Frustrating chronic glute and groin pain and tingling on outside of calf and foot

by Julie
(Seattle, WA)

Slump test for sciatica.

Slump test for sciatica.





I've been diagnosed with gluteal bursitis and sacrum pain, both on the right side. I have tingling down the outside of my right calf. PT seems to make it worse, but the thought of stopping movement doesn't seem helpful. I have refused (so far, the cortisone shots since that seems like a way to mask the problem rather than fix it).

I used to be a runner, I bike commute daily (15-20 miles), I weight lift (but stopped about 3 months ago), I also do some gentle yoga. It has been a year of chronic pain (on the right side of my body) that came in during a PT sessions for a tight left hamstring.

It is also thought that the femoral nerve is entrapped. The inner groin pain and tingling are quite distracting but they vary in intensity. Last week it was almost zero; this week it is about level 5. I tried adding back the woodchop weight exercise after having my PT watch me and I think that has aggravated things.

Also, stretching my inner thighs aggravates the groin pain. I feel like there are multiple issues; sacrum, femoral nerve, possibly something in my foot? I have had plantar fasciitis for years and wear orthotics. I am very frustrated.

I see a massage therapist, acupuncturist, PT, and OT. I was seeing a chiropractor but I felt like he started working on me without checking out how my body was doing that day. that seemed concerning since it fluctuates so much. Any advice you could offer would be very appreciated! Oh, I had back xrays and they were fine.





Hello Julie,
Yes, I can understand you must be frustrated.

First a few general thoughts. Remember, exercise is meant to improve your health, not make you frustrated and miserable. Sit back, and take a good objective look at your whole program.

Secondly, have someone stand behind you, place their hands on your iliac crests to check if they are near level, and then have you bend forwards; do you have a scoliosis?

Thirdly, I'm questioning the diagnosis, but remember I can't examine you. With tingling on the outside of your calf, and a tight hamstring (so often not that at all but a tight sciatic nerve) this points away from the femoral nerve; where exactly in the foot are you feeling it?

Take a look at the Maigne's syndrome page at Chiropractic Help using the Site Search function in the Nav bar on the left.

To test my theory, sit in a kitchen chair, flex your head onto your chest and have some raise your lower leg parallel to the ground, first left and then the naughty leg. Do you get pain in the back? Where? Is the right leg much tighter than the left and is there pain in the calf. Is this in reality a sciatica?

If you bend forwards, is the right leg much tighter than the left?

And lastly that pain in the groin and inner thigh. Lie on your back and pull your knee to the chest, to the opposite shoulder and then into the lotus position. Compare with the left hip. What's the difference?

Take each of these points, test them and make careful precise notes if you want me to be of any further assistance. Vague replies don't give me the information I need.

I'm not surprised the woodchop weight exercise aggravated things; bending and twisting.

I would recommend you start our simple lower back exercises EVERY morning in bed before arising.

Lastly, I'm not surprised you stopped seeing that chiropractor; we're not all lazy like that.

Dr Barrie Lewis




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