deep pain HELP!

Submitted by milkgoddess on April 22, 2009 - 12:25am
Body: 

Hello Ladies....
I am ashamed to say I bought the 1st version of the whole woman book years ago after I discovered prolapse with my second birth and since I never really figured out the posture I put it aside and have suffered for 5 years...eeek! My prolapse has not gotten worse really, just symptomatic. I am now 5 weeks postpartem with baby #4...had my first homebirth (on the toilet..lol)and am pleased to say I had no tearing and very easy "recovery". I was in a TON of low pain in the last months of pregnancy that has not resolved with birth. I have seen a chiro and had acupuncture with no real relief. Here is how I can describe the pain and how i "think" this is prolapse related:
The pain:
-deep...like it can't be touched, pressed, massaged...etc.
-seems to start in the sacral area or tip of the tailbone and extend forward to the top of the pubic hair line
- starts mostly while laying down..almost exclusive to side lying (I am a co-sleeping nursing mama who needs to SLEEP in order to care for 4 youngins so I fall asleep nursing alot)
- pain WAKES me up
-pain dulls or goes away during the day
- this is the same pain I had concurrent to my prolapse diagnosis 5 years ago..only this time it STARTED during pregnancy not after...only it was worse during pregnancy (lasted all day and was combined with severe sacral and hip pain due to pregnancy,many days getting up to walk put me down)

My midwife suggested a pelvic floor PT...is this worth it or should I just get the new book/DVD? I have been ok'd for starting to excercise....I need to lose 40+ lbs but I am not sure if the DVD workout helps with weightloss or just pain and prolapse management. If it's just the later what kind of workout is best for not agrivating prolapse? I read here that my plan for yoga/pilates may not be the best choice.

I know I need to figure out the posture so I am going to work on that.

Any other suggestions?

What is this pain from? Why when I talk to medical professionals about it do they not "get" it? Is there anyone else with this type of pain?

TIA
:)

louiseds

April 22, 2009 - 2:16am

Hi Tia

Sorry to hear that you are suffering like this. Hopefully there will be Members out there who can relate to it and give you some likely cause. If the medicos don't get it, all that means is that they don't know about this sort of stuff, which is, well, predictable. Pain seems to be notoriously hard to diagnose anyway, often being referred from somewhere else. It does not sound like run of the mill pain.

Is it stabbing or dull?
Is it constant when you have it, or does it come and go?
Is it affected by nursing, ie anything to do with uterine contraction?
Can you get relief from it, eg by sitting up to feed at night? (I know that might sound like a pain to have to do. I co-slept with our three babies too).
You say you have tried acupuncture. Just one treatment, or a course?
You say it is the same pain that you experienced when you first discovered prolapse. How did you get relief then?
As prolapse is largely about fascia, have a think about other types of bodywork that work with fascia, like Bowen Technique. There may be others as well, though I am not familiar with them.

With co-sleeping I used to find that my hips and shoulders were often not in a straight line, and my neck was on kind of a weird angle. If you want to lie on your side to nurse, a long bolster behind your back, that goes from your shoulders right down to your thighs might allow you to be basically on your back, but with the top side of your body elevated slightly. This allows for better attachment on one side at least, though it might not help when you want baby to nurse on the top breast. It also means that you are not trapped into lying on your side more than necessary.

During these first few months so much recovery is happening internally that I think it is worthwhile trying to normalise, or balance left and right, the way you use your body, day and night if you are experiencing pain, in order to allow the tissues to do what they need to do.

I have had back and neck problems all my life, and I have usually found that the irritant was yesterday, not last night, ie I don't notice the irritating activity at the time, or even that eveing, but it sure catches me up the following day. With three littlies and baby as well, you are probably working your body pretty hard with all the nurturing you are doing. It may be something to do with the way you interact with your other kids, posture-wise. Diarying it might help identify any irritant activities.

Hope you can fill in these bits of info. It might give us a better idea of what is happening for you.

Cheers

Louise

rosewood

April 22, 2009 - 2:23am

I don't know what the pain is related to, but I had lots of intense back/neck/muscle issues when carrying and nursing babies 24/7. Found a great book -- saved me -- called "How to Raise Children Without Breaking your Back". Recommended by a PT. Really really helped. Don't know if your pain is prolapse related - if so, can't speak to that. Google the book name. I had to get it from a NY publisher, but you should be able to find it. Every bit worth the $20 or $25 it cost.

Marie

alemama

April 22, 2009 - 10:35am

milkgoddess none of this seems to add up.
Pain that goes away when up and about
Pain that wakes you up at night
Deep pain

I thought about a cyst
I thought about a pinched nerve
I wondered if there was something your prolapse could be pushing on

Perhaps it is when your colon fills up at night it presses on something?

This seems like something that should be investigated. I know it is hard to find someone to really work with you on this- it could involve finding a trigger point inside the vagina or rectum and releasing it.

I am so sorry you are in such pain- I know what that is like- I have a cyst in my perineum and it hurts (my baby is about 5 weeks too and is our 4th as well). Take care of yourself- keep searching for the answer to your mystery.

Christine

April 22, 2009 - 11:19am

Hi Tia,

Of course nothing is diagnosable over the Internet - even if we were qualified to do so! However, the pain you describe sounds like it could be pelvic joint instability. There is a whole class of progressive orthopedists and one PT that I know of - www.dianelee.ca - who have pinpointed the causes and conditions of pelvic instability.

The reason why the Whole Woman Posture works so well is that I intently studied the work of these researchers to really understand how the pelvis functions. Odd that they didn’t figure out the posture as well! Sacroiliac joint instability (the joints in between the bottom of your spine and your hipbones) can manifest as very deep pain that radiates around to the pubic bones.
It would be great if you could find a knowledgeable therapist to help in the pelvic stabilization process - but guess what ultimately sustains pelvic stability? You guessed it...natural human bipedal posture, or, the Whole Woman Posture sitting and standing.

The condition of pelvic instability often arises in pregnancy and my Huge gripe with these orthopedists is that’s the only population they studied. How about the largest population of lower back pain sufferers (due to pelvic instability) on the planet - post-hysterectomy women!

The 2nd edition of STWW contains much more information on pelvic stability and the DVD I would recommend most of all because the posture is clearly illustrated as are many additional lifestyle features.

Keep us posted!

Christine