Hip Pain

ck55

Back on Dec 17th I went to a Christmas party (one of many!) and because it was a small house with not a lot of sitting areas and a lot of people, I ended up standing for 4 - 5 hours. Let me just say I am not much into regular exercise, so this was a long time for me to stand. Anyway the next day I had pain on the front of my right hip, I was guessing strained hip flexors? Very painful to walk. Well it has now moved down into the inner part of my hip joint and although the pain has lessened, it is still painful going up or down stairs or when I lift my right leg for some reason (like getting into a car). I also occasionally have pain in bed in the morning.

Of course we all know exactly where our minds go with any unusual symptoms. After consulting Dr. Google I am wondering if it could be bursitis of the hip? Some of the symptoms are similar?

Just wondering if anyone has had bursitis and had this kind of pain? Or if it sounds like any other type of strain or joint problem?

I really don't want to go to the Dr until I give it more time to heal up. I just got past my 9 year mark in Nov and I am hoping this has nothing to do with BC.

Any hope?

Thanks, Cyndi

wrenn

The timing makes it sound more like an injury. I had knee pain after getting up off a yoga mat and it didn't go away for weeks. Hopefully it resolves soon but it wouldn't hurt to check with doc.

ChiSandy

A year ago this weekend I shoveled snow, and the next day walked 1/4 mi. ea. way to a party through a raging blizzard with 2+’ of snow over unevenly-cleared sidewalks. Had to use trekking poles! I developed EXACTLY the pain you described, and exactly the same things exacerbated it. I Googled, but my PCP confirmed it was trochanteric bursitis and I should go to my orthopod for a cortisone shot. The ultrasound the orthopod used to guide the injection revealed the cause of the great big swollen bursa: two adjacent torn gluteal muscles--minimus & medius.

Don’t wait for it to heal. It won’t on its own unless you completely stay off it for weeks. Get a referral to an orthopedist or sports medicine clinic. The sooner you get the diagnosis--almost certainly soft-tissue injury, not bone mets--and have it treated, the sooner you’ll feel better.

ck55

Thanks ChiSandy. You made me feel much better. I know I should go see my PCP. I will try to make myself make an appt. next week if it doesn't miraculously disappear this weekend. 😉

Once again thanks for the great advice!

Cyndi

kcat2013

I had pain in my hip that was very similar to yours, except I couldn't pinpoint a specific time when it started. Bursitis diagnosed, and after the prescribed steroids, much, much, much better. It still will bother me occasionally now, but nothing like before. Definitely see your PCP!

bevin

My hip pain was similar, coupled with the weakness in lifting the leg you describe when getting in a car. Mine turned out to be a herniated disc at l3-l4 that was pressing on my spinal cord. surgery was required for me as the compression on spinal cord was severe. I hope your pain goes away with NSAID or PT and is nothing serious. I'm just sharing my story so that your PT checks out your lower spine.

ck55

Thank you for all of your responses. They're all very helpful as well as encouraging.

Cyndi

ChiSandy

Yes to Bevin’s advice to check your spine. And if it is indeed at least partly the culprit, ask if orthotics (even off-the-shelf, as my podiatrist suggested), orthopedically-beneficial shoes (they’re making cuter ones these days), a better mattress, and chair-and-car seat modification with proper cushions might also help. I found that in addition to the cortisone shot, topical NSAIDs via patch & gel, lidocaine patches, Celebrex (a COX-2 inhibitor that is easier on the gut than oral NSAIDs) and arnica gel or cream helped a LOT.

ck55

Once again, thanks for the great advice ChiSandy!

Cyndi

sunshine100

hi OP. I had hip/leg pain on and off for a few months. It turns out I have a stress fracture at the head of my femur. They did not see mets on the X-ray but I am having an MRI tomorrow to be sure. I think the chemo weakened my bones. I have horrible neuropathy in my feet. Can you get an X-ray

ck55

Well I finally went to my PCP and she thought it might be bursitis( which might benefit from a cortisone shot) and ordered a hip X-ray for the same day just to be sure there was nothing too sinister going on. The X-ray way was normal. Great news! But I still am having pain. Went to my 6 month apt with onc last Thursday and all blood work looked great (CA17:29 was 29, normal for me) and she thought a cortisone shot was worth a shot and if I needed further imaging she was good with that. She didn't seem too worried.

So I am going in for a cortisone injection in the hip, in case it is bursitis, on Thursday. Hoping this will clear all of this up! Has anyone here ever had this done? What should I expect, is it painful? The office told me I would be fine to drive myself home, just don't know what I am in for?

Thanks, Cyndi

bevin

HI, I have had it done in my spine with cortisone and lydocaine. It hurts but the relief is so worth it. You'll feel like a million dollars after . For me, the pain was gone within 3 days after the shot and it lasted about 6 months. I had another after that. good luck, I hope you have similar results.

Obxflygirl1

I get cortisone shots for bursitis. It really doesn't hurt and my hip sure feels tons better afterwards. Lasts about 6 months. it's more like a pinch. Not bad at all for me, anyway.

ck55

Thanks for the responses. I am sure I will be fine, after all most of us have been through much worse.

Hoping it takes care of this as it has become quite annoying.

Cyndi

ChiSandy

My shot hurt a lot while I was getting it, because they mix the cortisone with lidocaine in a gel and it’s pretty viscous. I watched the ultrasound screen as the needle went into the bursa and it sorta freaked me out, but childbirth-class breathing did help. It took less than a minute. When I got off the table I felt much, much better and easily drove home. I still needed a cane for a few more weeks (I think the torn gluteal muscles may have been responsible for the residual pain), but except for hills I haven’t used one since. I’ve also had cortisone shots twice for trigger thumb (eventually, had the tendon release surgery), and though they were painful for about 15 seconds and the base of my thumb was sore for a day or so, the smooth range of motion without clicking came back right away. The relief from the first thumb shot lasted me 3 yrs; I only had 3 wks between the second shot & surgery (I had some concert touring to do and wouldn’t have recovered from surgery in time). The surgeon flushed the cortisone out before snipping the tendon sheath so that there’d be no danger of tissue thinning. I also had cortisone for my knees before I had them replaced, but it did absolutely nothing except thin my checkbook.

Sharon1942

I have had hip & groin pain for 6 months which causes a noticeable limp. First I went to my rheumatologist who ordered X-rays & ruled out bone metastasis & need for hip replacement (I'm 73). Two regimines of prednisone did not help. A painless hip cortisone injection did not help. Next I was referred to an orthopedic spine specialist. Back X-rays showed spinal stenosis in the lumbar region causing nerve compression which is causing all my pain!! I will have a CT scan tomorrow. Then I will have outpatient minimally invasive surgery with only a 1" incision to widen the area that narrowed & is compressing nerves in the lumbar region. I'll keep you posted