Finally starting to see improvements...

[Viking]

Since, I came down with chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome in December 2002, I have gone through an emotional rollercoaster. I guess all of us do this, but deep inside I always tried to look ahead and say to myself that I will get through this. This is really hard at times, but never give up"¦ I went to a regular doctor in the fall of 2002 as the symptoms got worse and I figured I had to get some medicine for what I then believed was an STD. After a couple of courses of ABX, he said I had prostatitis and referred med to an Uro. The Uro gave me a month supply of Cirpo, even though he said he didn`t believe that chronic prostatitis was a result of an infection or bacteria.

In the summer of 2004 I came across this site and ordered the book AHIP. Reading the book and starting to understand more about the condition, I realized that I was constantly sucking in my pelvic muscles. I do not know how long I had been doing this, but I can tell you that changing this habit has taken me over a year and a half. Anyway, I started doing some stretches and perhaps got a little relief, but nothing of significance. I also did some internal massages, but did not see any improvements. I went to try out acupuncture and also to a homeopath, but this did not do anything either on a long term basis. Up until September of this year I would just try to relax the pelvic muscles and do some occasional stretches, but nothing really happened. I had some good days, but I could always feel some sort of discomfort.

When I went to see PT Bill Taylor in Scotland, a turning point came. He found one trigger point internally as well as general sore muscles inside the rectum. Since coming home, I managed to treat this trigger point as well as another one I found myself. It took me almost two months to treat them though and I still have sore rectal muscles. I guess the only negative thing about Bill was the fact that he said I should start seeing improvements within a week and possibly be pain free in a couple of months. Now I realize that seeing improvements might take a lot longer"¦

Bill also noted that my ab muscles and rectal muscles (levator ani) were not working separately. He showed me some exercises to improve this, but I now find it easier to just let out the stomach and this makes it easier to relax the pelvic muscles. Sitting at work and also at home, I often take deep breaths and focus on sucking in the air deep down in the stomach and to the point where I feel the rectum opening. I try to hold my breath like this and it feels like the rectum is expanding. Feels great"¦.

I have also started working out again, which feels good. I eat healthy food and all of this has certainly made me feel better, even though I have never been overweight or in bad physical shape.

I know that I have a long way to go to be pain free, but I am just now starting to see real improvements and this certainly is the light in a long, dark tunnel. Here are some key points I want to stress:

"¢Find out if you are a pelvic clencher. This is easy to find out, but extremely hard to fix, at least in my case. Might take a couple of years.
"¢If you find out you are a clencher, immediately seek treatment from a skilled PT and start doing things to stop the chronic tensing.
"¢Always look ahead. PT will cause flare ups and it will feel like it gets worse. This is a good sign and should prove to you that you are on the right track.
"¢If you do not work out, try to do so. I believe by getting in better shape, you will feel better about yourself and you will be better suited to handle stress.
"¢Give yourself time and lots of time. Many cases takes years to really become better.

[webslave]

I often take deep breaths and focus on sucking in the air deep down in the stomach and to the point where I feel the rectum opening. I try to hold my breath like this and it feels like the rectum is expanding. Feels great"¦.

Good post, Viking!

The point you make about taking a deep breath is interesting and I have a story to relate that you may find apposite in this regard. Once upon a time, a long time ago and far away, I was being tested for some forgotten condition by use of a barium enema. I was lying in a radiology room with a bag full of barium connected to my bowel via the anus, and barium (a radiopaque substance) was being fed up into my rectum and colon. The radiologist, gastroenterologist and I all watched this happening like a movie on a TV screen above my head, which showed an X-ray version of what was happening. You could see the barium snaking its way up my colon, in a path a few inches wide. Suddenly, and without me feeling anything, the barium was constricted to a pencil-thin line and forced backwards towards my rectum! Drama! Radiologist or gastroenterologist (forget who) shouts: "Breathe deeply with your stomach, not your chest". I do so and immediately the colon starts relaxing, and opening, and the barium moves forwards again. I could feel a sense of relief in my lower body too. The doctors commented that they had never seen such powerful colonic spasms before. Maybe this was a warning to me, had I known it then, of the CPPS/myoneuropathy to come.

So yes, deep stomach breathing IS a way of relaxing involuntary muscles in the abdomen, and may well help with relaxing some of the voluntary muscles as well.

[CppsDad]

Deep breathing is a key to reducing anxiety and stress according to the stress and anxiety management classes that I took. Deep breathing is a tough thing to do when you are anxious. I can see why people from the East treat meditation and breathing as a science, and practice it for years.

[alprost]

He found one trigger point internally as well as general sore muscles inside the rectum. Since coming home, I managed to treat this trigger point as well as another one I found myself.

I think the answer to your problem lies in this statement. It's a great sign that you are seeing some improvements, but you really need to go on a search and destroy mission and seek out other trigger points - I need to be honest here, and tell you from my own experience that you probably have more than 2.

Look at my posts on these threads:
viewtopic.php?t=1778
viewtopic.php?t=3211

You need to stick with working on relaxing your pelvic floor, and on general relaxation/meditation which will minimize the symptoms of any trigger points, but you still need to focus on finding and treating the trigger points themeselves.