January 27th, 2014 10:38 pm

Back to yoga, thanks to Dustienne Miller’s, Your Pace Yoga

By |2023-02-17T10:32:01+11:00January 27th, 2014|Categories: Help, Learn, Professional, Professional Resources|Tags: , , , |

This is truly a thrilling post for me to finally be writing. I used to practise yoga 4 mornings a week for at least 45 minutes pre injury. After my warm up poses, my spine unravelling was eight minutes in shoulder stand, followed by another eight minutes in plough pose before Savasana (rest). So you can imagine how many times I've tried to get back to my yoga since knowing the benefits. i was always unsuccessful until I came across Dustienne's Your Pace Yoga dvd. I still can't work out what's different, of course I've made progress but that can't be the answer as it wasn't so long ago I attempted cat/cow pose only to begin flaring. I'd say Dustienne's sequence and breathing is definitely focused on opening, lengthening and creating space in the pelvis, it just feels great and I'm happy to report I've managed it once a week for over a month now. I know that's not huge, but I'm blowing my trumpets that I could sustain one of the routines. I hope to get to both but my struggle lying on my back may prevent me.

December 23rd, 2013 11:52 am

Festive cheer or is it festive fear?

By |2017-12-11T14:20:27+11:00December 23rd, 2013|Categories: About, Creativity, Living|Tags: , , , |

When I hear 'festive cheer' I can't help but rhyme it with 'Festive fear', are you terrified at this time of year? Festivities call us to get out of the safe daily zone, step into marathon entertaining, baking, wrapping, socialising, a time to move away from our therapists and their treatments (Lord knows they need a break!) and jump! It's impossible not to wonder, how will this end for my pelvis?

September 21st, 2013 12:59 pm

Soula’s PN Weather Update

By |2023-02-17T10:32:01+11:00September 21st, 2013|Categories: About, Blog, Pudendal Neuralgia, The pain|Tags: , , , , |

It's been a while since I posted a personal update but it's probably accurate to say that PN's weather patterns need to be documented seasonally. I mostly have turbulence, like it's sunny one day/stormy the next, or otherwise described as I take two steps forward and about 1.9 steps back. It's incredibly frustrating. So rather than report all the fluctuating details in between, it's best to leave some months go by to really figure out the progress. So now, the months have gone by and I can deliver to you, Soula's PN weather update for September 21, 2013.

July 5th, 2013 1:54 pm

Desktop mag: Creative Practice & Pain Management

By |2021-02-24T10:29:47+11:00July 5th, 2013|Categories: Creativity, Online, Print|Tags: , , |

(Article from Desktop Magazine’s feature article: Creative Practice and Pain Management)Written by Soula MantalvanosOrigin of Image is a multidisciplinary design studio based in Collingwood that is managed by professional and personal partners, [...]

June 10th, 2013 10:35 am

Sharing Barry’s experience with Male Pudendal Neuralgia

By |2021-04-25T09:58:09+10:00June 10th, 2013|Categories: About, Learn, Personal resources, Pudendal Neuralgia|Tags: , , , |


I've lived here in Delaware since December 2011 and have not had a block since. I already had 6 Pudendal Nerve blocks and this after so many other procedures:
 5 Ganglion Blocks, 6 Caudal Blocks, 2 Botox injections, 2 Radio Frequency Ablations, 2 Neurostimulator Trials, an Interstim Impant, and then the 6 Pudendal Nerve blocks. Endless research and finally putting the right two words together on Google, opened up the world of Pudendal Neuralgia (Neuropathy) to us. That was near the end of December 2010. On the day after New Years and in response to two letters I sent to two Dr's names I had found, I got calls from both Dr’s the same day.

June 10th, 2013 10:34 am

How do I know if I have PN or PNE?

By |2017-12-11T09:42:18+11:00June 10th, 2013|Categories: About, Help, Learn, Professional, Professional Resources, Pudendal Neuralgia|Tags: , , , , |

Before I get into PN versus PNE, I want to first give you a brief explanation of the physiology of the pudendal nerve and the diagnosis of PN. The pudendal nerve is a large nerve that arises from the S2, S3, and S4 nerve roots in the sacrum, and divides into three branches—the inferior rectal nerve, the perineal branch, and the dorsal clitoral/penile branch. The nerve travels a tortuous course through the pelvis to innervate: • the majority of the pelvic floor muscles, • the perineum, • the perianal area, • the distal third of the urethra • part of the anal canal • the skin of the vulva, the clitoris, portions of the labia in women, • and the penis and scrotum in men. The pudendal nerve travels a torturous course through the pelvis. Patients with PN can have tingling, stabbing, and/or shooting pain anywhere in the territory of the nerve. Symptoms include vulvar or penile pain, perineal pain, anal pain, clitoral pain, and pain at the ischial tuberosities as well as pain with bowel movements, urination, and orgasm.

April 23rd, 2013 11:31 am

My ‘Fatty’ tail aint fat afterall!

By |2023-02-17T10:32:01+11:00April 23rd, 2013|Categories: About, Blog, My treatment|Tags: , , , , |

Closure really is something. Feeling like a niggling concern is finally put to rest can be so satisfying, it brings me such calm. Slowly, my pelvic chronic pain niggles are finding their place and providing me with the peace my body and mind needs so I can let go, move on and most of all feel my injury is clearly understood. I had another session with the wonderful Raffaele who continues to treat me fortnightly. I was ready to call the next nerve block last week but after yesterday I'm hopeful again and thinking I was in some kind of a flare. I can't expect (but I will!) that with my effective management flare ups will cease to happen. As I test my capacity and lift my full litres of milk occasionally, walk the dog and go out more often, I've got to expect at some point the body is going to say, 'hang on love, you're lifting too much milk!'

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