pain relief -- teenager -- pulled muscle in hip? -- any ideas?

Parent Cafe
1

<p>Yes, we have seen the doctor. Doctor gave her crutches. Yes, she is taking advil. She is using cold compress. But still in a lot of pain, can hardly walk, missing school. Just wondering if there is anything else to try for some relief. Pain started several hours after a ballet lesson – she is a beginner – also she has been walking up and down a lot of hills at new school, and was in a play where she was sitting cross legged for quite a while – all of which may have contributed? </p>

<p>I know, strangers on the internet not likely to help. I know it will probably get better on its own in a few days. But this has been going on since Saturday. Any advice, sympathy would be most welcome!</p>

2

<p>3 OTC Aleve is equivalent to one prescription Anaprox DS, which is an anti-inflamatory that might work if the ibuprofen does not. Not to be repeated before 8-12 hours however. A 20-30 min soak in a 104 degree hot tub as heat meay work better than cold at this point. And when all else fails, call the doctors office and explain the amount of pain she is in, and ask for a small supply of something stronger.</p>

<p>She probably tore a ligament. And its gonna hurt…:(</p>

3

<p>My 18 year old D pulled a muscle kickboxing - she was in pain for months. I took her to someone who uses the Active Release Technique:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.activerelease.com/[/url]”>http://www.activerelease.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>and the pain was gone after two sessions. The individual we went to said most good massage therapists can also do muscle release. There is another technique called the Bowen Technique which is also for pain relief.</p>

<p>Since you are in the Bay area there should be someone in your area who is trained in these techniques. Failing that find a good sports massage therapist. Good luck.</p>

4

<p>rest and follow your doctors orders.</p>

<p>She is going to be sore and uncomfortable for awhile. You just have to wait it out. It takes a little time.</p>

5

<p>My d thought she had a pulled muscle in her neck, which the ER doctor confirmed. (This was also after a ballet class - she’s not a beginner.) This was two weeks before a performance, and she was in tears for days. Finally, I took her to a chiropractor. The muscle wasn’t pulled; her neck and shoulder alignment was off. Three visits and she was fine - she danced without pain medication.</p>

<p>Given what you’ve described, she may be holding her hip improperly, particularly if she tried to force her turnout. I never believed in chiropractic before, but I’m a convert now! I’d get her to one as soon as you can.</p>

6

<p>Tks. It is a bit more than sore and uncomfortable – affecting whole leg, tingling, etc. She can’t seem to find any postion that offers relief except for sitting and bending over, but can’t hold that for too long! The Motrin (guess it was motrin not advil) seems to be helping some for the moment. I made an appointment with a PT for Thurs. for an evaluation. I know waiting and resting may do the trick, but she is nervous about missing too much school and falling way behind. She missed yesterday and today already . . . She really loves her new school, too. Very frustrating.</p>

<p>Maybe she’ll feel better by Thurs. But even if that is the case, I would like advice on how to avoid this type of thing in future, perhaps some more insight into what might have caused this!</p>

<p>So, in the meantime, we wait, she tries to rest, I give her OTC pain relievers and I wait on her hand and foot!</p>

7

<p>bulged a disk. If pain starts in hip and radiates down leg or causes numbness or sleeping foot… probably sciaticca (spelling) She may have buldged a lumbar disk and that’s what’s causing pain. See an orthopedic guy/gal. No chiro for an inflamed spine, not good to push. experience speaking.</p>

<p>a pulled muscle doesn’t create tingling, just accute pain when moving. I’ve pulled, torn muscles and slipped disks, different types of pain.</p>

8

<p>Ask pt if he/she is conversant with SI (sacroiliac) Joint Dysfunction and have your D evaluated for it. Not all PT’s are equal in their ability to evaluate and treat this.</p>

<p>It’s very common among ballet dancers. The sacrum can rotate slightly, which can cause the hip and butt muscles into spasm. Most likely culprits are the iliopsoas and piriformis muscles. As long as the sacrum remains rotated, the muscles will spasm and others will have to compensate. Can lead to long-term pain and stability issues.</p>

<p>People who are limber and flexible are more prone to this because the ligaments holding the sacrum in place are looser. If she is super-flexible, yoga and ballet are not good choices for her. </p>

<p>Orthopedic docs will not likely address this. They are all about surgery, not about musculo-skeletal issues. A physiatrist is a good alternative to an orthopod in these cases.</p>

<p>Best ways to correct the dysfunction are with low-impact osteopathic manipulations. Avoid chiropractic for this. </p>

<p>If her pain is serious enough, they will probably prescribe a short course of muscle-relaxants and anti-inflammatories.</p>

<p>Also – get her off the crutches ASAP because using them sets up compensatory muscle use that can cause secondary problems.</p>

<p>Hope she feels better soon.</p>

9

<p>“Orthopedic docs will not likely address this. They are all about surgery, not about musculo-skeletal issues. A physiatrist is a good alternative to an orthopod in these cases”</p>

<p>Not necessarily. Mine didn’t want to cut. rest, ic, time and naprosyn. no cutting necessary.</p>

10

<p>Opposite view here regarding chiropractors - having a very active family - couple of very athletic kids as well - several injuries/accidents over the years - conventional medicine is not always the answer. I would suggest strongly to consider a chiro exam/treatment for the OP’s kiddo’s injury - it does sound like a nerve involved due to the tingle/pain this kiddo is experiencing.</p>

<p>I guess I would ask - what does one have to lose by considering alternate treatments - not a thing - and possibly a great deal to gain - comfort :)</p>

<p>Our last experience with the chiro was post anesthesia/spinal - lots of pelvic/upper leg/hip pain - unresolved by conventional methods/treatments/narcotics - 1 trip to the chiro literally fixed it - no further pain - no further treatment necessary.</p>

<p>We consider both types of treatment for most ailments like injuries when possible - they both have positives and negatives in how they manage things - but… in my experience over many years - with many different issues/injuries - I have seen chiro do a much better job in the short run than any conventional treatment - and many times now - it is covered under insurance just as conventional treatments are.</p>

<p>Another good option - have your gal evaluated by a D.O. - which somewhat combines conventional and chiro - just a thought</p>

<p>Good luck</p>

11

<p>Tingling doesn’t sound like a pulled muscle. If it continues, bring it up with the doctor or physical therapist.</p>

<p>There’s not a whole lot you can do for moderate pain besides Advil, rest, ice, and trying to concentrate on something else. She should definitely avoid positions that will worsen the pain. If the doctor recommended ice, that can help a lot with the pain. If the doctor hasn’t said to use heat, then avoid it for now. Heat may help once she’s allowed, though. If the pain continues, ask the doctor how much Advil/whatever she can take. He will probably give you an amount significantly higher than what the medication itself says. These medicines reduce inflammation like ice does and also interfere with pain signals.</p>

<p>I injured my groin and hip flexor during pre-season sports in my junior year. It made walking very difficult, so I know how your daughter feels. I worked daily with my team’s athletic trainer for stretching, exercises, ice/heat, and all the rest, but it took a long time to recover–probably about three months. Hopefully your daughter’s injury will pass a lot faster than that.</p>

<p>If the pain is severe, then you should call the doctor back. It’s hard to judge pain, but I’d say if your daughter isn’t acting normally and seems very quiet and out of it while at home, if she’s crying and isn’t normally a crier, if she can’t sleep more than a few hours a night, if you can hear her crying out in pain even when she’s alone, if she can’t concentrate, then I think those are good indications of unreasonable pain. That’s how I judge my own pain, at least. In that case, she should talk to her doctor about options for prescription strength pain medication. Keep in mind that these drugs should be avoided whenever possible, and it would be unusual for them to be needed with the type of situation you describe.</p>

12

<p>It’s not that I’m against chiro, but in certain situations they can cause more harm than good. Since the injury just occured there will be inflamation. It is not good to adjust too closely after an injury has occurred, risk is higher for additional damage. Sort of why they wait for swelling to go down in some surgical situations… too soon can create a new problem.</p>

13

<p>The fact that she was sitting cross legged for a while makes me wonder if she has a blood clot/deep vein thrombosis. Is her leg swollen? Is her calf hard?</p>

14

<p>my chiro always asks if there’s any tingling, numbness or or weakness with any new symptoms, and if there is, uses different treatments, such as ultrasound or electrical muscle stimulation. Frankly, I’ve gone with physical therapists and chiropractors for post-injury issues, and feel the chiropractor is just as qualified as a physical therapist to do physical therapy. </p>

<p>When my husband ruptured a disc and went to my chiro, he wouldn’t adjust him, but referred him immediately to a neurosurgeon, and it was one of those few cases that really did need surgery. When the chiro saw the results of H’s MRI, he said he hadn’t seen a ruptured disc that bad in almost 10 years. The neurosurgeon couldn’t believe my husband was actually walking (if you could call it that!).</p>

<p>I also think some people are going to be more compliant with treatment when working with whoever they feel most comfortable with, whether that’s a chiropractor/physical therapist, or orthopedic/neurosurgeon.</p>

<p>Also, I’ve been told (by people in the medical profession) that 4 tablets of ibuprofen is the equivalent of its prescription strength. In desperate situations, you can also take ibuprofen and acetaminophen at the same time, taking one in between the doses of the other. I say if she’s in so much pain that she’s missing school, though, it requires a stronger, prescription pain reliever. But no driving allowed, then.</p>

<p>Also, sitting cross-legged can cause bursitis in the hip; I’ve been on crutches from bursitis in the hip area before, not being able to bear any weight on that leg due to pain.</p>

<p>One last thought, my D’s friend has back issues, and did get a bulging disc specifically from sitting cross-legged on the floor while working on a school project. There’s some test they can do, called the ‘straight-leg lift’, and it’s pretty accurate in diagnosing a bulging, ruptured disc. Basically the person lies on their back, with both legs out straight in front of them. Someone lifts the leg up slowly, holding onto the calf/foot. A bulging, ruptured disc can cause excruciating pain doing this.</p>

<p>Good luck - and be remember you have to be an advocate for your child - keep going if you don’t find satisfactory answers or symptom relief.</p>

15

<p>No, no swelling, calf not hard. She had pain in her other (right) hip a few days ago, a couple of days after the first ballet lesson on a Sat., but it was minor, and then she had the second ballet lesson (a week later, again on Sat.) and had to sit in the play (children’s chorus) and that seemed to set off severe pain in the left hip/leg/knee with the tingling late Sat. night after the play. I am suspecting those muscles of which Dizzymom speaks. Her doctor thinks it is probably muscular. </p>

<p>She’s feeling a little perkier this afternoon, so I’m hopeful she’ll be able to go to school tomorrow, but I’m wondering about walking up and down the hill/steps with the crutches. And I’m wondering if there is something about the ballet that caused something to happen. Don’t want to send her for another ballet lesson until I know!</p>

<p>Thanks for all the interest. And, yes, I’d be willing to take her to a chiropractor, but I’m going to wait for the evaluation by the physical therapist, see how that goes. These people (at the clinic) are supposed to be specialists in sports injuries, so should be able to give some good advice. I could wait awhile and see if it is bad enough long enough for our HMO (Kaiser) to do anything other than prescribe OTC pain meds, but am too antsy to do so. But of course, I will follow up with them, too, if this lasts very long at all.</p>

16

<p>I’d suggest your daughter talk to her ballet instructor about her pain. The fact that she felt similar pain on the other side earlier makes it sound as if she may be moving in a way to cause this pain. Her instructor should be able to watch her and see whether there’s any small thing she’s doing with her body that she shouldn’t be that’s causing the pain. Her ballet teacher should also be familiar with common ballet injuries, prevention, and strengthening. </p>

<p>Can her school make any allowances for her in terms of getting around? Is it really necessary for her to go up and down the hills? Perhaps she could transfer to a different study hall that doesn’t require a hill, for instance, or she could leave class 5 minutes early to allow herself more time to get from class to class so that she doesn’t need to rush. </p>

<p>

It’s good to have prescription meds on hand for occasional severe pain, even if she only takes it at night every so often, but you should make sure she really needs that strength before seeking a prescription–in part because kids at school will almost certainly try to buy them from her, but also because of their side effects and addictive nature. It probably wouldn’t be possible for her to attend school if she were taking prescription pain killers on a schedule. I’ve been on four hour doses of Percocet for the last two or so weeks after surgical complications, then went off it completely for several days, and yesterday was put on Vicodin for a new complication. I respond very well to narcotic pain killers and don’t suffer many of the side effects that other people do, but with the pain and the medicine it’s very hard to function in any way approaching normal. You should try your best to avoid needing them. </p>

<p>Usually a few days after a muscle injury you can start using heat, which is very soothing. Ask the physical therapist if she could do that.</p>

17

<p>Don’t know your daughter’s state of physical fitness, but ballet can be hard on the body if one doesn’t start as a child. Some people try to “force” a turnout, which is hard on the hips, knees, or both. (I speak from experience. I love ballet but it wasn’t so good for my 19-year-old body.)</p>

18

<p>People love their chiros. And people love their PT’s. And their orthopods. And their Chinese herbal docs. And their Acupuncturists. And there is good reason for all.</p>

<p>Many chiros (not all) use high-velocity corrections that may not be appropriate for certain rotations. Some use gentler manipulations. But you have to know enough to know to ask the right questions. Some people just want to hear that “crack”, and if that works, then, great. But it doesn’t work for everyone.</p>

<p>The tingling could be a sciatic nerve irritation due to piriformis spasm. It does not mean that this is necessarily a disc issue. The sciatic nerve (largest nerve in the body, I believe) passes right under (and in some people, literally trapped within) the piriformis muscle. The pain will go all the way down the back of the leg and into the foot, probably the big toe but there are variations. It can even cause a “buzzing” sensation.</p>

<p>If allowed to continue long-term, the nerve irritation can become constant and take on a life of its own. Which is why you don’t want it to go long-term.</p>

<p>Your daughter will be fine. She’s young. But she should a) listen to her body and b) remember this, especially when/if she decides to have children. The relaxin hormone, which relaxes the ligaments to allow for the passage of a baby, can cause already loose ligaments in some people to overstretch. Core muscle exercises and care in terms of over-stretching are indicated for these - - and all women. </p>

<p>And always remember that most insurance plans will be more concerned with catastrophic rather than preventive intervention.</p>

19

<p>From 1997 through 2003, I had a deep hip muscle injury (running on a foot that was healing) and the pain was finally cured completely by a Taiwanese acupuncturist after years of chiropracter visits. I am an acupunture and massage convert. I wouldn’t use a chiropracter anymore.</p>

<p>Acupuncture works best if it is administered soon after the injury but it will work on long held injuires as well. The first trick is to allow enough visits (a few times a week for three weeks minimum) for the treatment to work. About the time you start to get frustrated, you’ll notice the injury starting to heal by big leaps. The second trick is to find a truyly qualified acupuncturist. Many overseas acupuncturists exagerate their qualifications–by listing overseas MD (Western Medicine) qualifications as ‘acupuncture’ qualifications. Do your research!</p>

<p>I currently use a Chinese acupuncturist who was a senior foot acupuncturist for the Chinese Army until he voiced his opinion about Tiannamen Square. He has a Masters degree in Traditional Chinese medicine from China. He was also an Assoc Professor of Acupuncture in China abd Deputy Chief Physician in China. He has 25 years of exprience. He lists all of these qualifications in his Yellow Page ad–which is how I found him. ;)</p>

<p>I also use a Russian Reiki master who does deep tissue massage and Siberian massage. She is a goddess of healing IMO. Deep tissue massage is wonderful for healing deep muscle injuries. </p>

<p>My cousin and I both had terrible heel injuries in 2005. She had foot surgery and was off her feet completetly for weeks. I used acupuncture and massage and was never off of my feet. I was back at hip hop class within eight weeks and then my injury disappeared completely. She still has to baby her heel.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

20

<p>One word of caution: when taking large doses of ibuprofen or taking it for a prolonged course of treatment, try to take it with some food! This is not to avoid upset stomach, but as a precaution against internal bleeding.</p>