Hi all -

I am a 49 year old woman recently diagnosed with MP. I work in the computer industry so I sit for many hours a day and am not very active, with the exception of walking several times a week.

In an attempt to get back in shape I started doing some "gentle" yoga and I over stretched my hip flexor. A few weeks after that I had shooting, burning pain down my left outer leg and since then (about two months now) severe pain in my lower left back.

After two ER visits, two inconclusive MRIs and countless doctor visits, I was finally diagnosed with MP by my chiropractor. I believe mine was caused by an inflammation/aggravation of the tendon(s) in the pelvic area due to over stretching, combined with some muscle tightness in my hip and butt due to sitting for too long,, poor posture, etc.

I did recover almost 100% in about 3 weeks mainly due to a technique called Active Release Technique (ART) which is a soft tissue treatment performed by my chiropractor. Unfortunately, I had a relapse two weeks ago because I went back to work too soon and sat for too long. The second time my symptoms were the same but seemed to shift slightly to also include tenderness in my outer-lower back.

I think for me I have nerve entrapments going on in a few places: my pelvic area and outer lower back which seems to be consistent with the path of the femoral nerve. I'm hopeful that if I continue with the chiropractor and make the necessary lifestyle changes I can free myself of this condition. It has been a frightening time (as I'm sure you all can relate to).

None of the pain medications prescribed to me worked... Tramadol lessened the pain slightly, but not all the time. Has anyone had success with a specific pain medication when the pain gets severe? When it was at it's worst, I would resort to taking Flexeril since it would knock me out which was the only thing that would relieve the pain. Not a good long-term strategy, I know but I was desperate.

Also, I had a partial laproscopic hysterectomy two years ago, and I'm wondering if scar tissue can form over a long period of time... that it might be contributing to the problem. (Not sure if anyone can answer this question, but what the hell... thought I'd throw it out there anyway)

Am so thankful to have found this message board... seems this is a common problem, unfortunately.

Thank you to all and my best to everyone here,

Lisa

Hi Lisa,

I am sorry I am tardy with responding but I just discovered your post. I am a VERY long term sufferer with MP. After years, I finally discovered mine has resulted from surgery MANY years ago. When mine began, it would come and go with long periods in between episodes. As the years progressed, so did the frequency and intensity. For a long time, mine has been constant, with NO position for relief, just varying degrees of intensity. I have undergone physical therapy, oral medications, pain patches, TENS units, and more recently injections. The injections are the only thing that has given me any relief and has lessened the intensity. Have another one scheduled next month. Looking forward to it. Wish I could get one every week.

With many, MP will just be a temporary issue. Hope that proves to be the case for you.

Again, I am sorry it took me so long to see your post. Wishing you well.

My MP was not temporary in the least.... I had it for over a decade. It did remit with use of Lidoderm patches after about 2 weeks of every day use.

Mine was from an exploratory during a C-section to look for an ovarian tumor. It was only on the right side.

Heat and tight clothing (including underwear) is something to avoid. Hot tubs, heating pads, or steam rooms will now give me minor warnings to stop the heat....so I am very careful with my remission.

If you search this forum there is a good link on AAFP doctors website on MP. It can be confused with trochanteric bursitis of the hip.

Hi Mrs. D,

My MP followed surgery for uterine and R ovarian tumor, also. I hope you did not think I was suggesting that YOUR MP was temporary. I have read that for some, it does go away shortly after beginning but it is usually when some extraneous force, like a toolbelt, or tight clothing was the "cause". Remove the cause and the pain goes away. Ours, were both probably due to surgical insult. I also do not expect full nor permanent relief from the injections but the last one I had has stopped the lightning bolts that wake me from a dead sleep. Being hit with a stun gun while sleeping has finally gotten a bit better.

I have been disappointed that most of the people that posted on this forum have not been around for a long time. I looked up the people that posted a while back and they have not been logged in for a year or more. Thanks to you and Glenn, I feel a little less alone.

Thanks,

Hopeless

Hi Mrs. D,

I have been going steady with MP for 36 years. The first 5 were the ones that were episodic in frequency. Walking and standing would bring on fierce pain. Sitting would relieve it, if I took action soon enough. If I tried to continue walking or standing, the nerve would "fry" as I called it and then sitting was of no value. Oops, Phone call. Will be back. Sorry for the interruption. For years now, the pain has been constant, NO relief in ANY position, but at least the intensity would fluctuate throughout the day. I used Lidoderm patches for a few years, daily, with little change in pain level. I could not take the oral medications, neurontin nor Lyrica. I am glad to hear you have yours under control. That gives me hope but after 36 years, my expectations are very low.

Placement of the Lidoderm patches is very important.

I cut mine in half and place long wise at the top of the thigh, to intercept the nerve as it exits under the inguinal ligament:

figure 2B shows where the sensory femoral nerve exits the abdomen:
http://www.aafp.org/afp/2000/0401/p2109.html

Placing along the thigh lower down, only made pain worse for me. Lidoderm patches work best by intercepting the main body of the nerve, and not the endpoints where pain is actually felt.

Hello Hopeless -

Thank you for your reply. How did you discover your MP was caused by your surgery? What kind of injections are you receiving?

I hope the same for you... that you get some help to give you relief. I am sorry this has been a long term problem for you.

Lisa

Hi Lisa,

It was good to hear from you. Yes, MP is common but very often an elusive diagnosis. It would take a book for me to relay my experiences and frustations of the 30 plus years with my MP. The good thing about it is the fact that the intensity does vary with me unless I have really made the LFCN angry. Walking and standing create the highest level of pain for me. Years ago, if I would take immediate action upon the first signals that it was escalating and immediately sat down for a while, the pain would subside. If I was not able for whatever reason to sit immediately, the pain would just keep going until it was so unbearable that I wanted to amputate my own leg on the spot, anything to stop the pain. Once I hit those intense levels, there was NO relief by sitting. I describe it as having "fried" the nerve. It was so fried one time, it put me in bed, literally, for a week. Those were the good ole days when it was intermittent. Intermittant meant everyday but not ALL day. As long as I could get in a "sitting" position off and on, I was only in pain off and on during the day. Then it continued to progress as more months and years passed. Intermittant has turned into constant but with various degrees of intensity. Walking and standing are still the highest levels for me and I can only stand or walk for about 5 minutes. Sitting is a little less intensity and I can do that for about an hour. Even laying down is painful but that has the least intensity unless the nerve is angry. I can be in a sound sleep and be rudely awoken by a lightning bolt type of electrical current from my hip to my knee. It is like having a stun gun hit you. The burning is relentless.

To be continued......
Hopeless

When I get asked how the "tingling" has been........ WHAT tingling? I do not have "tingling". I have electrical shocks. The word "tingling" makes me think of how your foot or leg feels when you sat on it and it "went to sleep". You attempt to stand and you get the pins and needles, tingling until it wakes up throughly. I do not get those types of pins and needles. I get "shocked". I have constant burning. In 2000, my MRI showed a herniated disc and they wanted to operate but I knew that my disc herniation was NOT the culprit of my leg pain. I declined. They insisted I try a spinal nerve block. It did nothing but create a marble sized lump next to my spinal column for the past 13 years. I have been seeing a pain mgt doc and we tried a nerve block directly into the LFCN. Wow, the minute he withdrew the needle, NO pain. First time in decades of NO pain. I had forgotten what that felt like. After getting home, I took a nap and was awoken with the lightning type bolt of electricity. Thought I was dreaming because when I went to sleep I had NO pain. Well, the anesthetic wore off within hours and I was back to square one. To be continued......

Hi Lisa,

I am back. Part 3
My doc and I both wanted to try a second time with a direct nerve block into the LFCN. He used different combo of meds in the injection the 2nd time. At first there was NO benefit. A week past and NO benefit. After about 10-14 days I began to sleep without being jolted by electrical shocks. I could sit for about 90 minutes. I made it through a grocery trip without crying in pain. I was getting close to the unbearable stage but made it out of the store before desires for amputation. Since I experienced about a 20-30% improvement with the 2nd injection, we are going for a third next month.

All prior efforts at relief had failed so I am glad for the injections. Went through physical therapy, aqua therapy, spinal blocks, Lyrica and neurontin meds, TENS unit, pain patches, etc. etc. The injections directly into the LFCN have been the ONLY thing to give me any relief. My only expectation from the injections is temporary "calming" of the nerve and I will be happy with that and will be glad to repeat it as often as possible.