Pelvic fractures

Posted by grammyx4 @grammyx4, Sep 17, 2016

I am a 62 year old woman who has been diagnosed with osteoporosis since a very early age. I also have had radiation treatments for colon cancer and have an ileostomy, which often keeps me dehydrated. I recently experienced severe pain in my lower left back and front pelvic area. After a CT scan, I was was diagnosed with fractures in my left sacral bone and front left pubic bone. As there is no known injury, it was diagnosed as spontaneous fractures. I was told there is nothing that can be done except to let them heal. A pain dr is going to administer an epidural injection into the sacarylliac joint next week in hopes of relieving some of the pain. Does anyone have any additional suggestions to help relieve this excruciating pain?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Bones, Joints & Muscles Support Group.

Nate Gilbraith | @nategilbraith | Sep 18, 2016

Welcome to Connect, @grammyx4! Please keep us updated about how feel after your appointment next week, I hope it offers you some pain relief. I hope I can help find you some answers. Let me introduce you to @predictable, @dawn_giacabazi and @safetyshield. They may be able to share their experiences with you to help you better understand your situation.

Dawn, Alumni Mentor | @dawn_giacabazi | Sep 18, 2016

Hello @grammyx4
You may not like what I have to say, so I ask you keep an open mind. Lol

So I am healing from a recent fx of the ischium and pelvis and I do not take pain medication. What works best for me: I see physical therapy 3x weekly and I fill my son's kitty pool up daily with ice water and lounge. COLD but works great. No heat!!!!

Here is a link with some helpful remidies. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/stress-fractures/manage/ptc-20232190

Prayers for speedy recovery
Dawn

Martin Jensen, Volunteer Mentor | @predictable | Sep 18, 2016

Hello @grammyx4. I'm responding to your discussion topic at the invitation of Nate, our moderator on this topic. He noticed that I had an experience with low back pain arising from the sacroiliac joint, which you mentioned. In my case, no fracture was involved. Instead, the joint had become inflamed from some unknown cause. We found that out after several weeks of PT which relieved the pain not at all. My primary care doctor (not my spinal surgeon or pain doctor) suspected the inflammation and arranged for an injection into the sacroiliac joint of an anti-inflammatory agent. The infection cleared up in a few days, and the pain has not returned since. That turned out to be the evidence that we sought: Pain relief from an injection into the joint confirmed the diagnosis of inflammation there -- in fact, this was the only way to fix the problem and confirm its cause.

My case may not offer you any avenue of relief, since fractures are involved in your situation but not mine. Perhaps your medical team would answer that question for you. Of course, we'll be interested in learning what therapy you receive and how it is working to give you some relief.

grammyx4 | @grammyx4 | Sep 30, 2016

In reply to @nategilbraith "Welcome to Connect, @grammyx4! Please keep us updated about how feel after your appointment next week,..." + (show)

Hi everyone! Thank you all for your kind responses and words of encouragement. I had my epidural into the sacroiliac joint on this last Wednesday. Since it's only been a few days, I don't want to jump the gun and say that it was a total success, but the pain in my lower back and front pelvic area is much less than it was before the injection. I have an appointment with the orthopedic doctor on Monday and we will know more after I visit with him. He is also doing a Dexa scan to check my bone density. I'll keep everyone updated. Here's hoping this helps someone else with similar symptoms!