Thigh pain, weakness with DDD, stenosis, scoliosis, arthr, osteopenia

I’ve gone through physical therapy which was somewhat helpful. The most help for me was SI joint injections as well as decadron, a steroid. The pain did come back months later so I just had a RFA (radio frequency ablation of my L5 medial branch nerve as well as S1,S2 and S3. Not a bad procedure. I have had good results so far. I also had a steroid injection in L4/5 and L5S1 for the hamstring pain and burning and my shin. Good relief. I don’t think that any of these will permanently fix the problem. I’m not interested in surgery.

I had terrible shooting pains down my thighs that had me screaming when they suddenly started. Numbness also in thighs.

I went to Penn to see Dr. Ozturk and he made suggestions. It involved MRI and several meetings. Also, a laminectomy procedured that seemed to help for quite some time. Periodically , I get a reminder but not like before.

Did they suggest draining the cyst?

Yes! I started with RFA/RFI 25 years ago being treated at Ucsd. First, they had to diagnose the specific area that the thigh pain came from that was referred from my spine that took three visits. Then they treated. Only the heat ablation worked, and the pulse ablation did not. You didn’t say Which you had. Then I had to have two heat ablation six months apart in the same area and then my referred pain to my thighs stopped entirely for 15 years. I did have minor pain in the lower legs. Those stopped easily. Basically within two years I probably had nine treatments, but they were amazing and successful 100%. When I went back 15 years later, it didn’t work so well because I needed lumbar spine surgery at that point. You can tell when all of the treatments you receive have a shorter lifespan and then nothing that you are ready for surgeries. By this time you should be with a trusted orthopedic surgeon that can help guide you and watch the deterioration of your lumbar spine. I have all of the things that you mentioned. I had both of my hips replaced, but actually the pains that you’re talking about are the stenosis from the facet joints off of your spine commonly L3 L4, L5. Search around for a great orthopedic surgeon because that’ll all take time. I was 100% pleased with my lumbar surgery and got my life back and could sleep at night. However, seven years later, my spine and facet joints, connective tissue and all the rest continue to deteriorate at 68. It all started in my mid 30s so I’m very accepting and just used to it all by now. In the meantime, I have upped my exercise routine around my core and that helps me sleep deeper and avoid being woken up by the pain that still present. I am also on hormone replacement therapy because that helps support the structure of my body. I am also on the bone remodeling medicines because that helps my bones. Stay strong to exercise. I hate exercising, but in order to sleep deeper and stay strong from a body I see falling apart I have to do it. A lot of other people here will tell you that as well with degenerative disc and spine and bone conditions. Good luck!.

I never thought of that. I have to have a total hip replacement on the left side. Bone on bone due to degeneration. However; no one can tell me the awful pain that radiates up and down my thighs. It happens when I am laying down or walking. Sometimes it is worse pain then the hip pain. I could yell out with the pain. It has become unbearable. When I walk the hip pain is bad, but the ache in my thighs is awful!

Yes, they suggested drawing bakers cyst under ultrasound by a radiologist .

Thank you you’ve encouraged me. Sounds like I should expect another long road

Not yet. I’m going to PT, had a Cortizone shot. I’m doing the exercises and it is better than what it was, but I wake up at night or when I’m resting I get this gosh awful ache through my leg from my thigh to my down to my ankle and it’s like in the bone and it’s the worst pain I’ve ever had even for my back surgery so I’m the one thinking about getting that strain if that pain is coming from that cyst cause I also have some low back disc problems and I wanna be sure but it sure seems like it’s from the that sis but I can feel when it swells and then that night I have that pain in my leg so anyway I’ll have to deal with it for a bit. It’s almost been eight weeks

Me too. The most helpful for me was PT multiple times, as I have a muscle wasting type of MD which pulls on my bones and nerves and creates pain in all three. I have had injections too. I’m on Gabapentin for neuropathy and seizures, but the most helpful for the nerve pain has been Healthy Feet and Nerves by Terry Naturally, a supplement I bought on amazon and take daily. I started with a half dose and noticed relief after a week. I also take a multivitamin and other B vitamin supplements, R-ALA and others. I have more strength and don’t notice as much pain anywhere so I can still exercise somewhat and move around more.
The most helpful though has been a foldable hip cutout pillow I’ve dragged around for years and it’s prevented reinjury in cars and non-home seats.
I sleep on an air mattress and have an air pillow for my recliner. I don’t sit anywhere unless I’m on some air padded or hip cutout pillow.
It’s the best I can do for all these multiple conditions but I’ve found the more I keep my nerve and muscle pain in check the more my bone pains stay manageable and I can still exercise somewhat and move around more. It’s been 40 years for me with cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacroiliac issues of spina bifida, DDD, tears, compressions, and hemangioma tumor with countless doctors etc.
When I went in for PT last year I found out the recent spine pain was due to my spine being compressed 2” due to severe osteoporosis. I took Evenity injections for a year and gained 11% bone in my spine and 1% in my hip. I’m happy for that and I keep looking for aids that help.
In my 40s I used a walker, and with PT got rid of that and worked back up to a cane, which goes back and forth every few years each decade.
Keeping injury down is a must, and muscles strengthened so they don’t pull the bones out of place. Swollen muscles are inflamed and compress nerves which causes burning pain, cold compresses help with that. Exercise produces lactic acid in the muscles which is removed by massage, rest, and lots of water. After the burning pain is relieved, a dull ache is helped by warm compresses and water. Hip pain is helped by moist warm heat.
Remember cold for burning, heat for ache, moist heat for hip ache. If you’re going to take rxs, take initially and try to take the smallest dose possible, stretch it out and then alternate with OTC. Do the same with OTC until you can get by with just rest and compresses. Try to always have food in your stomach when taking them, unless it says not to. The bone pain drugs can cause loss of bone. Ironic but it happened to me.
I was bed ridden in my 20s with neck and back pain. Once I learned how to cope with the above strategies instead of rxs and otc meds, I’ve been able to relegate my bone issues as among the least of my health concerns, even though I’m still managing bone issues daily.
Sorry this is so long, if it helps even one person in some way or another, I feel I’ve passed on a lifetime of experience to help others.
Drug addiction is a real problem with bone pain. Watch out. Once you get loopy on a dose you won’t feel inclined to do the process above to improve your mobility which will overall manage the bone pain. You’ll be craving the next dose and so on. They’re a short term fix unless you have a bone infection or cancer. That’s a whole different situation

Wow ,great advice! Thank you. The ice , heat and all the suggestions you’ve given about the pillows and such things that help support relief from pain along with exercise plus caution use of pain pills and how to use them! Excellent advice. I’m curious to see what the hip pillow looks like. Where did you get it? I think I will look for one. I’ve been suffering from degenerative disc problems of the lower back thoracic and neck so I have use some of your suggestions and will use some more of them. So sorry you’ve suffered for so long, but your experience will help others get through their some of their pain also. Thank you for the interesting read.