Hip/Lower back Pain

[jlg_uk]

In addition to MGD related DES, I've also been suffering from recent problems with my lower back, and more longer term problems with my hips. I'm starting to wonder if these may be related.

I've had aching and stiffness of the hips (esp after a 4 mile walk say) for around 1 and a half years now - but have just put up with it as opposed to seeing medical proffessionals (and I'm more focused on DES anyway). I'd been having a stiff lower back for a while now, but about 10 weeks ago I strained something when I sneezed and things have gotten worse. I did see my GP about this who felt my spine (was seemed OK) but pretty much said give it a couple of months.

It's been a couple of months and now my lower back and hips seem week and stiff. It's worse when getting up and can ease during the day somewhat.

I'm coming up to the 1 year anniversary of my DES problems - and I'm wondering if these could be related (esp with the timings here). Would something like Rheumatoid arthritis cause this?

I'm happy to see my GP about this, but I'm keen to diagnose myself as much as I can as getting my GP to agree to anything is an uphill struggle, and I want to be sure it's the right thing to battle for.

[jlg_uk]

Been reading a little more - and RA apparently affects the joints in the hands and feet first, and mine are fine. Also the web seems to imply RA caused DES by inflammation of the tear glands - whereas mine are the MGs. Of course the web is notorious for wrong/misleading info.

But my main point stands - should I be seriously considering a joint (no pun intended) cause?

[Silverlady]

Have you had a sed rate check

Has your doctor done a sedrate (blood test) and also the bloodtests for RA along with Sjogren's Syndrome?

I have RA, spondylarthropathy (arthritis in the lower spine) and also Sjogren's Syndrome. The morning stiffness and soreness which lets up during the day sounds very familiar.

Billye

[Lucy]

I agree with Billye. (So you have a consensus of two.) I have Sjogrens and have all joint pain and muscle pain. If this does lead to an RA diagnosis or something in that line, there are meds which work quite well. Lucy

[Rojzen]

consider neuromuscular source and trigger point therapy

In a sense, all of our dysfunctions are always related, but I wanted to share that I have had spinal problems for the whole period of my living with dry eye, and have improved dramatically in the eyes, while not always doing well in the spine/pain department. Autoimmune disease of a specific nature has been ruled out by tests, but pain and stiffness remain, of course.

Of late, in an effort to avoid surgery (which neurosurgeons almost ALWAYS recommend, if vertebrae seem out of whack and there is any disk compression), I have discovered an amazingly effective (for me) therapy called trigger point therapy. My pain/rehab doctor administers this with aid of short-term novacain injections into the muscle groups that she identifies as the origin and source of my pain, and then my physical therapist works the muscles manually. I follow up with careful stretching at home.

After months on pain medications, lately, I'm weaning off now because the trigger point work is effective (highly) for me. What's lovely about it is that it takes the focus off spinal degeneration, which happens to all of us, and works on the principle that however wrecked our spines may look on an MRI, the more likely source of pain is muscles, nerves, and referred pain.

One can do trigger point on oneself. There is a BRILLIANT book called The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook, by Clair Davies, which can be used in tandem with "TheraCane," a simple device one uses to reach one's own trigger points. These are available widely and possibly can be shipped internationally.

We are all different, but I was truly disabled this year, due to neck/shoulder problems, and am dramatically improving with the trigger point work. . .It may be worth exploring . .

The more we can move and ambulate, the better our eyes, I believe, in the long run. Good circulation everywhere eventually gets to the eyelids and eyes. . .