Guest guest Posted December 31, 2007 Report Share Posted December 31, 2007 I have been waking up lately, feeling like a mack truck hit me. It hurts worst in my hips, specifically in the muscles that extend through my hips and thighs, mostly on the sides, where I guess there's pressure from sleeping on my side, in an " s " position. What do you think is happening? My pain doctor couldn't tell me, just offered me some longer-acting meds. I cannot sleep on my back, as you all know, and the stomach position is chancy, as I can wake up with little feeling in my legs if I don't get that pillow tucked in just right! Any advice, oh wise Feisty Flatbackers? Jill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 31, 2007 Report Share Posted December 31, 2007 Hi, Jill -- I'm so sorry you are having this pain. You need to get a second opinion -- and, if that doctor can not help you, a third . . . . Unfortunately we are all, in some sense, " guinea pigs " -- no one knows for sure what our scoliosis surgery in childhood or adolescence (or in some cases, adulthood, if a first or later fusion was peformed that late) is going to do to us long range. The doctors are learning from us. Too many members of this group have been turned away with no help by too many doctors who simply did not know enough to diagnose what was wrong. Do you need a hip specialist? A rheumatologist? An SRS/spinal deformity/scoliosis specialist? Within the latter category, do you need a flatback specialist, i.e., someone who has dealt with many cases of iatrogenic fixed sagittal imbalance? Would a qualified neurosurgeon have a different opinion from that of an orthopedist? Would a physiatrist (specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation) be able to help you? All of these are possibilities. Within any constraints imposed by your insurance plan -- or outside these constraints, assuming you need to appeal - I think you may need to fight for the care you need. I would think you would need to undergo careful testing (possibly x- rays, scans, range-of-motion assessments in the case of a phyiatrist) to establish the cause of your pain. Once you do have a diagnosis, you may need to find a pain management specialist to help you cope with the pain and work out a livable life in spite of it. There are new and better treatments every day for the 50 million Americans who suffer from chronic pain, yet too many of us are still undertreated and are coping with everything from severe daily discomfort to relentless agony. Please don't give up because one doctor did not have a clue. You need and deserve an informed diagnosis and appropriate care to alleviate your suffering. Unfortunately no one in this group can tell you whether the answer is a specific arthritis drug or a program of anti-inflammatory meds and aquatics/modified Pilates, or a total hip replacement, or some kind of spinal revision with paticular attention to previously implanted hardware (to name just a few of the myriad possibilities). You absolutely owe it to yourself (and to anyone who may be depending on you these days) to pursue the most authoritative and knowledgeable professional help you can find. I know from experience, and from the experiences others here have recounted, that this is often the hardest thing to do when you are feeling rotten to begin with -- doggedly pursue the medical help you need in a complex system full of closed doors and inadequatedly informed personnel -- and I feel bad for you that you are faced with this additional challenge on top of the daily challenge you must meet from the pain itself. Just try to hang in there, and don't take no for an answer! Best, > > I have been waking up lately, feeling like a mack truck hit me. It hurts worst in my hips, > specifically in the muscles that extend through my hips and thighs, mostly on the sides, > where I guess there's pressure from sleeping on my side, in an " s " position. What do you > think is happening? My pain doctor couldn't tell me, just offered me some longer-acting > meds. I cannot sleep on my back, as you all know, and the stomach position is chancy, as I > can wake up with little feeling in my legs if I don't get that pillow tucked in just right! Any > advice, oh wise Feisty Flatbackers? > Jill > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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