory.
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:57 PM on March 13, 2012
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Its a safe drug, and has been around for decades as a generic. I don't know what I'd do without it.
posted by handbanana at 12:57 PM on March 12, 2012