Pain in buttock, outer hip and hamstring

Hi Christine,

Was the recommendation to have a vertebra replaced, or to fuse two (or more) vertebra? I only ask because I'm not familiar with vertebra replacement. Arthritis in the spine can lead to a narrowing of the spinal canal (stenosis), pressuring the sciatic nerve with sharp pain in the buttocks, hamstrings, and calves - usually only on one side of the body. Other things can also put pressure on the sciatic nerve - scoliosis (curve in the spine), listhesis (one vertebra out of alignment with other vertebra), and degeneration of the discs between the vertebra.

Fusion can help solve this, but it should be a last resort. A good orhtopedic surgeon can explain your options.

All the best to you, and please let us know how you are doing.

Joe

The doc said, there's trauma.
That's why he's recommending replacement. The funny thing is, I don't remember anything traumatic happening at that site. Lol.
From the look of the x-ray it looked like there were many teeny tiny pieces on the spine side not so much on the backside of the vertebrae. Don't get me wrong, I'm terrified of this surgery. But I can no longer stand fr any length of time without searing pain an burning in the area of my back.

Last year I had a left SI joint fusion. I still cannot tell if it's helping because the pain on the right side is getting so bad, along w the pain in the spine. It seems I need a new right hip. Arthritis.
But.... my bmi is to high for any of the surgeries I'm facing. So, it's weight loss surgery b4 anything else.
If your still reading, thank you. God bless

Help me cut out the sugar 👍 I already cut out as much salt as possible. I have a lot of osteoarthritis in my spine, feet , neck and some disk degeneration plus minor scoliosis. Hurts all the time, have trouble sitting,standing & walking but I force myself to walk a minimum of a mile a day ( having a dog helps). I declined spinal surgery except for a joint replacement on a big toe due to a huge larger joint making it nearly impossible to wear shoes. My primary doctor says losing weight will help ( I lost 10 pounds by cutting out carbs but gained back 8 because I got lazy). It is imperative to lose weight if you have spinal problems so I’m back on track now. I have my wellness visit in 2 weeks and I’m dreading the holidays because of the refined carbs I know people will be forcing on me. Good luck. Keep checking those food labels.

Hi mydogsbestfriend,

I will say this - you are very honest and fighting the good fight. I have the same problems you have. my lumbar spine is held together by a strong core. But I have stenosis, scoliosis, listhesis (one disc sliding ahead of the one below), degenerative arthritis, degenerative discs - sounds like you do too.

I've had two bouts with sciatica and a ruptured disc. I only had surgery once - lamintomies at S1, L5, and L4. That was 10 years ago. I had my knees replaced in 2022. I used that as motivation to get back to the gym to get my legs strong pre-op and to keep them that way post-op.

I lost 30 lbs this last year - a combination of cutting a LOT of sugar and taking up spinning. You might want to try spinning. Just sit relatively tall to keep your lumbar spine in proper position. Try a class, it's fun. And people in spin class are focused on their workout. So there's no reason to be shy.

As for sugar - it was really one thing - a can of coke I drank every night - that was the culprit. I stopped that and along with the spinning, the weight came off. And sugar contributes to inflammation and so makes arthritis worse. And I did cut back on candy and other products that had a lot more sugar in them than I knew.

There is probably one or two things you're eating that are adding most of the sugar. Cut those out and you'll almost certainly lose weight. Great job on salt!

I don't pretend to know your situation. Other than rampant arthritis, I have never really struggled with weight. I realize how fortunate I am. But I am 5'10" tall (I used to be 6'1"...... until my lumbar spine collapsed) and 190 lbs and dropped to 160 lbs in a year.

Your walking is an excellent form of exercise. You sound like you have the will to get better and I believe in you.

All the best, and thanks for sharing. I hope some of this helps.

Joe

Hi again mydogsbestfriend,

I forgot to mention one thing, sleep position. I sleep on my side and switch between left and right. I put a memory foam pillow between my knees and keep my knees slightly bent . This keeps the spine straight and takes pressure off the back.

I also have a yoga bolster that I place behind my back, and then have another pillow to rest the arm I'm not sleeping on.

It's quite a production, but very helpful and makes sleeping easier.

Joe

Sounds like a production for sure. I do find sleeping on my left side helps but I do have to alternate with the right side. I also read somewhere that sleeping on your right side is good for digestion problems

Thansk for you reply
One of the PT told me that I have more than one issue periformis, IT band and bursitis feels like same issue I am facing. Tried doing periformis streaches and strengthing but due to more than one issue i am still facing the problum.
could you please provide me the list of excercises and streaches helping you. I have met many physios and I have given more that 2 to 3 month each one of them but seems like my issue is still not diagnosed and also there are very few sports PT in my city.

Thank you, Joe. I appreciate your input.
I am looking for a Neurosurgeon. Mri scheduled for 21 November. The spasms in my leg is horrific. I am holding on.

The MRI will be very useful. Now you have to find a good surgeon.

We relocated in 2018 from CA and I needed to find good orthopedic surgeons for my back, knees, shoulders and hips. I looked for surgeons from their mid/late 30s to their 40s, with a solid pedigree from a reputable med school and/or a reputable hospital for their residency (Mayo, Cleveland Clinic), and of course solid reviews from their patients. These surgeons are current on the latest medical innovations, and in that age range, they've done hundreds or thousands of surgeries.

And I found surgeons like this at one hospital system in Wisconsin - Froedert/Medical College of Wisconsin. I had both knees replaced in 2022, and will get my right hip replaced in January 2025. I've also met with a back surgeon I trust, if/when I'll need him, and a shoulder surgeon as well.

I hope that helps. I know what it's like to suffer from sciatica, on both sides, and it's terrible. So all the best to you and I hope you get some relief soon.

Joe

You'll usually find good orthopedic surgeons in one clinic

I too have the same pain, but in both sides. I was told by three neurosurgeons that this is caused by lumbar stenosis, spondylilithosis, and pinched nerves in my lower lumbar vertebrae. I also had PMR which began last March, so it’s hard to tell the difference with the pain. Physical therapy has helped me tremendously, as it has taught me the correct way to move. Movement does help too!