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My doctor doesn't find a spine problem; what else could it be?
About 5 years ago 2 events happened:
1) I picked up a cooler and felt something rub together or shift in my lower right back/buttocks. The pain went away after being in bed a few days, but I had an odd sort of vibration feeling in the front of pelvic area.
2) 3 months later I came down hard on one side of my body while playing frisbee. This created a bad pain in lower right back and back of thigh. The leg pain went away for the most part, but the back pain and hip cramping, groin pull pain,nerve pain never did. Over the following 3 years I' had:
-2 lumbar MRIs- degenerative disc disease is only thing of note
-EMG- negative
- 2 epidurals with little to no effect.
-2 failed PT attempts
-2 otho Dr. and a neurosurgeon visits. They don't know what's wrong
3 months ago, It became really bad and then I reached down to my right to pick up a pick of paper on the floor, and bam, that shifting feeling again...and now, it never got better, especially the back of the leg pain while walking and groin pull pain. I decided to go to a new pain management Dr. who thinks it SI joint. 2 steroid shots later and it's a little better, but I still can't walk more than 10 steps without pain in my leg and back. I'm scheduled for lidocaine injection in the facet joint next week to rule that out, but I had that a couple years ago, and it didn't work. Also have another EMG scheduled next month.
Things that help with pain: Generally sitting forward somehow stretches the nerve compression, so that's tolerable, especially bending forward. That's about it.
I cannot twist to the right at all, without major back cramping/pain feeling, into my hip and back of thigh.
I'm crying all the time and fell helpless cause I cannot get an accurate diagnosis, and the tests are not showing things that would cause this. Also, I feel like there might be 2 things going on at once. It doesn't seem like piriformis, given sitting is ok, especially leaning on my left side.
I apologize for this long post, but man I'm struggling with this. My daughters wedding is in 2 months.
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Thanks! So I'm 51. I relatively no back issues until I lifted a cooler 5 years ago wrong (which this is connected to) and then came down with my weight on my right foot 3 months later. I don't think autoimmunity is at play here. My issue is now sitting in a chair over a computer all day for the last 3 months. It's not helping and it's effecting my neck and shoulders now. It's really hurts to stand and walk and I have no idea if doing those things will help or hurt my current nerve condition. 32 years is a long time to wait for a diagnosis. I can't imagine being in the pain I've been the last 3 months, for an extended period of time as it's brutal.
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2 ReactionsAre you normally active?
Sitting is probably my least favorite activity. We haven't evolved to sit on chairs for long periods of time. Squatting like you'd imagine a "caveman" would is far more anatomically correct.
I think that you actually have a lot of arthritis in your back for a 51 year old. Which probably means that you aren't ever going to be pain free. But I do think you will improve.
Pain is the easiest part for me. I was very athletic growing up and not being able to move the way I want to, as well as the mobility issues are what I struggle with. And since my disease is progressive, I have to fight to keep the mobility I do have. Others with my disease do end up in wheelchairs or worse.
I hope you get some relief soon.
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3 Reactions@dougs72
I am glad you are pursuing tests to get answers. Your cervical and thoracic spine could be the most impacted so it may be good for you to focus your efforts there. Especially if it is affecting your ability to stand, sit, walk. Good luck with all of your upcoming tests and getting answers.
https://www.physio-pedia.com/Thoracic_Back_Pain_Red_FlagsMy experience - and maybe some food for thought:
Many years ago while exercising on my Elliptical machine I experienced a sudden Pain. It turned out to be caused by a calcium buildup that for whatever the reason contacted a major nerve bundle. Ultimately, physical therapy worked my muscles in a way that resulted in separation of those two elements.
In the meantime the therapists taught me to use Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) as a method of blocking pain. I was shown how to set it up and where to place criss-crossed pads straddling my spine allowing me to walk without sensing the pain. Ultimately the physical therapy solved the core problem allowing me to wean myself off the TENS use.
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3 ReactionsThank you. My mom had a lot of arthritis. I just wish I had some stretches that I knew for sure would help me, but without knowing specifically what the issue is, it's hard to get those. Also, I would not sit behind my computer all day if my back and leg didn't hurt so much with this searing pain when I walk. I would try to fight through it and walk more and more each day, if I knew that it wouldn't hurt my condition or make it worse.
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1 ReactionI had similar issues caused by a hypermobile SI Joint. A Dr. I found, after 4 years and 6 Drs., who diagnosed the lax ligament that connects the pelvis with the spine. A procedure called prolotherapy fixed the ligament and the joint now only moves slightly out of place, an issue I can fix with 'knee to the chest' twice a day, or if needed.
The original issue had developed after a hip operation that left one leg shorter than the other. The SI Joint accommodated that with its hypermobility, but then caused issues including semi-dislocation of my leg when moved in a certain position. Prolotherapy turned on specific high levels of self-healing for the over stretched ligament.
I am old and was always very flexible and athletic. I believe the muscles held my hypermobile joints in place for a lot of years. Finding a DR. familiar with EDS and hypermobile joints is difficult but Mayo does know. It could be your issue. I felt the issue in my groin before I found the answer.
interesting. Where is the Dr. who diagnosed this, and how did he determine the diagnosis? What were your symptoms with this issue, and which ligament was this as a lax ligament is a condition, not an actual ligament from my understanding. I'm looking for all sorts of options here.
Dr. Newton is at Spine and Pain practice. You will hav3 to ask him about his process. He checked the movement of my spine. Symptoms ... I had gait issues and a pain in the groin. My leg would semi-dislocate when moved specific way. Pretty painful to get it back. No ... a lax ligament is a condition of ligaments that are overstretched and lost their strength. The name of the specific ligament that needed fixing I do not have anymore. It happened in 2017, but is s long ligament that connects the spine and the hip. The Dr. said I may need to have it redone and I think that wil be in the next year. I lie on the edge of the bed and drop a leg over the side. That is a stretch for this particular ligament. I can no longer feel the stretch opn that side although I feel the stretch if I do the other leg from the other side of the bed.
Not all Drs. support prolotherapy so .... and not many understand hyoermobile joints. I actually had one who slammed his plastic model of the pelvis and said ..."See, SI Joints don't move".
Find a Regenerative Medicine Dr. and have an evaluation from them. Good luck.
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1 ReactionPS.... an Orthopod who has a website at nashvilleprolotherapy.com has good explanation of ligaments. One thing he says is that the only way to diagnosis a 'lax'' ligament is to evaluate is physically, something most doctors no longer do what with all the pictures available.
Hello- Is it appropriate in this forum to ask for Neurologist recommendations in a particular area of the US?
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