Mother of all problems

Background,

Athletic 28 year old male, good at all sports, general health was well, no family history of any problems of any seriousness, Works as an accounts assistant in the city, currently signed off

My Condition

Approx 1 year ago I was in a squatting position, and felt a ping/pop/snap in my upper right thigh slightly to the side.
Minimal if any pain at the time and nothing the next day,

After approx 2 weeks, I began to get a dull achy pain just above my kneecaps in the thigh muscles. Didn’t think much of it, simply thought it was a strain and went for a quick walk to walk it off.

After approx 2 – 4 weeks the pain began to arrive earlier in the day, it initially would start off in the afternoon and then would arrive in the morning while at my desk.

Then I would start to get headaches aswell as the dull aching pain above my knee cap/thigh muscles. The headches were pretty deep in feeling.

I would get bruises with a small scab in the middle on my shins

The next set of symptoms I experienced are

(Again this is over several months of developing)

Muscle weakness in my thighs, they would feel tired all over and stiff again, I put this down to possibly sitting down to much or not exercising enough.

So several months summary after the ping/pop/snap sensation my symptoms are>>

**Dull aching above my knee caps in the thigh muscles,
**headaches,
**stiff feeling legs,
**Bruises on shins
**severe buttock spasms after i st down, would last for days
**right buttock fees like its disconnected or not connecte properly to me

The next symptoms were deep tummy pains, total loss of appetite, although drinking was ok, eating was not. Had an ultrasound and blood tests and they revealed nothing abnormal in my tummy

After approx 9 months the pain is becoming global and its not localised and affecting adversely. But my upper body feels fine in general its just the hips and thighs and a background pain that I know something is wrong but can’t pin point it

After a while I discovered that the trigger was sitting down, whenever I would sit down these symptoms would slowly creep on, and by the end of the day I was a wreck. I couldn’t take the pain, I used to get home have a hot bath and go straight to bed and I had to cry to release the pain it was that high and previously I would cry possibly once annually.

Went to the doctors and had MRI’s on my brain and my back, they revealed nothing, had loads of blood test again nothing.

The only thing that I know is that all these symptoms come on when I sit down,

Does anyone have any ideas ???

update, I've been signed off work and got some rest, I've seen neurologists, physio's, osteopaths no one has any real idea,

now the only time i feel comfortable is when I sit on ymy right buttock at a certain angle, but again I have no idea why

I'mdesperate to get an mri or even just an xray on my hips/buttocks but dont know who to turn to, so far my experience with doctors and gp's hasn't been the best>

I’m at a loss as to what to do….

thanks

I would have an MRI done in the sitting position where the symptoms are brought on. i.e. a functional MRI. This can be done at the Upright MRI scanner in London - London Upright Open MRI Ideal for Claustrophobic Patients MRI,imaging,claustrophobia

thanks phsyiobob, d you know if they require a referal from a GP or have there own GP's ? I'll giove them a call and see what I can sort out.

Irecently got discharged fromHammersmith hospital was in there for 5 days and they didn't know what was wrong with me, one doc came up withmuscle strain, another one more senior went along with that and said the buttock problem was bursitus of some sort.

so back to square one, Im going to ee my GP tomorrow as she doesn't know how I walk, but hopefully she can refer me for something or other

i need 5 posts to upload a video of how i walk, so I shall brb

Ive done the video. when I walk i involuntary kick my legs.

I cant stand up straight, I have tried in fron tof the doctors ut it feelslike I am goig against my bodies will nd I ned up almost crying its an odd type of pain, its like it circumvents my nervous system but I end up having to cry to release the pain so naturally I don't

ok its on youtube here goes
Additional Comment I forgot:
damn I need 5 posts ok really srry but I need to do 2 spam posts
Additional Comment I forgot:
o heres a clip of me trying to walk i have added it to youtuibe

YouTube - abnormal gait, involuntary kicing, nerve , muscle, tendon. ligament

You need investigations - your progressively worsening and your problems are becoming more and more systemic not muscular.
If they are worse with flexion then you could try extensions - it's a mckenzie approach HOWEVER with your history I would would be getting investigations to ensure that you couldn't hurt yourself attempting the extension protocol and I don't hold out much hope that it would make a difference... it's more of a if it isn't going to harm you then give it a whirl.
Go with physiobob and get a good investigation - if your doctors and GP's aren't working for you, then shop around and find one that will advocate for your pain. Ensure they know how it started and how it has progressed - any systemic symptoms like weight loss and unwell feelings or any neurological symptoms like numbness or clumsiness even loss of bladder/bowel function make sure you mention to the doctor.

good luck for now, find a doctor who will advocate for your health.

thanks all, i have seena neurologist today and he believes its not directly nerve related as it seems to flare up and down also brain scans and spine scans seem to rule out impingment of nerves.

my only other theory and at the moment it seems to fit is that i have scar tissue that seems to have turned permanent and is putting a heavy amount of tension on my legs when I walk,

I have also discoered a really tender spot on my upper right thigh n fact the exact same place I heard the pop so I spent all of yesterday working on it and it did provide relief, although permanent or not ???

I sort of made up my own ART technnique in fact I was doing anything that came to mind and felt good so, Im hoping thats a cluethere

At the moment Im waiting to see a spine specialist as I have a really weak back aswell :( I think probably again my muscls pulling my body all over the place.

So hopefully will give everyone an update ASAP

thans for your replies

HI,

In the first instance, Iliopsoas (IP) syndrome comes to mind as this can produce a clicking or popping in the hip (most often seen in athletes who require a great deal of hip range of motion). It can be indicative of the iliopsoas tendon being inflamed itself, or the bursa underlying it. If in fact the bursa or tendon is highly irritated (as would be if the situation is ongoing) the muscle will want to shorten (contract) in the body's attempt to relax some tension on the muscle. This muscle (2 muscles actually - iliacus and psoas major) is a primary hip flexor - therefore shortened in the sitting position. they also act to flex the lumbar spine as the psoas part of the muscle attaches to the lower vertebrae of the lumbar spine.

An IP muscle in spasm or contracture would cause difficulty walking, compression of the lumbar spine, and can irritate the femoral nerve pathways from the lumbar spine to the thigh. Sitting would increase the compressive position of the lumbar spine and therefore aggravate any nerve irritation in this position which might not otherwise be seen in standing. I would also agree to you trying to get a lumber MRI in sitting or flexed position. and maybe (??) the sympathetic nervous system (responsible for those things like cold sweats, and potentially the pain responses that respond to crying???) runs along side your thoracic spine and might also be irritated by upper lumbar irritation (i don't know but it's a guestimation!!).

As for management (according to this hypothesis)- what are your hip flexors like? can you lay flat on your back with legs outstretched - do you feel a stretch across your thigh/hip?

are you painful to deep palpation in the lower abdomen (right down to the psoas level of muscle)?... a physio can have a decently uncomfortable prod to find out if your symptomatic side is worse or not.

I agree that it seems unlikely that McKenzie-esque exercises are going to be miraculous but the extension side of things will elicit a hip flexor stretch which might prove useful, in which case you may benefit from dedicated hip flexor stretching, and then some strengthening. I would also investigate whether in fact you do have an IP bursitis or tendinopathy and might benefit from a local corticosteroid injection. (MRI can also help with that diagnosis as well as a good physio assesment of your hip and lumbar spine).

And then there's the core stability, multifidi work and lumbar decompression work which i would recommend that you investigate the Sarah Keys methodology for.

Good luck, please let us know how you go.

MSK 101 :)

update for everyone my conditioin has worsened and i will try and post pictures later here thanks for all your replies

I the I tore something in my back so i now lean over to one side if i try and sit straight on the toilet and walk straight

i also had a problem with my neck it leaned heavily to the right shoulder and still does if i spend too much time in an up right position eg on the toilet or just trying to walk to the kitchen

I have found some tender spots which seem to re-occur

1. just below my hips on the side the muscle there

and bnoth my IT bands are sore all the time im thinking they may hav been shortned ??? or under stress yet

it feels good when i perform inner thigh exercises0, i feel more stable in myself and a relief of tension almost

like this woman has

Hip Adductor Exercise | Inner Thigh Workout Exercises

but its mainly on the right, the left feels it oto but alot less

i will try nd post pictures later if possible
thank you

hereare some pictures of me and various positisions sorry about the lack of clothes but i wanted you to see my muscles body frame etc in various positions



lying on my back



this is how i stand if i stand up normally i bend over to the right

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/5026/frontbend.jpg

http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/3637/backbend.jpg

this spot here is very important for me i have to keep pressure on it and massaging it has great effect but unfortunately the minute i take pressue off it, it begins to spasm and it becomes very uncomfrotable its quite chronic

http://img704.imageshack.us/img704/9462/lyingfullbackj.jpg

http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/9656/allfours.jpg

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/6172/allfours2.jpg


http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/2595/lyingglute.jpg

small update
I have been exercising all day mainly concentrating on stretching my hamstrings and doing core exercises eg back and my middle tummy and obliqus nd i do feel alot etter my walking has calmed downaswell

i think if i can get my core in shape that would be excellent and i do feel so much better, alhough my shoudlers are still really sore but i think i can sort othose out

another problem i have discovered and this is du to my shoulders is i have really tight and sore fore arms not the under neatharm and really tigh biceps theyare sore all the time almost like they ave been on,

i have a feeling to do tricep exercises whic for somereason seems to brng relef is his a muscle imbalance of some sort and is this the correct way to address it ???

eg if bicep is tight work the tricep to support it in the meatime also working on th oher muscles that are causing the tightness ??

thank again hope to update you soon

p,s how do i know if i have shortend hamstrings ???

and if i do how woud i addrss them, eg static stretching or is there better method thanks alot

Hi all

Small update fro me, i spent the last 2 days doing core exercises in particular obliques and qudas with hamstrings stretches

I have noticed that my quads stretch at the different ;lengths eg left quad will feel stretched almost the minute i pull it up while the right will only feel stretched when i pull it right back

muscle imbalance ?

Im almost able to stop the musce spasms in my buttocks, but ido this by tighteining my quads

again is this a muscle imbalance

I have a real desire to exerises my left quad and i do but at the same time i also feel it sometimes dies eg it feels really weak but it depends on the position i am in

still cant sit down unlless i have tennis balls under my buttocks

and i have lower back pain which is only really relieved by doing a superman position on my bed decompressing it, i can only sleep on my fron its the only comfortable position for me,

im thinhking maybe spinal stenosis or a vascular problem (blood vessel)

also my leg muscle sometimes feels squishy !!!

will update you will with my progress ASAP

I have an MRI on my right hip friday but this was a favour i caled in from friend and probably the last one i can call but we'll seehow i get on

i feel alot better afterdoing the core exercises which is the main thing :)

UPDATE

Im walking alot better now, and more normally i have really bad weakness all over my body though :-(

Problems I now have are

1. Shoulders roll forward and feel unstable im working on those

2. im working out on my legs but when i stretch my right quad it feels stretched at when my body is 180 degrees where as my right quad feels stretched at around 190 - 200 degrees possible muscle imbalane here ???

but i still feel unstable on my legs :-(

3.carpel tunnel syndrome although i think i have managed this

just a quick one does anyone have any good nerve mobilisation stretcjhes exercises for legs and arms/shoulders

orany advice on the above

thanks alot

Update


Monday
Iv managed to strain I think strain both my achillies tendons I can't walk on them and my feet are opnly comfortable when the heel is being pulled backk I can't even attempt to put my foot normally just to painful

Fridat its not much better been in bed for most of the time and have been massging my whole lower body and light exercises on my upper body just to keep the blood flowing etc

cant stop eating food im starving like mad and drinking so much water its unbelivble

going to search for advice,

UPDATE

after 2 years of the inital pop in my right thigh and several months in bed running through ewverything in my ENTIRE life and experiencing some crazy kinda pain i didnt even know existed

I managed to get to the bottom of the problem.

the inital POP in the right thing was my right hip flexor the one that turns the leg outwards.

after 1 - 2 weeks of the legbeing stuck in the 60 degree angle i yanked it back to the normal angle

unfortunately this exposed my siatic nerve or another nerve and lead to me starting to lose sensation in my legs.

over a year i eventually couldnt feel them anymore but didnt know it

one day i went to the gym and did a work out which didnt feel right but i carried on anyway and thenext day i woke up and was walking like the below

anyway now my muscles and so have recovered the only problem is I have lost tension in my body and my right leg muscles/tendos/ligaments have lengthen.

for y body to compensate i tense my right buttock, and thigh flexor often usually for about 30 - 40 mintes at a time and i dont even feel it, it seems a background action by my body