[Gazelle]

I'm getting friggin' tired of the pain! And I was so crabby at PT yesterday that I felt kind of bad about it. They were good sports and I actually felt a little better about everything at the end but boy, I just wanted to rip someone's head off yesterday. Grrr....

The upper back's much better and so is the neck. That's great. What's not great is the lower back--the lumbar spine area. I'm doing a piriformis stretch and thought that maybe I pushed it too hard because I'm getting this burning/stabbing pain right in my butt cheeks--sort of in the hip joint. It feels like I'm sitting on tennis balls and it's uncomfortable.

By sitting on them, I mean like I've been sitting on them for hours and should get off them. But I can't. It's been getting worse. Plus, I didn't say anything to the PT guy Paul (he's a sweetie) all last week because I thought that it was just a mild muscle strain and I didn't want to whine. So when he asked how I was doing, I just said fine. He called me on it last night at PT.

Last night he asked when I see my doc next and told me to give it a rest to see if it calms down. I have PT tomorrow. He said he didn't think it was muscle pain. Great, that leaves two choices: nerve or disc. And when I said sciatic, he didn't think that was it.

Today I took 600 mg of Ibuprofen 2x. I'm going to take another 600 mg tonight before bed. The pain in the butt has been a bit better today, but still not good. Yesterday it was to the point where I couldn't ignore it--it was just always there and was distracting.

This has been since the end of August. I'm SICK TO DEATH of this at this point. Someone make it go away for me, ok? Just wave your magic wand and take it away.

And you know what else? My feet were numb last night, my whole right leg was numb and my feet were numb today, and my left arm felt weird, and 1/2 my face (right side) felt weird, my lips felt sort of numb and so did about 1/2 my tongue, and I'm just NOT a happy camper. Plus, I'm so bloody tired.........

I couldn't even enjoy a walk with my dog.

And last night at PT, I just wanted to cry--and almost did. Dang.

[DM]

Sorry to hear your'e still having so much back pain, Gazzy! As a fellow back pain sufferer, I can only sympathize. My L5-S1 look like one huge disc, b/c they are bone on bone. Along w/my Osteoporosis and compression fx's, it's a daily thing for my back to hurt.

They put me on Darvocet, but after 2 pills, I knew that was a no-no. Next came Tyl #3 w/codeine. (another no-no) Ibuprofen seems to calm it to a duller ache, but I can't take it due to having one kidney.

Seems like chronic back pain is a no win situation. Guess I haven't been much help to you, but I hope you know that I hope your PT pays off and your pain subsides. It's miserable; how well I know.

Hang in there Gaz and take care.

[Taffy]

Rip someone head off?

No takers here I am afraid!

That PT better start working soon!

Psst...FG....You are not planning any trips to see scary Chicken Women for awhile are ya. Kinda like your head!

[lady_express_44]

Originally Posted by Gazelle

I'm getting this burning/stabbing pain right in my butt cheeks--sort of in the hip joint. It feels like I'm sitting on tennis balls and it's uncomfortable.

That sounds like the nerve that goes from the lower back to the butt cheek, down the back of the leg, i.e. sciatica.

I've only had this on one side, but does the pain start about 1/2 down your butt (close to the hip), moving towards the bottom of the cheek on the inside? Maybe it would be easiest to look up sciatica on google, to see what I mean . . .

When I had TENS, they put those electric stimulators on four strategic parts of the back, hip, buttocks, and back of the knee (if I remember quickly), and that's how I know where that nerve runs. Also, if I pressed against it, I could feel the line where the pain went down my cheek, although couldn't tell where in my lower back it was coming from.

Tell the PT-guy, and try TENS, Gazelle. You will know by the end of the session if that is the cause.

Cherie

[tovaxin_lab_rat]

Originally Posted by Taffy

Rip someone head off?

No takers here I am afraid!

That PT better start working soon!

Psst...FG....You are not planning any trips to see scary Chicken Women for awhile are ya. Kinda like your head!

Thanks Twiffy...no trips planned for me for awhile...think I'm going to be tied to an IV....

CG should be calling the doc...or taking it easy at PT...or something. I'd be calling the doc and passing along what the PT guy says. But I'm not CG...


(ducking and running from room! I like my head!)

[watsonsh]

Hey Hoovered one.

I am sorry I know I promised you an email but now I have slacked.

you are out of whack! Ha! Karacking myself up here (wait that's a pretty good imitation who am I????)

Ok lets go over the stretches because some where you are short (I know you are tall) but some muscles are short and its putting extra pressure somewhere

1. Stretch the hamstrings...leg up on chari bed bend over and stretch those puppies. COuld be these are really tight esp if pulling on the piriformis as the hams shorten up. And chair sitting (office work) is notorious for shrotening the hammies.

3. Quad stretch....do in conjunction with ham stretch its the opposite stretcha and sometimes doing one after the other helps. Try bend leg behind you grab at ankle and pull up towards butt

2. Hip flexor stretch lunge position front leg bent back leg straight lean foward.

4. Psoas stretch - lay on back legs out straight grab one leg behind the knee and pull towards chest. Or lay on back and cross one leg over the other and grab behind the knee of the lower leg and pull towards chest. There is also a stretch for the iliopsoas muscle. I'll try to find.

5. Do some Bridges - lay flat and Lift hips to the air and hold for 3 sec and rollback down. Should help realign the pelvis but dont squeeze the butt too hard it could aggravate the piriformis muscle

Another thing is I have often found that when neck and t-spine feel better the lower back is the worst and locked up. It all connected and when one area is loosened up the other area tightens to maintain posture.

6. So based on the above your lats are one of the longest muscles in your back and maybe because you loosened the upper lats the lower lats (connect to lower back) have tightened up to hold you upright.


Try to concentrate on your core and how you are holding your pelvis. Is it jutting back and you are arching back? If so try to bring it back to a netral position.

PT guys needs to work the muscle groups in opposites. If they only work one half of the equation they other half will tighten up.

They could also maybe try some ultrasound on your lower back to help.


Ok these are just my first thoughts I will send you some more stuff in a PM.

[hollym]

Have they given you any steroids at all to reduce inflammation in the muscles? I forget cause I can't remember my flippin' name anymore. When my hubby hurt his back, they gave him a Medrol pack and that helped more than pain relievers. Even if it is nerve related, the steroids could help.

I also agree with Cherie that the TENS woudl be a good thing to try. Also, when I hurt my shoulder, the PT used some kind of ultrasound heat that helped.

I hope this goes away and they figure it all out soon. Sorry you are dealing with this. You have my number if you want to vent!

[Gazelle]

Thanks gals. I'm at work so will respond later when I can talk freely!

[lady_express_44]

This is where the sciatic nerve (and branches) follow:



It was the gludious medius, gludious minimus, and pudendal nerve branch areas that caused me the worst problems.

Cherie

[CayoKay]

ah, Gaz, my heart aches for you!

it's a &%$# being in pain, makes it hard to relate calmly to your loved ones, and hard to get through the day without SCREAMING.



wish I had some helpful suggestions...

well, maybe I do...

have you tried visiting a chiropractor yet?

when I had pain in that "area" it turned out that I had been TRYING too hard at PT, and had partially dislocated my hip joint.

the ball end had popped back into the socket, but the surrounding cartilage, tendons and muscles were swollen, sore and tender from the overuse and overextension.

ice packs, first day, then nuked wet dishtowels the next few days, alleviated substantial amounts of my pain.



to cheer you up, check out this HAIRY CHICKEN:

a poultry breeder in Hyderabad successfully crossed a Polish chicken with a Naked Neck, and the results are hysterically funny-looking!

http://syedakbarindia.blogspot.com/2...reeds-new.html



hope you feel better soon, dearie-oh!