Hi All,
I've posted here recently about my meralgia paresthetica which is now being treated with cortisone shots. But that's a whole other story.

My main concern for the past 8 years has been constant PN in both legs and buttocks. In April 2002, I sustained a rock climbing injury when my safety harness was worn too low on my pelvis and was bearing my whole weight as I would ascend and descend the rock for about 5 hours during that particular day. The harness was tight and might have constricted blood flow during my descents. Ever since then I've had skin crawling sensations over both legs, including the front thigh, side thigh, rear thigh, some in my calf, and in the left foot. Also, 8 months afterwards I developed muscles twitching which has been with me ever since. Immediately I sought an explanation for what I did to myself. I had multiple EMGs, spine, pelvis, and brain MRIs, and blood workups, which were all normal. I've seen 3 neurologists and they say there is no nerve damage and nothing is wrong. However, I feel something is wrong and have pursued relief through massage, acupuncture, hot yoga, weight lifting, and qigong massage, but nothing works. I don't even get a slight reduction in symptoms. I feel great when I wake up but the sensations build up over the course of the day and are at their worst at night. My guess is that the harness crushed or stretched the sacral/lumbar nerves and their proper operation was compromised. But then again, the neuros all say that even the slightest malfunction of the nerves would show up in the EMGs, but so far nothing has shown up. So I don't know what to do. It's not painful just annoying and detracts from enjoyment of life.

I'm wondering if someone has had a similar experience or whether you folks could offer me some guidance. I'm sure there's a solution out there. I'm currently 36 years old and don't think I can live with this for the rest of my life so I'm willing to try anything.

Thanks for the help,
Joe

I HIGHLY recommend getting a nerve fiber density test, which is done by a skin biopsy.

EMG does not detect small fiber neuropathy.

As to whether it is traumatic or not, that is going to be hard to determine, but, at least you would know what is going on.

It sounds like your hands and arms are OK?

One more thing, on the pain.....trochanteric bursitis can radiate to the gluteus medius....it is hell on earth. I have it in both hips and now my doc does not want to give me any more cortisone shots....he wants to take them out. This is an issue since I have connective tissue disease, and surgeries or interventions form more scar tissue. Anyway, bursitis burns like the devil! It sounds like you have multiple stuff going on, but this is just another consideration given your rump pain. I can't even touch my backside with my finger without having hideous pain....I am sitting on a donut.....far cry from my sprint triathlon days.....way far cry.

You are so young for this junk.....keep pursuing an answer!

BTW, I am mortified of heights. My sons scared the living daylights out of me at Zion. I don't know how people can dangle from those heights. Not for me...uh, uh....nope.

You may be interested in researching this topic. Pressure Neuropathies. It may not be the kind of thing you want to hear, but, it bears looking at.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/omim/162500

--that, not even including the people who have the very specific genetic mutation that result in tendency to pressure palsies, many of us, if we do certain activities over long periods of time, can be very prone to pressure neuropathies, ESPECIALLY if we have some other situation that makes our nerves vulnerable--impaired glucose tolerance, autoimmunity, malabsorptin problems.

It's the ol' double crush hypothesis comin' atcha again--soemthing that compromised nerve function is exacerbated by mechanical pressure on the nerves as well and the symtoms are more than the sum of the parts.

One of the most described of these is so-called "bicycle seat neuropathy"--described in bikers and triathletes--parastheses and pain in the pudendal nerve distribution from sitting on those hard bicycle thingees. Also common in people who drive a lot and sit at desks a lot--guess who fits into the latter cateogry? I've been dealing with this since September now, and the symptoms seem to change over time--pudendal nerve compromise can be felt in the lower abdomen, perianal, genital, and inner buttock areas. I don't get a lot of pain--thank you , acute onset body-wide neuropathy of seven years ago that destroyed a lot of my small fiber pain sensors--but I get buzzing, tingling, pricking, vibrating (like a guitar string plucked and left to die down--though it takes a lot of time to die down). I've confused a batch of neuros, physiatrists, and physical therapists with this one, especially since I tend to set it off walking--the theory is that my perlvis/sacrum has gotten into a position in which it pressures these nerves with movement. But I doubt this would have happened without my having had major nerve compromise in the first place. (Also had that pelvic MRI that show mild bursitis and varicose veins of the pelvis[!], but my lumbar is fine.)

I have had MP in my right thigh since my C-section to deliver my son and I had an exploratory done at that time looking for a tumor. It was this moving stuff around that left me with the MP I think.

Anyway it was a painful thing for many years. When Lidoderm patches came out I started using them, and bingo, after about 2 consecutive weeks the nerve stopped firing so much. I have a small amount of numbness but not like before. And I can have a small activation if I over stretch the leg (too much exercise) or when I sit in a hot tub or steam room. The heat really activates that nerve. Tight clothing is out too. But I went from lightning bolt like stabs of pain which I liken to 100 bee stings, to just a little twinge now and then.

So I really recommend the Lidoderm approach before surgeries.
I placed one patch cut in half at the top of the thigh, one in the groin area and the other half along the hip line. I used the photo at AAFP figure 2b for tagging the nerves.
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20000401/2109.html

Also another thing might work.... magnets. This may help if placed over the right spot, and using the very strong neodymium ones, that are available now:
This is my magnet thread: Placement is similar to the Lidoderm location.
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...hlight=magnets

Many years ago, a pain management doctor appeared on one forum we all used to post at, and he said one other cause of MP is infarction of a blood vessel that runs to the upper thigh. In other words a loss of circulation which then damages the nerve.
At that time there was a huge university run website with all the published papers on causes of MP that someone gathered, and I read most of them. Many were from surgeries, or bone graft gathering in the abdomen, or upper hip.

Damaged nerves can heal, and taking some supplements may help with that. I personally think the nerves get stuck in the on position, and using magnets or Lidoderms will block pain signals temporarily and the firing which was automatic, can slow down or stop.

"The neverending search for a cause".....eh, what else can I say....I feel like my feet are stuck in concrete today.....and my rump hurts too!

Thanks to everyone. I appreciate the feedback and will most definitely look into getting supplements, using magnets, and using the lidoderm patches. I'm open to trying anything that's going to help me cope with these issues.