Pelvic Pressure, Pain for one year. Bowling Ball Feeling

Sorry to hear of your m's pain and frustration.

There are certain aspects I picked up on that that rung a bell - You saying that she had had a fall, that the pain is bad sitting and also the bowling ball effect. My own experience of pelvic pain was diagnosed as Prostatitis (yes I'm male but bear with me). Prostatitis is a catch all phrase for a lot of different conditions many of which are never identified. The Medical proffession are increasingly using the term Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome instead.

One of the possible conitions is due to nerve damage. In some cases it's a Pudendal nerve problem. This nerve runs from the lower spine through a canal in the pelvic bone and branches to many organs including bladder, bowel and genitals. Damage therefore can irritate any of those areas. It is quite difficult to diagnose this condition and it is initially done through exclusion of other possible conditions such as infection.

However there are a collection of symptoms that should raise the question that pudendal nerve damage is a suspect. These are:

Pelvic pain that worsens over the day.

Pain in the perineum that makes sitting very uncomfortable (but not quite so bad on the toilet seat}

There are potentially many other symptoms - change of bowel habit, genital pain, bladder fullness to name a few. The trouble is that these are symptoms of many other conditions too.

Pudendal Nerve damage often has an identifiable root cause. A physical accident or even child birth. These might not initially be a problem but if you are seated and  under tension for long periods of time then that initial damage can get aggravated and at some point the nerve will trigger haphazardly. Settling the nerve is quite difficult.  Vigorous exercise seems to worsen the state. It tallies with the symptom getting worse down the day - we are usually more active then.

If you think these symptoms fit your m's then do look up Pudendal Nerve Entrapment PNE and  Pudendal Nerve Neuralgia PNN and Pudendal Nerve damage generally.. Of course you need to be wary of making her symptoms fit what you read. There are many causes of pelvic pain. Interestingly PNN/PNE rarely shows up on MRI/CT scans.

For me - my GP put me on 28days of antibiotics for prostatitis. It had no effect. I self diagnosed my condition as it fitted cause (lower back and pelvis  damage) and symptoms almost exactly. I was in quite a dark place with the pain for 3 months this year until I came across PNE etc A lot of rest / lying down flat has been my solution. I am about 80 - 90% better after a further 3 months 

Good luck with your research and don't give up.  Richard

From a 'Brit's' point of view your practioner situation seems quite alien.  I guess you are in the U.S.? But no point just criticising the system.  Have to battle away at beating it or at least getting it to work for you.

I suppose one question in your m's case is - is it the nerves themselves that are damaged or is it something else that's triggering them?  It could even be both.  It's not very helpful for you though.  unless you can find out.  And by all accounts that is tricky. The mri scan might answer that.

In the meantime analgesics are important.  All of us want to be healthy and expect rapid solutions to problems.  But if problems are slow to reveal themselves then in the meantime we have to accept that painkillers are going to have their role to play. 

If, as you would hope, the mri scan pinpoints an issue then you are on the road to treatment. It's what to do if it doesn't.  I assume you will ask the practitioner where you should go from this point on. While you are in that limbo process is it worth exploring alternative medicine? I have mixed feelings about that but t can have it's place. I have used chiropractic and osteopathy.  I seriously contemplated accupuncture before I found my 'solution'. I think that these things have their place in healing but primary efforts should be with conventional medicine.

Best wishes

R

I am ok thanks and I mainly lead a normal life if I keep aware of any potential downturn. Many of my problems have been self inflicted in a way because I think that they largely stem from a long time playing rugby (Canada are good at that!). It is part of the reason that I came to Leicester to study as a student.  It is a hotbed for the game. Flying is easier on the body. At least it keeps the mind in gear these days.

Anyway - back to 'us'. At the moment it seems to be down to 'hope' for your m. That's too easily said but at least you are on a road going somewhere. You are seeing practioners and a new look is underway. I still haven't been back to the 'GP' (do you use that term?). Perhaps I should but I am not optimistic that I can get a hugely better quality of life and I don't want to risk investigations into spinal damage etc. Those procedures have a reputation for being life changing both ways.

Thank you for showing concern my way.  I hope you are in good health EoF ... EoF! That's a more imaginative user name than 'Richard' anyway

In my curiosity over the name I had already searched and found the song. Played it too :-). Yes, Brit as in British - as in a small island that thinks it's big. Leicester as in a smallish harmonious multi-ethnic city whose most recent claim to fame is the discovery here of the remains of one of our kings.  A chap called King Richard 111.

I don't think we are related!

Wishing you health too EoF

R