Levator Ani Syndrome and Rectal Tightness, Spasms?
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Topic:
Topic author: Paul
Subject: Levator Ani Syndrome and Rectal Tightness, Spasms?
Posted on: 12/03/2006 20:33:31
Message:
I've had many years of deep rectal spasms and tightness. PT's have found numerous tight trigger points in the pelvic floor muscles and it hurts really bad. I've had MRI's, all kinds of tests, etc. and nothing is physically wrong with me...just extremely tight rectal muscles.
It all started with prostatitis during a very stressful year. That went away, but the muscle tension and spasm in the rectum only got worse over the years and is always there. But...I have had times when it doesn't hurt or seems absent (honeymoon) and other times. Most of the time though it consumes my thinking almost all the time.
In a nutshell, it is ruining my life. Many say I need to "work out" and loosen the trigger points in the rectum to get better...and learn to relax to calm down my nervous system. It is a subconscious "bracing" of these muscles.
I also have a LOT of panic and fear, depression within me as well. There are times when the pain can be bad...and the anxiety is low. Then there can be times when the pain is minimal and my anxiety is off the hook...I feel like I've got excess adrenaline and I want to jump out of my skin. Strange to say the least and very uncomfortable.
Have ANY of you had this horrible problem and beat it using Sarno's ideas? I am a worrier, shy, easily stressed, etc. as well. I'm a very, very self-conscious person who takes life and things way too seriously for sure.
ANY feedback would be greatly, greatly appreciated!
Thank you!
Replies:
Reply author: tennis tom
Replied on: 12/03/2006 21:54:22
Message:
Hi Paul,
Try doing a search for "pelvic floor" and you should find numerous threads with it mentioned. It will be hi-lited in yellow.
Good Luck,
tt
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Paul, there were several pages of threads on your symptom in the archives, did any of those address your concern?
Reply author: Kristin
Replied on: 12/03/2006 22:24:10
Message:
I am familiar with this symptom. I have been able to diminish the occurance of it somewhat by at least acknowledging that it's TMS. It tends to strike me at night usually, which is the time I also have what I think might be GERD triggered asthma. Thankfully I've never had the two at the same time. Panic and Pain!! Yikes. This might be the most excruciating thing I've ever experienced. I severely dislike having my sleep disrupted by these unpleasant things. It makes my husbands snoring seem like a piece of cake.
The only kind of working out that might help or perhaps what has helped me is Yoga. Not so much for the physical, although I'm sure it helps but for the focus that the meditation aspect assists, with breathing and allowing the mind to observe physical symptoms and become more or less detached or attached.
Reply author: weatherman
Replied on: 12/03/2006 23:51:26
Message:
I know exactly what you're talking about, at times I've had one of those rectal spasms once every month or so - it wakes me out of a sound sleep and hurts 100X worse than any back spasm I ever had. Fortunately they've always been short term, disappearing in 10-15 minutes. I have to get up and move around, however.
Curiously, since my old achilles stuff flared up I've not had one. I have no doubt mine are TMS, and if they can find nothing physical I'm sure yours are too. I also had a few rounds of prostatitis, which I'm now convinced were pure TMS - as I was always negative for any indentifiable infection, though they give you antibiotics anyway.
Weatherman
Reply author: Paul
Replied on: 12/04/2006 06:52:22
Message:
See the thing is, you speak of sharp rectal cramps. I have a constant "knot" in the rectum and spasms. I have had the sharp pains before, but very seldom. Docs have called it Levator Ani Syndrome of Pelvic Floor Muscle Dysfunction.
I was hoping someone here that has beat something similiar could chime in. I just need the reassurance.
Yes, I have chronic anxiety and chronic pain at the same time. Very depressing and it has taken over my life. Surely there is a way to beat this.
Reply author: johnnyg
Replied on: 12/05/2006 10:54:22
Message:
I have a constant knot in my low back and often a similar clenching that you mention, although not as chronic as you mention. Bottom line is you are describing what causes TMS pain in the first place (some doctors have called it myofacial pain in reference to other parts of the body). "bracing" is a common TMS symptom and is a precurser to TMJ and other TMS pain symptoms.
Treat your problem as TMS and at the same time attempt to apply relaxation techniques to affected areas, such as meditation (this will not affect your TMS therapy). Although identifying with others' TMS symptoms is comforting, it is not necessary, and you may never find someone with your exact symptoms. First come to the conclusion that you have TMS and you will slowly get better.
Reply author: Carolyn
Replied on: 12/05/2006 19:32:31
Message:
I haven't been checking the board for a while but just happened to chek in tonight and saw your post. I could have written it (except of course for the prostatitis). My rectal spasms were so bad, I had several botox injections down there (under full-anesthesia) in an attempt to break the spasm. It worked for a short time and then came back. I was on the verge of having surgery to cut the rectal sphincter when someone on this board talked me out of it. This is a truely awful symptom and impossible to ignore because you do have to go to the bathroom and for me that was agony. Now the good news- I never went back to see the colorectal surgeon, I started journaling and taking the TMS approach and I am now 95% cured. I still sometimes feel slight tightness down there but now that I know what it is, I'm not afraid of it, I recognize it as a sign to pay attention to my emotions and it goes away.
This was part of my general problem of chronic pelvic pain which I had for years. Check some of my old posts and you'll see I tried everything, physical therapy, electrical stimulation, pelvic floor retraining and none of it helped. I had all the trigger points- even went through the humiliating internal massage and was told I had pelvic floor dysfunction, Levator Ani syndrome, sacroilliac problems etc, etc, etc. There is no question this is TMS and you can definitely beat it!! It won't happen all at once and I personally don't see anything wrong with using physical measures to ease your suffering while you attack the psychological stuff as long as you absolutely realize that's not where the cure will come from.
Things that helped me cope (bear in mind I don't use any of these any more because I don't need to) were stool softeners, hot baths, walking around -and definitely sleeping with -a thermacare heat wrap in my underwear- I think it is the one for shoulders that works the best- Xanax used occassionally would also help break a cycle of spasm. If you go see a colorectal surgeon, they can give you some nitroglycerin cream which will give you wicked headaches but relax the muscle enough so you can use the bathroom.
There have not been so many of us here with pelvic pain as our primary complaint but there have been a few. I know how awful this is and I hope my story gives you hope. I don't know what would have happened to me if I hadn't found out about TMS. My pain was consuming my life - then I realized that that was the point and I made the conscious decision to ignore it. A few days later, somewhere else started to hurt and that was when I KNEW that it was TMS. It has been a journey of self-understanding that still continues but you have to begin somewhere.
Reply author: Paul
Replied on: 12/05/2006 19:42:49
Message:
Carolyn,
First of all, THANK YOU! Yes, I read your posts and I was hoping you would respond to my thread. I'm so glad you did! I think the thing I'm battling the most right now on how to handle this horrible rectal spasm and "golf ball in the rectum" feeling is...do I do internal massage to work it out or do I just go completely TMS on it and do nothing except for focus on my mind only and talk back to my pain.
Carolyn, how long did you have the rectal tightness and spasms and most of all how and when did it start?
Mine all started during one of the most stressful times in my life, but it was prostatitis at first. Of course, pelvic muscle tension can cause this so I'm sure I was internally "clenching" and it started this whole mess to only get worse over the years.
Lastly, did you talk to your subconscious? I'm trying to do this by saying things directly to the muscle pain like, "You are harmless." "Relax now, you are not hurting me", etc. Feels kinda strange doing it. :) Also, when you journalized, I've heard it is very important to never talk about the "pain", to focus strictly on the emotional things in life.
I'm SO glad you posted Carolyn! You give me great hope!
Reply author: Carolyn
Replied on: 12/06/2006 12:38:23
Message:
Paul,
I guess you were the reason I just happened to check the board last night. I'm glad I can help you- I am so grateful to the people on this board who helped me get my life back.
My pain started with what may have been a 'real' physical problem during my second pregnancy that caused me pelvic pain. I returned to work with two small children and a very stressful job with a lot of responsibility. I ended up needing to have surgery 7 separate times over the course of about 2 1/2 years to fix the original problem which was needless to say very stressful. It was 2001 and during that year, my closest childhood friend died at 34, another close friend (also only 34) died several months later- both from illnesses. I was living in NY at the time and in the midst of all that came 9/11. I knew quite a few people who were killed- although no very close friends. I lived for about a year after that in a state of extreme fear most of the time. If you remember, there was one warning after another of impending terror attacks, most of them aimed at NY, and my nervous system was just shot. I think it was somewhere in there that the boundary between what was a 'real' problem and what was psychological became blurred.
I think that I got pelvic pain instead of back pain because during that very stressful time, I was very focussed on my pelvis because of the pregnancy and gynocological problems. I was definitely aware of 'clenching' my whole pelvis almost as though I could protect it. Or, now that I have done some hournaling, I wonder if it was because I was ambivalent and maybe resentful about going back to work and managing my children and everyone just expecting so much of me.
Once the 'real' problem was finally fixed, the pain just sort of migrated into my hip and low back and rectum, interstitial cystitis although the original pain would come back as well. I know there are theories about chronic tension causing you to use the muscles wrong resulting in pelvic floor dysfunction a that it is very hard to treat. You've probably heard of David Wise and maybe even thought about flying out to California and staying in a hotel to get his internal massage therapy. Much of what he says makes a lot of sense - stress triggering a protective reflex in the pelvic muscles- but he feels that along with stress reduction, the massage and trigger point therapy is essential for a cure and for me it wasn't necessary at all. So let go of that notion, that you have this dysfunction and therefore it's going to be hard for you to get better.
Just start doing the TMS 'work' Start making yourself journal every night and see what happens. For me, this was the beginning of my anxiety (I had never had it before that) and my symptoms started moving around That was just what I needed to convince myself that TMS theory was right. Even the fact that you already notice that your anxiety is worse when your pain is less should tell you that this is TMS. Why would a muscle dysfuction lessen when you are anxious? It's not a quick cure but you will get better- maybe dramatically at first, then you may backslide a little (or a lot) or get a sudden neck spasm- but it will increase your confidence in the diagnosis. It is certainly worth trying before you think about having surgery or just decide to give up on having a normal life!
Good luck. I'll check into the board occassionally to see how you are doing.
Carolyn
Reply author: shawnsmith
Replied on: 12/06/2006 15:42:08
Message:
Dr Sopher says he has treated people with such a condition using Dr. Sarno's TMS concepts and he has been successful. This is just TMS under yet another manifestation. Trigger points are areas of oxygen deprivation initiated by the brain and they will not go away with physical therapy or manipulation because it is TMS (with my apologies to massage therapists out there). Even if you did make the pain go away with physical therapy or manipulation the pain would merely show up again somewhere else due to the nature of TMS and how the symptoms move around.
Reply author: Paul
Replied on: 12/09/2006 08:56:55
Message:
UPDATE: 12-09-2006
Thought I would update here on my progress. I'm hoping that in time I will recover and this thread can help others with pelvic pain or levator ani syndrome.
Over the last week I've been telling the pain and tightness in the rectum that it is "harmless" and is "only muscle tension". Also, that it is not going to hurt me anymore. At first I felt very empowered, I had a mental shift so to speak. The pain seemed to lessen slightly, but it may be because my mood switched.
As I mentioned in earlier posts I'm also dealing with really bad chronic anxiety. So bad that going to a grocery store or even having friends over is tough. Not sure why, it just is. I feel a deep sense of insecurity and fear about the pain, etc. I'm working on this as well.
Now to yesterday...
Yesterday I had an appointment in a town 25 miles from here. My stomach wasn't feeling really well and this really got me anxious. One of my biggest fears is getting ill and sick in public or alone with no one to help me. So when I feel a bit ill, anxiety really kicks in. Well, this happened yesterday during my apt. and also in the afternoon when I met a friend of mine at a bookstore. In fact, I cut that meeting short. I just felt uneasy and like I was going to jump out of my skin.
So last night I finally started to journal before going to sleep. I wrote, and wrote. At times, I broke down in tears. A lot of what I wrote were fears and frustrations I had, and also things that make me sad (like my divorce this past August in which my wife left me, but I still love her. In a nutshell, all my pain and anxiety took its toll and I made her feel "alone" because I was so focused on my issues and didn't do social things with her because of anxiety, etc.) This STILL greatly saddens me. :(
So I wrote, and I cried. Then I went to sleep...but when I was laying there, I mentally talked to the tension in my bum and said it was "harmless" and that "you don't have to hurt or be tight anymore...I know you are only FEAR" etc. I could feel my pain decrease and the muscles let loose a bit more.
Then I started with some personal affirmations...I said things to myself like..."It is ok" "Everything is ok", etc. and THIS really, really made me cry. And then a really strange thing happened. I had a sense of my grandparents who are deceased giving me a hug or the feeling of their presence hugging me and I cried SO hard. I was like a child in their arms. Then it all stopped. The room got quiet.
My pain had decreased by about 40% in total.
I woke up this morning about 6am because I heard my cat knock something off the kitchen counter (he does this often). When I went back to bed, I had NO pain...NO tension in my rectum. When I finally got back up again around 9am, I felt tired and my pain was probably a 3 on a scale of 1 to 10. Of course, as I type this, it is back up to a 6 or so.
Anyway, that is where I stand. It is a tough road this TMS thing is. Today I just feel "blah" and kinda down in the dumps. I'm sure that is normal.
I will try to post updates as I go along. Thanks for listening and helping...ALL of you!
Reply author: JohnO
Replied on: 12/19/2006 09:43:52
Message:
Paul and Carolyn -- I have had the exact same symptoms as you describe to a T and have had useless surgeries, drugs and procedures. I just found this forum today. I have long been a Dr. Sarno disciple and even wrote him and got a response back years ago when "Mind Body Prescription" helped my neck pain immesaurably. I feel so stupid not realizing levator syndrome could be helped by this. I am going to dive into the book tonight. Can you update on how you are doing since last post?
Reply author: Alpha
Replied on: 12/19/2006 15:45:14
Message:
@JohnO: Since i also suffer from Pelvic Pain, in combination with some other problems, i was curious, why your levator syndrome hasn't disapperead togehter with the neck pain. I mean do i have to thread every single symptome for itself? I mean when i work on my emotions successfully, shouldn't all my physical symptoms disappear? Or has your brain used the fact that you was so unaware of Levator syndrom as TMS equvalent, that it could continue the distraction strategy with it.
I ask, because i am not 100% sure about every of my symptoms to be TMS and i thought if i do the TMS work everything what IS Tms (hopefully ALL) will disappear by itself.
- Alpha
Reply author: JohnO
Replied on: 12/20/2006 06:36:35
Message:
Alpha -- I am not as experienced in this subject as so many more on this board so not sure I am the best to respond but I do believe you can help multiple conditions at once using Dr. Sarno's techniques. As I said, I was deeply into this about 7 years ago and let it slide (stupidly) and now it is back with a vengenace. Conventional medicine has failed this levator syndrome issue. I immersed myself into his techniques last night and really feel better already. Why I didn't realize this was the way to go before all of the medical misery, I don't know. Stay with it, Alpha, I am convinced it will help you.
Reply author: shawnsmith
Replied on: 12/20/2006 12:46:09
Message:
JohnO
I suggest you read "Mind Body Prescription" over again, especially the psychology and treatment sections. If applying the principles of TMS teachings worked on your neck pain they will also work work with your pelvic pain also. I know this from personal experience. But it takes time and work every single day.
Reply author: alix
Replied on: 12/20/2006 13:43:38
Message:
I wish everybody the best of luck solving their pelvic pain issues but for me the TMS work just did not work.
For me it works great for back and neck pain which I can make disappear instantly.
I don't know if it has to do with deeper feelings (sexuality etc...)but I failed miserably to address it.
Reply author: Jodi
Replied on: 12/20/2006 14:55:14
Message:
Wow! I cannot believe how many of the symptoms all of you have described, I've had as well. From the time I was very small, I've had stomache trouble. That symptom has persisted throughout my life. Everything mentioned in this forum I have had at some point. Back and leg pain seem to be the symptom of choice these days. It is very reassuring to hear that I'm not the only one and I hope it is reassuring to all of you as well to know there are others out there with the exact same symptoms. I'll bet if we listed the symptoms we've all experienced in the last 10 years or so, many of us would have lists that practically mirror each other. I'm so glad I found this web site. There is an end in sight!!!
Reply author: JohnO
Replied on: 12/21/2006 10:39:30
Message:
Oh, it works for sure. I have immersed myself back into it and the levator stuff is much better in just 2 days. Just tossing all the useless pills was helpful. Stick with it.
Reply author: Paul
Replied on: 12/28/2006 16:25:14
Message:
Carolyn...I hope you read this. I know you only check this forum every now and then.
I know you have beat this thing. I just wanted to ask you...did your symptoms get REALLY BAD when you started to confront it? I've been doing this and the pain is the worst I think it has EVER been!
It is really, really hard to keep the focus when the pain is screaming and of course the dangerous thoughts of "God, what if this gets worse?" tend to float in.
I continue to fight it by sitting even though it hurts like crazy and I also try to talk to my subconscious. I also continue to journal each night and read TMS stuff.
Reply author: gezzer
Replied on: 06/11/2007 01:04:40
Message:
HI paul i have been reading your mail and i have the exact same symptons as youself the same thing with me i had prostitis several times that eventually went away like after a year or so but then came this terrible levator syndrome in the rectum i also sometimes get irritable bowel and this really sets it off, this is so frustrating as it affects your whole life style i have now been enduring this for 2 or more years now and it is driving me crazy i read all your reviews that where last year i have just found this website now and wonder if you have discovered any treatments that work.
g mccallum
Reply author: JohnO
Replied on: 06/11/2007 06:50:14
Message:
Gezzer -- I have the same thing and have been a lot better since I accepted this as TMS six months ago. You can search some of my and Paul's other posts for more. Others who have recognized this as TMS have improved but it is like a roller coaster. There are more good days than bad but still bad ones that make it frustrating wondering if it will go away forever. I have been told that it takes a long time, a year or more, and that a lot of hard work as prescribed in the book is necessary. Most people on this forum have back and neck problems and few with this so if you want to e-mail me off line that is fine too.
Reply author: Paul
Replied on: 06/13/2007 10:09:15
Message:
I just thought I would post a quick update...
Yesterday I finally visited with Dr. Rochelle. He is a TMS doc and has written an chapter in The Divided Mind. I was a nervous wreck all day even before seeing him. My whole life is becoming consumed with anxiety and depression anymore, along with the pelvic pain. Right now I'm not on any meds for anxiety or depression and I really don't want to take them...but I may have too. Having such bad anxiety and a "no desire" feeling in life is horrible.
Anyway, he did think it was TMS. He pushed on several muscle groups on my body and some where sensitive or tender...another sign of TMS. The rest of the info was the same info you can find in the books on journaling and how rage works subconsciously.
Right now the scariest part is the chronic anxiety and depression...and just getting back the energy and motivation to want to enjoy life again. I still struggle with accepting TMS 100% for some reason.
I think John here is making good progress for sure. I will try to post more often as I progress so hopefully I can beat this thing and it will help others. I really admire Carolyn on here...she doesn't post often, but she beat levator ani syndrome as TMS...so that does help me.
Reply author: Janet
Replied on: 03/17/2010 17:19:53
Message:
I hope that there is still someone here that has the levator ani syndrome. I am dealing with it again after about 17 years of being able to manage it. The pain level is like you said Paul where it's all consuming and you can't forget about it for one minute.
Right now I am in constant pain from the spasms during the day. The only time for me when I'm not in as much pain is when I'm laying in bed for a number of hours.
I'm wondering if it could be stress related since I've lost my job and I'm also dealing with frozen shoulder in the last month. I've tried the tens unit I was given years ago and the exercise I was given years ago and nothing is helping. I've now tried 3 different muscle spasm medications and it's done nothing at all.
I am wondering if anyone here has had any success with anything. I'm also walking a lot to see if that will loosen me up but that's not helping either.
Thanks so much
Janet Cull
Reply author: SB57
Replied on: 04/14/2010 18:39:48
Message:
Hi Janet,
Yes I've got the exact same problem as you and what Paul described. A very significant pain that is at its worst when I'm sitting. I don't seem to have a problem when I'm sleeping, only when I'm sitting more than 30 minutes or more and when I try to walk/hike more than a short distance.
I went to a colon/rectal surgeon 7 months ago who treated me with an IRC procedure twice over 2 months, after that gave me a prescription for some compounding cream, then a prescription for Canasa, then some other steriodal cream. I've had a colonoscopy and an MRI and all came back negative.
He said the pelvic muscles are very, very tight. He had no other suggestions other than a chronic pain medication which I was suppose to take before bed time. I never filled it, I have zero problem sleeping and got very depressed thinking this pain would never get fixed. I've had no life for the past year, I hate going to work, I can't even go out because sitting is so difficult and I dread having to put my rear in a chair.
After much research I did my own diagnosis of Levator Syndrome, I bought a book by Amy Stein called Heal Pelvic Pain. It's extremely informative about all sorts of disorders of that area of the body and it gives great advice on how to cure these ailments with specific pelvic exercises, relaxation and diet (although my diet is excellent). I got this book only 2 weeks ago so I can't say it's cured my issue but I do feel some progress has been made.
I was also very interested in what others have said about using the TMS approach by Dr. Sarno. I Googled an interview by him done by 20/20 a while back and it was very informative. I truly believe the cure for this is two fold. Fix the pain by curative measures (stretching and excercising the muscles in Amy Stein's book) but also curing the cause. I'm a very wound up person who is under lots of stress. I'm a person who internalizes my issues and I think over time this has caused problems which is now giving me major pain.
Medical doctors deal with issues by scapel and pills, they are not equiped to deal with root causes of human issues. Most of us with this have no medical alternatives to fix this so it's up to our own bodies to fix this. I've very sceptical by nature but have opened my eyes to cause and effect answers. I truly think my approach mentioned above will be the best course (if not the only course left) to fix this problem. I've got no medical alternatives other than to cure this thing on my own.
Reply author: Dave
Replied on: 04/15/2010 15:15:12
Message:
quote:
Originally posted by SB57
I truly believe the cure for this is two fold. Fix the pain by curative measures (stretching and excercising the muscles in Amy Stein's book) but also curing the cause.
Is this something you believe or something that has worked for you?
Note that according to Dr. Sarno's theory, there is nothing to "fix" and treating the pain as a structural problem is counterproductive to recovery. It is important to accept the pain has a psychological origin.
It is certainly a good idea to stay fit and healthy, and exercise should be a part of everybody's day. However, there is a difference between exercising for overall health and exercising to "fix" a problem.
Reply author: SB57
Replied on: 04/16/2010 09:43:05
Message:
quote:
Originally posted by Dave
quote:
Originally posted by SB57
I truly believe the cure for this is two fold. Fix the pain by curative measures (stretching and excercising the muscles in Amy Stein's book) but also curing the cause.
Is this something you believe or something that has worked for you?
Note that according to Dr. Sarno's theory, there is nothing to "fix" and treating the pain as a structural problem is counterproductive to recovery. It is important to accept the pain has a psychological origin.
It is certainly a good idea to stay fit and healthy, and exercise should be a part of everybody's day. However, there is a difference between exercising for overall health and exercising to "fix" a problem.
I just bought Dr. Sarno's book two days ago so honestly I can't give feedback on whether his method has worked for me. I have used Amy Stein's method for about 2 weeks (stretching, deep PF breathing, meditation) and I have seen some positive results.
The approach I am taking is to stretch the back and pelvic floor muscles because I'm getting results and stretching and other excercising simply is a good thing. Especially for someone like me who sits on their rear for a living.
If mentally I feel my approaches are beneficial, then I think hope and not dispair will go a long way to curing my LA problem. Again this is w/o yet fully reading Sarno's work.
I plan to post an update on this site at a future date, good, bad or indifferent.
Reply author: Paul
Replied on: 04/19/2010 09:54:13
Message:
After having this for over 12+ years, having all the tests, doing trigger point injections, doing stretching and PT, and going back and forth on "Is it TMS or is it a physical thing I need PT to help heal it"...I'm starting to think it is truly TMS.
Here is why...
**PT and stretching (the approaches in Amy Stein's book and also, "A Headache in the Pelvis) only seemed to be temporary.
**Bottomline, the muscles are tense. Getting to the core of it and why is key I believe. Why try to put out the fire when you have not cut off the gas line?
**I've found more people beat Levator Ani Syndrome with the mind-body approach than any other method. Do a search for it on here, and look at Carolyn's posts in particular. It's a goldmine of info.
**I truly believe now if there is nothing found to be wrong in the body except "tight" muscles, than it is 99.9% TMS and mind-body related.
Here is a great book on how to approach TMS as well, it is called, "Pain Free For Life" by Scott Brady.
What I am now doing...
*Journaling, allowing myself to feel emotions (not "trying to), and most of all, OVERRIDING my subconscious with my conscious by using pain talk. It is, the subconsious, at the heart of the tension anyway.
Reply author: elle80
Replied on: 04/26/2010 15:20:36
Message:
I have been diagnosed with Levator Syndrome about 3 year ago. Like many here i am consumed by the pain. I have seen tons of MD's PT and with no help. The only thing that does help a little are botox shots but once they run out there is my pain in the butt, litterally.
I have bought and am reading Dr. Sarno's book "The mindbody prescription". Haven't gotten to the part on how to treat this pain, which i do think is TMS, b/c while on my Honeymoon the pain was not completely gone but not that bad.
Can anybody tell me what I should do to get started on this therapy. The book is really intresting but I sometimes don't have the time to sit and read.
Reply author: Paul
Replied on: 04/28/2010 08:49:35
Message:
Unfortunately, I still have this. Lately, it has been really bad. :( I've been adding more meditation to my daily routine and so I don't know if this is part of the increase in pain.
What really scares me is how BAD the rectal tightness and spasm/pain has been...and when I have a bowel movement.
This morning I went and got that sharp pain in my rectum and felt faint. It is really scary. :( I know it is because all those muscles are super tight and it triggers a Vasovagal reaction.
Anyone else deal with Vasovagal response before? It is scary as heck!
Reply author: LuvtoSew
Replied on: 04/28/2010 14:14:01
Message:
I found John Bradys book real good also. He went through a lot, and is now better.
Reply author: walnut864
Replied on: 05/16/2010 14:49:01
Message:
I used to get this. It got better slowly after I realized I was always holding those muscles very tightly. I recognized that I never relaxed my muscle that controls my anus. I would conciously stop throughout the day and make sure that I was not tightening those muscles.
I used to get severe stinging and stabbing and spasms in the levator ani and sometimes pain in my urethra which I believe to be due to tightened muscles.
I cured my TMJ the same way over a year ago.
I had TMJ from my mid teenage years all the way to a lil over a year ago.
I have very severe TMJ at times that would cause my jaw to lockup, it popped EVERYTIME I chewed and once it got so bad that the neck muscles that connect to my jaw and the muscles in my chest that connect to my neck muscle felt very strange and I went to the E.R. and was told I had severe TMJ.
I started paying attention to how I was holding my face through out the day. I noticed that I always had a grimmace look, eye brows tight, and clinched jaw. I did random checks throughout the day for tightened facial muscles and within a few eeks I no longer had TMJ that I had suffered with for many years. I still do not have any symtom at all of TMJ!
Reply author: SB57
Replied on: 05/20/2010 11:27:57
Message:
Hi Walnut,
Curious, just about how long did it take for you to cure your levator issue? I've read enough about TMS and MBS and I'm realizing I do the same thing.... I'm always clenching. Problem gets worse through the day when I'm sitting as well. I'm trying my best to take deep breaths and relax the pelvic part of my body. It's odd, I can be standing, talking to someone and feel fine, then bam, it comes on and starts to feel bad.
Sometimes the pain is slight, sometimes it's severe. I've restricted so much of a normal life this past year, the situation is getting very depressing.
I feel it's getting a little better as each month goes by but then I feel I have days where I take a number of steps back in the wrong direction so I'm trying to piece together why it hurts some days and others it's not as bad.
That's why I ask, about how long did you have your levator issue and about how long did your focus on relaxing the pelvic area help to improve the situation?
Thanks
Reply author: Jayne
Replied on: 10/12/2010 15:50:54
Message:
Hello everyone. I'm brand new here and I only first heard of TMS yesterday. I had googled Levator Ani and it directed me to this forum.
I've been in pain for 17 months. At first just my tail bone hurt and then after about 10 days I had severe rectal pain and burning as well. My sacrum was way out of line as well (sacral torsion) and no doctor can tell me what happened first. I've also had a weird vibration on and off in the pelvic area and rectum. I've been in PT for nearly a year and I've been in a sacral brace 24/7 for almost 9 months. I can function now but was unable to handle life a year ago. Doctors say they are stumped... and tests show nothing. My
PT says it all makes sense to her given that the tailbone is off of the sacrum and the pelvic floor attaches to the tailbone. She beleives I have Levator Ani Syndrome that either caused sacral torsion or vice versa. My tailbone is deformed and looks broken on an x-ray but is not. I have always had anxiety and I know this is playing a big part in this. In fact anxiety has affectd me since childhood.
I've been reading as much as I can on this forum today and will order Dr. Sarno's book and possibly some of the others that I've read about on this forum. If anyone has any other ideas, please let me know. I've been fairly desperate.
Thanks so much,
Jayne
Reply author: walnut864
Replied on: 10/12/2010 17:32:07
Message:
quote:
Originally posted by SB57
Hi Walnut,
Curious, just about how long did it take for you to cure your levator issue? I've read enough about TMS and MBS and I'm realizing I do the same thing.... I'm always clenching. Problem gets worse through the day when I'm sitting as well. I'm trying my best to take deep breaths and relax the pelvic part of my body. It's odd, I can be standing, talking to someone and feel fine, then bam, it comes on and starts to feel bad.
Sometimes the pain is slight, sometimes it's severe. I've restricted so much of a normal life this past year, the situation is getting very depressing.
I feel it's getting a little better as each month goes by but then I feel I have days where I take a number of steps back in the wrong direction so I'm trying to piece together why it hurts some days and others it's not as bad.
That's why I ask, about how long did you have your levator issue and about how long did your focus on relaxing the pelvic area help to improve the situation?
Thanks
Im not sure how long it took. It was maybe a month or two. I would have severe sharp stinging spasms in the levator ani.
I seen I would be holding that muscle tight when I was standing. I was always clenching that muscle very tightly but I was not aware that I was doing it. When I became aware of it I began to conciously make myself relax that muscle. I was basically retraining my mind to NOT clench that muscle all the time.
The clenching I speak of is best described by the saying, "that'll make your butthole pucker up!" LOL, sorry if that too graphic but alot of people "pucker" while experiencing something overly exciting to the nervous system such as a roller coaster ride or any situation that is frightening.
During the time I had the pains in that area I would also experience random stinging pains in the urethra. I havent experienced it in quite some time but now that it has been brought to my attention I will not be suprised if my mind tries to use that symptom on me again. Oh well, I'll have a good laugh it it does!
Reply author: Om Sharma
Replied on: 01/12/2016 09:14:59
Message:
In very starting of my efforts to diagnosis this problem , I had gotten a lot of information from this forum so now it is my duty to share my experience with you.
I belong to a small town from India, I had hemorrhoid dectomy in April 2014 and since then I am continuously suffering from terrible constant rectal pain and extreme straining bowel movement . Sitting, walking, Everythig became impossible for me. Every time, every Dr. Declaired it notthing except mere constipation. I lost all hopes in my life.
Then I determined to diagnosis and to cure this problem myself own. After to much hunting efforts , at last I come to knew that I am a victim of Levator ani syndrome and I was not alone and unique . it is almost an incurable disorder.j
I read a lot of about this syndrome on the net and dr. Sarno. I tried almost every remedy/therepy suggested by anyone but all in vain, the results were only temporary.
Then by co-incident I come in touch with homoepathy treatment and rest is rest now.
I asure everyone, one who is suffering from this levator ani syndrome or the rectal spasm problem, must seek some expert homeopath and got proper treatment . Homeopathy definitely cures it from its root level permanently.
It is absolutely efficient and almost cost for nothing.
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