I suppose it's possible to get a muscle spasm in that ol butt muscle.

Is it possible that you could have a spider bite?

...the only thing that makes it less agonizing is lying on my left side with the right leg supported....

That makes me think piriformis - been there so I know the pain. Tylenol doesn't help, you need anti inflammatory - max allowed dose of Advil, Aleve - if your stomach can handle it - for 24 hours, then cut back a bit but you probably need a solid 3 - 4 days to gain some headway. Try some piriformis stretches to see if that helps. I feel your pain!

Here is a link that might be useful: Piriformis Stretches

I sometimes get something like what you are describing, but not as severe-Arthritic hip? That is what mine is I think, as sometimes it is ankles, and definitely have arthritic thumbs.

I wonder if it's your sciatic nerve? I hear the pain is excruciating. It will also go down one or both legs but not always.

About 6 months ago I was walking slowly in the driveway, doing absolutely nothing unusual. All of a sudden I felt this deep nerve type pain start in the middle of my lower back and extend to each side of my waist. I was miserable for about 3 weeks until it went away.

I think we're at that age when all we have to do is cough and we become bedridden. :)

Do try this exercize to see if it helps. Lay on your back and slowly bring your knee's to your chest. That's the key exercize for sciatica and lower back pain.

Sounds like it could be sciatica. Try stretching exercises, pulling both legs up to your chest lying down is one of my favorites. Doing this one leg at a time is good too and I often start with that if my back is really bad, to loosen things up. When I had it, one trip to the osteopath took care of it to pull everything back in place. I had suffered for two years! Mostly at night.

This post was edited by snookums2 on Sun, Apr 28, 13 at 12:47

I agree about the sciatica. I've had it before and it's wretched. See a chiro or massage therapist to get whatever is pinching back in place.

I wonder if it's your sciatic nerve? I hear the pain is excruciating.

That is what it was for me. I went for about 3 months like that. Couldn't get comfortable enough to sleep, in constant pain. Eventually the pain went down my leg and my leg and foot started to be numb. I ended up having surgery - a microdiscectomy - and had instant pain relief.

Your description made me think of sciatica, too. I had an episode after clomping around with a cast on my foot. If Advil, stretching, and/or massage don't work, go to the doctor; mine required a short treatment of steroids.

Yes, sciatica! DH found that one very simple stretching move helped tremendously. Down on hands and knees. Forearms flat on floor. Lift knee and place it under other knee. Try to keep both knees on ground and slide forward. You will feel the stretch. I will try to find the site that demonstrates this move.

Wow. Once again, youtube when you need it. I didn't look at DLM's link....it is perhaps the same that I found. Lots of helpful videos, and explanation of the two problems. So glad you posted, ( though so very sorry for your pain!) because, thanks to it, I now see that my problem area is the piraformis...which I'd no knowledge of prior to today! Your pain sounds so severe, do get a script for pt from your doc. Good luck!

Wow, thanks everyone! I'm thinking maybe it is piraformis or sciatica. I just have never experienced something that came on so quickly out of nowhere and isn't getting any better :(.

I'll definitely ask the GP tomorrow about this. I"m also scheduled for a Pilates class and the instructor is a gem. Maybe she can help me do some stretches. At this point stretching that leg/side is agony, but then again maybe that is my body telling me I need to do it. Am just reluctant to try much at home because I am terrified to make this worse.

Again, thank you all for sending such helpful feedback. As has been mentioned before, this forum is a godsend!

Ann

I'm so sorry you have this pain. Is any of your muscles really tight. Maybe a real deep tissue massage followed by stretches? I know when my muscles are really tight I can't just stretch it out, but need to loosen them up before doing stretching. I know several recommended stretches for the two issues mentioned, but be careful as if the muscle is too tight in the are you may not be stretching the right thing, but only those muscles surrounding it.

I often get the too tight muscle and can't stretch the actual muscle after lots of heavy exercise.

This post was edited by lyfia on Sun, Apr 28, 13 at 14:54

What exactly does it feel like & how deep is it? I have sciatic & Piriformis issues. I also have another issue in the deep muscle of my butt. Link is below. If it's this; you need an injection; it's the only thing that calmed mine down.

Here is a link that might be useful: ischial tuberosity

Since you have an appt with your doc, I'd encourage you to do no exercises, yoga, or stretching until you have a diagnosis. My DL is a PT & recently helped a nurse colleague of hers who was having some pain & doing yoga. She told her to stop the yoga stretch for that area & it improved. You could try some heat alternated with ice for now. I've had glute pain many times & sometimes it wraps around to my lateral hip & thigh. I've been using the jets on our tub to help it & it really does. You can also stick a tennis ball under that area & lie on it to put pressure on it.

There's a muscle called the Obturator that sometimes has to have internal massage, if you get my drift...takes a specialist PT, though.

Sacroiliac issues are common in women because our S/I joint can be quite unstable & move enough to put pressure on a nerve, esp. if we've had children.

You may need some PT to get some ultrasound, heat, etc. to that area & learn proper stretches.

Let us know what your doc says tomorrow....feel better!

I also wondered about piraformis. I had a short episode of a "knot" in one buttock - thanks to the piraformis. It was actually a problem with my hip muscles, etc. everything was too tight. I had a few sessions of PT. Stretches, massage (including ice massage) and TENS helped. I now know when things are getting too tight and try to keep things stretched out.

Hope you get some relief soon!

tina

Since you're in a lot of pain, it probably is best to wait on stretching until you get the okay. Even applying heat could be a problem. I would try a non-invasive route first before getting into steroid injections etc. I went directly to the osteopath who took care of things and prescribed stretching exercises. He did take an xray to make sure I didn't have a ruptured disc. I'd be afraid a GP would reach straight for the needle. That can cause other problems.

I have the shoulder pain from another thread but last year I had the pain in the rear for months, I slipped and did an involuntary half split when my foot touched a piece of slippery plastic, I felt a weird twist in my buttock and it lasted for months, if I ran to catch a green light it felt like a dagger in my buttock, sitting on long flights were unbearable and I was flying twice a month.

I went to PT and did certain specific exercises, and it did taper off and go away eventually, it took months though.
There were days when I just rested and gave in to the pain and elevated my feet, lay down sideways, I was always looking for ways to feel better.

I suppose after getting the GW consultation, I could have just skipped the dr visit because the diagnosis is:

Sciatica

Yes, those who said that may be the issue were absolutely correct. The dr. prescribed muscle relaxants and a course of oral steroids, and gave me a prescription for PT if that doesn't help. I asked about doing Pilates and she said if the practitioner is skilled and can work around the problem area it should be ok. However, I'm in enough pain that I am not going to Pilates today. Will start meds tonight and hopefully start to feel better soon!

Thank you everyone for the information and suggestions. And not least of all for the reassurance that no matter what it is,people on GW know all about it :).

I seriously recommend getting yourself realigned. I think I might have had some brief discomfort one or two times over the years since then (20 years ago) but it is not a problem anymore.

Hope it subsides fast for you!

I've had it too. Mine turned out to be part of a whole herniated disk syndrome. Do your stretches, get a diagnosis, and seek acupuncture for pain if necessary.

Just think how awesome it would be if GW could prescribe as well as consult! LOL! So glad you got a diagnosis and a direction for treatment.

Following up to say I feel SO MUCH BETTER!!! Amazing what drugs can do :).

Monday I started taking the meds my GP prescribed-a muscle relaxant and oral steroid. Yesterday I woke up feeling far less pain, so that I could sit and move normally again. Today, I have mobility back without any discomfort. Am going to quit the muscle relaxant, finish the steroids and hope this doesn't happen again ever, or at least for a long, long time. But if it does at least I have some inkling of what causes the pain and how to treat it.

What a huge relief to be feeling better. Although, a week of that left me pondering how on earth people manage with severe chronic pain. I had to stay functional but it was so terribly difficult to keep going when every single moment my body was hurting so badly.

A bit scary too because nature is reminding me I'm no spring chicken....sciatica, sounds like something a grumpy old lady would have. Oh wait, I guess that's me :).

Thanks again to everyone who provided such helpful advice and empathy.

Ann

Ann, I laughed and called it the lumbago - that's sounds even worse, doesn't it?

Ann, don't feel bad. We all get older, but stuff just happens too. I had my 16 year old son at the orthopedist last fall. His pain was in the lower back and hip, sometimes shifting between the two. He was diagnosed with sciatica and eventually, after it didn't improve enough and we did an MRI, a herniated disc. He's just 16, and we're not sure how or why it happened.