snap, crackle, pop, what is currently creaky/sore?
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ProgressNotPerfection
Forum Master
Yeah, that’s basically what I expect to hear too. The advice they give is not usually helpful to me, because what they recommend is stuff I’m either already doing (“stretch more”) or am definitely not going to do (“quit dancing”).
Examples: “Your hips and lower back hurt? Stop sitting at a desk while you work. Your feet and knees hurt? Stop dancing in high-heeled shoes. Or tight shoes. Better yet, stop dancing. Your joints in general hurt? Lose weight (all doctors seem to recommend that one as the solution to every problem from arthritis to diabetes). And just accept that all this new discomfort is what happens as you age, so deal with it. Take NSAIDs. And here’s my $200 bill for a 10-minute consultation (which I’m allowed to charge because your insurance company will pay me $150 of that and I’ll write off another $40, so you, my dear patient, only have to pay me $10).”
Yes, I’m cynical. But I’m also sarcastic, and I’m not a medical professional - so please do NOT interpret my reply as advice for you to ignore any of this stuff! As I keep trying to convince my husband, just because you think that the doctor won’t tell you anything useful, you don’t know that; and it might be that there’s something seriously enough wrong that postponing treatment will make the problem worse in the long run. “Sorry, sir, but your shoulder is beyond help. If you’d come to see me sooner, I could have recommended X treatment; but you waited too long and now the only remedy is major surgery.”
Anyway, I feel your pain - literally. Get things checked out before they get worse. And hey! There’s a chance they’ll offer you a magic bullet like a corticosteroid shot, which will make your pain disappear for weeks, months, or forever! (I’ve never tried that, but I hear good things from friends who have.)
You were so close up until the very end.... I have a High Deductible Health Plan, which means I get to pay that $150 out of pocket (or out of the HSA, whose balance is more than 50% our contributions anyway). We don't use much in the way of medical services, so I'm sad to say I don't know exactly what my deductible is because I haven't even approached it since the year I had my son. I think like $3-5K.
I knew this would happen if I spilled on DF, but I slept through the night last night (hey, reverting to baby stage!) I used the shiatsu massager for about 20 minutes before going to bed, and I went to sleep with the heating pad, which automatically shuts off after a certain amount of time. My hip/quads are still talking to me a little but it's much less worse. I would say this is not so much pain per se all the time, but like never-ending DOSM (delayed onset muscle soreness). I probably need to start more consistently self-treating before I pursue other avenues.
Purr
Forum Master
A sit/stand desk helps. Getting up and walking around every 30 to 60 minutes helps. Walking at lunch helps. Practice shoes are an option. Or lower heeled dance shoes are an option.
If I knew the answer to the losing weight thing, I would do it myself.
scullystwin42
Forum Master
I just got a sit/stand desk. they are pretty cheap on wayfair now, and my hip flexors already notice the difference, even after a couple of days.
and @IndyLady i feel your pain, truly. going through it with this TFL/hip flexor muscle pull that i am rehabbing. I thought 8 weeks of being sick and doing literally NOTHING would help, but unfortunately, not that much.
<broken record alert> Yamuna Body Rolling. I say this because I am almost in your shoes exactly. Every muscle on my left side, from my knee to the top of my pelvis: owie ow ow. Like, going up a flight of stairs is exactly that never-ending DOSM you mention, nor can I sleep on my left side; owowow and this particular pain makes a lot of Standard quite painful. TDNWMH.
Don't Be Like Me: I overstrained that area last summer, or maybe it was the summer before, and it has never magically healed, possibly b/c I'm now in my late-mid sixties and healing isn't as simple or easy as it used to be.
But. When I am consistent about Yamuna Body Rolling my hamstrings, quads, IT band, hip flexors, glutes: guess what happens? IT GETS BETTER. Add in the foot work? Even better. No drugs, no surgery, no insurance-co-pay for PT, no doctor. YBR for the win.
In 2020, starting in April, I did an online Yamuna Body Rolling class every day, an hour a day, with a teacher who is a competitive ballroom dancer. I have never moved so easily and fluidly, and my dancing got way, way better, relatively quickly. Like so many other things: it's in the doing. Yamuna gives away a lot of information; she has a zillion videos on FB, many on YT. The equipment is a one-time expense, and comes with how-to videos (I think; it used to, at any rate). The knowledge is priceless.
Sigh. It's kind of like learning to dance. You have to actually do it in order for it to work. No magic pills.
ProgressNotPerfection
Forum Master
Gah. I meet my $3600 deductible every year by mid-February, due to several prescriptions I take that are in the category of “non-preferred name brand only.” And our out of pocket family max is $8k in-network/$16k out-of-network. I know these numbers because we reach them every year.
That’s ok, though. What I focus on is how privileged I am to be able to pay these amounts and still afford dance lessons!
It sounds to me that you m might have slipped a facet joint somewhere and your body is compensating. it also reduces muscular strength when the joints are out of alignment. Can you find a Physio who does manual therapy (manipulations)? This usually arises from a muscular imbalance somewhere and if so, they will give you. exercises to even yourself out after they realign you. if you want an idea of all this, google: city ballet physical therapy. (New York City Ballet and physical therapy) There is a good video on this. All the stuff they address in the vid has happened to a me, but less so now that I do my PT exercises religiously and know what problems I am prone to. I also find a PT who does manipulations provides a more comprehensive service than chiropractors. Good luck. PS has nothing to do with age.
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LateToTheDance
Active Member
Adding on to IndyLady comment and also dncergrl2 reply:
I just want to add this and maybe it's helpful. I had annoying pain on my right hip, groin area for many months and after doing two months of PT and seeing several doctors, the suggestion was made by one of these professionals to get a facet joint injection. They had already done two other spine injections but those did not help. And so I got the Facet Joint injection and it worked and nearly right away! The right hip and groin pain was gone and remains so 18 months later.
As I'm not a doctor, I have no expertise to offer, but you might ask next time to see if this is the issue you (IndyLady) are encountering. Your exact situation may vary, but this pain sounds similar enough to mention it here.
I just want to add this and maybe it's helpful. I had annoying pain on my right hip, groin area for many months and after doing two months of PT and seeing several doctors, the suggestion was made by one of these professionals to get a facet joint injection. They had already done two other spine injections but those did not help. And so I got the Facet Joint injection and it worked and nearly right away! The right hip and groin pain was gone and remains so 18 months later.
As I'm not a doctor, I have no expertise to offer, but you might ask next time to see if this is the issue you (IndyLady) are encountering. Your exact situation may vary, but this pain sounds similar enough to mention it here.
First I want to thank everyone for the advice, both here and private message. Now I need to spend an hour googling and self-educating, lol. I'd never even heard of facet joint whachamacallit and the other items just weren't on my radar as something that might ever be applicable to me.
About 9 months ago I somehow tweaked my left hip flexor and it's been either tight or very low key painful ever since then. If I use it a lot it sometimes momentarily feels like the leg is going to give out but that doesn't last for more than a minute or two.
Stretching the left hip every 2-3 hours does seem to help, but that often means I end up kneeling / stretching on pavement on random sidewalks or in some random restaurant bathroom so I'm really not a fan and hoping to find a better solution.
Has anyone ever had this problem?
Stretching the left hip every 2-3 hours does seem to help, but that often means I end up kneeling / stretching on pavement on random sidewalks or in some random restaurant bathroom so I'm really not a fan and hoping to find a better solution.
Has anyone ever had this problem?
scullystwin42
Forum Master
yep, i went through that. sending you a DM for what worked for me.
scullystwin42
Forum Master
current rundown: TFL/groin pull on left hip is almost fully recovered after 4 weeks of rehab. New right hip/si joint/piriformis is improving slowly with 1 week rehab work. Both shoulders are still a bit wonky in their own way, so repeating the last 4 weeks of rehab before moving on to the next phase of rehab (UGH). Elbow straightens all the way now, but still is sore and tight at that end range, so more rehab for that.
reached out to my trainer for some nutrition and coaching, and if i'm healed a little more in 2/3 weeks, she'll provide something i may be able to do as an actual workout. I have not been the size i am since after i had my kids (who are 13 and 16 now) and i am not a fan of my increased cup size LEMME TELL YOU THAT
reached out to my trainer for some nutrition and coaching, and if i'm healed a little more in 2/3 weeks, she'll provide something i may be able to do as an actual workout. I have not been the size i am since after i had my kids (who are 13 and 16 now) and i am not a fan of my increased cup size LEMME TELL YOU THAT
I think it's past time to get professional help. A good physical therapist can diagnose what is really wrong and provide a plan to get the root cause fixed. Someone reading your descriptions over the internet can easily recommend something that worked for them that won't help you.