Grumpy is right: “pre-hab” is one of the most effective things you can do before surgery.
Wondering how your appointment went…
Thanks for everyone's advice. I saw the second ortho specialist today and he actually examined me ! And explained the MRI etc. He doesn't think my pain is related to a hip muscle tear - even though I have one. He said lots of people have them and they don't hurt. To determine what is going on, he wants me to get the cortisone shot in my hip and see if it eliminates the pain and if so for how long. This will help determine the cause of the pain. He lead me to believe he thinks it may be an inflammed muscle, nerve or both somewhere, maybe even in my lower back. He said nothing in my physical exam points to pain originating from a torn hip muscle.
So next week, I will get the cortisone shot and start the elimination process. Meanwhile, my right hip and leg hurt when I walk and sit for even a short period. I'll have to take lots of breaks from sitting at work next week. Thankfully I can shut my door and lie on the floor !
LESSON LEARNED FOR ME: I did learn from the latest episode that I can't stay at home alone for long periods of times - it makes me very depressed and stressed. I had been home alone for 10 days with bronchitis and then in bed with this latest pain. So, I went to my sister's house and that's what I will do in the future for any long illnesses. And I thought I was so independent :-)
Any other thoughts and ideas are always welcome and again I appreciate everyone taking the time to respond to my post.
Frances
I am glad that the need for a huge surgery is put on the back burner at least for the time being and that they are going to work with you to find the source of your pain, its a lot of steps in the right direction. A big part of being independent is knowing and getting help when you need it. Too much time alone when your sick or in pain is not a good idea for anyone, I am glad you have your sister to count on when you need her.
Glad you saw somebody who was able to interpret the MRI for you and also explain what further treatment or diagnostics are necessary. It makes a lot of sense to use a cortisone shot to determine source of the pain. I'm assuming that you've had them before, and are responsive to them? I ask this, because I have found that I rarely get any impact from cortisone shots. I keep trying. Maybe my last one for trigger finger helped, maybe.
Glad to hear that you've come up with a possible plan for the future, including staying with your sister when you are down for a bit.
My Labrum tore I did get the injection than wound up having To have surgery it worked and my hip is fine. I had the tear years before I was diagnosed with psa the dr I had said dancers and athletes get these tears I am neither. Praying for quick healing and hoping the shot gives you relief, the shot worked for me for a long time. Hope you are doing well!!
Hurray, Frances! You’ve now got a doc who wants to find out what’s wrong and get you well again. Feels quite different from the other experience, doesn’t it.
Staying with your sis sounds like a plan.
You’re making progress!
Thanks for everyone's replies! I'm mentally so much better and I have a treatment plan - a rationale plan now and a doctor I can work with. And I'm learning to ask for help, a big step for me. So, I would say today was a win.
Francis! I’m so happy that you got good care today…it sounds like your visit was excellent! The plan sounds great, and you sound so relieved. Today is a good day.
Yes it is a good day ! I needed a win :-)
GrumpyCat said:
Francis! I'm so happy that you got good care today...it sounds like your visit was excellent! The plan sounds great, and you sound so relieved. Today is a good day.
I need help! I need help determining my next step to diagnose my hip pain. All thoughts, ideas suggestions appreciated ! The pain in my hip is persisting and I'm not convinced it isn't originating from my hip labral tear that was identified on an MRI. And I'm wondering if it could also be piriformis syndrome.
I'm getting increasingly concerned about how the pain is limiting my life and ability to work.
(It took 18 months and 8 doctors to get a correct diagnosis of PsA, so I don't easily trust a diagnosis)
Here are my symptoms:
Pain is much worse at the end of the day and barely noticeable when first waking in the morning. As soon as I start moving it begins to hurt again.
If I stay in bed I can calm the pain down.
1 month of pain: outside of right hip and down outside right thigh, lower back pain and pressure on top of right thigh causes pain in the right hip. (for example, I can't rest my lap top partially on my right thigh in bed).
What makes the pain worse:
sitting
driving - pressing on accelerator and break
crossing my legs- feel pain in oustide hip and thigh area
Last few days: pain is isolated in outside right hip area only - lots of pain last night. Woke up this morning and same thing, hardly any pain upon awakening.
Jan 15th: Cortisone Injection in right hip labral tear area with lidocaine used to numb the area. Pain was eliminated for a few hours until lidocaine wore off. So, if the lidocaine eliminated the pain for a few hours, doesn't that mean the pain is coming from the injection site - the hip?
Orthopedic doc diagnosis: pain is not coming from the hip or labral tear because:
1. labral tears cause pain in the groin area - I don't have pain there
2. generally he said his physical exam did not support pain originating from my hip
3. the cortisone injection would have eliminated that pain at least temporarily
However, my research indicates that labral tears don't always cause groin pain and cortisone injections don't always eliminate labral tear pain.
Meanwhile, I've been going to physical therapy for over 3 weeks and the therapist is treating my symptoms as a lower back problem.
Hi Frances. I am not sure if my story will provide you any clarity or just muddy the waters. If you can glean anything you are welcome to it. Here is my hip story:
Per MRI I have a labral tear, "tortuous tendon snarl" and lumbar degeneration.
I have groin and right hip pain so sharp I need to use a cane when it is flaring.
I have had hip injections, bursa injections and epidurals. The epidurals helped the most though I got pain relief from all of them.
I do PT.
When my PsA is under good control I have very little pain. When the pain is bad it is reminiscent of groin pain I got during pregnancy so I think the labral tear has been there a long time but is usually dormant until my PsA is out of control.
The lumbar damage I have is the pain I have in my hip.
My Rheumy and I have decided since many things are causing my hip pain I do many things to keep it under control:
A Bio- I have to change them about yearly. I seem to form antibodies to them in about that amount of time.
Injected mtx- helps prevent the formation of antibodies to the bios and helps my peripheral symptoms such as bursitis and tendon pain.
I take a NASID every day. I alternate Celebrex 400 mgs a day with Naprosyn 500 mg twice a day every few months.
I do PT every week in a heated pool. Some weeks I am better about it than others. I try to go twice a week.
If I have been on my feet one day I try to stay off my feet the next day. If I am doing chores I try to alter my activity every twenty minutes to rest the joints.
I no longer drive far in the car. Driving really aggravates my right leg and riding seems to aggravate my spondy.
I take hot baths and use Salonpas and muscle rubs.
I hope this helps. When I sit I try to stay off my hip in a slightly reclined position. I will keep you in my thoughts.
Thanks for your response Michael. I'm going to the drug store now to pick a prescription and will look for the Salonpas. I've never used it.
michael in vermont said:
Hi Frances. I am not sure if my story will provide you any clarity or just muddy the waters. If you can glean anything you are welcome to it. Here is my hip story:
Per MRI I have a labral tear, "tortuous tendon snarl" and lumbar degeneration.
I have groin and right hip pain so sharp I need to use a cane when it is flaring.
I have had hip injections, bursa injections and epidurals. The epidurals helped the most though I got pain relief from all of them.
I do PT.
When my PsA is under good control I have very little pain. When the pain is bad it is reminiscent of groin pain I got during pregnancy so I think the labral tear has been there a long time but is usually dormant until my PsA is out of control.
The lumbar damage I have is the pain I have in my hip.
My Rheumy and I have decided since many things are causing my hip pain I do many things to keep it under control:
A Bio- I have to change them about yearly. I seem to form antibodies to them in about that amount of time.
Injected mtx- helps prevent the formation of antibodies to the bios and helps my peripheral symptoms such as bursitis and tendon pain.
I take a NASID every day. I alternate Celebrex 400 mgs a day with Naprosyn 500 mg twice a day every few months.
I do PT every week in a heated pool. Some weeks I am better about it than others. I try to go twice a week.
If I have been on my feet one day I try to stay off my feet the next day. If I am doing chores I try to alter my activity every twenty minutes to rest the joints.
I no longer drive far in the car. Driving really aggravates my right leg and riding seems to aggravate my spondy.
I take hot baths and use Salonpas and muscle rubs.
I hope this helps. When I sit I try to stay off my hip in a slightly reclined position. I will keep you in my thoughts.