Possible S3 nerve damage

Posted by gravey @gravey, Mar 7, 2017

I am new to this site, I have been experiencing pain in my left buttock cheek for over 2 years, that cannot find a cause, despite having had all of the available diagnostic tests, ( MRIs, EMG, Ultrasound, X-Rays ) does anyone out there no of any other tests? I am currently undergoing PT, it has not been much help, they are starting to consider that it might be an S3 nerve issue, as I bruised my sacrum about 2 years ago. Has anyone had an S3 issue?

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I am new to this sight and not sure I am in the right group. My husband had a steroidal injection in his neck for diagnostic purposes. Something went wrong. We don't know if the pain doc made an error or if my husband moved. We feel he knew something went wrong because he had him wait while an assistant checked my husbands feet numerous times before they let him leave. About the time we arrived home (an hours drive) he began having pain in his left side - down his arms, through his hips, into his legs and feet. That was almost a year ago. A lot of it settled down but he is left with pain in his feet so bad he cannot walk. We walked to the surgeon who ordered the injection and the pain man. Basically they dropped him like a hot potato and we have no answers. We are wondering if there is any kind of medication or supplements that he can take for repair the nerve damage (which we feel it must be). I've been told B12 and AlphaLipoic Avid would help.

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I experience intense left buttock pain after standing or walking for 5-10 minutes. I typically do not experience the pain sitting down or lying down.
I have had every single test and injection imaginable over the past four years.
I’ve had MIS surgery at L4/L5, and L2/L3, for central/ foraminal stenosis , so I know what radiculopathy feels like- Tingling and pain when standing, erect and bending, etc.
This buttock pain is very different. No tingling/ parasthesia, cannot recreate with spine extension. Does not travel down the leg unless I really push past my limits, then I get some mild pain down to the knee and some tingling in bottom of my foot.
The butt pain is localized to one spot always, where my back left pocket is.
Here is the kicker. I can recreate/ exacerbate the buttock pain two ways:
1. Standing upright, I straighten and slightly raise my left leg in front and rotate it outwards ( counterclockwise) . Rotating it inward results in pain, but much less than outward rotation.
2. Standing upright with left leg straight, I press my thumb against the popliteal fossa behind the knee, and the butt pain is instantly engaged.
When I walk for five - ten minutes or so the butt pain gets so bad that I need to sit or squat, and it is almost instantly relieved. After a minute or so I can resume walking for a few minutes then wash rinse repeat.
By the end of a long day of having to walk, sitting can also be uncomfortable,
and can elicit the same buttock pain, but most of the time sitting or lying down is not a problem.p, and actually relieves the pain.
So my symptoms don’t match ANY of the standard indicators for Piriformis Syndrome, Sciatica from nerve root compression( have had TFESI’s at EVERY LEVEL FROM L2 - S1 with no relief at all, not even during the anesthesia window.)
I ruled out Peripheral artery disease, had Piriformis injections, Facet Joint, MBB blocks, SI injections, tried a Spinal chord stimulator, did EMG, NCS - you name it I have tried it at Columbia, NYU, and a dozen other doctors in Connecticut, all with no diagnosis.
Even went to Manhattan to see Dr. Youm who’s specializes in deep gluteal syndrome sciatic decompression, but he was quick to “blame the back”.
So I am forced to come up with my own theory:
One of the “deep six” rotators muscles in the Deep Gluteal Space( DGS) is adhering to the sciatic nerve, and when under load, such as when walking or standing is pulling on the Sciatic nerve, causing inflammation and thus pain ar the exact spot in the buttock, and that the two tests described above that recreate the pain are simply adding the extra tension to the nerve to make it “scream”.
The pain is so localized that I can literally “put my finger on it”.
Hoping against hope that SOMEONE in this forum can point me in any direction as I have had to give up my lifelong passion as a ballroom dancer/ instructor.

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I have similar. I got the pain doc to order sacrum/coccyx/hip MRI.

Turns out I have tendonitis of gluteus minimus and gluteus medius and a torn tendon at the gluteous mimimous insertion. Getting steroid injection next week.
Biofreeze also helps

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@bannisterkl

I have similar. I got the pain doc to order sacrum/coccyx/hip MRI.

Turns out I have tendonitis of gluteus minimus and gluteus medius and a torn tendon at the gluteous mimimous insertion. Getting steroid injection next week.
Biofreeze also helps

Jump to this post

I have autoimmune psoriatic arthritis in the Sacrum.
Among other things.

I just wanted to comment about steroid injections. I had them in the back to help the bad Paraspinal muscle spasm. It is wonderful. Helped me so much. Those particular injections did not affect my blood sugar too much, and did not effect my pulse (as others had prior - different area shot)…

All and all, the injections helped me. I had my injection end of Dec ‘22. It is still lasting and its 2/15/23.

Best of Luck to you. Hope you feel better!

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