No Answers yet!

Hi Everyone,

I hope today finds everyone feeling good with little to no pain. I have had my drs appointments with really no clear answers to why I hurt so much. My blood work and imaging studies came back with nothing remarkable. As a reminder I have upper back pain from shoulder to shoulder and both hip joints hurt daily. The best my dr could offer was that I have bursitis in both hips. I thought how is this even possible.

I just have not felt well since my two level fusion two years ago. Is this the new me? Am I just going to have to learn to live with this pain? I just don't know. I have a pain management appointment in about two weeks and will have to have a heart to heart with her.
I hope everyone else is feeling great and if not I am so sorry. It makes my heart ache to see all the people on this forum as I know we are all suffering together. I just wish the medical community could find more answers for us all.

Have a pain free day please
dmo

Thank you Susie,
I am going to try to get some injections in the bursa soon. I am not sure if primary care will do it. If not I will try my pain management dr.

Any idea why anyone would have bursitis in both hips at once? It does seem strange to me. I also have lower back pain from a herniated disc so I wasn't sure if maybe this was the cause.

I just never saw my golden years being ruined by painful days. lol. They are anything but golden, should be called rusty years.
thanks

DMO, bursitis is caused from repetitive use of a joint. There really is no explanation why it can affect one hip or both. If I am remembering correctly, you have an upcoming appt with your PM dr.. I would certainly discuss this with the dr.

As for the golden years, some days they are not so shiny, lol.

Thank you Lanie and Darla and Susie. I really appreciate the help and understanding. It really means a lot to have people who care to talk with. This world could use more people like you three. I know I am blessed to speak with you all.

I walk about 45 minutes a day for exercise. I cant use weights or do machines as my spine is just to bad. My primary care dr told me to stop for a week or two and see how I feel. Well I did this and stated feeling better in my hips anyway. I started walking again yesterday and wouldn't you know it by the evening my hip joints were hurting again. This is all I can do for exercise so it really makes me upset I can no longer walk. I don't know how to change my walking so it does not hurt my hips. I am just falling apart and it makes me so ill I am trying so hard to keep fit and not give up. I push through the pain everyday and I just keep getting worse. I was thinking maybe buying an above ground pool would help. Something to take the weight off my hips while still allowing me to exercise. I will talk to my wife about this. What do you all think? I will cost a lot I am sure but maybe I could swing it somehow.

Miss Darla I answered one of your past threads but never heard from you. I did hurt my feelings but I am not mad so maybe you could take the time to say hello and tell me how you are doing. It was the thread about seeking advice about your upcoming Rhume dr.
Maybe I am just to sensitive.

thank you all
dmo

I've had bursitis in both hips since my 20's and I just turned 58. I was hyper flexible in my young days and I believe this contributed. I have found Aleve helps me the most for the bursitis flares. Don't wear the same pair of shoes 2 days in a row. Make sure the shoes/sneakers you wear are good support. My favorites are/were aerobic exercise sneakers! Flip Flops are horrible for bursitis of the hips. Ill fitting slippers are bad, too.

Some high school tracks are rubber and easier for walking on. They absorb the 'shock' of the stride. If you don't have one close by, you could try an insole in your shoe.

Ask the physical therapist to check your gait. I tend to walk with my left foot facing forward and my right foot turned out slightly. Probably why my right hip is worse than my left!

Hi dmo, sorry to hear that the frustrations continue. I think it can be so overwhelming when more than one area is causing pain. It is one thing to say (to yourself or to others) that your hips hurt or your shoulders hurt but when it is multiple things it makes one sound like a complainer. At least that is how I feel. And when there is no clear diagnosis or treatment...Hard to stay positive on that. And, not to be a downer but age does not help anything.

Sorry for leaving you hanging in the discussion...I prob ran out of things to say. I am most likely leaving my job because it involves a lot of typing and the arthritis in my hands gets worse as a result. Not easy to leave, emotionally, and not how I want to leave. I have gone through extensive testing with my new Rheum and it is another couple of weeks till I meet with her again. I am really anxious about hearing what she has to say. I am afraid it will be bad as far as diagnosis and I am just as afraid it will not be! I think you can understand that...I know how I feel and it is almost a relief to have somebody find what is wrong but then none of the options for diagnoses are good. And then I will have to deal with that.

I do apologize for hijacking your post! I share your frustration at trying to find something to make you feel more like yourself and less like the limited by pain person you are today. I am hoping you get the answers and treatment you need. Have a good day!

Probably frequent breaks would help. Get out and stretch...walk a bit. That sounds rough! I try and do as little car travel as possible. I prefer flying if it is an option otherwise I try and get out of it. Good luck!

Oceanfish:
Myofascial based pain (soft tissue/connective tissue) remains a strong possible source of either or both of your hip and upper back/shoulder pain.

The ileotibial band is a dense, fibrous connective tissue that runs from the hip to the upper tibia/knee. Tightness of the ileotibial band is
common as people age and become less active. It is not just inactivity but decreased excursion of joint movement as one ages that is at the crux of myofascial shortening and pain. Think of a once flexible rubber band that becomes stiffened and less pliable with age.

Do you have difficulty in sitting with crossing one thigh/upper leg over the other? Difficulty with putting on shoes or socks? Adhesive capsulitis of the hips and tightened ileotibial band are both suspect.

The shoulders are a suspension joint, like a clothing hanger, with little muscular support. Muscles that lie beneath the scapula are a common source of tightened muscle nodules/.trigger points that radiate pain to the upper back and shoulders. As people age, people are more likely to keep their arms in close proximity to the body and less likely to routinely bring the arms up and over the core body. Take a small stick or pole. Are you able to bring both arms to shoulder level? Up above shoulder level? Do your scapula/wing bones feel stuck or immobile? Scaplular immobility plays a large role in shoulder pain. The scapula glide in a 3:1 ration to the shoulder. A scapula that is less mobile will be reflected as shoulder limitation and pain.

The song. . . “the hip bone is connected to the thigh bone . . . Is true.” The body’s muscles, connective tissues, and joints are interconnected and interrelated. Each affect the other. A local soft tissue/connective tissue restriction localized or limitation can have distant joint effects.

I am an advocate of suggesting the Silver Sneakers program to people who are in need of refunding a sense of safe movement and exercise as they age. Silver Sneakers is available in almost every community, usually affiliated with the YMCA or local community/county funded community center. It is low cost. There is a good sense of commaraderie and good will to be found in the class sessions. Silver Sneakers is a good way to make initial steps toward gradual/graduated exercise.

If your physician has not provided a physical therapy referral or consultation that would be a valid area of discussion. Find a PT Clinic that focuses on functional medicine and rehabilitation.

Keep in mind: Gentle, low stress movement with Intermittent rest. Use of local ice or moist heat. Keep in mind proper posture and body mechanics to support joint alignment. Drink plenty of clear fluids to flush away normal metabolites and toxins. Read up on principles of anti-inflammatory diet/nutrition, incorporate areas as able. Consider natural supplements such as currie and magnesium.

Sometimes it is a mixture of conventional medicine and holistic approaches and self-care that provide relief to musculoskeletal issues that evade a clear diagnosis.
Karen