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Anyone experience chronic sit pain from hamstring/sciatic adhesion?
I began experiencing chronic sit pain in my left sit bone area out of the blue 5 years ago. It was present as soon as I sat down and went away as soon as I stood. I only had pain when sitting but it became severe the longer I sat. Dr suggested piriformis syndrome. Had months of PT. Exercises made it hurt worse. Was sent to an orthopedic surgeon. My L4 &5 were herniated but not significantly. Had an injection. No help. Over the course of the next 2 years I had 3 MRIs, Ishial bursa injections and 3 other injections. None helped. Finally had surgery on the disks. No help. While working in my yard I tore my left hamstring. I had injured it 7 years before. This tear was severe and required surgery. The surgeon was aware of my sit pain and explored the area. He found a 2cm "nubbin" that I assume was scar tissue probably from the previous injury. He removed it. He also noted that my sciatic nerve was adhered in several places and he freed it. Post surgery I experienced some relief in my pain. It did not go away but was much better. Where before I could not travel in a car more than 2 hours, I did as many as 12-15 on a vacation. That lasted about 16 months and now the pain is back like before. Only now it hurts if I walk too much and lingers when I stand. Sometimes I can even touch the area and get pain. I cannot do any sort of exercises below the waist or nerve glides without irritating it worse. I have been in PT the entire time with no relief. My PT thinks the nerve is adhered again. I am otherwise a very healthy 65 year old who works out regularly (upper body only) and am as active as this pain will allow. I am not sure where to go next but I simply refuse to give up...I'm stubborn! If anyone has had a similar experience or has any suggestions I am open to your thoughts.
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I am also feeling pain in my back bone below my bottom
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1 Reactioncoffeeshep, any chance you could see the investigative surgeon that found the "nubbin." Anyway I'd like t know his name.
I have been thinking of returning to him. I have an upcoming appointment with a neurologist (been waiting 3 months, 2 more to go). If he is unable to offer any help then I plan to return to the orthopedic surgeon that performed my hamstring repair and discovered the nubbin and adhesion. He is a sports medicine surgeon in the Ortho Indy group out of Indianapolis. I liked him as a physician.
I also need your surgeon or recommendations in New Mexico. For 18 months the surgeon ignored my comments of trouble shown on an MRI, and then he indicated piriformis syndrome. I've been in PT, had one good therapist but she moved. Before the diagnosis I was with one clinic that then moved out of my insurance, there the doctor was convinced I had spinal problems, many injections in different spots and they said they could not do anything for me. Back with the original surgeon who now recommended PT for piriformis, but that was more like physical training. The pain got worse. Had Shock Wave therapy which seemed to worsen things, and then PRP. That has also not helped. I don't think any of their treatments were really appropriate for piriformis syndrome. Originally I could not sit. Now walking is very difficult and aggravates the problem (I used to walk miles a day). So I suppose you also know what it is like to try not to sit all day as the least of pain options. Again I am between doctors because of insurance, but if anyone there has suggestions in New Mexico, please let me know. The original surgeon who identified finally piriformis syndrome said that surgery was an option, eventually. I feel as if eventually is here. (Incidentally i am in CBT and trying to faithfully give that a chance)
I definitely know what it is like to try to sit as little as possible. It can be very frustrating when your only options to avoid pain are to stand or lie down. For me it means I am going to experience some level of discomfort going to restaurants, visit friends, travel to my children's homes, airplane seats, etc. When I have to travel, I bring a heating pad in my car and sit on it while driving, which relieves the pain some. I do the same at home when I sit down for any length of time. I also have a small, blow up cushion that is very tiny when deflated that I take if I go to a restaurant that has hard seats.
I will say my pain level varies from day to day, some days being worse than others, but I never experience no pain when sitting. I have a fairly high tolerance but if I sit too long it becomes unbearable. I still go to therapy off and on and also get Pulse Electromagnetic Field therapy (PEFM). Whether it helps or not, I can't really say. What I do know is that it takes very little of the wrong physical activity for me to make it worse.
Just to clarify a little about the surgeon who found my scar tissue and sciatic adhesions: he did not originally see me because of my pain complaint. I was seeing another surgeon in the same office who did my disc surgery. When that did not work, he sent me to their in house pain management specialist. She gave me a few injections that they had not tried. I was scheduled to do a follow-up with her when I tore my hamstring. At her office appointment I told her what I had done and she immediately passed me off to the sports medicine surgeon. He made it clear that he could not promise to relieve my pain but that while he was reattaching my hamstring he would look for a cause. Fortunately he found those issues and helped ease my pain so that I was better able to tolerate sitting for a while. I'm new to this forum so I don't know if there is some protocol about sharing doctors names or not, but I certainly don't mind. As I mentioned, he is located in Indianapolis, IN.