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PMR and Nerve Compression Left L4
My PCP referred me to Rheumatology to assess my pain to try to firm up a diagnosis and plan. I had a recent MRI of the lumbar spine and there is a possibility of nerve root compression in a few spots. The Rheumatologist does not think this is significant enough to cause my symptoms. Not only was I in pain at night and stiff in the morning, I just felt sick all over. Sed rate: normal, CRP 67. Responded immediately to Medrol dose pac. He thinks I'm pretty classic for PMR even though in my case it's just hips & thighs, not shoulders, neck.
I've been on Prednisone 15 mg dly which I take in the morning. I've started to wean. For several nights now I wake up with deep pain in my left hip. Once I get out of bed, that eases up but the stiffness sets in and stays with me for several hours. I'm also noticing tenderness at the top of my ribs. I've read that costochondritis can be an issue w/PMR
What I'm trying to discern is if the hip issue is separate or maybe it is the issue afterall. I'm inclined to think that it is separate because I'm not bothered by that during the day so far. I'll certainly run this by Rheumo. But in the meantime has anyone else been in the same category as far as teasing out a diagnosis?
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Very interesting about the costochondritis connection to PMR ….I was diagnosed with that shortly before my PMR diagnosis.
I thought it was due to my intensity of exercise at the Y.
I felt it in my chest and was told not to exercise for two weeks.
Responding to pah17 on the pmr combination with hip pain: I have 45 years of experience with back pain, in all its varieties (though only a year with pmr). A couple of weeks ago after shoveling snow I had 2 or 3 bad mornings that seemed to combine back problems with pmr. I woke up with stabbing hip pain and the sort of back pain that allows you to hobble around, never standing straight, going right to a chair. In my back experience, this usually fades in the course of a week to chronic, low-grade pain. But in the recent case, each morning it would disappear completely over a half-day to minor aches. Like a morning pmr hit. Then gone altogether after 3 days or so.
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1 Reaction@eakin Hi.
I have had what sounds like similar back pain for at least ten years before PMR.
I’ve found that an ice pack 1-3 times for 20-30 minute periods (ice 20 min, no ice 20 min, ice 20 min, no ice 20 min…) followed by resting with good posture, after an activity that I know is going to cause my back to hurt later, works. The result, no back pain.
I used to apply heat but have come to realize that only made it worse and probably increased the pain intensity and duration.
Try ice, if you haven’t, and don’t try to stretch right after the ice treatment. Let that area be still until it warms up on its own.
Hope this helps.
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