I went through 4 months of physical therapy, and it made little change and sometimes even made the pain worse. My doc wanted to throw me into "sports physical therapy" and acupuncture, but my insurance covered neither.\n\nWhat are some alternative measures to treat and heal iliopsoas bursitis? What is the best course to take?
126432
How was this diagnosed?  How do you know the diagnosis is correct.  And, if the diagnosis is correct, WHAT is CAUSING the bursitis?  If treatment is to be successful, it must be aimed at the cause.\n\nGood luck.
94875
I have the same thing. sigh . I refuse cortisone because of the damage it can do to joints. What is your age? I am mid 50's. A friend introduced me to a product called Replenex. It is a propietary blend of all natural products and can help rebuild joint cartiledge and ease the pain. It is not a quick fix, but  slow and steady improvement. Taken with  good NATURAL vitamin supplements from the same company it works very well to repair and ease the pain and discomfort.
177250
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15135262&dopt=Abstract\n\nHeres some information I will find more\n\nHere is a guide\nhttp://www.mckinley.uiuc.edu/Handouts/achilles_tendinitis/achilles_tendinitis.html\n\nAnd some more\nhttp://athletics.cerrocoso.edu/sportsmedicine/lower_leg_injuries.htm\n\nBasically from what I am reading, an Achilles Tendon will always heal back properly, you just have to take care and precausions.  You need to stretch it until it fully recovers and if it doesn't stop I highly suggest seeing a doctor for you may be developing something a lot more severe
562451
Please go and see a physio they will firstly listen to the cause of injury then massage area with a clear gell substance and a heated wand this is very relaxing and loosens those torn and inflamed muscles and tendons this goes on for about 20 - 30 minutes then they will gently click your spine back inplace.\n\nYou will feel like your back to normal when you walk out of the physio but you will have to take it easy and go back for the very same treatment, it is comfortable, relaxation, and painfree and there is no risk they are professionals and will tell what to do and what not to do.  All the very Best.\n\nSome physio's bulk-bill others you have to pay but can get some money back from medicare, or personal health care agent and health care card.
493748
Most sciatica pain responds well to self-measures.  You'll heal more quickly if you continue your usual activities but be sure to avoid the move that triggers the pain.  For pain relief, you'll have to see what works best for you.  NSAIDs such as aspirin, naproxen sodium and ibuprofen will alleviate both pain and inflammation.  Acetaminophen alleviates pain only.  But there's a limit as to how much pain these can control.  Make sure your doctor is aware of what you take, how much & how often and how effective it is.  For more severe pain that is unrelieved or inadequately relieved by NSAIDs or Tylenol, your doctor may want to prescribe an anti-inflammatory and a muscle relaxer, a tricyclic antidepressant or an anticonvulsant.  You can also use the hot-cold method.  When the pain starts, apply ice packs or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel to the affected areas for 15-20 min. 4x a day.  After 48 hrs. apply heat (heating pad on the lowest setting, heat packs commercially sold or a heat lamp).  You can alternate hot and cold if necessary.\n\nGentle stretching for the lower back may relieve nerve root compression and make you feel better but try not to jerk or twist your back.\n\nProlonged rest will worsen your pain.  FYI:  Naprosyn (naproxen sodium) is available over-the-counter.   You don't need a prescription.  And Aleve IS naproxen.
415594
I have Sciatica and my symptoms are a numb foot and my calf feels like the muscle is pulled.  I had an MRI and its a pinched S1 nerve from a bulging disk.  I know someone else who had sciatica from a L5 herniation and nerve pinch and there was buttock and ankle soreness.  Usually sciatica goes lower than just the buttocks but not always.  My Doc told me that it is possible to injure a disk by sneezing or vomiting if you already have a weakness there.  Also, many times its just muscle related and goes away with time.  He might want to try massage, or talk to his Doc about getting muscle relaxer and anti-inflammatory meds if he doesn't get better.  The next step is an MRI diagnosis if it doesn't respond any in a few weeks. I was told that it usually takes about 6 weeks to heal from a disk problem. Good luck!
128471
The lower back pain could be related to the TOS, since the nerves travel everywhere. From what I understand from my own doctors, the first treatment for TOS is physical therapy. You might be able to find a PT in your area, who deals with TOS, that uses sliding scale fees. Good Luck.
376227
By coincidence I happened to answer a question earlier this morning from a young lady who was suffering from severe & acute sciatica due to a herniated disc.  She chose it as her best answer so, emboldened by this, I'll paste in below the part of the answer that had to do with physiotherapy and exercise.\n\nBut there's a problem.  This physiotherapeutic approach is said to be not yet taught in the US.  It comes from Europe.  If you're in the US it will be difficult to find a physiotherapist who can teach this.  Nor are there any books that describe it.  The leading back books offer other exercises that focus on strengthening other muscles, whereas the muscle you wish to strengthen is the transverse abdominus, the deepest abdominal muscle of all, one that wraps from the front all the way around to anchor in the spine at the rear.\n\nfrom previous answer:\n\nThe 3rd treatment modality is perhaps the most important since it involves permanent rehabilitation of the lumbar spine. This is physiotherapy. I live in a country where a new approach to lumbar spine injuries is being taught by leading physiotherapists who work with our national Olympic sports teams. Many sports involve repeated battering or smashing of the spine, as in horse jumping, hurdle racing, downhill ski slalom racing, etc, and many athletes wind up with herniated discs.\n\nThe physiotherapy involves identification by the patient of the transverse abdominus muscle and a long program of exercises to strengthen this muscle. The trans ab is the deepest abdominal muscle. It sweeps around the lower abdomen and attaches to the spine at rear. Picture a basket at the bottom of your abdomen that holds upright all your organs - bladder, uterus, large colon, lumbar spine, etc.\n\nStrengthening this muscle will protect the spinal cord from stress and prevent further disc degeneration.\n\nHow to do this? Best thing is to find a physiotherapist trained in this approach. You won't find it in any of the standard back books. To show you how difficult it to identify this muscle (and if you've managed to read this far !) could you please give a little cough right now. Do you see those abdominal muscles that contract when you cough? These are not, repeat NOT, the transverse abdominus ! It is much deeper and harder to find than those muscles. I could describe how to find it, if you'd write again, or you could try to find a US physiotherapist who uses this approach.\n\nFact: several downhill slalom racers with multiple herniated discs and crippling pain in my country have been restored to excellent functional condition - they can even ski although they'll never slalom race or mogul jump again - without surgery or constant painkilling meds, following a year or more of this physiotherapy.\n\nI'd write more if you would be interested. I don't really understand why the US approach seems to be so heavily orientated to surgery, powerful painkillers, sometimes chiropractic.\n\nRe: chiro. Please don't even think of going to one. Any manipulation of your spine in this acute-pain stage will damage the bulging or herniated disc further. The physios mentioned above don't even practise manual therapy on an acute case until healing has commenced.\n\nFinal note: you will get better. The bulging/herniated disc that's pressing on the sciatic nerve root will retract with time. The diet is to lower inflammation now. The physiotherapy is to prevent this from ever happening again.\n\nAdditional notes re the transverse abdominus:\n\nYou can see that the muscles which contract when you cough are the same ones used when you do partial situps or crunches, often described in standard help-your-back books.  These exercises will not particularly help the lumbar spine.\n\nTo identify the trans ab:  lie flat on your back on the floor.  Hook your forefingers just inside the pelvic bones.  Contract the perineum.  Have you heard of Kegel exercises often prescribed for blad
407899
I have the same problem, hurts on the side of my heel.  Hard to walk when I get up, but noticed the more I walk the less it hurts.  Dr. said it was tendonitis.  It was beginning to affect my calves as well, but I think that was more from changing my walking patterns to avoid the pain.  Just keep stretching your foot and rubbing it before you put weight on it.  Heat also helps.  If it gets severe, they can do surgery with a tendon lengthening, but try other alternatives first.  Might be bone spurs.  Some chiropractors can help with that by using ultrasound treatments.  Also cortisone injections help and make you feel like you're walking on cotton balls, but the injection itself hurts pretty bad, then total relieve for about a week then right back where you started.  See a doc if it doesn't resolve.  Mine went away on its on after about 3 weeks and after I bought a new pair of tennis shoes and wore them even in the house.  Don't go barefooted!  Hope this helped!!
651751
How much what?  Money compensation? Time to recover?  Physical trauma?\n\nYou should discuss with your regular doctor (M.D. not chiropractor) and perhaps get a referral to a specialist MD for your injuries.  Chiropractors are helpful, but you need to assess how serious the strain/misalignment/swelling is.   For example, if it's a back injury you may want to see a back specialist and have a MRI done of the region.    \n\nPhysical therapy is very helpful.  If you don't feel like you're getting good progress with your current Therapist, try a different P.T. office.    They're not all the same quality.  I have found some Therapists give everyone the same exercises and time on the treadmill but don't listen much to the patient's concerns.   Others are VERY attentive and will keep adjusting the therapy each time so you get the most benefit per visit.
98689
The sacroiliac joint is the juncture between the pelvis and the sacrum (which is the lower part of your spine)on each side.  The SI joints are large and powerful joints with strong ligaments.  Injury one of the joints can easily lead to chronic inflammation which is very hard to ease.  If you have not seen a Chiropractor, I would suggest so.  The Chiropractor will evaluate the nature of the injury as well as perform a proper physical examination to rule out more severe causes of the chronic pain (infection, cancer, etc.- these are rare).  If you are a proper candidate, adjustment or mobilization of the SI joints to restore proper motion and mechanics should help.  Unfortunately, due to the chronic situation, this will not heal overnight or with one or two visits.  The exact treatment plan would be based on your specific history and physical examination.  If a reasonable trial (about 4 to 6 weeks) of adjusting and other conservative care (stretching and strengthening exercises should be shown to you as well) does not help, then you may need more invasive measures.  This could include oral steroids or injected steroids into the SI joint to decrease the inflammation and, hopefully, the pain.  However, the adjusting very often helps to decrease or to completely remove the symptoms over time.  Good luck.
303098
It's a long process I am going through the same thing.  Take a lot of IB profen it's good for inflammation.  Go to the gym and work your quads, eat bannanas.  Lay on your back put your hurt leg in the air and try to bend it down as much as possible.  It's going to hurt you have to try to get over the pain.  Every time you bend it try to make it go lower and lower.  This will help but you have to work with it and do everything your told to do.
270707
Stretching, exercising, sleeping in the right positions, seeing a physiotherapist to give you a personalized routine and apply heat/cold correctly to your body.\n\nEasy way to get the pain to subside considerably: stretch everyday.  Good stretch for your back:  hold onto something that will hold your body weight (like a door handle) that is waist high and lean your whole body out with your feet under where your hands are holding, this will stretch out your back.  Other than this, just do 15-20 min of various stretches, holding each stretch for 1 minute.  \n\nGet an exercies routine.  If you don't want a gym membership, then make a point of walking for 20 minutes everyday.  At least it is something. \n\nHow old are you?  Sounds like you are in your twenties.\n\nWhen we leave our teens our body starts to solidify.  This is my terminology for the fact it's not growing anymore and it becomes more and more solid.  It's not naturally changing all the time, so we need to keep it moving, keep it flexible, and keep it working.  \n\nI cracked my neck a couple times in  high school, and had been able to slack off on the exercise for several years, but it caught up with me in the form of constant pain, knots continually under my shoulder blades, and greatly decreased upper body strength.  I started stretching everyday, even just for 5 minutes if I'm busy, and exercising at the gym a minimum twice a week, and now I have NO pain.  NONE.  It's been 6 months.  I don't do much, but the little bit has changed my entire body.  \n\nOk, so enough home remedies, you're having pain with no immediate results on the attempts you've tried.  Have you seen a physiotherapist?  Get a doctor's referral and go - it's totally worth the $35 fee or whatever they charge where you are.  They will apply heat to your back and teach you all the exercises you  need for that part of your back, exercises, stretches etc.  And they'll teach you how to sleep and sit and everything that will improve your back.  \n\nI saw my physiotherapist before beginning my exercise and stretch routine, and it was the best investment I've made for my body.  \n\nGood luck.
398933
I am an expert on back problems.  Not because I am a nurse, but because I have the same problem.  Has he ever had an MRI?  He may have herniated discs by now.  If these are not checked out, they can lead to ruptured disc and that is very, very serious.  I had surgery eventually.  Meantime, use what I have been telling everyone.  Apply heat to the area for about 10-15 min a session, followed by ice for the same amount of time.  I really don't condone acupuncture especially if he has bad disc.  I believe it could make it worse, that's just my personal opinion.  Tell your dad I will be praying for him.  I hurt just thinking about him.  By the way, I still have 5 more herniated discs and It hurts.  God bless your dad, and you for your concern.  You must bve a wonderful son to your parents.
188051
I can't tell you just how pleased I am that acupressure worked for your mum, I am an alternative therapist myself, i use acupressure,massage, and herbal medicines and an ex nurse.. People make me so mad when they scoff at this type of treatment but it's powerful stuff. I run a clinic from my home in Ramsgate-Kent. Have you tried acupuncture, my husband couldn't walk his knees were damaged in a car crash but with my therapy and acupuncture he is as good as new and he's 82 years old.There is always hope and I never give up. Has she had a brain scan, if so is there any damage that may be permanent, if so, depending on where the damage is depends on her walking again.If there isn't she's in with a good chance. I am now studying IRIDOLOGY and that's a great form of diagnosis go and see one, they will tell you exactly where the trouble is and then i may be able to help you a bit more.\nContact me on E-Mail: alternative@medicine123.wanadoo.co.uk or tele 01843 588668 and let me know how you get on.\n\nMrs Gloria J Jones (BSYA-SEN)
512169
Honestly,  If the pain just started yesterday after lifting some boxes and isn't horrifically bad, then you should give it a few days.  90% of all back problems self-resolve within 10 days to 2 weeks regardless of the actual condition or the type of injury, provided it wasn't a major trauma.  If you are not opposed to taking over-the-counter meds, try Alleve, 2 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon, each day for 7-10 days.  Ice is usually better immediately after injury because it decreases any associated swelling and numbs the nerve endings (20 minutes, every 4-6 hours during the day).  Also, try to stay moderately active with your typical daily routine but of course, no lifting or recreational sports until your are better.\n\nIf you are not significantly improved within 7 days (at least a  50%-75% decrease in symptoms) then make an appointment to see your physician.  If the physician recommends rehab, ask to be referred to an experienced physical therapist that specializes in manual therapy and/or spine care.  Also, do not be afraid to contact several rehab centers and ask if they have a therapist that specializes in spine care but you should really look for one that is either in private practice or manages a small facility.  I do NOT recommend Novacare and/or HealthSouth as most of these facilities do NOT allow their therapist control over their own schedule and you will not likely be able to see the same therapist from visit to visit, which is poor medicine dictated by corporate interest.  I also do NOT recommend chiropractic, there may be some decent chiros out there but their profession is so littered with quacks and money grubbers that it is a big gamble.  Check out the following link http://www.chirobase.org/
379664
Look in the phone book and locate a D.O.  That's a Doctor of Osteopathy.   THey practice medicine the same as an MD, but they also recieve training in something similar to chiropractic medicine.  For physical injuries like yours they are the best.  They can adjust the hip to relieve pressure on the nerves and realign everything.  They will work with you to help your body heal, using medicine when necessary, but also physical therapy.   Failing that, you need to visit an orthopedic doctor.   Your hip may or may not have relocated correctly, and it could very well have impinged a nerve.  It could just be the soreness of having it hit, but it's definitely worth it to have it checked by somebody with some level of expertise in the matter.  Meantime, it's hard to say how long the pain will last.  Apply heat and take Motrin for the inflammation.  And make the appointment as soon as you can.  Better to have them examine it and say it's just sore from the thump, or have them manipulate the hip to relieve the pressure if that's what is needed, than suffer not knowing, or suffer damage that can be avoided.  I worked in the military with both MD. and DO, and I suffer from sciatica on both sides- and the DO were the only ones who could manipulate it and relieve the pain without having to drug me senseless or just leave me to suffer until it went away.