Chronic hip pain

[Bunk]

Hi, I have been having pain for over 2 yrs due to chronic hip bursitis. I am unable to stand straight without severe radiating pain going down my left leg. Doctors say it stems from my lower back. I have been diagnosed with having degenerative disc disease, protruded disc, lumbar 4-5 and S1. I've had many injections that help only for about 2-3 weeks. It's gotten so much worse. No Dr has even checked to see if it's infected. The pain is so bad I can't function normally. If anyone out there has these symptoms and has gotten relief I would love to hear your story! I also suffer osteoarthritis

[linlow]

Hi Bunk , just as a starter have you looked into your vitamin D levels at all?  I don't know where you are located but, unless it is the equatorial sun that wakes you each morning, there is a distinct possibility that they are low.  We get nearly all our vitamin D from sunshine and the further you get from the line the less you absorb.  Coupled with advisories on wearing sun-blocks and covering up this leaves the vast majority of us depleted.

Add to this the fact that vitamin D deficiency is closely associated with chronic pain, I think that this might be a good place to start.  orithealth.com/vit/vitamin/...

A word of warning on vitamin D supplementation though - it can interfere with the absorption of calcium if you are not eating a well balanced diet.  You may need to look at adding certain foods to your diet or taking a vitamin k supplement too (although it is possible to get a D3/K2 combined pill). vitamindcouncil.org/about-v...

[Johnsonsyard]

Hi has si dysfunction been considered or trigger points in gluteus medius and minimmus , tensor late fascia? My disc problems turned out to be these.good luck.

[hathi999]

Like linlow's recommendation I suggest vitamin D/K2 combo,  sublingual works well, though you can overdose on D, so do be careful (however due to us all wearing sunscreen these days most of us are deficient).  I've no idea if it will work as well for you, however I cured my bursitis (along with a raft of other issues incl dysphagia - which is swallowing difficulties by another name) with vitamin B12 supplementation, it is such an easy fix you will likely want to write it off, considering your pain levels, but it really worked and very quickly too, for my bursitis pain.  I have found others elsewhere on this forum who have found B12 has been able to resolve significant health issues so I do suggest looking into it.  I have written a website about my own experience which you might be interested in difficulty-swallowing.com/ it talks about my swallowing and bursitis problems.  A couple of things to note, your doc may say your B12 levels are fine, blood serum results are a tricky thing with B12, so try and get an MMA test, also the type of B12 you use is critical.  A cyanocobalamin injection might give you a bit of relief and if your physician will give you a shot, then give it a go, however I found that methyl B12 is an infinitely superior option and best of all you can buy a bottle of them very cheaply and potentially be on your way to a resolution very quickly.  Good luck and I hope you can get rid of your pain for good.  

[Gill1947]

Hi I had Bursitis for a bout a year tried all sorts of NSAIDs but had to stop taking them for other health reasons but my Dr said there was no cure but in the end out of desperation I went to a Physio and she tried Acupuncture combined with exercises and so far that has helped a lot not saying that it will be cured completely but I'm am so much more mobile now .

[deejames]

I work with a really good chiropractor on relief for my upper thigh burstritis. She working with massage to loosen up the tightness and give me exercises to do to strengthen the glutial muscles . she says it does stem from the problems in have with my sacrioilic joint and lumber spine. 

I don't know if something similar would work foryou. She says she doesn't understand why surgeons etc don't employ chiros or osteopaths to work with them to help this problem.

Dee

[linlow in reply to deejames]

Unfortunately the nhs has a bad history with complementary therapies.  Its origins are based upon discrediting all alternative practitioners as charlatans doing more harm than good.  Although acceptance is growing in some areas it is still a lump in the throat that the organisation is having difficulty swallowing.

Having said that, more and more surgeries are venturing into an acceptance  of a more holistic approach to treatment.  Indeed the GP I see offers acupuncture, something that I have tried with great successful for a couple of ailments. 

However, as guidelines stand at the moment, full integration of therapy options is a long long way away I am afraid.

[deejames in reply to linlow]

I just bite the bullet and pay. I get such a lot of treatment for my years of contributions. I could never never ever have coped with the NHS. Its not perfect by any means but the strains placed upon it are immense. Until we are all prepared to pay a lot more in contributions then its going g to be a patchy and often less than efficient service.

Sorry about the semi lecture.

In a perfect world and all that ........

Dee

[linlow in reply to deejames]

No, I quite agree with you.  I am a great believer in self-help, perhaps lucky because I had a grandmother who was of a generation that knew a cold really did not need antibiotic intervention, but in the same position I pay too (except for my favourite GP's acupuncture sessions).  However, location means that I inevitably have to travel rather long distances.  If GP surgeries were able to partner other therapy services, even charged, that would make life so much easier.

But I have to say that the nhs could save itself an inordinate amount of money if only it would use a holistic approach and learn to treat the problem rather than the symptom.  Why oh why happily dole out painkillers to me year after year after year, when what I needed to be drug free was a lesson in posture, some core stability exercises and to get my employer to replace my chair!  Unfortunately, as science rushes off ahead finding new ways to spend money, it really hasn't yet learnt how to join the dots.

[deejames in reply to linlow]

Agree with much of what you say here. Unfortunately a holistic approach does not show immediate or easily measurable results so is not popular with the holders of the purse strings.

Dee

[linlow in reply to deejames]

Yes that is a sad fact.  Whilst some of those prescriptions I forked out for cost more than the drugs themselves many didn't but the session that put me right only cost £40 plus a 100 mile round trip.  Though it felt a lot more than 'only' at the time it saved me a fortune in the long run (in more ways than money) and could have saved the nhs far more if they had told me themselves much earlier!!

[deejames in reply to linlow]

You are lucky that you have found d the answer to your problem without medication. For some ( like me)  it is a necessary path to follow.

Dee

[linlow in reply to deejames]

Sad to say luck doesn't always come into it.  Because of other issues, I am highly sensitive to medications and suffer horrendous side effects.  In consequence I have always had to look for alternative solutions - never the easy road out.  At least it keeps me occupied  😉

[deejames in reply to linlow]

I was at my chiropractor yesterday and she was working on my hip/ though burstritis. She seems to dig deep in and work to break up the swelling as well as giving me acupuncture and exercises. Its certainly improved from when I started going a month or so back. The treatment is very painful at the time and I feel a bit tender afterwards but nothing else was being suggested.

Dee

[Lakomka]

Acupuncture. That s the only thing that has helped me and avoid staying in bed too long. 

[linlow]

Something else you could try is the application of cool packs.  If you don't have any these are incredibly easy to make for yourself and there are lots of sites on the internet explaining how.  Alternatively you could wrap a bag of frozen peas in a tea towel. (never use ice directly on the skin as it can lead to tissue damage - think frostbite)

You apply the pack as soon as the pain starts and leave it in place for 15 to 20 minutes at a time.  Or you could alternate cool/heat packs - a few respond better to that.

In light of your arthritis issue, have you looked at diet at all?  Some have cured both complaints using a LCHF or paleo diet (or for a modified paleo look at Dr Terry Wahls work).  It takes a huge commitment to eradicate carbs from your menu but the benefits are immeasurable if the pain disappears.  Depending on how strict you are it could take anything from a few days to a full month to start reaping rewards.  And really, after years of putting up with pain, what is 30 days of discomfort?

[johnsmith]

See an Alexander Teacher.  They cannot cure the problem.  What they can do is enable you to become aware of the things you do that makes the problem worse than need be.  You are also made aware of things that you can do to help reduce the problem.

See a McTimony chiropractor.  They could help if you have muscle spasms in the wrong places.  They can also give you a second opinion as to what helps or hinders your health disability.

Yoga is a light exercise that you can take up to learn about your muscles and how they function.  Other exercise is t'ai chi.  This is important for prevention of broken bones should you have a fall.

Hope this helps

[GemmasMommy313]

I had the same and ended up doing a TLIF (fusion) in February. I still have some pain but not nearly as bad.