Is it?? A little flare or not?

[MamaBeagle]

Hi all! About 2 months ago I slipped on some loose sugar in the supermarket, I didn't fall and managed to save myself from cannoning into a couple of kids and their respective mothers! However this exacerbated an old rock climbing injury and I literally had a "pain in the bum" for several weeks, I have done this before - not the sugar slipping - but slipped on ice, in the mud and had the same problem. However I then began to get a pain in the other buttock which definitely became a flare, burning in the hips and down the backs of the legs. I upped the pred from 1.5mg to7mg for a couple of days and got it under control and went down the scale to 3mg and thought I was fine, BUT when walking I've had a feeling that my "glutes" such as they are at 70!! are strained. Been like this for about a month. I've been up to 8mg for the past 3 days and they did feel easier this morning. Is this the remnants of a flare do you think or is it not??? If it wasn't would it respond to pred?

[SheffieldJane]

Have you had the injury checked out by X Ray? You may well have actually done something this time. Even broken the Coccyx ( easily done apparently) and wrenched the surrounding muscles. Of course PMR loves to join a pain party. Wishing you well from sunny London ( really). The wet weather is not helping our conditions.

Sufficient Pred helps most things, so it is hard to answer your specific question. Jane x

[MamaBeagle in reply to SheffieldJane]

Thanx Jane, I didn't go for an Xray - nothing touched the floor except my feet so I was thinking it was only soft tissue injury...

[Meggsy in reply to SheffieldJane]

Jane, please feel free to send some of that rain over to eastern Australia. I do hope your family are safe.

Marea 🌻

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Meggsy]

You can have all of mine too - locally had all November's normal rainfall in the first week! And now it's turning to snow - oh joy!

[SheffieldJane in reply to Meggsy]

Oh you are right Meggsy my daughter in rural Boambee has had to evacuate to her sister in beachside Sawtell and they can smell smoke. I am a nervous wreck. All my loved ones under one roof. 4 adults and 4 children. In Yorkshire we are under water in parts. Ironic!

[MamaBeagle in reply to SheffieldJane]

I am so thinking of you Jane. What a worry.

[Hollyseden in reply to SheffieldJane]

Thinking of you and all your family in Australia. A nightmare for so many people affected 😥

[SheffieldJane in reply to Hollyseden]

Thank you. The wind has changed direction, which is good and it’s cooler.

[Hollyseden in reply to SheffieldJane]

Glad to hear it. Now some rain would be just perfect. 👏👏

[PMRpro Ambassador]

My suspicion would be myofascial pain syndrome - that is exactly how mine can start and proceed if not dealt with quickly. I suppose another name would be whiplash injury - and yes, slipping and fighting to regain balance is more than enough to cause it and definitely to aggravate existing problems. Once the muscles on one side are unhappy it exerts tension on the other side until everything joins in! MPS is caused by the same inflammatory substances as PMR - just they aren't systemic but in the muscle fascia and in trigger points that put strain on the rest of that muscle and can irritate nearby nerves leading to referred pain.

However - bit of advice: next time, give in and fall over and sue the supermarket for the dangerous state of their aisles ...

[MamaBeagle in reply to PMRpro]

Thanx Pro - that sounds like what it is!! what about the pred - do I keep on the higher dose or just let things for this injury take their course - I really don't want to start a long slow taper again if I can avoid it!

As for falling - afraid all the PE training kicks in to prevent it!! And of course "pride comes before a fall!!"

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to MamaBeagle]

You can stay at the higher dose for a week to 10 days and drop straight back - does the extra pred help?

[MamaBeagle in reply to PMRpro]

Not completely - but not sure if that's because it's beginning to get better on its own!

[MamaBeagle in reply to MamaBeagle]

To be honest it's not that bad - just when I walk, especially uphill and I have a tight feeling. I was more concerned that it could be a flare starting and wanted to knock it on the head so to speak......

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to MamaBeagle]

Quite right - and it is also enough to trigger a flare. Maybe drop 1mg at a time every couple of days and see what happens?

[MamaBeagle in reply to PMRpro]

Cool, thanx Pro! Glad I got something right! Will follow that plan.

[Constance13 in reply to PMRpro]

Last sentence! And risk breaking bones instead???

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Constance13]

You may find them easier to sort out!

[SnazzyD]

I don’t know, but the trouble with falls and saved falls is all the tweaks and pulls you cause in the ensuing undignified scrabble to save life and limb. You get the main ouchy, but other things start to complain later. You might have a bit of spasm near the spine that’s squeezing the sciatic nerve or any of the above suggestions.

[MamaBeagle in reply to SnazzyD]

Thanks Snaz! I thought at the time that my attempt to to save myself was rather balletic at the time - but your description probably much more accurate!

[Constance13]

I like "balletic"!😂😂