hip bursitis... I think?
 

So I haven't seen a dr yet but I've self diagnosed myself with bursitis on my left hip. I have bad swelling and SO MUCH PAIN. I can't walk at all. My left leg is my good leg and thanks to overworking it and physio, I now am having this problem. So my weak right leg is having to do any work to move myself and it's VERY weak. And I can't put any weight at all on my left now.

I'm typing this from a wheelchair that my sister went out and purchased this morning for me. I can't sleep comfortably or do anything really. Everyone is waiting on me, I hate it. I hope this goes away SOON! On Monday I see my neuro for an appt that I begged them for last week to discuss my MS progression, he's going to freak out when he sees me in this wheelchair. I won't be able to get the words out fast enough that it's bursitis and NOT my MS causing me to use it!

Anyway if anyone else has had this, any tips? I'm going to emerg later with my husband because I am in so much pain and maybe they can give me steroid shot (or oral steroid) to help bring down the inflammation (Advil/Naproxen are doing nothing). I'm icing it regularly, I'm staying on meds, but it still kills.

Sorry I didn't notice this earlier. My hips were bothering me something fierce around August, and like you said, you really can't do much of anything when it's the hips, for me just trying to stand up was tear worthy. But I found that a heating pad worked better than ice. While the general rule of thumb is ice the swollen and heat the sore. With bursitis ice can actually make things worse, or at the very least inhibit healing.

You were probably right to get a wheelchair for getting around inside the house, but laying down is the best, and since its just one hip, the best thing to do if you can is laying on the opposite side with a pillow or rolled up towel between your knees, whatever works to place your thigh and by so your hip in a neutral parallel position. Place a heating pad (the microwaveable rice/buckwheat bags are best for the little bit of weighted pressure they apply) over the affected area, which likely not only includes the hip but the lower back muscles as well.

Rest for a good 15-30 minutes like that to relax the muscles, if it swells a bit from the application of heat, ice the area for no more than 10 minutes (avoiding the lower back) allow the skin to warm back to about normal temperature and apply the heat again. When the muscles seem to have relaxed some and the pain has diminished some gently massage the area if you can, if it's still to painful, continue applying heat/ice until it can be touched without discomfort.

After gently massaging the area, roll to your back and use a rolled towel, holding the ends of it, wrapped around your thigh and gently pulled your leg up and towards your chest (don't pull it into your chest, a few inches to a foot off the bed is fine, your just trying to get circulation back to the joint and stretch out the muscles a bit.) try your best not to use your leg when you lift it, but use your arms to do the lifting, you want to move the area but not tax it.

Roll to your side and relax, repeating the above steps as needed throughout the day and avoiding sitting or standing for long periods especially since it's a side you already use as your main support. And once you're feeling up to it, I would definitely ask your doctor about some pt, even if they can't do much to help out the right leg, they should be able to help you strengthen the left and learn the warning signs that you're over-exerting it and setting yourself up for another attack like this.

Thanks so much for that info! Very helpful! I will start using heat more now.

There is bruising now but less swelling. The pain has also diminished a LOT from what it was. I'm starting to walk using a walker now... my poor legs were already so bad, not using them for 5 days has been so bad for them. They're more numb than usual and more stiff now. Gotta get them back to "normal".

I had to skip physio this week because I haven't been driving since this happened and I couldn't walk enough to even get from the car to the room. But I'm going to try driving tomorrow and hopefully that will be ok. I am SO sick of losing my independence, even if it's just for the past week... People wheeling me around, driving me places. I don't like it one bit. I'm 30! I have two young kids who are dependent on me! I do not have time for this at all. But thankfully this will heal and I will do whatever it takes to prevent another bursitis attack from happening again!