Soft tissue pain, undiagnosed

Posted by bayhorse @bayhorse, Dec 2, 2023

I am wondering how issues like bursitis and tendinitis get diagnosed. For the past 3 years, I have had psoas and adductor pain, and sometimes generalized pain in the hip and groin area that I've been told is NOT related to the nerve pain I experience from spinal stenosis and other degenerative changes in my lumbar & thoracic spine. I am going nuts trying to manage 1) my osteoporosis and osteoarthritis; 2) the stenosis and other definite spine issues; and 3) the mystery "frontal" pain in the groin/psoas/adductor. I go to PT and I used to walk quite a bit, but at this point exercise causes flares. This makes me feel desperate, as I must keep exercising in order not for my osteoporosis to get worse.

I cannot have an MRI because of complications with my pacemaker, so have had lumbar and thoracic CT scans and a total bone scan. But none of this imaging has been able to address what seems to be a muscle/tendon/ligment/whatever issue.

Does anyone have similar experience, or suggestions?

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@raebaby

I have awful hip pain, I'e diagnosed as bursitis since sitting a long time on an airplane around 2 months ago. I saw my general practitioner last week and i have an appointment tomorrow for a hip xray. He wants to make sure cancer from my breast cancer didn't spread to the bone before he sends me to an orthopedic surgeon. I'm wearing two girdles to try to keep it from hurting and loads of ibuprofen. I want an injection. I live alone out in the country and it would be really hard to get to appointments with a chiropractor or to physical therapy. I'm 82 years old and was walking fine before this.

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X-rays don't show tissue damage. You need a CT or MRI to show the damage.

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The doctor wants to make sure the cancer i had in my breastdidn't metasticize to thehip bone before I get other treatment. I think it is a precaution.

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@bayhorse I wanted to share this link with you as it seems to describe what you are experiencing. This is written for medical professionals and physical therapists. It may be information to discuss with your providers.

"Pectineo-femoral pinch syndrome: A common cause of groin & anterior thigh pain and weakness"
https://mskneurology.com/pectineo-femoral-pinch-syndrome/

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I have had good experiences with the stretches for piriformis, sciatica, hip flexor and hamstrings and it pretty much keeps me up and going. Yoga, water exercise, daily walks also help keep muscles going. For areas that are sore to the touch, I do edema massage (toes to torso; fingers to shoulders) until they are not as sensitive. To me, it is fluid accumulation between muscles/tendons/nerves but I just have my own thoughts on this. I also, on bad days, spend about twenty minutes with my legs up against the wall. Online, I like Dr Jo, but going to a PT who has osteopathic experience and who gives some adjustments is also a good experience to learn.

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While we're on the subject of undiagnosed pain. I'm 82 and can still walk around a mile if on level ground. I have had one hip replacement and now have bursitis in both hips. I am full of osteoarthritis in fingers, toes, and have Cervical Radiculopathy which for now is under control with gabapentin. Actually I'm overall pretty healthy. My question is when I'm sitting, I have trouble getting up it's like my legs have stopped working. Then it takes me a minute to start walking again. Anyone have any ideas? I don't even know what kind of ortho specialist to ask since the practice I go to is divided into specialized parts.

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