Piriformis release surgery, anyone???

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Feeling a bit prophetic right now. Thanks for the update Margie and I'm thrilled for your success. By the way, and interestingly enough, swimming also causes some discomfort for me as well. I thought I was just being wimpy and you made feel much better about that issue. Not unusual if you count two people as a quorum of all PS sufferers. Please don't but interesting anyway.

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Margie: Congrats to your daughter, very exciting. And so, so good to hear from you. Great that things are improving for you but sorry about the pool. I think the snorkle thing sounds like a good alternative...for now anyway. I also felt worse when I swam so now there's three of us.

David: Great to hear from you too and sorry to hear your feet are giving you trouble. Damn. This is a crazy, crazy thing. Maybe, just maybe someday we'll all be able to say we're completely better. Or, maybe Menzie is on to something. Perhaps a walk around the world. Not to make light of your situation but it helps to keep a good sense of humor through all of this huh?!

Take it easy and take care.

Leesa

Member

It seems, increasingly, I have heard from golfers, who have developed PS. Here is the first explanation I have read which might explain what is happening.

"The piriformis muscle crosses both sacroiliac and hip joints. It is one of a group of muscles called the deep lateral rotators because they help laterally or externally rotate the hip. The piriformis muscle lies overtop the sciatic nerve while the others lie below the nerve. Irritation to the piriformis muscle can cause it to clamp down on the sciatic nerve, creating pain along the distribution of the sciatic nerve (false sciatica).

During the backswing, internal rotation of your back leg/hip causes a quick stretch on the piriformis; which you then quickly tighten as you start moving your hips forward in the forward swing phase. This quick contraction as the muscle lengthens towards the top of your backswing places heavy loads on the muscle, which can cause damage and irritation. This is compounded if there is gluteal (butt muscle) weakness on the back leg, for which the piriformis must compensate as well.

This stretching/quick contraction also occurs in the lead leg as you stop your hips short to create a whipping action in your shoulder/arm complex. As your hips come through the front leg is internally rotated, then quickly stopped. The internal rotation places a stretch on the piriformis, which then contracts to bring a quick halt to the hips. Weakness and fatigue in this area will cause you to loose club head speed. These motions can create "piriformis syndrome", a cause of sciatica or radiating leg pain." *

* http://www.golfviews.com/july-03-fitness.htm

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trying to remember who had the surgery with Dr. Barbaro that did so well. Just wonder how she is doing these days.

I'm still struggling quite a bit. My uneducated opinion, and Mary thought it possible also, is that the botox injection I had had the effect of putting more strain on the other muscles and SI joint to compensate for the paralyzed piriformis. Whatever, I've been worse and it's more constant since then.

Moving to Arizona soon (from Texas), so I will be closer to Dr. Filler and Barbaro and expect to have a consultation with one of them soon. Looking forward to being there, but not getting out there.

The one thing most of my numerous Dr's here have in common is that my SI is involved and I guess we all know PS occurs quite often with SI probelms.

Hope everyone is doing as well as can be.

Aztec 506

Member

Aztec, I believe it was Margie. She posted her update a page or two back. She has had a very successful outcome like David and Donna. Glad to have you check in, sorry that you are not feeling better. Hopefully your move will allow you better access to medical stuff. I know they do have a big research center in Arizona. I almost took my daughter there. Dr. Barrows heads up the research center for new ideas and the sort. This center was the place where they pioneered the methods for quick response if people are paralyzed, it's the procedure that football player had in Florida last fall after a bad fall. Lots of new stuff coming from that place.

Now if we could just get to the right modality for fixing PS/ pain that would be a tremendous miracle. Menzie

Member

David,
Sorry to hear about the returning foot burning. I suffered with that for years and you are right, it is the worst. The leg pain is bearable but the bottom of the foot is very sensitive. I think while you are moving its just not as noticible,because our brains are thinking of the task at hand,but when movement stops our brains really notice it. Like lying still, we really focus on all the aches and pains more so than when we continue to move and stay busy. In answer to your question, I went back to see Dr. Filler in April because my superior gluteal nerve he worked on was causing me excrutiating pain. He gave me an injection of steroid, anesthetic and the anti-scarring agent. The name escapes me at the moment but your body makes it, its a natural substance . Anyway, after that injection the pain went away and has not returned. He hit a home run ! May I ask if you are considering this and if so why? Sounds as tho you are doing so well? I know not perfect like before PS but you really have done remarkably well as I followed your comments from day one. We are so close in surgery time, a week apart and you have fared much better than I.

About the new surgery center, I too wondered where one will recover overnite? I guess Shirley will get to answer that question.

At 7 1/2 months post op I am having more and more good days. I actually went 26 days with out leg pain.If I over work myself ie, lift too much, twist too much, golf too much, I really feel my butt muscles get tight and sore, then the sciatica comes on. Not anywhere near as bad as before so I try not to worry and rest for a couple days. So far that works and its better. Seems like I may be dealing with this problem forever. I just wonder why if the piriformis muscle is cut and doesn't really work anymore, how come it gets tight still and how is it touching the sciatic nerve.???? I corresponded with a gal who had her piriformis removed completely and still had sciatica for many months afterward. She had 2 surgeries by Dr. Filler. Tried to stay in touch with her but she has not responded after a couple nudges so I wish her luck if she still reads the forum!
Vacuuming and mopping really bring on butt/ leg/ nerve pain, always has ,before and after surgery, anyone else get sore after doing those chores? I decided to get someone to come in and just do my floors and bathrooms for awhile. I'm a very do ityourself kind of gal so this is hard for me, but somehow I think I'll get used to it.
Aztec, glad to have you back. After my injection with Dr. Filler PRIOR to surgery, that made my sciatica worse. He said sometimes injections do nothing or they can irritate the condition. Sounds like you had the negative one. His injection really irritated my condition, probably why I had the surgery 3 months later after 4 years of suffering. Just remembered the scar stuff, its called hyalaurandase, hope i spelled that right. I wonder if Dr. Filler ever replaced Sheila ???
Leesa, have a wonderful vacation, try not to get too great of a tan !!
Take care all. Lynne

Member

This will have to be a quick one because my son and family are visiting and I just did dinner for the whole family including my daughter and family--was on my feet all day preparing and boy is the p.m. screaming at me. Anyway just wanted to let you know that I won't be having surgery in the new usrgical center because Jodean emailed me and told me that she was overly optimistic about when it would be ready. So I will be having surgery at St. John's Health Center and was told it would cost 50% less than Cedars Sinai. I sure hope she is right since I am paying.

That is all for now. Will let you know when My surgery is scheduled.

Goodnight all.

Shirley

Member

HG,

Thanks so much for the reply.

The reason I was asking about the anti-scarring injection is that I seem to be sliding backwards as of late. Like I said, significant burning in the feet and I can really feel the butt spasms coming back on and these actually seem to be pulling on my lower back a little. In any case, I'm growing more uncomfortable and I may need to go out to CA and have a talk with the good doctor.

I assume that I may be scarring again and if he has some go juice he can put in there to stop/hinder/reduce this, I am willing to give it a try.

Not in agony but growing more concerned.

With regard to Sheila, she has been replaced with Edgar(sp??) and now I think there is Jackie. I can only imagine how demanding that job might be. Sheila was indeed special and I miss her. Jodean is a gift and we love her.

Super glad things are going so well HG.

Aztec, Margie is the Babaro patient and she is doing recovering very well.

You folks may not hear from me for a while. Going to take some vacation and we have a tropical system developing that looks like it may be heading very near us. This, plainly put, sucks as we were hit very hard by Rita and then had category 1 hurricane last year but suffered no real damage. If hit, it will be the 3rd time in the last 4 years. We're getting out of here in a couple of years but momma nature is going to keep reminding us why this is such a good idea in the meantime.

LOL, like no other audience could understand, I'm sure you folks will appreciate it when I say I am getting the distinct feeling that I have a target on my arse for a number of different reasons.

Have a great day everyone. Keep your chins up.

David

Member

p.s.

I re-read my last post and noticed the multiple typos. I can assure you that I am not nearly as illiterate as my typing/posts might indicate.

LOL, I CAN'T TYPE FOR SOME REASON!!!!!!!!!

Be good folks.

Member

Hey folks,

We are clamping everything down now. Getting breezy and he is strengthening. Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for the area south of us.

Just struggling to see much more than a Cat 1 right now and, with any luck at all, he'll slide south of us a bit and spare us the heavy stuff. Don't wish ill will on our many friends in Houston but we've barely cleaned up from the last two hurricanes. In other words, we're due a break.

Oh well, like I said, between this and vacation, it may be a bit before I'm on here again.

Everyone take care.

David

Member

David, my thoughts and best wishes are with you. Be safe and talk to you soon. Menzie

Member

Yikes, David!

Not sure where you're located but I know what you're going through. I grew up in the Beaumont, Texas area and also lived in Galveston for a time. I know all about "battening down the hatches" so I'm saying prayers for you. I'm in earthquake country now and, frankly, I'll take earthquakes any day over hurricanes and tornadoes.

To say nothing for the bug population in the South!

Stay safe. Sorry to hear about your returning pain.

Margie

Member

Hopefully this wont get posted twice. First one didnt go through.

I'm just looking for some opinions about RF Ablation. I've been shying away from it, but I'm thinking I might want to try that.

The somewhat general consensus of my Dr's (GP, Phys Med, Pain guy) think a lot of my pain is coming from the SI joint. For the past 10-11 months my chief complaint was a burning butt, hamstring pain and foot sensations with a coming and going backache. Since I had a botox in the piriformis about four months ago, I've had a fairly constant backache and it has gotten worse the last several weeks. I havent been lifting anything much over 10-15 lbs, but I have been doing a lot of squatting and moving around getting our house ready to sell.

So I'm wondering what you folks think about the RF ablation thing for SI pain. Anyone have it recently? Would you have it? If not, why? Any thoughts at all?

Thanks in advance for your comments.

Margie, I got your note, THANKS! I'm sure I will have some questions for you.

Aztec

Member

Based on all the info I have directly from people or reading about their experiences, I would say - RFA DOES provide effective pain relief for SI joint pain. The relief lasts for varying periods of time (three months or more). However, it has no effect on butt and hip pain. I dont' know, if it will have any effect on your backache.

RFA burns the nerves and you can't feel pain until the nerves regrow.
It is a "band-aid" approach that temporarily stops the pain but doesn't fix the underlying problem causing the SI pain. As long as the pelvic bones are in the wrong position, the pain will re-occur when the nerves regenrate. People often get another RF abalation once the pain returns.

It would be one less pain for you during your packing & moving experience.

Donna who had piriformis removal surgery, manages her SI pain with RFAs.

I have no information about the long term effect of repeated RFAs on the joint, nerves, etc. Mary

Member

Aztec, my recollection is that Donna did quite well after the SI RF ablation. She has had several but it seems to me hers lasted a year, at least her 1st one. I may be wrong so try to find her posts. You are probably too busy. You should go back and research her comments about it because others have asked her about it. My sister is having them on her facet joints but I haven't talked to her this past week because she and I have both had vistors.

I just got news that the fee St. John's Hospital will charge me is way, way less than Cedars Sinai would have charged me. Will tell you more later but have been sitting too long.

Margie, I loved your post about your grandchildren and your 13 inch scar. Your posts are always so funny and you are such an optimist. You always make me laugh.

David, sorry you are having troubleagain but if it is caused by scar tissue then maybe you can get the injection that LYnne had. She seems so much better. Lynne, I will get back to you soon. And David you always make me laugh too and so does Leesa and actually everyone has made me laugh at some time . Maybe you have to have a sense of humor when you are in pain all the time

Menzie, how goes it? Always think abot you and your D.

I think we should all have a butt/back/Si joint and what ever that was you had, Candy, reunion someday, how about in Hawaii. Sound good, Lynne?We can all show off our scars and Margie will have the most impressive. And Julie we would all want you there. Even though you aren't posting I hope you are follwing everyone's posts because we haven't forgotten you and hope so much you are doing better than youur last post said.

I will post more but it is getting late my time.

Bye for now.

Shirley

Maybe if I have time I will try to find Donna's post and tell you the page, Aztec

Piriformis release surgery, anyone???

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