Pain after doing Kegels on Slant Board

Submitted by flowerlilly on April 21, 2010 - 2:27am
Body: 

My symptoms used to be feeling bulge in the perineum like the size of a gulf ball. As instructed by a therapist i was on a slant board and did some kegel exercies and noticed immediate pain and burning in the vaginal area. Im no longer feeling the bulge in the perineal area. Did I make it worse by doing this? I never had pain in the vaginal area before. It almost feels like it moved more forward from the perineum into the vaginal walls. Im really worried that I made it worse. Could this be possible? Is this a setback? IM not sure what I can do to correct this. The pain is constant since I did this exercise. I only did it a couple of times.

louiseds

April 21, 2010 - 6:52am

Hi Flowerlily

How long ago did you do the slant board exercises? You might have just strained a muscle. Lying face up (or face down) on a slant board is something your pelvic contents probably have not done before, so the muscles or nerves might be complaining, or you might have stretched a muscle that was previously spasming, and it is releasing lactic acid, like you have over-exercised. If this doesn't get better in a week I would be running back to the therapist. She would want that if you are having pain. Diary your experience, and ring the therapist today and let her know. She might want to see you sooner.

While slant board positions are not normal I doubt that you would have done any damage. But I am not a qualified health professional, and your therapist is. She needs to know about this.

Do you mean the pain moved forward from the perineum to the vaginal walls, or the bulge moved from the perineum to the vaginal walls? I just remembered that you have rectal prolapse, not rectocele. Is that right?

As your bulge has disappeared I wouldn't call it a setback, but if you are in constant pain, I would call it a setback. Sometimes strange things happen on the way to healing by whatever path. Just ring the therapist, diary your experience and wait and see. It is all you can do really. Most of us still experience an organ or two moving back and down occasionally, so I doubt that the bulge is gone for good, but you do know now that your body can hold it up again. That's a step forward.

Call back and let us know how you go.

flowerlilly

April 21, 2010 - 12:36pm

Hi Louise,
Thanks for your help. She already knew I had pain because I had attempted these exercises on my own and told her and then she had me do them again with her. And so I dont think they really understand or know what to say. I did not have this pain just lying on a slant board it was from doing the kegels while on it. If i do kegels vertically or lying flat it never hurt me. It feels like the bulge may have moved into the vaginal wall. I thought I had a rectal prolpase but it never actually protruded it was bulging against the perineal wall and now it moved more forward. Im not entirely sure why that would happen doing a kegel on a slant. I forgot al about Christines report why Kegels dont work. Im also dealing with chronic fatigue and have poor memory. I wish I remembered this because I could have prevented the pain. Im just so scared I made things worse for me. I have Christiine's DVD and I have not tried the exercises yet. I cant even explain why except that Im so fatigued and depressed and scared to do any form of exercise but it sounds like it has helped so many people. Im so mad at myself. I had her DVD for 3 months. I should have done her exercises maybe I would be in better condtion.

But isnt it a good sign if the pain is more toward the perineal because its moving back more towards the anal region than if the bulge moved into the vaginal area?

I have another question. Since when Im asked to bear down I dont have the strenght they cant feel the bulge, but I do feel the bulge when Im trying to have a bowel movement. Obviously they are not there to feel it when I do have my bowel movement to be able to diagnose. And before this slant board I could feel it and had to insert my fingers vaginally. If I dont feel the bulge but only when I have to have a bowle movement is that considered a rectocele? I can no longer insert my finger because the pain is really bad ever since doing the kegels on the slant board I also have somthing called vuvla vestibulitis which is something I've had way before the prolpase symtpoms so that makes it really painful to insert. I have been to an obgyn specialist for that problem and he only made it worse so Im trying to avoid these doctors.

aza

April 21, 2010 - 1:09pm

Hi flowerlilly,
It sounds like you have quite a lot on your plate at the moment! In your second post you mention vulval vestibulitis, and I think this could be a source of your recent flare up of pain for sure. For whatever reason, being on a slant irritates your tissues more than other angles. Sounds to me like a clear message from your body at the moment. Doesn't mean that it will always be painful, but for now it is, so personally I would stop doing something that is irritating my body and try other methods instead (like the DVD). Things will probably shift around in the next few weeks / months and you can revisit the slant board if that seems like a good idea in the future. What do you think?
Re 'can this be a rectocele if I don't feel the bulge but only when I have a bowel movement' my answer would be yes, if you have the other symptoms of a rectocele. i am guessing that most women first realise they have a rectocele when they have difficulty emptying the bowel, not when they have felt it with a finger. There are other ways of communicating with the vagina rather than inserting things...sounds like that might be what yours is telling you and these doctors at the moment? Whatever is happening now is not a life sentence, though. Can you pinpoint some things that might just help for this point in time?

flowerlilly

April 21, 2010 - 1:50pm

HI Aza.Thanks for your advice. I am starting the DVD today. I noticed that I could not even have any bowel movements today and Im really concerned. At least before I was able to go with MgO and prune juice but now I notice that is not working. I pray so hard it is temprorary. Im having a harder time handling this than most because i have so much more going on helath wise. So much that its so ovewhelming even for doctors to help me. But Im wondering what else can I do to have a bowel movement if I cant insert vaginally and diet and supplements dont seem to help. Im still in shock that a colonic can cause all these complciations and even the hospital eemrgency room never heard of this nor did the therapist. I have no idea what can help me. I will start doing the DVD and hoping that will be the answer

aza

April 21, 2010 - 2:07pm

Feeling overwhelmed is not only a horrid feeling but also seems to lead to less improvement and more feelings of being lost in the situation that is so overwhelming. Vicious cycle indeed. Good on you for doing the DVD...one step forward in that area. And yes, this is all temporary! Just don't let it all take you under. Take your POP and health problems by the reins as much as you can...and soon you'll notice your grip getting tighter and ability to direct things towards the positive a bit easier.
Regarding not being able to move your bowels....can't help thinking of the analogy to having a baby...sooner or later, it all comes out. Perhaps splinting may be the lesser of two evils if things persist and dealing with the pain of inserting a finger is worth it if you can get things cleared?

flowerlilly

April 21, 2010 - 2:20pm

Hi Aza. Thanks again for your support. Forgive me as Im a newibe and not familiar with splinting?

aza

April 21, 2010 - 3:43pm

is, essentially, putting pressure on the rectocele to encourage the stool to move out of the pouch of the cele and into the exit ramp. I think Louise and others refer to it as straightening out the kink in the colon so that things can pass. I believe this is usually done with a finger or two but I have always wondered if women might find it easier to use their thumb?