Last July I was at a grandsons basketball tournament. It was over three days which involved sitting on bleachers a lot. I had had a periodic sharp pain in my hip for months. Like a sharp jab in my butt. After this tournament it happened a lot. So I’m September I saw an orthopedic specialist in hips. After examining me he was sure my pain was coming from my back. So I had an MRI of lower back. In January I saw a colleague of his, a spine surgeon. He saw nothing impinging that would cause my issues. He thought it may be inflammation caused by my autoimmunes.( Besides PMR, I also have a mild case of Crohns)He ordered another MRI of the rest of the spine that came back , no issues. I had bilateral epidural injections at L3 to see if it helped. After a week there was some relief but it hasn’t lasted very long. Today I got a message saying that I should follow up with rheumatology /neurology because I may having a “stepwise progression of underlying diseases “. All this to ask if PMR can be the culprit behind this inflammation?
Sciatica and PMR : Last July I was at a grandsons... - PMRGCAuk
Sciatica and PMR
Hello, does this ring any bells? Ischeal bursitis. It can come from sitting too long and once it has set in, it can be very stubborn. The pain can feel like it is hip related and may not show on scan. I got this from a hard chair at the kitchen table.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK4...
Also another offender on this site, is Piriformis syndrome. Although it talks about sciatic pain down the leg it can feel like someone in injecting your buttock with a turkey baster.
spine-health.com/conditions...
Tendonitis in the hip can also cause problems and I’m prone to this especially if I’ve done something for too long. Often easy come and not so easy go.
Whilst PMR can set up inflammation in these bits, it can also be due to a sideways influence of having had the condition, Pred, deconditioning etc.
Doctors have been fairly clueless about these things and I go along the lines of physio (a good one), osteopath or Bowen therapist.
Ditto to what Snazzy has suggested.
During a PMR/GCA groupie videocall yesterday this paper was mentionedL
jrheum.org/content/jrheum/4...
and both the friend and I consider this defines OUR version of PMR and is probably one of the most useful articles about PMR in general. The things that cause our pain rarely appear on imaging, even PET-CT while we are being treated with any pred and it isn't something you can have at the drop of a hat like an x-ray. Too many doctors are fixated on lab results and the concept that sciatic is spinal in origin. The sacroiliac area and piriformis are heavily involved in PMR discomfort - and a good clinical exam by an experienced physio will find things the average doctor dismisses as woo, Greater trochanteric pain syndrome is a big part of low back problems in PMR/
My husband got the pain you describe from excessive driving. Some basic stretches like touching his toes, sitting on the floor sorted it out quite quickly, fortunately. He is not afflicted with our diseases though.
Perhaps you should wait to see rheumatology/neurology first. As all we can do is surmise the problems and that might be totally wrong, particularly if it turns out to be a spinal problem.
Thank for your input, and reading material. I reached out to Rheumotology and am hoping I can get an appointment at the same time my wife is there for her hip replacement follow up. I’ve also asked for a prescription for physical therapy from the orthopedic dr.
Piriformis syndrome?
It sounds more like your piriformis muscle then your back. And typically that can be resolved easily enough with a trigger point injection in the piriformis muscle. This muscle is deep in your buttocks. Men commonly get it because they wear their wallets in their back pocket. I would think having spent so much time on the bleachers could have easily caused an irritation of your piriformis muscle. If you don't want to ask for a piriformis muscle trigger point injection yet you can also Google stretches for that muscle that might help. Also I recommend alternating heat and ice on your buttocks.
Thanks, I sure there was something building before I was on the bleachers so long in a short span. Periformis is something I’m hoping to discuss with my dr. when I get in. I did start some stretching and there’s definitely some tightness back there. Thanks again
Years ago I stopped putting my wallet in my rear left pocket. In my front pocket now.
I have been getting an increasing pull and tightness down the right leg for months which made me think of sciatica. When it started down the left side I went to see my excellent osteo (he specialises in visceral osteopathy as taught by Jean-Claude Barral) who worked on my hip, piriformis and at the costal area to basically release the diaphragm. Structural misalignment can set up all sorts of internal organ problems/blockages that are easy to blame on pred or PMR. As PMRpro points out there is much that does not show up on scans; I think because they are not looking for simple solutions! I was amazed how much better both legs have felt since.
I wonder why they seem not to understand the role of any scanning - it isas often to rule things out as rule things in. Of course, sometimes it does identify the problem ,,,,
Thank you.
I received a physical therapy script on Wednesday. Yesterday I received notice of consultations in neurology and rheumatology on the same days my wife sees her hip surgeon. It’s a bit of a drive so I’m grateful they gave me those dates. I’m hoping they will be able to get some answers. Thanks again for your input. I always enjoy reading this site. It is encouraging.
Good luck with it all grumpa (love the name 😀) x
After I started prednisone my wife said I was grumpy and one of my grandchildren coined the name grumpa and it stuck.
Thought it might have something to do with the grandchildren! 😉x
Thanks
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