Andy_DK: sitting discomfort?

[Andy_DK]

Hi all

After suffering from - it turns out - CPPS for about two years, I've finally found this forum.

While my symptoms are not as debilitating as some of the stories I've read online and in "A Headache in the Pelvis", the condition still has a large impact on my life. Also, I'm utterly frustrated with not being able to get a clear answer as to just what is wrong with me and my pelvis - it all seems so diffuse and opaque to me.

Anyway, I suspect the forum gets many first posts like this, and that you have all been there as well, so I'll get straight to the point.

Sitting pain/discomfort - what can be done about it? Specifically anal stretching devices?

My CPPS symptoms are confined solely to discomfort when sitting down - especially on non-hard surfaces. There are no other symptoms.

It's not a stabbing pain, but more of a tense, highly uncomfortable pressing sensation in the rectal passage and around the anus.

When I stand up or walk around the feeling subsides, and relaxing completely in a lying position for some time means I can sit up for maybe half an hour, before the symptoms return. I work in an office, sitting down maybe 7-8 hours a day, which is both highly uncomfortable and means that I have symptoms for the rest of the day when I get home.

Briefly about me
A guy, 37 years old, from Denmark.

I had a couple of internal hemorrhoids removed two years back (using the rubber band method) over a period of 8 months. The constant feeling of having to defecate went away with the hemorrhoids, but was unfortunately replaced by the abovementioned sitting discomfort.

I suspect that the reason for my current predicament is that I, during the hemorrhoid-treatment, put off going to the bathroom when I had to, out of the belief that "keeping it in" would help the hemorrhoids go away. Essentially, I spent 8 months more or less constantly tightening my sphincter.

I've been to a number of specialists, yet all they have been able to diagnose is that I have an unusually tight sphincter.

At the moment I'm seeing a physio therapist, as well as doing stretches at home. I've tried the TheraWand for trigger point massage, but it just feels awkward (in the sense that I have no idea what the hell I'm doing).

With the help of my physio my symptoms have improved slightly, and the trigger points in my pelvis have subsided a lot. Sphincter is still very tight, though.

Seeing as how the TheraWand seems like a dead end, I've started researching anal stretching devices, the idea being that my symptoms come from my tense sphincter muscles being affected by sitting down, and that making them looser might help.

I've not been able to find much online except this: http://aeurologia.com/pdfs/articulos/21 ... 37-eng.pdf

I'm going to ask my physio on her thoughts the next time I see her, but wanted to get your opinion on the matter as well. Does anyone have experience with devices that stretch/dilate the sphincter - or any other ideas or suggestions regarding my condition of sitting discomfort, they'd be wiling to share?

Feeling pretty desperate here.

Kind regards

[Amonges]

Hi Andy, I have the exact same symptom as you. Everytime I sit down I feel tightness in my left abdomen and a golf ball feeling in my rectum. I have been suffering with this condition for over 1 year and 6 months and when this first started it was terrible. After experimenting with different things I feel the only thing that has reduced my pain and uncomfortable feeling is using the Therawand. In the beginning when I bought it I wasn’t using it correctly. My therapist showed me the correct way in using with putting pressure with the therawand and pressing on the internal pelvic muscles. Think of the pelvis as a clock. When inserting the therawand going straight and in and then pushing downwards, you will find the prostate which is 12 o clock. I find that pressing on 11 o’clock and 1 o’clock to be very painful. I press firmly with a steady count of up to 3 minutes with breathing in and out slowly has helped me tremendously. As you hold it, you will feel the pain start to decrease which means it’s working to reset back to normal. Hitting high up and releasing the trigger point has taken away my testicle pain and has eased my sitting pain a bit. I'm also still trying to figure out other ways to ge rid of the sitting pain as well.

[Amonges]

Webslave, any suggestions on this matter ?

[webslave]

The jury is out on anal dilators, also known as 'anal cones'. Let us know if they help relax the sphincter. We have not had any rave reports here (although just today there is this viewtopic.php?f=7&t=8177&p=52614#p52614 )

More useful, I suggest, would be paradoxical relaxation that some people call reverse kegels*.

Note that pain when sitting is a classic CPPS symptom that we have all had at one time or another. It's called the 'sitting on a golfball' effect. It may not actually be the anal sphincter that causes this pain when sitting, but discomfort in the bladder, prostate or urethra.

* Try to do reverse kegels without tensing the stomach muscles, or it can be counterproductive

[Amonges]

Do you know which muscles both internal or external to target for trigger point release ?

[webslave]

No, it's a case of finding the trpts first. Everyone is slightly different

[Andy_DK]

My main symptom is discomfort when sitting down, especially on soft surfaces (possibly the famous "golf ball" feeling, though I'm not sure I'd characterize it that way), and I was wondering if anyone had any advice or stories of getting rid of that particular aspect of CPPS?

My physio therapist says that I don't have too much tension in my pelvic floor, but my rectum seems to be quite tense.

The discomfort is worst when sitting flat down on my ass on office furniture, and can be somewhat alleviated by putting more weight on my thighs (by folding my feet back under the chair) or by sitting more on the bones in my buttocks.

At the moment I'm doing stretches, and have been for some time, and am about to start up with yin yoga - will give Dilatan anal cones a shot as well. Have tried the TheraWand, but that didn't do anything.

Anyone have anything to share about curing/improving sitting discomfort in the rectal area?

[Andy_DK]

(Sorry for creating so many threads, but I have so many questions and don't want to mix it all together. Let me know if it's too much).

Right - I've been suffering from CPPS for maybe a year now, and am currently seeing a physio therapist, who is pretty experienced in the condition.

My symptom is discomfort when sitting down, and I first experienced it a couple of months after getting some internal haemorrhoids removed (elastic band method).

My physio tells me that she *can* feel some tenseness in my pelvic floor and rectum/sphincter, even if it isn't extreme, and has give me some stretches to do at home (which I've been doing for some time now).

However, right from the start she's been quite pushy (in a good way) about getting me to try out yoga (yin yoga, mainly) and relaxation techniques. After some reluctance I have my first yoga session next week.

I guess I have a hard time accepting that something as uncomfortable as what I'm experiencing can be helped by simple yoga and relaxing. At the same time I have to admit that the only times I've felt any - if temporary - improvement, has been after laying on the couch, reading and relaxing completely, for an hour or more. Maybe yoga and "proper" relaxation techniques can do even more?

Another thing: I've noticed that, after being a bit too enthusiastic about my stretches, I got a bit of pain in my inner thigh - which went away in a day or so of not stretching. However, during that period, my sitting discomfort was much improved - only to return when the thigh-pain went away. Almost as if my brain insists that something "has" to hurt in that area? Weird.

Anyway, I guess my question is just how much the mental aspect matters in CPPS - both in how the condition feels, as well as treating or improving it? Can stuff like yoga and relaxation really help someone like me, who can't sit properly on a chair?

[Andy_DK]

Guess it *was* too much - sorry about that. :/

Hope people see my post about the mental aspects of CPPS in here - it's probably my main source of confusion and frustration.

[webslave]

My main symptom is discomfort when sitting down, especially on soft surfaces (possibly the famous "golf ball" feeling, though I'm not sure I'd characterize it that way), and I was wondering if anyone had any advice or stories of getting rid of that particular aspect of CPPS?

This entire forum is devoted to that issue. Lots for you to read.

My physio therapist says that I don't have too much tension in my pelvic floor, but my rectum seems to be quite tense.

Self-contradictory. BTW, the "rectum" cannot be tense.

The discomfort is worst when sitting flat down on my ass on office furniture, and can be somewhat alleviated by putting more weight on my thighs (by folding my feet back under the chair) or by sitting more on the bones in my buttocks.

Have you tried a donut cushion? viewtopic.php?f=37&t=5906

[webslave]

I guess I have a hard time accepting that something as uncomfortable as what I'm experiencing can be helped by simple yoga and relaxing.

You'd better get over that. Relaxation is a key part of getting better with this condition.

Maybe yoga and "proper" relaxation techniques can do even more?

Have you investigated Paradoxical Relaxation?

Anyway, I guess my question is just how much the mental aspect matters in CPPS - both in how the condition feels, as well as treating or improving it? Can stuff like yoga and relaxation really help someone like me, who can't sit properly on a chair?

Mental aspects are a huge part of the problem, in fact the source of the problem for most patients.

[Andy_DK]

Right - I figured sitting discomfort was just a small part of it, but I'll dive in and see what I can find (did try the search function, but will give it another shot, cheers).

Regarding my rectum, I meant that the muscles around the anus were tight, while the rest of my pelvic floor (further "up) was starting to loosen up. Lots of anatomy I don't quite understand, even in my own language...

And yeah, tried a donut cushion some time ago, but it didn't do anything, unfortunately. Sitting on a hard chair, with my feet folded underneath me, seems to work the best.

[Andy_DK]

You'd better get over that. Relaxation is a key part of getting better with this condition....Mental aspects are a huge part of the problem, in fact the source of the problem for most patients.

Guess my physio is right, then. She's seen a lot of patients with similar problems, but suggested that, because my CPPS started after a real, physical condition (hemorrhoids) it might be harder for me to accept that the key to getting better lies (also) in the mental area. Thanks for clearing that up. :)

I've read about paradoxical relaxation in "A headache..." but am yet to try it properly - not sure where or how to start, tbh.

[webslave]

...because my CPPS started after a real, physical condition (hemorrhoids) it might be harder for me to accept that the key to getting better lies (also) in the mental area. Thanks for clearing that up.

The hemorrhoids were merely the "trigger" that acted on an already-tense pelvis.

[Andy_DK]

The hemorrhoids were merely the "trigger" that acted on an already-tense pelvis.

You sound like this isn't the first time you've heard of this happening?