I was told by my old PM doctor ( a physiatrist) that I'd end up with hip bursitis due to the misalignment in my spine (I have a kyphosis at L2 due to the assymetry of my fracture). Indeed, in the last month or two it's really flaring up.

Ouch, it hurts!

Mari, sorry this has taken so long for them to figure out what is wrong with you, but I'm glad they have it now and that there is a high success rate with surgery. I wish you the best and I hope to hear good news soon....Mitch

Mari,

Well that answer has been long in the making and I am sure you are relieved that they have finally found the pain generator. So hopefully this surgery will get you up and going and loosing the cane. Heck who knows maybe you will even get your dance card out again. Let us know when surgery is and hope it all works out.

Marianne, good to hear they figured out what was going on with your hip/leg muscle. Hope the surgery goes well to fix the problem and back to having lit

Re: Lumbar & Hip Degen Conditions

Thought I'd add that degenerating hip joint can be confused with lumbar pain radiating down leg and pelvic. I had lumbar inflammation with 4-levels of discs degenerating, stiffness, dysfunction... but was also having hip pain, over 3 yrs told it was lumbar DDD even with x-ray of hip after 2 yrs. BUT...

It was my Hip, finally had an OS who knew how to x-ray the hip properly, I had advanced degeneration in my hip almost bone-to-bone, before that was done...x-ray must be down not just standard lateral views laying down or hip flex from side, the real key is also getting an inside the groin view -- that's when the bad degeneration stage showed up!

Sooo don't always assume it's Lumbar...also if you have pain radiating side of hip, pelvic...get the Hip Full Views (inside the groin) done, not all OS's know to do! (per Mayo Orthopedic Surgeon)

Bet you sure are relieved to finally get at the hip/leg source of the problem - - I remember how that felt!

Wishing you well with your upcoming surgery !

Janelle

having an x-ray taken at this view may just be the key to my leg and hip pain... i have had many series of x-rays but nothing to show the pain ever shows up.. only the DJD... i am going to speak to my doctor about this position.. thanks for the heads up Janelle! Jenny

Similar problem for me my initial symptoms were low back pain, unable to stand because I got "sciatica" in my right buttock and thigh. Unable to walk more than short distances without resorting to throw my leg out to initiate movement.
Had a microdicectomy after 2 years of this in September 2010. The Physicl therapy post surgery was woeful so I headed off to a local guy, he diagnosed 'trendelenberg gait' and prescibed clam shell exercises to strengthen the gluteal muscles.
They just provoked the kind of pain that I already experienced so I gave up on them.
The neurosurgeon who operated on me declared the operation a success saying he had clearly removed any obstruction /impingement on the nerve. He felt any contining problems were gait related.

The pain sstill persisted and it all came to a head when on holiday in Bangkok my overiding memory is walking and pain normally the pain settled lying down but this time it persisted preventing sleep.
So I found a new Physical therapist that also did Clinical pilates and booked myself into see a great Sports physician I had seen some ten years before.
I was wondering after much internet research whether I had indeed got hip bursitis or developed due to my disturbed gait pattern.

Saw the Sports Physician, she immediately identified what she descibed as a notable leg length difference and is sending me off for another MRI of my spine and an ultrasound of my right hip.
She says my symptoms seem fairly indicative of gluteal tendinitis which can cause hip bursitis.

On futher research if my gluteal tendinitis had been an acute injury then treatment might help but it doesn't sound too promising that I have had this problem in my estimation for three and a half years.

My family doctor never picked up on this which is a shame.
Badgait

After reading these posts, I'm thinking I need an MRI to confirm what is really going on. I have the same symptoms in my right hip, buttocks, and thigh. My lumbar fusion was done in March, and shortly thereafter I noticed this problem. My sciatic symptoms are gone, and this pain is totally different. I have tried two cortisone shots, OTC anti-inflammatories, and am currently back on PT. Have noticed significant improvement since I restarted the PT. However, some days I get up and am fine, and by lunchtime, the pain is back, and I am limping again. Hope I don't need some other surgical correction. I am done with surgery. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Warning for anyone told they have hip bursitis:

I was told the same for two years and it turned out to be torn labrum, short surgury now pain free in hip. Cant see it very well on MRI without contrast. Worth checking your symptoms against symptoms of torn hip labrum.

Thanks for sharing this that the hip was the pain generator and not your back. Have you had your hip surgery yet? Was it arthroscopic hip surgery?

As well like my new post, I have sciatica but they think it's being caused by something other than my back so I'm getting more tests done. This all after 3 EMG's. Charry

Charry, I hurt it along with back they were both generators. I wish the surgury would have cured my back but I got problems there to. Yea I had the artho surgury of hip in 2008, 45 min surgury and I was running in yard 4 days later ( not recommended ) but the hip felt like new. But knee and ankle developed arth. due to misdiagnosis for so long. I am sure it contributed to back pain and leg pain as it would almost pop out and i compensated for it for 2 years.