gluteal tendinopathy with tendon and muscle tears

Dear @twistedwillow -

I don't think having had hip replacement would interfere w/shock therapy; don't see how that would interfere. However, whoever gives you the treatment can tell you definitively. My physiatrist (physical medicine doc) gave me the treatments. Good luck!

@ellesea01 so I did my consultation and I will be having my first shockwave treatment on Monday.
I also went to my doctor and we’re going to try Nitroglycerin patches as well. It’s supposed to help with Tendon healing and pain but mixed results from studies. At this point I’ll try anything and of course along with physio therapy exercises . I’ll update after Monday ! Also you’re right it does help to know we’re not alone !

@hjabs Glad things are moving along. So a few more hopefully helpful changes with your PT.
Fingers crossed. Appreciate your update. Rooting 4 ya. Ttyl !!

@loyd1957 Hi Lloyd, There seems to be a huge difference between the attitude of American medicine and European medicine. I have a physiotherapist who is Italian and was a principal ballet dancer. He said the first thing Europeans do is an MRI for comparisons to see if it's better or worse in order to provide the most accurate treatment. VS the United States, which says, "We don't really know what's going on, but let's treat the symptoms—do PT, take drugs, get an injection; it's all just a shot in the dark." "I admit I am jaded.

@hjabs I'm so sorry. Have you seen a women's midlife health specialist? Some women have told me that some muscle difficulties are due to hormone imbalances...or endocrinology for low thyroid. Or cortisol levels. Any of these could be aggravating. I'm trying to think outside the box, and 2 things that showed up for me and other women are I've been on HRT since age 44 due to a hysterectomy. My doctor also added Topamax and progesterone for pain to help me sleep at night. Celebrex and gabapentin were no-gos for me on pain. Someone asked if you have tried shockwave therapy...or ultrasound. I did acupuncture with electromagnetic stimulation by my local acupuncturist. The hospital acupuncture was very expensive and not covered by ins. 15 Tramadol and 2.5 mg of oxycodone also helped take the edge off, but I moved to a new state that does not allow these medications. I have been known to have 2 portable TENS units and multiple pads going at one time to help with pain on one side.
You have my deepest empathy and support.

@pamglutemedius what a journey you’ve had as well.
Thank you for this follow up comment. I am currently on 2 pumps of Estrogel and 100mg of progesterone for HRT and I did ask my doctor if we could test hormone levels but she said we still just go off of symptoms. I had blood work done for routine tests ( blood , lipids, sugar, Iron, thyroid etc.) all normal but LDL cholesterol was .06 above normal and ferritin was a bit low ( I take supplements which I had been on a lower dose) switched back to the higher dose now.
It’s a little difficult to get proper midlife guidance here in Canada unless you pay for private healthcare.
I am basically doing my own research and making suggestions to my GP.
May I ask if you know what the lab test for cortisol is ? I would not be surprised if mine is high .
I am trying shockwave therapy this coming Monday and I also have a TENS unit that I was using earlier in my hip replacement recovery which I will take out and start using again. Thank you also Celebrex I may stop just because like you, it really doesn’t seem to be helping much and gabapentin just helps me sleep through the night which I also don’t love being so used to taking it.
I’m so sorry you’re no longer able to get the Tramadol and Oxycodone it’s so frustrating that we have to fight so hard to just have basic quality of life.
I will keep sharing my journey and I again appreciate your sharing, it’s so important for us to support each other.

I can't remember if it was you or someone else there is a Canadian Doctor Who is the senior editor and developer of a website called "Foot education" he's now only doing research and educating other doctors. He's a brilliant Canadian orthopedic surgeon that is specialized in foot and ankle but all the things that put in ankle has also has hip muscles, joints, bones, nerves, facia, and my point his name is Dr Stephen Pinney. Go into that website and send him a message and ask him if he knows of a Canadian Doctor Who can help you with any of this. He's brilliant he wrote a book about the Canadian medical profession. He's a true professional hockey players or something he was my doctor at the Cleveland Clinic.
I will find the test for cortisol and get back to you
One thing that just makes me crazy is when Dr say we're only going to treat the symptoms without really having any idea what they're doing so many different things have the sameP symptoms that's
And I do understand your frustration of having to pay for things out-of-pocket I do too. I'm disabled at this point and have been unable to work in 10 years so yeah I get it. But I pay a lotof money for my health insurance
Let's talk about thyroid and basic. TSH doesn't tell you very much and is deceiving.. there's testing for T3 and T4. There's a reverse T3 and reverse T4 and unless the doctor understands all that and understands how to read it, you could still be in trouble with a low thyroid or a high thyroid, but usually the pain that you're experiencing is low thyroid.. I am on two different thyroid medications one twice a day
Next, I hear you're on estrogen, cream and progesterone, good girl, but I am also on an estrogen patch which I get from Canada UK or New Zealandbecause it's so much cheaper than buying in the US. So my doctor has me on both a patch and estrogen, cream and progesterone.
And they added Topamax 125 MG to start at night and then I tried going up to 50 but I felt better at 25. It helps me sleep and reduces my pain a bit.
I watch a lot of British medical TV shows and they will often have a GP give a referral for a a specialist consult ask your GP if they will refer you so that you can still be in the system without paying extra
Here's another big thing omega-3 I'm always desperately low in that when they do my blood testing so I have to drink fish oil🩷
Do they have Functional Medicine specialist??
Let me go look up the cortisol testing I'll get back to you

@pamglutemedius you are truly amazing ! Thank you so much for all of your amazing input. I think we are very similar in how we think and doing research for ourselves ! I’m so sorry that you’re having to pay so much as well . I’m going to be asking my surgeon if he knows any great sports med or functional doctors as well but I will also go into the doctor you mentioned and see if I can source some information as well.

@hjabs let's keep talking 🩷
I'm busy preparing for 7 hr drive to NYC and apts at HSS.
I watch a British tv medical show called embarrassing bodies with 3 rotating Speciality doctors in the national medical system. They FREQUENTLY refer patients to "consulting specialists". IMHO you could ask your primary general Dr to refer you... but the question is.. refer you to what- to whom. Give Dr Stephen Pinney a message on foot education site. He won't remember I saw him at cleveland clinic. ( Pam Buffington with a liscfranc ORIF.) He saw me after someone else did 3 surgeries. 🙏

@hjabs
It might be better not to take anti-inflammatory drugs while you're undergoing shock therapy, in case the therapy relies on some inflammatory response to work. Be patient: It may take 6 to 8 weeks before you experience improvement with shock therapy. Wishing you good progress!