Severe left hip pain and unable to stand up

About 1 yr ago I was dx’d with FAI of left hip. I had steroid injection and I was great.


July 1st I tried to get out of bed and I had excruciating pain in left hip again. But this pain was different somehow. I had an MRI and they sent me to orthopedic specialist. By the time I was able to get in to see them I was barely able to walk without a lot pain. This pain was in hip, buttock and leg and I had numbness down leg with standing up.

He determined it was a spinal issue. X-ray showed some compression in L4-L5 and he ordered PT and MRI. By the time I was approved for MRI PT had made things so much worse. I am now unable to stand upright at all. I have symptoms of piriformis syndrome and I continue to have horrible hip pain. I am unable to lay flat for MRI so they did epidural injection which provided a little relief but I am still unable to stand or walk without pain. Sitting forward is best for me but now even that is causing me pain.

I haven’t worked in 6 wks and I’m barely able to stand up for more than a few minutes.

Can you tell me specifically where this pain in 'the hip' is; the term means different things to different people.

Precisely which part of the your leg is painful and numb; check out the graphic above, if that helps.

When standing, do you look like the Leaning tower of Pisa?

If you bend slowly forwards, backwards, and then to the side, is there pain? Where? Do this carefully as it can make you worse.

Have you had pain coughing, sneezing, laughing or bearing down on the toilet?

Sitting in a kitchen chair, flex your head on to your chest, and then ask someone to raise first the right and then the left leg. What happens? Be precise.

Can you lift your big toe off the ground?

Be precise if you want any useful answers from me; all of the questions.

Dr B

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Oct 10, 2017
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by: Amanda

Pain is on the side of my left hip and buttock. Muscles are very tight and contracted when I try to stand up. Pain and numbness goes doesn’t entire leg to my toes. Please be more specific here, this isn't clear. Which toes?


This happens when I stand up right, extend my leg when sitting please explain this; which part of your leg? Tell me layman's terms what you mean by extend. or put firm pressure on buttock or hip.

I don’t usually have pain when I lean forward. When I attempt to lean backward I have pain in left buttock where it meets the thigh. No real pain when I lean to the right. I have pain on the side of my left hip when I lean to the left.

The side of my hip also hurts when I try to climb into bed. I usually sleep in the chair now. I do have pain with coughing, sneezing.

I am able to lift my big toe. I do not have anyone available to lift my legs for me.

Hello Amanda,
Your surgeon is almost certainly correct; this is not do with the hip that you had previously, though changed gait from the hip can certainly affect your back.

Pain with coughing, unable to lift your big toe, numbness all points to a slipped disc, probably into the foramen; that's why leaning to the left is so painful.

Sitting, extend your knee yourself, if you have no one to help; it's not quite the same but in the circumstances will do. What happens?

You have a tough choice ahead. Most doctors would recommend that with 'hard neurological signs' that you stay with the surgeon; it's probably operation time.

Having said that, I have had this exact same condition myself and have just finished treating a man also with precisely this pain; ask how the medial hamstring reflex is. But it takes great focus and skill on the part of your chiropractor, a determination on your part of avoid surgery and to go along with everything your chiropractor says, and patience. Rome wasn't built in a day.

Watch out for loss of bladder control, usually not being able to pee; that's very serious.

Ask your doctor, friends and family if they can recommend a very conscientious and skillful chiropractor; do everything he or she says and you may be lucky. My rule of thumb is that it must be at least fifty percent better after about three to four weeks of treatment.

Good luck, let me know how you get on.

Dr B

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