I just had to testify ! I went to a new pain management doc yesterday for my "greater trochanteric pain syndrome" issue and for the first time I feel hope ! My rheum doc had suggested that perhaps my pain was being generated not only because of enthesitis, but maybe from my L4 L5 region where I had a spinal fusion in 2003.
After examining me with lots of painful, but telling, poking and prodding the pain doc said that my pain was diffuse and he honestly could not tell what dermatome path it was taking, and that it was mostly a combination of enthesitis, mircro tears in the tendons surrounding the hip joint and IT band, but he offered a suggestion.
I received between 6 and 8 trigger point injections down the lateral sides of both hips and legs. I can honestly say that what I thought was a level 10 pain scale is actually a 5, or maybe a 3 because if I were to rate how painful those injections were, I would give them a 20 !
If I had been able, I would have gotten dressed after the first leg and run out of that place, it was that horrendous. I thought I was going to pass out and throw up and die. But seeing has how I was incapacitated and unable to resist, they flipped me on the other side and proceeded to do the same thing !
After it was over, I started shivering and my teeth were chattering and I felt completely drained. The covered me up with a sheet and brought me a coke with crunch ice, which tasted like heaven.
I started to feel better, got dressed and sat on the side of the cot. The doc came in and prescribed a new pain med, and I went to the pharmacy to get it. I waited for preauthorization from my insurance company and then found out that the pharmacy has to order it because it is "new".
I went home, super sore, spent the afternoon in bed, I slept like a ROCK...ALL NIGHT. This is a miracle. I woke up with ZERO pain !!! My achilles tendons don't even hurt ! I am so happy right now. I don't know how long this will last, but I am hoping that with some PT and exercising I can beat this thing and not need the new narcotic.
I am also taking half my dose of pred while I am pain free to see how I do. I am only on 5 mg, but I want off this stuff, for good.
So, I want to encourage others to not give up and seek out a good pain specialist to see if they can help you. I have had this particular pain problem for 5 + years and I was beginning to loose hope that I would ever feel better.
I think we should use every weapon in our asenal, Bioloics, DMARDS, Injections, Pain Meds ( if needed) PT to fight these monsters of PsA and chronic pain. I was so close to giving up.
if you are anywhere near the Hickory/Denver/ Huntersville/ Lake Norman / Charlotte area of NC, go see Christopher Hunt at Unifour Pain Management Center.He's very smart and I can't thank him enough right now.