As I have said in my previous post I am not sure I have RSD but I have low back/hip pain. The one thing my MT is having me do is use an exercise ball and sitting on it for periods of time during the day - she says this will strengthen the ab muscles and therefore help alleviate some of the pain in my back. I love sittin g on the ball and rolling back and forth, etc...it hardly feels like exercise!

I love the ball. You can do your crunches on it! JOAN

The one time I was seriously considered for it in PT, it sort of got nixed from the program, something about the rather explicit theme of my reps.

Mike

I was diagnosed with RSD 8 years ago.It has now gone from one foot to both feet and now my left hip.I felt this new pain back in November.Now I cannot sit on that left side in most chairs.And while walking you get "stingers" that hurt wicked bad.I am going to my DR. tomorrow for the 2nd time about my hip.Bursitis was the 1st theory.I know different now.This IS a bad disease.I hope you find help and post please.

I am unable to sleep tonight because of increasing (over the last couple of months) pain in my left hip and gluteous (sp) muscles....
I have lower limb RSD....
There is a muscle below the gluteous muscles called the piriformis and often it contracts and compresses the sicatic nerve which can cause terrible burning pain, tingles, numbness, all the way down to the feet and soles of the feet!
My chiro told me to sit on a tennis ball on the side were it hurts and gently roll on the trigger point of pain to loosen up the muscle....
I had read an abstract from Turkey where a woman had classic RSD symptoms due to this muscle constricting her sciatic nerve....
I have an appt. with my chiro tomorrow to see if he can give some relief...
I hope you find some relief too, through epsom soaks, massage, and moist heat..
Hope4thebest

Have you had an MRI of your lumbar spine?

I had a ruptured disc at L5-S1 that needed to be fused in 2004. (Years before I had RSD.) And those were my symptoms. A neurosurgeon diagnosed my problem and did the surgery. I was better and returned to work within about 6 weeks or so.

Because you are limping from the RSD in your legs, perhaps you have strained your back. Don't assume everything is RSD.

The best of luck to you. And I am so sorry that you suffering with yet another painful problem. Sciatic nerve pain is truly awful. Please take care and try to get a referral to a neurosurgeon as quickly as possible.

Love, Sandy

Hi everyone!

I have Piriformis Syndrome, on top of everything else. NOT FUN!!! Cannot sit, cannot stand, agony to just walk. It's like an ice pick being jabbed into my bone marrow. Almost impossible to treat, as the piriformis surrounds the sciatic nerve and runs through the hip socket. I stretch. All day. If you PM me I will explain the stretches to you. Sorry for your pain.

Kim

Hi Kim,

what stretches are you doing. do you have links to visit to see pictures. i have to stretch daily also cuz of IT Band syndrome, illeosoais(sp)problems and piriformas problems. pretty much anything in the low back,hip,butt area is hurting 24 hours a day.

thanks in advance,

Hi Mike.

I will search for some links. Basically, I lie on my back, bring my foot up to the inside of the opposite knee and pull the knee down to the floor, rolling my hips. It's a great stretch for the piriformis and psoas muscles. I know it sounds confusing. Just think of taking the bent knee in your hands and pulling it to the opposite side of your body.

Hope this helps some. I will PM you with links. I have the whole low back, hip, butt area too. I live under a heating blanket and on top of a heating pad. Kinda hard to even think, with this much pain going on!

Hi Mike
Get the stretches from Kim,and if you need more holler at me,,I had it for a while but it has passed ,,the stretches are very good and the tennis balls in a sock works great too,,also if you have someone to push hard in on it to cause the muscle to get tired of the contraction and release,,they did this for me in theropy 2yrs ago,,it works,,,plus geniticaly,some peoples sciatic nerve doesnt pass over the piraformas but thru it,It is a small percentage but its accurate. deep massage on the { deep six ] muscles is very productive,, good things to do as well,,no caffeine, muscle relaxent, anti-inflammatory,stretches,hot soaks epsom salt.,,walking is promiseing as well,,good luck to you,,introduce the stretches and deep massage in increments...but my massage theropist really pushed hard with his fist into the muscle directly,,it hurt bad,,he would hold it for 1 minute at a time and would do about 5 of them,,,,but it did work,,,,bobber