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Pain in left but cheek
Hi I'm getting a pain in my left butt cheek that starts around the same time with my menstrual cycle but it last for 2-3 weeks after my cycle. It is unbearable, I can't sleep, sit, stand, and it becomes frustrating. The pain does not move it stays in one place. Sometimes I can't urinate because whatever is causing the pain will not allow me to urinate. I have to force myself to urinate which is very painful. The same thing happens with my stool. It sometimes feels like I'm constipated. Doctors are not able to tell me what the problem is, and the scans come up clean. I try to eat a lot more fiber during these times because it helps me pass waste with a little bit more ease. Please tell me you can help me as I am frustrated, concerned and in pain.
Hello and Welcome to our Pain Management Community. I am so sorry t
o hear about your pain. We get it! Pain can turn our lives upside down.
Sara has offered some good suggestions. I'm wondering what kind of "scans" you've had. Have they done an MRI (with contrast) of your lower spine? If not I suggest it.
Your SX (symptoms) are suggestive of SIJD (Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction) - other than the elimination issues which or more suggestive of a nerve(s) impingement in the lower spine. Other terms for SIJD include Sacroiliitis, SI joint inflammation, SI (Sacroiliac) Joint syndrome, and SI Joint strain. SIJD is sometimes difficult to diagnose. Since the SI Joints are so close to your hip bones and lumbar spine (low back), it’s common for SIJD to be mistaken for other causes of low back pain or buttock pain it is often missed completely.
The Anatomy of the Sacroiliac Joint
SI joints are weight-bearing joints—like your knees. But unlike your knees, your SI joints are buried very deep, behind layers of muscles and tissues.
You have 2 SI joints—one on the left side and one on the right side of your pelvis. These L-shaped joints connect your sacrum and your right and left iliac bones, the 2 large bones that form your pelvis. Your sacrum is formed by 5 fused vertebrae just below your low back. Unlike other vertebrae in your spine, the vertebrae in your sacrum don’t move.
Even though your SI joints are small, they’re actually very strong because they help distribute weight from your upper body to your legs.
Ligaments and cartilage are also important parts of your SI joints. The ligaments in your SI joints are some of the strongest ligaments in your body. However this type of joint is much less stable and can lead to a shearing or sliding malalignment. Some sacroiliac joints reverse the normal concave-convex ‘locking’ relationship, which can lead to rotational malalignment.
Also, like other joints in your body, your SI joints have cartilage that acts as a shock absorber between your bones and allows for some movement. In SIJD the movement can become too little or too much. The Sciatic Nerve runs through this area and can cause sciatica.
When the SI Joint(s) and supporting structures becomes weakened, injured or inflamed the SXs and pain can be disabling. Pregnancy, arthritis, trauma or infection can cause SIJD. Sometimes the exact cause is never known.
SIJD cannot be DX by any scanning available today. Many ppl seek answers for years and suffer in pain as physicians often overlook this DX (diagnosis). I encourage you to educate yourself about SIJD and present it to your medical provider.
What doesn't fit as well is your bowel and bladder(BnB) problems. They are more indicative of Spinal Stenosis (narrowing) causing nerve impingement. It's also possible that these SX could be related to a disease condition of your nerves in the area of your BnB.
Have you consulted a D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathy). A D.O. that does manipulations is often your best source for a DX in buttock pain. If you can point to - or touch - the exact spot in your buttock that is causing pain this is often the first clue to you have SIJD.
Have you consulted a Orthopedic Specialist? If not I suggest you do. There is a reason for your pain - don't be dismissed. Your body is talking to you. Be assertive and don't give up until you have answers.
Sorry my response is long. I hope something I've offered has been of help. Please keep in touch and let us know how you are doing. I'll look forward to hearing from you again soon. Don't forget, you are your own best health care advocate. Be assertive my friend in pain.
Good Luck,
~Tuck
o hear about your pain. We get it! Pain can turn our lives upside down.
Sara has offered some good suggestions. I'm wondering what kind of "scans" you've had. Have they done an MRI (with contrast) of your lower spine? If not I suggest it.
Your SX (symptoms) are suggestive of SIJD (Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction) - other than the elimination issues which or more suggestive of a nerve(s) impingement in the lower spine. Other terms for SIJD include Sacroiliitis, SI joint inflammation, SI (Sacroiliac) Joint syndrome, and SI Joint strain. SIJD is sometimes difficult to diagnose. Since the SI Joints are so close to your hip bones and lumbar spine (low back), it’s common for SIJD to be mistaken for other causes of low back pain or buttock pain it is often missed completely.
The Anatomy of the Sacroiliac Joint
SI joints are weight-bearing joints—like your knees. But unlike your knees, your SI joints are buried very deep, behind layers of muscles and tissues.
You have 2 SI joints—one on the left side and one on the right side of your pelvis. These L-shaped joints connect your sacrum and your right and left iliac bones, the 2 large bones that form your pelvis. Your sacrum is formed by 5 fused vertebrae just below your low back. Unlike other vertebrae in your spine, the vertebrae in your sacrum don’t move.
Even though your SI joints are small, they’re actually very strong because they help distribute weight from your upper body to your legs.
Ligaments and cartilage are also important parts of your SI joints. The ligaments in your SI joints are some of the strongest ligaments in your body. However this type of joint is much less stable and can lead to a shearing or sliding malalignment. Some sacroiliac joints reverse the normal concave-convex ‘locking’ relationship, which can lead to rotational malalignment.
Also, like other joints in your body, your SI joints have cartilage that acts as a shock absorber between your bones and allows for some movement. In SIJD the movement can become too little or too much. The Sciatic Nerve runs through this area and can cause sciatica.
When the SI Joint(s) and supporting structures becomes weakened, injured or inflamed the SXs and pain can be disabling. Pregnancy, arthritis, trauma or infection can cause SIJD. Sometimes the exact cause is never known.
SIJD cannot be DX by any scanning available today. Many ppl seek answers for years and suffer in pain as physicians often overlook this DX (diagnosis). I encourage you to educate yourself about SIJD and present it to your medical provider.
What doesn't fit as well is your bowel and bladder(BnB) problems. They are more indicative of Spinal Stenosis (narrowing) causing nerve impingement. It's also possible that these SX could be related to a disease condition of your nerves in the area of your BnB.
Have you consulted a D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathy). A D.O. that does manipulations is often your best source for a DX in buttock pain. If you can point to - or touch - the exact spot in your buttock that is causing pain this is often the first clue to you have SIJD.
Have you consulted a Orthopedic Specialist? If not I suggest you do. There is a reason for your pain - don't be dismissed. Your body is talking to you. Be assertive and don't give up until you have answers.
Sorry my response is long. I hope something I've offered has been of help. Please keep in touch and let us know how you are doing. I'll look forward to hearing from you again soon. Don't forget, you are your own best health care advocate. Be assertive my friend in pain.
Good Luck,
~Tuck
Could be several things, I have the same pain but on my right side. I've been told facet joint dysfunction, sacroillitis and nerve entrapment. My pain there is erratic and doesn't align to any cycle. Heat and muscle relaxers are what helps me most. It might also be sciatica. None of those 4 things will necessarily show up on an x-Ray and they also seem to be common problems for women after 40 ish. I use an awesome heating pad you can get on Amazone called Thermophore. They are a little expensive ($50-$60) but well worth their money. They are a moist heat heating pad and draw moisture from the air, they are very similar to what I've had used on me in physical therapy.
God Bless & I hope you find relief!
Sara
God Bless & I hope you find relief!
Sara
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