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clee03m
Dec 17, 2009, 5:06 PM
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So it seems that I have pelvic instability a bit earlier than most pregnant women. I saw a physical therapist, and she says that some of the movements involved in climbing may exacerbate this pain. After, she says we need to work on core strength.
I can't help but wonder if some of the movements involved in climbing may have contributed to this early onset. Or would I be in much worse shape if I didn't have all the core strength I have from climbing?
Well, either way, I now get to work with a physical therapist on developing a stronger core, which should be good for my climbing. And I get to wear a dorky velcro contraption as if wearing a full body harness wasn't bad enough…
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lena_chita
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Dec 17, 2009, 6:11 PM
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I doubt that climbing contributed to an early onset. It is something that one in 4 women experiences in pregnancy, to some extent (no I was not one of them)...
However, once you get it, I can see how climbing would really exacerbate it-- because it is usually the stragle movements, the high-stepping, twisting, etc. that cause pain and are among the type of movements that women with SPD are told to minimize.
How much of a pain are you in? I am sorry you have to deal with it...
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clee03m
Dec 18, 2009, 4:24 PM
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Yeah, you are probably right about climbing not contributing to an early onset. It's just weird when both my doctor and my physical therapist looked puzzled and said it seems a bit early for my pelvis to be unstable. It's pretty painful. Interestingly, it doesn't hurt to climb for the most part. With my humongus belly, I can't do much high steps and such anyways. Changing pants and running (which I've given up) hurt the worst. On a bad day, it's a bitch to even walk. I'm ok with all this as long as it goes away after delivery.
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clee03m
Jan 7, 2010, 10:24 PM
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So, on my second visit to the physical therapist, I admitted that pelvic pain is worse after climbing. She told me to stop climbing, and when I said I was unwilling, I was told that if I keep misaligning my pelvis through climbing, there is nothing she can do for me. Ouch.
Oh, well, I guess I'll try someone else, though I can't help feeling like I am 'PT shopping.'
*sigh*
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lena_chita
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Jan 8, 2010, 3:14 PM
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Ouch!
By all means, look for a second opinion.
But while you are looking for someone else to maybe tell you differently (hopefully there is a different someone), err on the conservative side, O.K.? It is not that much longer that you have before the baby comes, right?
Cost/benefit analysis: stop climbing for couple months to avoid accidently making this worse/permanent vs. do what you want to do right now, and to heck with possible future complications?
Not what you want to hear right now, maybe, but a friend of mine partially tore her pubic symphysis last May. Nine months later, she is still not able to climb, and you can easily imagine a host of other activities (sex among them  ) that she is not able to engage in without pain. Taking care of a baby is hard enough when you aren't crippled.
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mangirl
Jan 10, 2010, 2:05 AM
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Clee,
See if you can see an Osteopath(OD) that can help you with the alignment...they may ask you to stop climbing but they may also have some ideas on how to keep this more stable. Regular docs will not be helpful with this type of thing I'm afraid. I was on bedrest at 25 with a twin pregnancy from early dialation and just found out last year that I have a 8mm leg length discrepancy which has been causing really insane sacral misalignment for the last 20 years....now I wear a lift but only because I finally went to an OD after years and years of xrays and chiropractic.
Be Well,
MG
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clee03m
Jan 11, 2010, 6:05 PM
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Latest is that I am taking a break from climbing. A bit nervous about what this would mean for how well I'll climb after. New goal is to continue to be in the best cardio shape as possible and work on strength through hang boards, etc. I have an appointment with my PT (yup, didn't fire her afterall) and we'll have a more serious discussion as to what exact movements I need to avoid. I'm still hoping I would be able to do some endurance laps on easy routes.
I really thought all I would have to sacrifice in climbing with this pregnancy would be leading and dealing with weight gain. Oh well. Life goes on.
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lena_chita
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Jan 11, 2010, 7:18 PM
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I am sorry, I know how important climbing through pregnancy was/is for you. I hope your PT visit will be informational.
I don't think you have much reason to be apprehensive about this break affecting your climbing long-term. Three months (or 6, or 9...) is not very long in a grand scheme of things. You have been climbing long enough, you have a good 'base' to stand on, so I would expect that whatever you lose in strength, endurance and skills will be regained fairly quickly once you start climbing again post-baby.
Think about other periods in life when you weren't climbing as much as optimal... Exams, moves, lack of motivation. I am sure you can remember taking breaks or scaling waaaayyy down for some reason, and coming back weaker, but regaining everything once you came back, and going on to improve further.
Remember your lack of motivation thread a while back? There were lots of stories there from people who took a break from climbing, even more than a 3-months-long break, for various reasons, and came back into it later. Or if you look in a number of injury recovery threads, there are lots of stories of people coming back post-injury even after being "out" for much longer than a couple of months, and regaining their climbing shape, or even getting better.
It will be O.K., things will work out.
You just don't know what life serves you. You are not 100% in control of what happens in pregnancy, or with your child, some things are beyond your control or anticipation. Things often turn out differently than you thought they would. But you will find a way to deal with it.
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icegirl
Jan 18, 2010, 2:13 PM
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Yeah that pain is no fun, had that with my 1st child and was walking like a duck the last 2 months!
Don't really know if climbing caused it but it definitely aggrevated it, however not even remotely as much as running which I stopped at 5 M (while climbing pretty much all the way through even though I reduced significantly both intensity and frequency).
It took quite a while to get better and even a 1 1/2 year after I felt if if I ran fast or cranked hard with one leg.
I was a bit worried that my sports antics while pregnant had made it a pain I'd have to deal with permanently but then it just gradually disappeared.
On the other hand I don't know if it the outcome had been any different if I'd completely stopped climbing...
Now I'm pregnant with #2 and I plan to climb but might reconsider if that darn thing shows up again!
I don't think you should worry too much about getting out of climbing shape while pregnant, especially if its hurting you....a pregnancy is only 9 months and after that your body will recover and you can train again! If you'd for example blown a pulley tendon in a finger or destroyed your ankle from a fall you might be looking at a way longer time w/o climbing and no clear end date.
As somebody else pointed out, it is hard to plan for things as all pregnancies seem unique so I think you should just take it as it comes (its a crazy process, right!) and be SMUG as hell!! ;o)
(This post was edited by icegirl on Jan 18, 2010, 2:15 PM)
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clee03m
Jan 18, 2010, 4:26 PM
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Good to hear it eventually went away. I stopped climbing because pain became so bad that I had trouble walking and sleeping. It's been 1 week since I quit climbing and I am almost pain free. I may go back to the gym and see if I can climb without using movements my PT said I should avoid. I had such a good season last year that it's hard to face having to pass on pretty lines because of my limits. But I'm always up for a good challenge, and it will be fun to train and climb hard while balancing my life with a baby.
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clee03m
May 3, 2010, 2:26 AM
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Wanted to give an update regarding SPD. I started feeling better even before I gave birth for about 2 weeks. I really don't have an explanation for this. And after I delivered, symphysis pubis pain went away like magic immediately. I am now able to climb without pain.
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lena_chita
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May 3, 2010, 1:54 PM
Post #12 of 14
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That's awesome, Chris!
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clee03m
Jun 3, 2010, 6:57 PM
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The reason I was better, I think, was because I was pretty inactive and climbing easy stuff. Pain is back. At least it seems a bit better, so I am still climbing, but I haven't been able to push like I want to. Between taking it easy (still...after over 2 months after birth of my son) and not having a whole lot of time with work and baby, I feel pretty frustrated about being really out of shape.
On a positive note, I think this will finally push me to build a home gym.
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