Levator Ani Syndrome

RE: Levator Ani Syndrome

I have to say that it's not a syndrome that I am familliar with.

If you have a link or any references, I'd be happy to take a look at them.

I aught to point out that a 'syndrome' per se is denotes a collection of symptoms of 'unknown cause', so is not actually a diagnosis in its self. Also, would say that from this I fairly safe in saying that it sounds like a something that orthodox has come up with.

In short - we don't get pain and muscles don't go into spasm for no reason. Also, the large majority of us don't tend to 'pull muscles' an article I did a while back will explain that one a bit more -

There's an unfortunate tale of a chap I treated a few years back, that had intractable testicular pain, which they even removed it, to no avail. [:@]

Andrew.

RE: Levator Ani Syndrome

Hi

Thanks for responding - Here are a couple of references

This seems to apply to me in that my pain levels increase significantly if i sit - Also when lying in bed i feel as if my buttocks and area around the coccyxx is under pressure. But manipulation of the coccyxx is not painful. Also it seems to wax and wane some what and if i 'relax' in a medataion type way i can reduce symptons. Also i can often feel my pelvic muscles 'squirming' around a bit.

Hope this helps and i'd be interested to hear what you think.

RE: Levator Ani Syndrome

I'm a Franklin Method teacher, (improving Movement patterns, with among other methods, imagery).(franklin-methode.ch - there's an English version) Here's an exercise which might help release your tension. Standing, touch your coccyx(left side) and your left sitz bone. Imagine a flow of light, or water, or a positive refreshing energy drawing in with your breath between these two points. Repeat on the other side. Then do the same with the quarters of your pelvic floor from your pubic bone to sitz bone - ie right hand on the left pubic ramus and left hand on the left sitz bone. One of my clients imagines a calm, cool pond in her pelvic floor, which helps her release her tight right hip joint. You would find Eric Franklin's Pelvic Power helpful.
Has someone looked at your gait? It may be to do with how you walk, how you hold yourself. Or perhaps a trauma to that very sensitive area of the body.
Good luck,
Sharon
ps there's a bit more about Franklin on my web-site

RE: Levator Ani Syndrome

A variant of the levator syndrome is proctalgia fugax, a feeling of severe pain in the rectum which generally occurs at night and which will awaken the patient from a sound sleep.

This is also known as coccygodynia, levator ani syndrome, levator ani spasm syndrome, proctalgia fugax, and proctodynia.

Coccygodynia is not the same it is distinctly different, as the you say that manipulating the coccyx doesn't aggravate, then the problem is not with the sacro-cooygeal joint. It could still be referred pain from the lower lumbar spine and most likely at the lumbar sacral joint. Also, a similar scenario could cause irritation to the nerve root that feeds the levator ani muscle.

So, without examination - I'm sticking with my original theory and the above.

Andrew.

Hi,
Does Levator Ani Syndrome has to have a pain in the rectum? I have a burning between the anus and the tail bone. It feels like a skin problem, burning skin when I sit down. And this is an area where it typically starts burning and the longer I sit the more it spreads around to the places that are in contact with the seat. My dermatologist said it is not a skin problem and a general practitioner suggested that it may be Lavoator Ani Syndrome.

Anybody knows the name of this problem? Or is this another form of Lavator Ani Syndrome?

verit