SI joint or piriformis

@julkun it has been a long time this your post.
How are you feeling now?

@nicoleztg84 Yes, it's been a long time. I'm not getting any better. About 7-8 months ago, I had a Spinal Cord Stimulator implanted since the trial seemed to work a little. The SCS hasn't done much. We keep fooling around with different programs and intensity. I am not happy. A few weeks ago, my pain doc gave me another nerve block. Didn't do a thing. I'm suffering every day. It's controlling my life and I'm not happy about it. Thanks for asking. Here is something else I discovered. 4 times in the last 5 years, I had either Covid or the flu. Each time I had a few days of fever. Those fever days, NO NEUROPATHY pain. When the fever went away the pains returned.

@nicoleztg84 Yes, it's been a long time. I'm not getting any better. About 7-8 months ago, I had a Spinal Cord Stimulator implanted since the trial seemed to work a little. The SCS hasn't done much. We keep fooling around with different programs and intensity. I am not happy. A few weeks ago, my pain doc gave me another nerve block. Didn't do a thing. I'm suffering every day. It's controlling my life and I'm not happy about it. Thanks for asking. Here is something else I discovered. 4 times in the last 5 years, I had either Covid or the flu. Each time I had a few days of fever. Those fever days, NO NEUROPATHY pain. When the fever went away the pains returned.

@julkun interesting. What seems to be the cause of the neuropthy pain? Is it the spine, diabetes, piriformis, etc...? Where is your pain and what type is it? numbness tingling, shocks, heat, etc...

@julkun

That is very interesting. I too suffer with tons of nerve pain, mostly in my legs. At least 3 times, including last week I had covid or the flu or whatever. Something more than a cold anyway. Each time when I was at my sickest, my nerve pain would almost disappear until I started feeling better and then it would get worse than it was before I was sick. No idea why that is.

It can be both! It can be either or at times; it can be neither if it’s referred pain from your spine or your facet joints. You need to go to a really good orthopedic surgeon and a really good pain management doctor hopefully ones that work together. Also, you should try deep tissue myofascial release therapy that is amazing for piriformis, sciatic and tight SI joints, I’ve suffered with SI joint and piriformis dysfunction for 30 years. I have genetic scoliosis and that caused a problem as I aged. The muscles around your core and spine weaken and they start tugging. You can have nerves that run through your buttocks and you could have tight SI joints , and you can have press on those nerves and cause sciatic pain. There are so many possible combinations of things you can have that you need to see some good doctors who will work together and come up with some viable solutions. Eventually, I had a good deal of surgery done on L3 L4, L5 , and straightening that out helped a lot of the radiating pain that goes down my leg, causing numbness and muscle spasms and a terrible itch on the outside of my left lower leg. There’s something called a nerve conductivity test and your doctors can refer you for that and that’ll isolate where the nerve pain originates , when things get too out of control. I get a shot of Toradol in my buttocks and that resolves the piriformis inflammation and pain for years or months at a time. Nothing substitute for good physical therapy and good stretch exercises and good posture. Also managing one’s weight is really important. I was diagnosed with a piriformis dysfunction early on, and there’s nothing much to be done about it. Nothing magical. Eventually, the diagnosis lead to disc degeneration And stenosis in the facet joints Ulting in a major lower back surgery. It’s really important to go through all the diagnostic functions your doctor and pain management people can put you through. I don’t recommend all the steroids on a regular basis. Just use them purposefully to diagnose , and then figure out what you can do to maintain your body without pain. So use the cortical steroids, the epidurals, the Toradol, and all the things for an immediate treatment but over the long term you have to find other methods to maintain your good health.

I am following I also suffer from SI joint pain and i'm diabetic (insulin ) and I have tried PT with no luck or relief. I receive injections every 3-5 months and that seems to give me a short period of relief. But I am tired if the steroid shots due to it throws my sugar into a whirlwind. Any suggestions would be appreciated. When my SI acts up i cant even lye on my sides ( either one) without having the leg cramps after ready some on it i now know they are connected. No-one has ever told me this. It disturbs my sleep and starts to mess with my emotional health cause it hurts so bad. I am not on any thing but otc meds due to my choice but they don't help and don’t want any pain meds because of addition. I have tried Lyrica and gabapentin but it makes me crazy feeling and I don't like them.

@mmr68
If medical grade marijuana is legal where you live you should give it a try. It has helped me tremendously.