Hi Tally! congratz on them finally figuring out it was MP! It took them 15 years to figure it out for me. The years of every test in the world coming up negative really sucks the life out of you. All to find out that it points right to MP. Anyway! Lidocaine Patches!!!! for quick relief! But make sure you shave the area you are putting the patch on! MP is light touch only, and just brushing the hairs as you probably well know, feels like tearing burning flesh from your leg. I wasted 2 years not using the patches before I figured that one out!

I took Lyrica and Cymbalta for many years with great success, Lyrica if prescribed properly will take away all the never pain most of the time. There are two sides to pain though, the intensity of the pain is controlled by the Anxiety and Depression part of your brain, and you need to actively work on calming your brain down with someone like a CBT. Also there is great fear mainly with women with weight gain. The pills do not cause weight gain, they cause hunger sensation. If you can manage and record your food intake, as well as work with your medical professional to curb the hunger sensation, the benefits are well worth it.

Number one cure for MP is losing weight! Yea right... like I could exercise without the ability to stand more than 15 minutes. 1 Hour on my feet equaled 1 day of recovery. But! there is a solution! Deep Water Aqua Aerobics, offered at almost all rec centers and YMCA's including the Arthritis foundation having classes all over for $1 at least once a week. I was also lucky we have a Lazy river at our Rec Center that I was able to walk without putting much pressure on the pinched nerve.

I was recommended to have bariatric surgery to help with the MP. My MP probably like your own started with a non-weight gain related incident. So I went to one of the Top Neurosurgeons at the Cleveland Clinic who does decompression surgery. He ended up cutting the nerve at my Hip. There was too much scar tissue from 15+ years of irritation, I had no normal feeling anyway. After 6 months now I've lost 35lbs, I have 4 hours of standing tolerance, and enjoying things like being able to go to the movies... Or walk in a Mall (I have yet to build up the courage but I could if I wanted too)

How to confirm you have MP: Is to have a injection of Lidocaine just at the notch on your hip bone. If the pain goes away it is MP! They can give you long term Steroid injections just under the surface of the skin in that same spot to relieve the pain. It works for many, again I was far too damaged. Tenz units will also work. This is a mechanical nerve irritation, though it seemed like nothing ever works, you just gotta remember that being on your feet or walking make it worse. Once you learn your limits, etc.. you can start getting some positive gain.

Best of luck! Very few doctors even know what MP is. Dr. Manu Matthews at the Cleveland Clinic Confirmed my Diagnosis that Mary Patterson from the Chronic Pain Rehabilitation Program at the Cleveland Clinic figured out. If you are stuck and do not want medication, the CPRP meantioned above will show you how to do it, top program in the world. Milind Deogaonkar was my neurosurgeon. Kinda amazing that 15 years of torture was fixed with 2 hours of surgery and a little 1" incision on my hip.