over20yrs of incresing back/lgroin pain

[mandilou803]

i felloff a horse and landed on my coccyx over 20 years ago having suffered from back pain since then most recently getting much worse i have finally been told by a neurological consultant that my xrays and MRI shows the same slight forward slippage of one vertebrae on the vertebrae below on the last disc level but one!??!   I suffer with chronic groin pain in the left side and dullache in my lowerback with sharp pins into my buttock anddown my leg to my knee. I also have awful cramp like aching in my  left shin. I struggle to sit walk or stand for any substantial period of time and i am totlly fed up with being in pain. I take tramadol cocodamol gabapentin arthrotec and then pethidine at nigh to aid sleep!! HELP!! even all thes drugs dont take all the pain away

[mandilou803]

thanks again for the reply i went to see my neurosurgeon consultant yesterday and he showed me the mri and xray results confirming the forward slippage ie spondylolisthesis. He has recommended surgery including releiving the pinched nerve and fusion of the two vertebrae concerned. I have had physio and injections over the past 2 years BEFORE they found the slippage and i always felt the physio made things worse thats why a persevered for a 2nd opinion that i now have. The prospect of surgery scares me but i do hope that i may then be able to get back to living my life to the full again.

[helenlegs11]

If you have groin pain piriformis syndrome could be the cause, but also pundendal neuralgia or even both. I know there is a belt you can wear for  pelvic instability,a friend of mine had one and it worked for her, they also recommend pilates and core muscle strengthening exercises, nothing too difficult or taxing.
The abdominus traversus is the almost belt like muscle that helps with pelvic stability and could do with strenghtening maybe? Having children often makes it's work less well. Swimming is also a good exercise, just don't overdo it at first. If you think that overall you are a reasonably fit person and don't think core muscle strength could be a problem,especially if you are still sporty,( scrub that last bit, it is almost imposible to keep any exercise shedule up when in pain! ) BUT definitely check out the PS and PN mentioned above. By the way don't expect any UK doctors to have heard about piriformis syndrome, I am having a great deal of trouble in that regard. Physiotherapists and chiro's seem to be more clued up on it. I hope you get some answers to your pain, that you can identify with, soon.

[mandilou803]

thanks for the reply. ive had several episodes of pain over the years but more recently the pain is chronic and pretty much constant particularly in the left groin = i was told my SI joint was twisted , by the pain management specialist when trying to insert a needle for pain relief. I have had physio for pelvis instability 2yrs ago and i felt it made things worse.

[helenlegs11]

Common Sciatica Cause #3: Spondylolisthesis
Spondylolisthesis is a disorder that most often affects the lumbar spine. It is characterized by one vertebra slipping forward over an adjacent vertebra. When a vertebra slips and is displaced, spinal nerve root compression occurs and often causes sciatic leg pain. Spondylolisthesis is categorized as developmental (found at birth, develops during childhood) or acquired from spinal degeneration, trauma or physical stress (i.e. weightlifting).
They recommend rest, but that would be if you had fallen off your horse yesterday, not 20 years ago, then a corset or brace and physiotherapy then surgery. From what I can gather tho' once the injury has happened it is not supposed to get any worse over time unless more damage was done by another fall or trauma (done any wieght lifting recently?) causing further vertebra slip.
I wonder have you had any muscle spasms at all either at the time of the fall or since during a painful episode?
Check out piriformis syndrome You Tube and google it Dr's George Best and Aaron Filler describe it best. Take care