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Hip, back and knee pain no diagnosis

Posted , 6 users are following.

michelle31563
michelle31563

Hello

Not really sure if Im in the right place but here goes..

I have suffered with hip pain since a child they click, was told they weren't developed properly, sometimes i have to retract my leg because i feels if I go any further forward something will snap, when this happens I get an extreme sharp pain.

I am now 33 had two children which was an experience when in child birth not being able to extend the hips very well.

The last couple of years I have now developed lower back pain, knee pain along with flare of knuckle and elbow.

I have good days and not so good, the last couple of days have been awful, bought on by a simple cold, it seems to hit me with all its force.

I have been back and forth to the doctor but they wont even give me anything for the pain apart from paracetamol/ibruprofen which does nothing anymore.

I have seen a physiotherapist at the hospital who got an mri done of the lumbar spine and saral iliac joints T1 T2 and stir sequences, additional diffusion-weighted sequences of the sacro iliac joints....

this was the results (or lack of)

The lumbar spine series incorporates the D8 thoractic vertebra down to the sacrum taking the lowest fully mobile disc space to be L5/S1.

There is normal bony alignment with no evidence of abnormal marrow signal or significant osteophytosis. The discs are unremarkable throughout. The conus lies at D12 and returns normal signal.

There is no convincing evidence of diffusion-weighted abnormality or significant sclerosis to suggest sacroilitis.

The uterus is incidently retro flexed.

Conclusion..Unremarkable lumbar spine and sacral iliac joints.

So I am left in limbo really as I dont know what is wrong and this shows nothing.

I have pain everyday which I cope with but when a flare up comes then it really does effect me, the pain is unbearable, I cant do anything apart from cry.

The latest one started mid back down to lower back the whole of it, breathing hurt, I couldn't ease it with any position, it went into the hips, mainly up in the groin and then progressed into the knees. Made me feel so sick.

I cant explain well enough really, but it is pain but a constant one not a shooting pain but constant, it kind of feels like labour obviously not contractions but always there.

I just dont know what to do, and feel the doctors dont believe me.

Does anyone have any insight/idea?

Sorry if this isnt in the right place but because i haven't been diagnosed with anything I dont know where to turn to.

Thanks for taking the time to read x

2 likes, 14 replies

14 Replies

  • Oregonjohn-UK
    Oregonjohn-UK michelle31563

    Posted

    Hi Michelle - Sorry I can't help you but there may be other with more experience.  Best of luck trying to get to the bottom of it

    Regards, John

  • constance.de
    constance.de michelle31563

    Posted

    You are probably on the wrong site, Michelle.  Polymyalgia doesn't (usually!) effect people of your age - we are mostly oldies on here - except for a few young 50 year olds.

    Someone will no doubt point you to the correct site.

    All the best from Constance

    • michelle31563
      michelle31563 constance.de

      Posted

      Hello Constance

      Thank you for your comment, I didn't really know where to go but have also posted in the backache section.

      My mother has over the years been given diagnosis of osteoarthritis then polymyalga rhematica so they were thinking along those lines at one point.

      Kind regards Michelle

  • bronwyn97278
    bronwyn97278 michelle31563

    Posted

    Hi Michelle;  I'm not really sure if this is going to help much either....I don't understand the results of yourMRI (seems to be all over the place)...especially as you are complaining of lower back, hips and knee pain.  If, as you have said, you were born with "clicky hips", which is something that many babes can be born with, but should have been treated at a few months of age with being put into a plaster (that was how babies were treated in those days, as you mentioned you are 33)....so if you did not receive this treatment then, you will natually be having trouble with hips and knees, as you have not been able to walk properly, and now the hips/knees are "complaining", due to the Extra work that they have had to do all these years???  I think that if I was in your position, I'd be trying to talk to an Orthopaedic Surgeon??  Please remember, that I am just taking an outside point of view, as havn't seen results of MRI, but not sure why they are mentioning Thoracic (the T3T4 etc)....and I have never heard of "any D areas on the vertebrae) ????   also maybe having another talk to your GP/other medical professional, and ask for a referral to a GOOD ortho specialist....and tell them you NEED some Real Pain Relief in the meantime....don't give up, as you will find that many of the others on these forum/s have had to  do their own research, and then attack their docs again...keep at them until you find someone who will listen....you know yourself what you feel...make sure they do too....hope I havn't made things worse for you, but do hope I've given you some direction.....Bron
    • michelle31563
      michelle31563 bronwyn97278

      Posted

      Thank you for your reply Bron

      Any input is appreciated.

      I wasen't (that Im aware) born with clicky hips but its something I started experiencing around 11/12years old.

      I have no idea what things mean on the mri so really cant say i understand it or be able to question it.

      I have today rang the hospital physio as she said to call if I have a flare up, she is away for next 2 weeks, but have been given the next available appointment in July.

      I've also spoken via phone to a different doctor at my surgery and have an appointment at 5 today, fingers crossed he'll be more willing to give me some form of stronger pain relief for when needed and perhaps send me for more investigation..heres hoping.

      Thanks again, Michelle

  • EileenH
    EileenH michelle31563

    Posted

    If there was a thought of PMR (and it can occur in young patients but is rarely acknowledged, the youngest in the literature was 24) have they tried you on a moderate dose of prednisolone to see if it helps?

    Other than that - ask the physiotherapist if she has heard of myofascial pain syndrome. It often happens alongside PMR and mimics some of the pain. It leads to trigger points on either side of the spine - which in turn can make the muscles go into spasm and they can pinch nerves. This can lead to referred pain into the legs and round the ribs on top of the back pain. Local corticosteroid injections can help and so can manual mobilisation of the trigger points. I was admitted to hospital for a rather more aggressive approach which worked brilliantly - except for me having an allergic reaction to one of the drugs (very rare I hasten to add) so they stopped and used the slower approach and it worked too, just took months instead of days.

    Another thing that might be worth trying is Bowen therapy - google it. It looks crazy but several people on the forums have used it for similar pain problems and it has helped. After all, anything that improves things is worth a try. You would know in 3 sessions if Bowen will help - if it hasn't achieved anything then there is little point doing more.

  • faye______00403
    faye______00403 michelle31563

    Posted

    Try to talk your doc into doing a sed rate test on you and then

    you'll know for sure.  It's an easy test. just draw a little blood.

    Have they tested you for RA.....????  When you have anything

    wrong with hips and walk to compensate for it the body is so thrown

    out of alignment and that can cause all kinds of problems.

    Hope you find help soon.  so awful to be in constant pain....

    • EileenH
      EileenH faye______00403

      Posted

      Sorry to disillusion you Faye - but 1 in 5 patients with PMR and/or GCA never have a raised sed rate (ESR) and this fact alone results in a lot of people having their diagnosis missed as many doctors are unaware of it. It is also an extremely non-specific test and merely indicates there is inflammation somewhere in the body but not what is causing it. 
    • faye______00403
      faye______00403 EileenH

      Posted

      Might just give her somewhere to start......she may not

      be that one that doesn't have raised sed rate.  She sounds

      like she needs do anything to get to a place where she

      is diagnosed and pain free.  She sounds like she has

      come appts and hopefully for her she'll get the right

      doc and get some realief

  • michelle31563
    michelle31563

    Posted

    Thank you all for your replies and ideas, I do apprieciate it.

    I went to the doctors yesterday at 5 and saw a different one as am fed up with my other.

    I walked out after and actually felt like perhaps I may get somewhere with this one, he listened examined and actually asked me what I would like to happen.

    Whilst being examined and him saying how flexable me knees are and have good reach down from standing etc and it doesn't hurt him touching down my back I nearly broke down as I explained this is what happens on every exam Im ok up to a certain point but its afterwards that the pain sets in, this time only 15 minutes and I was really suffering. He said he believes me and the first time ever a doctor has said it could well be PMR!! what with the family history, but obviously he needs to rule other things out first. So he wants bloods to check inflammation also my vit D levels as never been good and a general check, which he booked there and then and have already had that this morning.

    He's prescribed a course of Naproxen 500mg 1 tablet twice aday to see if we are dealing with inflammation.

    So in all Im happy that I now seem to have a doctor that actually wants to find out what is causing me pain YAY.

    Thank you all again, I shall keep you updated x

    • bronwyn97278
      bronwyn97278 michelle31563

      Posted

      good for you....sounds promising....and very pleased for you that things are moving forward....Bron

       

    • EileenH
      EileenH michelle31563

      Posted

      Yes - I had a physio, a so-called specialist in musculoskeletal disorders, who said I couldn't have anything wrong with my back because I could touch my toes and he couldn't! I was very restrained - but i did tell him no to patronise me, I might be older than him but I wasn't dead yet!

      Hmmm - if it is inflammation due to PMR then Naproxen probably won't help a lot so I hope he doesn't rely on that. Although the rubrics claim you can use NSAIDs in mild cases I was a mild case for the first 5 years and NSAIDs didn't do anything to help at all, maybe took the really sharp edge off bursitis pain but no more.

      But hallelujah - a doctor who listened! They do exist. I'm really looking forward to the next instalment!

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