non relaxing pelvic floor levator ani or piriformis dysfunction? sacroiliac joint?

[mcpip]

Hi, Ive posted on here quite a fews times as i have an issue that I'm really trying to find answers for, 

I am unable to contract my pelvic floor and unable to be physical with my partner as it feels as though my vaginal muscles are being pulled outwards (away from the body) and causing me to feel wide (sorry for the tmi) but i really want answers, there is no friction when being intimate due to the widening feeling or should i say dips in the walls of the vagina, I have has spinal surgery on my lumber L4/L5 s1 this 2 years ago hat has fused now, they have said that the surgery was a success with no nerve damage but i was paralysed for around 4 months, I have found that the pain I'm having on my right side is from the sacroiliac joint as i have a false joint there meaning a bit of bone in the joint that shouldn't be there i have read this come from surgery but no nerve damage and i can feel my lower body just fine, But on my left side is where i have most of the vaginal issues unable to contract this muscle, I find that in the left butt cheek i have a lot of pain like a blunt knife pain and when i relax that muscle with heat cream or sit on tennis ball it dose bring in the vagina wall a little and the cream dose help for the pain but this is a temporary release and is very very painful, if anyone has any idea what could be causing this or whom i should talk to about fixing this i would really appreciate the help i really want this sexual issue gone, I've learnt to deal with pain but not a relationship where i can't make love to the man I'm in love with thanks in advance any information is great

[kalpanasaindane]

Have u tried kegel exercise in yoga . U shud also try kegel exercise while doing bridge pose and cat pose. All d best

[blondeedlebug10 in reply to kalpanasaindane]

Do not use keels ever with any pelvic floor issues

[mcpip in reply to blondeedlebug10]

hey thanks so much to the both of you, i have a pelvic floor kegel machine that i have found to make the issue worse so i know the issues not the tightness and needing to strengthen my pelvic floor as when my partner and i are physical at random times i am unbelievably tight, but when i have this problem of not being able to contract i become wider as if the muscle is pulling, i also can go all the way on the highest setting of the machine but find it difficult to contract on my own when my buttock is in pain/ spasm x

[Lin93 in reply to mcpip]

Just read this & thought I'd let you know, my nerve pain came about after using a kegel machine, wish I'd never used it 😟

[mcpip in reply to Lin93]

wow, thats really interesting, the thing is i don't really have pain just more of a dipping and pulled muscle the muscle in the buttocks is painful muscle ache but it dose go with heat so more off a spasm and prcegablin doesn't help my issue either 

I'm really sorry you have had pain from using the machine thats awful have doctors recommend anything to cure the pain you have? xx

[Lin93 in reply to mcpip]

Doing pelvic floor exercises with the kegel machine caused my muscles to go into spasm. I also had a water infection at the time but didn't know. After using it for a week as advised by the women's physio my waterworks felt wrong. I went to the doctors & they tested & found infection. I had 3 days of antibiotics but she said I was ok to continue using the kegel machine. It seemed to get better for a few days then it came back a couple of days after finishing the antibiotics. I went back to the doctors & they tested but said no water infection. I also had an intense burning up inside. It was awful. Felt like someone had put a red hot poker up! Both V & uretha. I had this on & off for about 2 months. Also my bones in my butt ached & had a knife like pain, like you described in my left buttock. I havnt had a proper diagnosis but they seem sure it's the pudendal nerve. The waterworks settled down & burning settled after about 8 months. Then I got strange pins & needles/ cramping aches in perinuim, buttocks & backs of thighs. I still get this now nearly 3 years on. I've seen various doctors, tried various pills. Had acupuncture & physiotherapy. I'm seeing a new physiotherapisttomorrow. Specifically trained with pelvic problems. I'll let you know how I get on!

Your pain does sound like it could be nerve pain similar to mine maybe caused by muscle spasm. Could you ask you doctor to refer you to a pelvic specialist maybe?

Lots of deep belly breathing & stretches has helped me a lot but not got rid of it completely.

Good luck & let us know how you are xx

[pianoguy in reply to blondeedlebug10]

so right DO NOT USE KEGALS WITH MANY PELVIC FLOOR ISSUES. COULD MAKE THEM MUCH WORSE,,,, REVERSE KEGALS ACTUALLY HELP ME ALOT

[Hidden]

I would write a complaint to the hospital that did your surgery and explain your symptoms since surgery and how they effect you know. Ask them to investigate this as it is effecting your life.  The fact that you were numb for four months after your surgery to me suggests that this was paraesthesia caused by nerve damage. You can google ' paraesthesia following the type of surgery you had.' It sounds like pelvic nerves symptoms. Possibly the pudendal nerve.  You can google pudendal nerve symptoms. All the best.

[mcpip in reply to Hidden]

hi thanks for replying

ahh, with the hospital they are backing them self up as since my stay after surgery they have always said that my paraplegia is mentally not physical issue and said there is no nerve damage? confusing how i got to where i am today was forcing my legs to move yet they was getting me to get used to a wheelchair, so the hospital are now going to see me on the 25th and get second opinion as they say there is no nerve damage and only they can see is the sacroiliac joint issue but i never had this issue before hand only vaginal dryness as i don't produce hormones from low fsh/lh levels... I'm 23 next month and finding this issue stressing and have found that the symptoms for both pudendal nerve and piriformis muscle dyfunctiojn fit me well.... i find that i can't stretch my muscles at all in the buttock so I'm kind stuck thanks for your help i am going to complain if i don't get support on this next appointment with the neurologist x

[Lin93]

How old are you, if you don't mind me asking? If your peri menopausal this could be the problem. We loose plumpness in the internal tissue down there. I've noticed improvements since using a topical Estrogen. I use vagifem. X 

[mcpip in reply to Lin93]

Hi thanks for replying, I'm 22-23 next month, unfortunately i have a hormones issue where i am on HRT as my fsh/lh are 0.1 so i supplement with hormones but i uses estrodol cream i think! i used to use vagifem nightly but the cream is better, it dose help the dryness aspect but not this pulling issues deeper in the vaginal wall more the muscle i really appreciate your message i do think my hormone problem is also a factor but the cream dose help i may try vagifem again 

xx

[Lin93 in reply to mcpip]

Your young! I started having nerve irritation problems when I was 43 after a water infection.Im now 46 & it took me ages to get my doctor to do a fsh blood test as she kept saying their not not conclusive as the levels fluctuate throughout the month. I eventually talked her into giving me a blood test & mine was 120! I'm now on HRT. Only started it 2 weeks ago so still early days. I've seen a few different doctors about the nerve pain & they all agree hormones have a lot to answer for xx 

[mcpip in reply to Lin93]

just read this with your other message :(, the thing is I'm not menopausal just unable to get pregnant without help so i need the hormones I'm trying to figure out how to get myself corrected with the problems 

Im so confused as i know the hormones have a problem involved with it but i also know that i need to find out why I'm having these spasm it sucks, 

the Hrt really dose work for all the monpause symptoms without it i can't get though the night at all xx

[Hidden]

Hi once again, you say  you were paralysed for four months after the surgery. Therefore you were probably sitting in one place a lot and not very mobile. Although your operation was a success, the immobility afterwards lasting four months and sitting for long periods can cause damage to the pelvic nerves and nerves to the buttocks, due to the constant pressure. I would mention this in your letter of complaint so that they have an understanding of  how this could have occurred. Good Luck.

[mcpip in reply to Hidden]

thanks again for replying, your right my surgery was two years ago but i do think this has to be a factor to the issue, i have found that i am more mobile now but can't stretch these muscles, i have complained a little bit with a long letter of my symptoms and issues and will go further if i don't get a response with the appointment on the 25th i will keep you updated thanks xx

[blondeedlebug10]

The nerve damage is caused by the fact that your muscles are in constant spasm. First off, find a pt specializing in pelvic floor immediately, massages, relaxing that floor and NO levels. So much more to share

[mcpip in reply to blondeedlebug10]

yep i had seen the pelvic PT, she says my muscle are tight but she is confused on why the muscle is dipping and pulling she dose think it from the buttocks muscles but i yet to wait for a new pt appointment, but due to the pain being so bad i can't even stretch that muscle sitting on a ball to try and realx the muscle is to painful piriformis streaches are to painful so I'm thinking maybe injections would help i do relax my vaginal muscles internally with a thera wand daily but I've been doing this for months and still have the pulling, please do share more i do agree they are in constant spasm i would love to here more from you xx

[Joolibee]

I would agree that it might help to find a physiotherapist who specialises in the pelvic floor. Preferably one who is trained in manual therapy. Good luck

[mcpip in reply to Joolibee]

have been with physio but to much pain to continue with it I'm not sure what else would help x

[Joolibee]

Hi mcpip, That's tough. Maybe you could try relaxation or meditation exercises, as well as abdominal breathing, just to try to get the muscles and central nervous system to relax a bit. Acupuncture or massage might help. Also, my physio told me that one of her patients reported some success with hypnotherapy. I do think that physio is one of the best things to help, but you have to be ready for it, and you need trust in your physio. One thing that helped me was to read about how neuropathic pain affects or is affected by the central nervous system. I think there are several books available. I got one called Nerves on Fire: changing neuropathic pain, by Jay Tracy. It's a very complex but fascination subject. Good luck, and don't give up. 

[mcpip in reply to Joolibee]

thank you so much i will be following up with my physio and see what they can do to help out its just so painful that i hope the neurologist dose come up with more ways he can help x

[mcpip]

Hey guys, thought I would follow up on what happened at the neurology appointment today I case somone is going through something simular and I'm going to post a new thread for more info 

But basically the dr said it was two complex for a general neurology appointment and that I have to see a uronurologist, I kinda knew this from all the feeds posted on here but he did say it dose sound like the pundal nerve and also sounds like that's stopping that muscle from stretching so it's trapped in some way, he's passing the note back to my GP so another wait but I might have to pay for this so I'm going to see what cost and seeing a dr privately would be able to provide but off corse I'm still going to speak so the hospital that messed up my surgery 

So that's the next question

[Pafen]

The SI joint could be involved. My physiotherapist found mine is very tender. Rolling on a tennis ball it is very sore. And I have pelvic pain as well. I try to avoid lifting anything too heavy as it sets it off then flares for a week. Got a flat tyre the other day....changed it myself. Then the next day the pain flared up...

A physiotherapist I've seen believes the SI joint is what's causing the pelvic floor issues.

The pain in the butt cheek could be the piriformis muscle putting pressure on the nerve.

You could also try using a heat pad to get it to relax.

[mcpip in reply to Pafen]

Hi thanks for replying

I have just seen my neurologist form my surgery and good news theres no problems from surgery and no nerve damage witch i knew already he did say i do have a bone in the sacroiliac joint that he wants to injection on that but he did say that he don't think that the problem i have down below is from the SI Joint, I've found 800mg of ibrophen dose help the issue so I'm 100% sure i think its my piriformis i can do more of a stretch and find more relief from it, thank you i am going to use more heat and i also use deep heat and found that works so now I'm just trying to find a doctor who will help with the injection for the buttocks lol

[AuntieH in reply to Pafen]

Pafen, what can be done for the si joint problem?