The importance of the Psoas muscle and its connection to pelvic pain.

[Ouchiegrouchie]

Hello Ladies,

I hope you are all as well as can be expected and if not please don't that forget good days are around the corner.

I am currently, finally after all these years, in Pelvic Physical Therapy, receiving myofascial pain release and trigger point work and of course learning proper yoga techniques and nutrition to follow daily.

I have a history of cysts, nasty adhesions and adenomyosis (endo of the uterus as you most likely know, which was removed) and suspected endo. I'm down to one, right, ovary. My PT gal, who is just lovely and oh could she teach most of the Obgyn's I have had a thing or two! Anyhow, she says my Psoas muscle is shortened. Most likely from the many years clenching, tightening while guarding or feeling pain and I also use a cane fairly often. I feel this makes a lot of sense why some of us experience low back pain with our pelvic. Mine mirrors my primary pelvic pain zone, lower right and also right and central by my worse scars, next to my belly button, my largest laparoscopic scar (the laperotomy one is the largest of course).

She says I have dense matter, rope-like or bands in those areas, upper right and above my bellt button following my colon, matching up to adhesions. Anything bowel related can be awful, very sharp, stabbing, hot knife pain. When she has dobe mild PT it feels like she is digging in her nails. She said that is nerve pain.

My last Lap my Obgyn was unable to enter the veress needle after three incisions, so nobody has seen my insides since my partial hysterectomy done almost a decade ago.

Back to the psoas (and also Iliacus too) my lower back disc degeneration is also primarily right sided each lumbar disc has a problem except the last one L5-S1 and below and psoas connects from L5 up to T-12 so thats pretty interesting. My partner he rubs my back often and middle and especially lower back massage helps my pelvic pain. His massage helps me move out painful gas (I know, he is one lucky guy haaa!) and often facilitates a better bm the next morning. Also, if I am constipated OR I have extra active bowels my back pain really increases. Makes sense doesn't it? Matter and inflamed colon putting pressure against the psoas and therefore also spinal anatomy. I also have worsened balance particularly when full of of crap (sorry, this crass American had to and have had some falls from it. No I'm not full if liquor I'm full of sheeet!

Between imaging, seeing Acupuncturists, seeing results from Traditional Chinese Herbs (wow has that helped out!) And now my Pelvic PT I feel like things are coming together. Some for better, some for worse.

Thanks for listening, btw.

Oh and one last thing. In my research I found this article and figured it may be a good one to share. It makes soooo much sense too why laperotomy types of surgery is so painful - cutting the muscle that is used in everything we do!

drnorthrup.com/psoas-muscle...

Cheers,

OuchieGrouchie

[Ugne]

Hi Ouchiegrouchie,

Thanks for sharing your journey, sounds like you've been through a lot, and yet managed to find treatments that helped you. Good luck with your journey, and keep updating us- stories like yours give hope to others.

Take care x

Ugne, volunteer moderator