Aa
What could be causing my chronic (since I was in jr. high school - I'm 26 now) occational hip pain (especially after mopping the floor, sex)?
While bearing weight (backpack for example) or just walking sometimes, something in my right hip feels like it slips out of place, then a sharp pain shoots down my leg. The sharp pain usually only lasts a few seconds to a couple minutes; however, it is very common to have a general ache for a while (few hours to couple days) after a "slip". When it is bothering me (2-3 days/wk), I can have weird numb/tingling feelings all down my right leg and dull achy pain in my hip joint. It has not really been severe enough to warrant taking pain meds...but I don't really like medicines. When I was younger (age 8-10 ish) I remember my parents getting on to me about laying with my feel pointed inward toward each other when I slept. I am only slighly pigeon-toed now with no externally visual twisting....but to walk completely straight I have to consciously be aware of which direction my feet are pointing. An x-ray showed nothing of structural concern in the area of my right hip.....could this be a tendon/ligament issue? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Hi,
You are doing the right thing being concerned about this now. Any abnormality will come back to haunt you later in life, as osteoarthritis tends to hone in on areas of excessive use or weakness. What I am saying is that a minor problem now could be a big issue 15 or so years down the line, unless you work on it.
The problem with hip pain is it means different things to different people. You talk about the tingling in your leg, and aching in your hip joint, but where do you mean by this. Many people think hip pain is pain in the sides of the pelvis, others may have pain in the groin, where is the pain?
Hip pain, be it groin or sides, may not mean pathology in the hip. There may be something going on with your back. As you are prone to twisting your legs inwards this could also be from a back problem, such as a curvature or the spines (scoliosis). This may lead to one leg being 'shorter' that the other, as the body is not straight.
An MRI at the very least of your lumbar spine, ideally your whole spine, would give useful information. Or at the very least an x-ray.
I would then suggest taking the fndings to an orthopedic doctor and a physiotherapist. Osteopaths are also very knowledgeable in this area. A good physio will work with you to devise a programme of excercises to try to undo the inward twist of your legs, which may be what is putting pressure on the nerves. You are very young, but the possibility of nerve irritation in the spine can still be a factor, especially if you have had trauma such as a fall in your life, or there may be a congenital problem (from birth).
I speak from personal experience, but you are not me, and cannot have the same problems. I had occasional hip (groin) pain at about your age, along with severe leg pain, and after the briefest of consultations with a privated physhiotherapist, who recommended no further assessment, saying my range of movement was good, just let it be. I was extremely fit, a distance runner, fitness instructor, climber, martial arts performer, the works. I am now just into my forties, and over the last few years the deterioration has been dramatic. I now walk with a cane. I have some osteoarthritis, but the degree of disability is extreme. Spinal MRIs showed a scoliosis, some lesions which are not very common (so don't worry), and a pelvic MRI showed inflammation in most of the major muscle groups, such that I now need steroid injections and am waiting to see a rheumatologist. I take morphine daily just to move.
I am NOT saying this will be your future, every person is different. But part of me thinks that had my mild symptoms been taken more seriously in my twenties maybe earlier intervention could have helped. I think I put off my disability with my commitment to exercise, but no physiotherapist ever sat down with me and gave me a tailor made programme. Now they have.
One other thing, excercising in water is great for any joint problems, the water takes the strain off you carrying your body weight and offered resistance, along with forcing you to engage your abdominal core muscles to balance. If you can get some hydrotherapy sessions with an exercise programme, that may work wonders.
Didn't mean to scare you with my story, just encouraging you to get on top of this while you are still young, which it seems you are considering anyway. And yes, stay away from the painkillers. They will take you down a very negative and unhelpful route. A significant proportion of the problems I now have are from my medications. But I am now too dependant on them to easily try another route. Very much the bane of my life.
You are doing the right thing being concerned about this now. Any abnormality will come back to haunt you later in life, as osteoarthritis tends to hone in on areas of excessive use or weakness. What I am saying is that a minor problem now could be a big issue 15 or so years down the line, unless you work on it.
The problem with hip pain is it means different things to different people. You talk about the tingling in your leg, and aching in your hip joint, but where do you mean by this. Many people think hip pain is pain in the sides of the pelvis, others may have pain in the groin, where is the pain?
Hip pain, be it groin or sides, may not mean pathology in the hip. There may be something going on with your back. As you are prone to twisting your legs inwards this could also be from a back problem, such as a curvature or the spines (scoliosis). This may lead to one leg being 'shorter' that the other, as the body is not straight.
An MRI at the very least of your lumbar spine, ideally your whole spine, would give useful information. Or at the very least an x-ray.
I would then suggest taking the fndings to an orthopedic doctor and a physiotherapist. Osteopaths are also very knowledgeable in this area. A good physio will work with you to devise a programme of excercises to try to undo the inward twist of your legs, which may be what is putting pressure on the nerves. You are very young, but the possibility of nerve irritation in the spine can still be a factor, especially if you have had trauma such as a fall in your life, or there may be a congenital problem (from birth).
I speak from personal experience, but you are not me, and cannot have the same problems. I had occasional hip (groin) pain at about your age, along with severe leg pain, and after the briefest of consultations with a privated physhiotherapist, who recommended no further assessment, saying my range of movement was good, just let it be. I was extremely fit, a distance runner, fitness instructor, climber, martial arts performer, the works. I am now just into my forties, and over the last few years the deterioration has been dramatic. I now walk with a cane. I have some osteoarthritis, but the degree of disability is extreme. Spinal MRIs showed a scoliosis, some lesions which are not very common (so don't worry), and a pelvic MRI showed inflammation in most of the major muscle groups, such that I now need steroid injections and am waiting to see a rheumatologist. I take morphine daily just to move.
I am NOT saying this will be your future, every person is different. But part of me thinks that had my mild symptoms been taken more seriously in my twenties maybe earlier intervention could have helped. I think I put off my disability with my commitment to exercise, but no physiotherapist ever sat down with me and gave me a tailor made programme. Now they have.
One other thing, excercising in water is great for any joint problems, the water takes the strain off you carrying your body weight and offered resistance, along with forcing you to engage your abdominal core muscles to balance. If you can get some hydrotherapy sessions with an exercise programme, that may work wonders.
Didn't mean to scare you with my story, just encouraging you to get on top of this while you are still young, which it seems you are considering anyway. And yes, stay away from the painkillers. They will take you down a very negative and unhelpful route. A significant proportion of the problems I now have are from my medications. But I am now too dependant on them to easily try another route. Very much the bane of my life.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hello,
Your symptoms are suggective of sciatica. Sciatica is a set of symptoms including pain that may be caused by general compression and/or irritation of one of five nerve roots that give rise to the sciatic nerve, or by compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve itself. The pain is felt in the lower back, buttock, and/or various parts of the leg and foot. In addition to pain, which is sometimes severe, there may be numbness, muscular weakness, and difficulty in moving or controlling the leg. Typically, the symptoms are only felt on one side of the body.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sciatica
Diagnosis can be confirmed by MR neurography.
Otjher possibilities are Dehydration or low amounts of potassium, sodium, calcium, or magnesium in the blood, muscle fatigue or strain from overuse, too much exercise, or holding a muscle in the same position for a long time, strain, stress fracture, tendonitis, claudication, osteomyelitis,osteoarthritis and Benign tumors or cysts of the femur or tibia and osteosarcoma.
I suggest you to discuss these possibilities with your doctor.
Hope it helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted in case of any additional queries.
Your symptoms are suggective of sciatica. Sciatica is a set of symptoms including pain that may be caused by general compression and/or irritation of one of five nerve roots that give rise to the sciatic nerve, or by compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve itself. The pain is felt in the lower back, buttock, and/or various parts of the leg and foot. In addition to pain, which is sometimes severe, there may be numbness, muscular weakness, and difficulty in moving or controlling the leg. Typically, the symptoms are only felt on one side of the body.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sciatica
Diagnosis can be confirmed by MR neurography.
Otjher possibilities are Dehydration or low amounts of potassium, sodium, calcium, or magnesium in the blood, muscle fatigue or strain from overuse, too much exercise, or holding a muscle in the same position for a long time, strain, stress fracture, tendonitis, claudication, osteomyelitis,osteoarthritis and Benign tumors or cysts of the femur or tibia and osteosarcoma.
I suggest you to discuss these possibilities with your doctor.
Hope it helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted in case of any additional queries.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Undiagnosed Symptoms Community
Discharge often isn't normal, and could mean an infection or an STD.
In this unique and fascinating report from Missouri Medicine, world-renowned expert Dr. Raymond Moody examines what really happens when we almost die.
Think a loved one may be experiencing hearing loss? Here are five warning signs to watch for.
When it comes to your health, timing is everything
We’ve got a crash course on metabolism basics.
Learn what you can do to avoid ski injury and other common winter sports injury.
