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Undiagnosed Hip and Knee pain
Hello, I live in Dallas and I have had severe hip and knee pain (simultaneously) for over 3 years now and have had imaging, surgery, and extensive physical therapy but my very reputable doctor cannot diagnose my pain. I've been to both the knee specialist and the hip specialists at TOA on Greenville and no relief. They said it is not a textbook problem and they keep just offering bursa and knee injections. I left the office in tears today after having another round of injections that typically last a month. I am 61 years and in very healthy shape and I can't even walk up a flight of stairs due to the pain. What do you do when the doctor cannot help? Prior to hip ligament/labral tear repair surgery I went to another very reputable doctor for a second opinion (Carrell Clinic) and he said the surgery seemed like the thing to try. It did not fix any of the pain. I'm at a loss as to where to turn now?
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@mmarena88
Did you get a MRI of your hips/pelvis and knees before having surgery or getting injections? Is that what showed your ligament/labral tears warranting the surgery or inflammation in your knees warranting injections? Have you ever had a MRI of your lumbar/sacral spine? You could have degenerated discs/stenosis and spinal cord/nerve root/nerve compression that is radiating to your hips/legs/knees.
I have cervical and lumbar spinal stenosis and degenerative disc disease and had surgery on both to decompress my spinal cord/nerve roots/nerves. I am a 55 year old female. My lumbar decompression/fusion surgery was just on 8/2/2024 (L3-L5). I had pain radiating from my lower back to hips/buttocks/legs/feet plus weakness/numbness. In addition to lumbar stenosis, I was diagnosed with neurogenic claudication which explained my symptoms. My hope is the surgery will decompress my spinal cord/nerve roots and relieve some of my symptoms. I had gotten spine injections but they were no longer helping relieve pain. I had a hip/pelvis MRI which showed bilateral gluteal tendinopathy and bilateral hamstring tears and I had no idea how this happened. Now, I think my neurogenic clarification contributed to this due to weakness/numbness in my hips/buttocks/legs.
My suggestion is for you to see a spine specialist and a neurologist for a lumbar/sacral MRI and EMG of lower limbs (to assess radiating pain to legs/knees). You need to get at the real source of your pain. The injections in your hips/knees are not helping which says they have not narrowed down the source and you are wasting your time/money with incorrect treatments.
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5 Reactions@mmarena88
*Correction…neurogenic claudication, not clarification. Just love autocorrect. 😉
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2 ReactionsVery valid recommendations. I think that a "whole systems" approach might be the best way to look at these problems. You want the cause treated- not the symptoms. It may also require understanding your own body.
Keep advocating!
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3 ReactionsI would try a good pain doctor. Not one that just gives out pills
sounds like arthritis to me. If you don't have numbness and tingling on your feet or legs DON'T do surgery yet!
You will hate it when the pain doesn't go away and you did all that!
1) notice the weather. My worst days are humidity. You live in TX - you have a lot of those! The barometric pressure may be a problem for you.
2) Try celebrex and see if that helps.
3) limiting salts to check your fluid retention?
4) watch the steroid injections they have side effects - especially once a month!
5) I had 4 opinions before I had surgery - took 20 years. but it was correct when it happened.
6) TRY SHOE INSERTS
7) try DEEP MYOFASCIAL TISSUE RELEASE and see if that gets you any good result
8) try a vacation to the desert and dry weather. If it solves your problem MOVE. I had to!
The pain was unbearable. I have osteoarthritis and that's what your limited info sounds like
9) go to arthritis doctors. Been to a bunch. They don't do anything when you have osteoarthritis but they might determine that is what your pain is and I feel better when someone clearly diagnosis me.
10 Acupuncture works awesome! it will get the "Chi" moving and you'll feel better. (it might take a little while and multiple visits, so be prepared to not do a single visit).
Thank you for your response. Yes I did have lumbar/ sacral MRIs done, including of the lower back. I also went to a neurologist for a full EMG work up , and they found no nerve issues. It may be that I need to go ahead and see a spine doctor anyway.
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1 ReactionThank you for the great suggestions! I do have some mild arthritis in my knee and hip so Celebrex might be a good option to try!!
Thank you, I will!
Did you have a thorough rheumatologist workup
with labs and ultrasound.? Some of the spondylopathies
don’t show much on imaging and minimal lab evidence.
Your less likely to have a rheumatologist suggest more surgery.
I found this conversation helpful because I was back to see my surgeon's physician assistant today.
It is important to keep in mind that we each have different life journeys.
I will stick with what I previously said: "A total systems approach-with focus on individual subsystems is the best approach." My caveat: I was taught to not complain about my pain, emotional and physical. It can lead to a disconnect to understanding where pain in your body is actually coming from - which it is important to understand cause and not symptom. Become better at reading your body and you will help those who can understand better!
BTW, I highly recommend you have humor, maybe a few human treats, to share with your team (caregivers) as they will enjoy the conversation, teamwork-which includes you, and the human-ness! There is so much more that brings us together than separates us!