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Author Topic: Tests are normal but I am in pain  (Read 4087 times)

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kimberly52

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Tests are normal but I am in pain
« on: November 10, 2014, 02:24:33 PM »
Hi everyone,

It has been awhile since I have been on here because I was enjoying my pain free life. I say that with the emphasis on "was".  Anyway, things were so good I was hiking all over the Southwest for 8 months and even carried a full pack into and out of the Grand Canyon on 2 separate occasions.  Then around May it all started.

It started with pain in my groin and all around my operated hip, however it wasn't too awful bad but as I continued to be active the pain got progressively worse over the next few months.  I saw Dr. Clarke and he checked my metals which were fine. He also ordered an MRI of my hip and lower back. He also scheduled me for aspiration of my operated hip.

As I was on the table waiting for the horror of the needle in my hip he comes in with my reports and said that it appeared that my hip pain was referred pain coming from a slipped disc in my back and he wanted me to see a back doctor. He said to run the course with the back doctor and if the pain persisted then he would aspirate the hip but really didn't want to do that procedure that day because everything was pointing at my disc.

I followed up with a back doctor and he basically he told me that there really wasn't anything wrong with my back that any other 54 year old has. My husband had noted how active I am and the doc's response was that new hips were designed for 80 year old people and that they were not meant for people to go around carrying full packs and downhill skiing etc.  :-\

I was taken aback and left his office wondering what to do. Since all the tests Dr. Clarke ran on me showed nothing wrong with my hip, I am wondering if it is really necessary to have the aspiration?  I just sent my images to the Laser Spine Center for a free review but am very confused because my pain is not only in my operated hip but also my lower back and now my unoperated hip is giving me pain.

All suggestions as to what to do will be appreciated. In the meantime my once active life has come to a standstill.  I really want to get whatever is causing all this pain under control so I can enjoy skiing this season and at the very least, get back to the gym.
« Last Edit: November 10, 2014, 02:45:25 PM by kimberly52 »
LBHR 4/6/13
42/44
Dr. Michael Clarke

Arrojo

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Re: Tests are normal but I am in pain
« Reply #1 on: November 10, 2014, 03:24:25 PM »
Perhaps this is all soft tissue related?  In which case, it is scar tissue buildup that needs to be broken up.  There are many ways to acheive that - Deep Tissue Massage, trigger point release, foam roller.  I am personally fond of Active Release Technique or 'ART'.  That may work very well for you, because most of the licensed providers of "ART" are chiropractors.

If nothing is wrong, orthopedically speaking, then I'd suggest trying this route.  And I would not go back to that Dr. with the 80-year old comment.  Many of us are loving our new hips and being quite active - such as running marathons for example.

Good luck.
Dr. Su
RBHR 4/9/12

hernanu

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Re: Tests are normal but I am in pain
« Reply #2 on: November 10, 2014, 04:02:51 PM »
Hi Kimberly, I had a somewhat similar thing at the beginning of the year. I had a fall on ice (carrying my overlarge gym bag and a computer). Later on, I worked out did weights and an hour of punching bag work.

Woke up with pain in the lower left back, hard to stand up, etc. It took about a month to get down to normal (walked a lot), then went out and played basketball and there it was again, lower back pain, etc.

A month of rest later, I decided to have my surgeon look at it (4th anniversary was coming anyways). The back looked good, the metal results came in well, so that cleared my mind on the hips.

I went to my GP, she suggested rehab for a muscle pull / somekindofinjury. Hard to say what it is / was, but I'm now back to lifting and moving without much of a problem. In my case, the hips are out of the equation, but I'm in the "throwing my back out" area.

Is there something you could do (MRI?) to have your soft tissues (like Arrojo mentions) looked at?
Hernan, LHR 8/24/2010, RHR 11/29/2010 - Cormet, Dr. Snyder

kimberly52

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Re: Tests are normal but I am in pain
« Reply #3 on: November 10, 2014, 08:04:49 PM »
I did have MRI's of the hip and lower back. The MRI of the hip is very vague indicating that the prosthesis is limiting evaluation of that region.  My thought is why do an MRI in the first place if the prosthesis is preventing a clear evaluation.  They do note that my muscle around the pelvis is normal so I assume I can rule out muscle issues.

I am not sure if I should go the extra mile and have the hip aspiration to rule out the hip for certain. I am also wondering if anyone has ever had the aspiration done.

I sent my reports to a spine center for a review today but also wondering if I should also see a neurologist.  The thing is though that all of my pain is around that operated hip.  It goes from the top of my pelvis and wraps right around to the front and into the groin.  And we all know that groin pain is a tell tale sign of a hip issue. But on that same note, my lumbar MRI shows a slipped disc on L4 with disc space narrowing and neural foraminal stenosis. 

This is frustrating considering I thought at this point in time all of my limitations would be behind me.  And as Dr. Clarke said to me, he cannot say definitively if it is the hip or back or both but leans toward the back being the culprit.  Ugh!
« Last Edit: November 10, 2014, 08:09:12 PM by kimberly52 »
LBHR 4/6/13
42/44
Dr. Michael Clarke

MattJersey

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Re: Tests are normal but I am in pain
« Reply #4 on: March 11, 2015, 05:31:52 PM »
Hi Kimberley, just bringing this back to top, have you had any success in treatment? Since your back is a conduit for nerves, disc problems could cause referred pain. I'm definitely no expert, but I could easily imagine that. Hopefully you've gotten over the issue by now, fingers crossed.
28 April 2015, RBHR Mr McMinn

 

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