Swimming

[Kath]

I have read that swimming is a good exercise for people with PN but to avoid breastroke as the frog leg action puts pressure on the pudendal nerve. Is it at all possible that years of swimming breaststroke has caused PN? Anyone ever heard of this. I read that is can be caused by squatting exercises, which I assume is the classic weight lifting reason but does breastroke count as a squatting exercise?

[Faith]

Never thought of that. Were you a swimmer? I swam competitively for 8 years growing up. My pain started many years later so I doubt it is a direct cause for me. Swimming is really low impact unlike squatting but I can see how maybe it could predispose someone to PN pain maybe.

[Violet M]

Kath, my understanding is that with the breast stroke the repetitive hip flexion could be a problem. At least that's what Dr. Antolak says in his article:

Pudendal neuralgia is caused by repetitive flexion of the hip as in exercise and athletics, childbirth, sitting, and cycling.

http://www.springerlink.com/content/h816870675817261/

[helenlegs 11]

Hmmmm, I'm a breastroker too and I know that my sytoms are exacerbated if I do any lengths, going for it, so I have stopped. I need some non impact exercise though so I am thinking of sticking a float between my legs 'practice mode', watching everyone else power past me Grrr!
Helen

[Amanda]

Thanks for this link Violet, up to now I had put any relationship between my PNE and swimming but many years ago I was very competitive in the pool and Breast Stroke was the winner for me many times of many medals......maybe it was a factor in developing PNE years later....??????

[Faith]

but many years ago I was very competitive in the pool and Breast Stroke was the winner for me many times of many medals......maybe it was a factor in developing PNE years later....??????

I was primarily a backstroker, but I also did the individual medley so I did breast stroke too. Maybe the swimming did predispose us to getting PN. I think all of us PNer's must be predisposed to this crazy condition in some way or another.

[JeanieC]

I agree that we are probably predispositioned anatomically in some way. I have been a breaststroker all my life too but not competitively. Its just the way I learned to swim and the only one I enjoy. The challenge for me now is when I get in water I just start to do it naturally and I am trying to do breast arm stroke with flutter kick leg strokes. It's not easy, I've discovered, to coordinate.

Thanks whoever started this thread as I have been wondering what it was about breast stroke that was bad, but the repetitive hip motion would make sense.