Lower back and perineum pain - strain/prostatitis

[Dan21]

Hello


I have been suffering with a very sore lower back since Christmas and I bit the bullet on Friday and made an appointment with the GP, although I was referred to see an advanced nurse practitioner.

I explained my symptoms and also took time to respectfully explain to the nurse I suffer with terrible health anxiety, which is part of the reason I had made the appointment.

I advised that as well as the lower back pain (which I am sure is down to straining from lifting things at work as well as a fair amount of digging over the last few weeks) I have a noticeable tightness around my perineum which comes and goes with varying severity. The nurse was extremely dismissive about everything I said to her, gave me the briefest of examinations, handed me a self referral to the local physiotherapy unit and ended the discussion. I asked her if the perineum ache (which is the thing that is still on my mind) could be connected to my lower back strain. She said she didn’t think that would be the case and that she had no immediate idea what it was, other than “we all get unexplained aches now and again”. Now, as a long term HA sufferer, I found this quite difficult to accept but I genuinely feel such a response was pretty lax.

Anyway, I am interested to hear if anyone out there has experienced lower back pain that has caused discomfort/tightness/aches in the perineum area. I have seen that there is a nerve that if irritated can cause lower back pain and pain in the perineum (pudenal nerve??). I’d be very interested to hear if anyone has suffered with anything similar.

I have also heard that prostatitis can cause perineum discomfort.

Thanks in advance for thoughts/replies.

D

[ErinKC]

So, I'm a woman and things are a bit different down there, but I do know from my own research into pelvic floor issues that men, too, can experience pelvic floor disorders. If you've been doing a lot of lifting and digging I'd imagine it's possible to have strained your pelvic floor muscles. If you're not lifting properly with your core and putting strain on your back and your pelvic floor is weak I think this could probably cause all these issues. It would be worth talking to the physical therapist who would know a lot more about the interconnectedness of all of this.

---------- Post added at 17:07 ---------- Previous post was at 17:07 ----------

Also, maybe a hernia from all the lifting?

[Dan21]

Thanks for the reply Erin.

This is what I was thinking. I think it probably is muscular but would be really interested to hear if anyone else has had similar issues, particularly other male users of the forum. I know from my partners experience after childbirth that women can suffer awfully with pelvic floor issues and I think these problems are often seen in a predominantly female context. I also think that many men perhaps a) don't talk about discomfort in this area and b) maybe don't do so because of the fear that it could be prostate related and all the potential nasty things that could be or are associated with that.

Here's hoping it eases soon.

[Mindsight]

Hi Dan
I did pm you a while back hoping you had some answers. Any ways november i woke up with pain in my testicals 3 days later this went to a tooth ache behind my testical and infront of my anus along with this i had a weird full or feeling as if i had something stuck in my anus freaked me out i went to the doctors they told me it was muscular and sent me on my way. Any ways fast forward to current i have no more pain in the area of my testicals or anus how ever i get the odd stabbing shooting pain after a bowl movement but i feel this will take time to go away i do get aches down my flanks or sides i googled prenium strain and aparently this is all part of this sadly this is the whole reason why i started back using nmp my biggest problem it skin crawl and rash i have been tested for every possible thing that can cause pain in that area of the genitals plus liver test full bloods and nothing so i hope you feel better soon im 13 weeks in and im told by others who get this stuff from cycling it can take 6 months so thats my time line before i go back the the docs

Good luck bud

[Dan21]

Hi Mindsight,

Apologies, I have just checked the PMs and noticed your message – I’m really pleased that you have found some relief from your pain and the anxiety that comes hand in hand with it.

I’m currently suffering awfully with these symptoms. Chronic ache in lower back (just above coccyx on either side) and a roaming achey kind of pain around my perineum...and it’s this that really freaks me out. I’ve also been feeling pretty exhausted lately but am trying to convince myself that this will be due to the nervous energy I’m going through. The pain never really gets worse than a 4 or 5 (on a scale of 1 being no pain and 10 being unbearable) but lately it’s always there. The back pain is pretty constant but the perineum pain comes and goes.

I too have read about prostatitis but I’m not entirely convinced that this is that. Somewhere in the deepest corner of my logical brain, I think it maybe something to do with my pelvic floor muscles. It’s just that not much is talked about in males about this. Lots of women suffer from pelvic floor issues (that I have become aware of whilst reading around my problem) but not so much regards men. Thankfully, I don’t have any of the danger signs that are associated with significant prostate issues so that’s something to be thankful for. It’s the physical symptoms along with the psychological that makes it so difficult to handle. I was up walking around the house at 2am this morning, not because of any significant pain, but because I was convincing myself I might have prostate or kidney cancer, or a cancer of the spine etc etc etc...

I am on lighter duties at work so this along with anti-inflamatories and hot baths will, hopefully, give my back a chance to heal.

[Mindsight]

Sleep with a pillow between the legs helps with the pain if you sleep laying sideways