Periformis syndrome. Anyone got any tips on dealing with this?

[Shine]

My chiropractor thinks I might've gotten a sprain/strain injury from bowling last week. My left hip is completely messed up and every step hurts. Ugh.

I've been doing special stretches and taking regular soaks, but I'm open to more suggestions. Has anybody else ever had this issue?

I'm trying to get back on track with my exercising in the new year, but having pain from simply walking is bumming me out.

Sigh.... It's a trip gettin' older..... :eyes: ....and hell, I'm not even that old!!

[crispini]

1. What is it?

I've never even heard of it. :shrug:

[Shine]

2. It's a pain in the ass, that's what it is!

although, in my case, it's more of a pain in the HIP.

Check this:
http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article130.html

Woe is me.

I'm whining, I know.

[crispini]

4. Oh well, if it's a repetitive stress injury

then you WILL be helped by acupuncture. I know, I've had it done for RSI's in my hands, knees, and elbows (cycling injury, then typing) and it has helped me enormously.

So find yourself a good pin doctor, posthaste! It's a little weird, I know. The first time I went, though, I was in so much pain that I would have tried ANYTHING. And I got such wonderful pain relief from it that now I recommend it to anybody.

[Shine]

6. Thanks for the tip, crispini!

I've had some acupuncture in the past, as well. I'm lucky b/c my chiropractor is also my acupuncturist.

I've had flare-ups with this hip problem before, but it was then diagnosed as a bursitis problem and I'd just done the CA AIDS Ride (575 miles on a bike, from SF to LA), so talk about repetitive motion! I had a cortisone shot, got a lot of PT and laid off the cycling, then I got better.

This time around, however, I hadn't been doing much exercising at all and then went bowling, so there you have it.

Thanks, again, for your post! :)

[crispini]

8. Hey, I did the Texas AIDS Ride!

1, 2 and 3. :hi: Never did CAR, though. Howdy fellow cyclist!

[Shine]

9. Very cool!

:yourock: was something we were ALWAYS saying to each other.....

to this day, that phrase still reminds me of the ride. :)

For me, it was a one time deal. I did CAR 7, back in 2000, right before Palotta Teamworks and the SF AIDS Foundation had their big falling out. At the time, my kids were young, 2 and 5, so I depended on the childcare support of my sweet hubby to pick up the slack. I registered for the ride before I even had a bicycle, trained for 6 mos, and raised almost $5000 in donations from friends and family.

I consider that entire experience to be one of the highlights of my life, truly. It was so incredibly heartwarming to bear witness and be a part of what's possible when people come together for a good cause. :grouphug:

...even if I did develop bursitis from doing it. :eyes:

[Longhorn]

12. Hey, I'm a cyclist, too!

I haven't done any long rides yet -- 28 miles is my max so far -- but I was commuting 17 miles to work last fall and hope to start again when the spring semester begins next week. :hi:

[Shine]

13. Hi Longhorn! Yay, another cyclist buddy!!

the longest I've ever ridden in one day was 102.3 miles. That's about 8hrs and some change in the saddle. Whew!! It's been a while (6 yrs) since I've done any centuries, though. They take a lot of training time to prepare for.

Nowadays, I'd be happy to do a metric century, which is about 62 miles, or about 5 hrs.

28 miles ain't too shabby, though. Good for you on the commuting thang, too! :thumbsup: It's all about having a good seat, girlfriend. Take it from one who knows.

:hi:

[Longhorn]

14. I have a Brooks Champion Flyer "S" saddle.

I thought I was going to exchange it. I got it at Wallingfords in New Orleans and they allow you return or exchange it up for up to six months but first their business was suspended because of Katrina and then I thought I was getting it broken in. I haven't ridden since November so I'm going to have to make up my mind after I start riding again next week or my six months will be up! I don't have a strong desire to ride a century but who knows? :)

We have a Bicycling Group here at DU, in case you didn't know. It hasn't been very active this winter but I'm sure it will pick up in the spring. Come join us! :hi:

[Shine]

15. Thanks for the tip, cuz I didn't know about it.

I'll check it out.

I haven't ridden since last AUGUST, when I had an accident. I was coming back from a 25 mi. solo ride, turning a corner into effing suburbia, and my roadie bike tire slipped in a little bit of landscaping water (and oil?)runoff. I hit my right temple against the curb. Cracked my helmet. Got a concussion, although thankfully, I didn't lose consciousness. I'm lucky to be alive, truthfully. The helmet saved my life. Anyway, I had to stay off my bike for 2 whole months, per doc's orders. In the meantime, I got my bike looked over and tuned up and a new helmet...but I still haven't managed to get out for a ride, even though I could've by the end of October. Sigh.... Weather, busy-ness, a bit of trepidation...you get the picture.

I'm determined to get back out there again, cuz I've REALLY missed it, but I'd like to have some company for that VERY first ride, since my fall. I think it's really important to get back in the saddle again and NOT be stuck by Fear.

I forget what type of saddle I have on my bike. All I know is it's got a little hole in it, for women's comfort. :)

Now that I'm dealing with this latest challenge to my periformis area, my left hip has been bugging me a lot and I'm basically feeling discomfort with every step I take. Not fun. I am a high-energy person, by nature, so it's hard for me to feel so frail. It's truly a humbling lesson, on a lot of different levels. I'm trying to just be patient with myself and trust this, too, shall pass....

Thanks for all your good energy, Longhorn. :hi: :pals:

[Longhorn]

16. Yikes, I feel so lucky that I haven't had an accident.

I don't ride very fast most of the time and I don't ride a road bike. My commuter is an electric mountain bike with narrow Armadillo tires. With batteries and motor and all, it weighs about 100 pounds and only has seven speeds.

I ride all decked out in fluorescent safety gear, complete with horizontal triangular flag! :) I ride on hilly, rural two-lane roads because my campus is on the outskirts of town and I live even further out. It's a beautiful ride and I don't have too much traffic (unless I take the highway route, which is five miles shorter.) It also takes me a good 90 minutes. :(

So far, I've only done a one-way commute -- I carry my bike on my car, ride home, ride back, and drive home with my bike, then repeat (I don't work on Fridays.) This spring, I'm hoping to ride both ways as I shorten the time. I'm carrying an extra battery to increase my range so I can use it more on those hills. I still have to pedal but not so hard as to "break the bank" on my HRM! It's like as soon as it gets really hard to pedal, two big men come running out of the woods and give me a push. :D Some day, I might be in good enough shape to ditch the motor and do the commute on my Trek hybrid.

Good luck with your continued recuperation and I hope you're back in the saddle soon! :yourock:

[politicat]

3. Sleep with a pillow between your knees if you're a side sleeper....

and see a real doctor, preferably someone with sports medicine or orthopedics. If you did any real damage to the muscle or bone, putting it off is just going to make it worse, and a chiropractor can cause more damage in the interim.

[crispini]

5. Well, yes, I'd agree with that.

See a real doctor first to see what's wrong. THEN, if they have nothing to offer you that helps, go see a pin doctor. :)

[Shine]

7. Hi Politicat!

Yup, I do the pillow thang every nite and it definitely helps cuz I'm a side sleeper, fer sure.

Personally, I am a big fan of chiropractic and believe them to be as helpful as "real doctors". Admitedly, not everyone feels the same way and I've been lucky with the doc I've got.

I agree there are limits to what they can do, but in general, the Western medical model of treating a problem seems to be throwing a bunch of medication at it or worse, surgery. I'm more apt to peruse the more wholistic treatment options before going that route...and obviously, my pain levels will help me decide which way to go, too.

Thanks for your input! :hi: I appreciate it.

[politicat]

10. Sorry, I had someone close to my mother die from a chiropractor's

incompetence (the chiro broke the woman's neck), and her late husband died because he refused to treat his cancer with chemo and radiation, but relied on alternative medicine instead. I have little faith in alternative medicine because it is not rigorously tested.

If it works for you, I hope it continues to do so and never hurts you.

Best wishes!

[Shine]

11. OMG!!! That's terrible!! I'm sooooo sorry for that. That sucks.

Jeez....

Well, we've all heard the horror stories, on BOTH ends of the spectrum, eh? IMO, chiropractors certainly don't have it over "real doctors" in that department, in terms of incompetence. It swings both ways and depends completely on the doctor.

Yup, so far, so good on my end. Thanks to you for your good wishes! :hi: