Mystery pain from back through hip into knee

Posted by tdettman1 @tdettman1, Mar 23, 2023

Hello I'm a male, 43, 5' 10" and weigh about 180. I have adhd, social anxiety and chronic depression. I was in an auto accident about a year ago. I was driving and the other party hit me just in front of the driver's side (left). I received pt and injections in the tendons of my back on the left side and that only eased the constant ache.
The nature of the mystery pain runs from my shoulder blade down to my knee, all on the left side. If I sit in a chair normally the entire structure pulls and grows quickly painful. If I stand it's fine for a bit but any movement outside my center makes it all start to ache. When I walk normally with my left foot flat on the ground it feels like it's attached to something in my back, down through my guts, pulling them down. I can't move my leg laterally more than say a couple of inches.
My inner left thigh has a painful band that seems to have loosened and affects the knee. I've been wearing a compression sleeve since October '22. The pain in my thigh feels like snakes wriggling around and makes it feel like something is caught around the knee. My left butt cheek is droopy, like something loosened, and swollen through the groin. Also, something is swollen inside as I've been defecating super thin ribbons. That may be part of my ibs though but with it all being so close together I'm mentioning it.
The pain in my thigh/groin almost feels like an erogenous nerve as when I lay flat, with my left leg straight and turned inward, like a duck and my right leg on top keeping it turned, the pelvis and leg start to pulse. The pulsing is irritating but also helps the left side feel comfortable.
I've had mris, xrays and they've looked with the ultrasound. I have one more orthopedic surgeon to meet with but I'm terrified they'll find nothing. It's been a year since I worked and I'm losing my mind just trying to figure out what I can do in the future if this pain doesn't go away. My primary Dr insists nothing is connected from my leg to my abdomen and back but something is causing the pulling and the pain.

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What was the duration of the PT? How many sessions and how long was each session? Did you see any improvement after the therapy sessions?

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It sounds like you need to see a good, reputable neurologist to do a comprehensive review of your symptoms then order appropriate tests to isolate the origin of the pain. I would think x-ray, CT, and possibly an MRI and EMG to see if there is any injury to your spine from the accident. Sometimes that kind of etiology can show up months after the injury.
Good luck.

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@tyco

What was the duration of the PT? How many sessions and how long was each session? Did you see any improvement after the therapy sessions?

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The first round was a month and the pain seemed to ease so I went back to work and lasted a week before it all pulled and went higher up the back. The other round of pt was about 6 months and it never got much better. They were twice a week for about 30 minutes each session.

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@26sabrina

It sounds like you need to see a good, reputable neurologist to do a comprehensive review of your symptoms then order appropriate tests to isolate the origin of the pain. I would think x-ray, CT, and possibly an MRI and EMG to see if there is any injury to your spine from the accident. Sometimes that kind of etiology can show up months after the injury.
Good luck.

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How would I go about finding a reputable neurologist? Today, I was getting out of the tub and getting dressed when I reached down to get clothes and something went off in my lower back and hip. I had to use a grabber to dress and then I laid on the ground for 3 hours. The only reason I finally did get up is because my son got me a back brace.
Looking that up mentioned a sacroiliac joint problem that affect the back, hip and knee and sounds familiar.

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@tdettman1

The first round was a month and the pain seemed to ease so I went back to work and lasted a week before it all pulled and went higher up the back. The other round of pt was about 6 months and it never got much better. They were twice a week for about 30 minutes each session.

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I would like to share my experience. I am a 78-year-old male and was unable to stand for more than three minutes without pain. I was using an upright walker. After waiting for 6 months, I had major back surgery in February 2022 - lumbar fusion L3, L4, and L5. Three procedures were used ALIF, XLIF, and PLIF.
I went into PT two weeks after surgery for 12 one-hour sessions and am following the exercise regimen to this day. I walk with a slight limp but am pain-free. I do not take any painkillers.
During the six months of waiting for surgery, I had the luxury of researching the above surgical procedures on the internet. Now I am researching the cause of my limp. Try searching "psoas muscle" and "s1 nerve" which may have been compromised in the accident. A CT scan of the abdomen may reveal the cause of your "ribbon" poop.

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@tdettman1

How would I go about finding a reputable neurologist? Today, I was getting out of the tub and getting dressed when I reached down to get clothes and something went off in my lower back and hip. I had to use a grabber to dress and then I laid on the ground for 3 hours. The only reason I finally did get up is because my son got me a back brace.
Looking that up mentioned a sacroiliac joint problem that affect the back, hip and knee and sounds familiar.

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Check neurologist in your area. Go to their website and note what hospitals they are associated with. Check their professional associations and if they are involved in other areas. You can also see there some of their reviews by patients. You can also go to the state medical site to check for any infractions against their license. After you've done all this, make an appointment with a couple for just a consultation and then decide if you've found someone who seems honest and most of all, will they take time to listen to you.
Good luck.

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