Conference turris::womannotes-v3

    I suffer from bursitis in my hip and my girlfriend has it in both
    her hips and her shoulder.  We both have had excellent results from
    periodic cortisone injections.  I've been pain free (except for
    occasional twinges) for over a year.
    
    It might be worth it to you to get a second opinion.  
    
    Linda
    

    Someone has pointed me the MEDICAL notes conference which contains
    useful information under Note. 1020.  I am uncertain why people are so
    scared of the cortisone injections. Maybe I am ignorant, but I would do
    anything to get relief!
    
    diana

oh diana, my heart goes out to you.  I've been there and though I've been free
of pain for a few years, I do understand the fear of it all too well.  I had
an injury-induced bursitis, of a bursa deep in the left side of my ... well my
backside.  (I now know the true origin of the expression "pain in the ass", aka
"pita".)  The bursa swelled up and compressed the sciatic nerve, and I guess I
don't have to describe it further; likely you know.

(careful 'round docs, now; one decided <based on faulty xrays> that I needed
disk surgery on my one-and-only-spinal-column, and wanted to send me to the doc
who was featured on 60Min for his 6 malpractice suits from when his patients
ended up paralyzed or dead.)

I finally got relief when a doc prescribed a fairly heavy-duty course of
prednisone, followed by a prescription painkiller, followed by three or four
years of otc ibuprofun.  I took 400 mg of ibuprofun 4 times a day.  It worked;
I was able to be free of the pain almost completely.  I also avoided pressure
(gave up horseback riding, among other things) and cold - L.L.Bean sells a
flannel-lined jean that, though expensive, was a godsend.  And I bought a calf-
length down coat for winter.  Long underwear and ski pants are permanent parts
of my wardrobe.  Woolen or knit stockings (pantyhose) too.

I probably took the ibuprofun more and longer than I needed to, out of sheer
fear.  For a long time I refused to even try to do without it.  I've been off
it for about three years, and have only very occasional twinges; more of an
awareness of that part of my body than anything else.  I still avoid letting
that part of me get cold, and don't sit on cold granite boulders in the woods
much.

The downside of the ibuprofun is that it may (maybe, no way to be sure) have
caused some urinary system side effects.  Kidney damage is listed as one of
the side effects of long-term ibuprofun use; I decided at the time that I'd
rather have kidney damage in 20 years than live in such pain for 20 years.
Unfortunately it didn't take that long; a regular physical found red blood cells
being shed in urine.  A few months later it was still there.  So I got to go
through all kinds of fun tests :-[ to show whether or not I had cancer in
various parts of my plumbing.  Apparantly I don't.  But you need to be aware
of side effects too.  Yes, I know that the stearoids do too.  Sigh.

Good luck, and many hugs -
Sara

    I also have bursitis in my hips.  I will not take cortisone injections
    because I know the side effects of cortico-steroids.  I control the
    pain with large doses of ibuprofen, and a heated waterbed.  
    
    E Grace

    I munged my bursa from bicycle riding.  The doctor gave me naprosin,
    which reduced the swelling wondrously -- but it caused terrific
    water retention (over fifteen pounds), and my stomach informed me
    that, even though I was taking it with food (as directed), my acidic
    organ was not a happy camper.  I used a heating pad; I used ice packs.
    Nope.  Still there.
    
    My doctor directed me to a joint specialist.  He had me get ultrasound
    therapy twice a week for several weeks.  It helped, but not enough.
    He then sent me off to a chiropractor, who gave me ultrasound therapy
    *with* electrostimulation.  That worked.  I'm down to occasional
    twinges, and all I avoid is bicycling and vigorous exercise involving
    really stressing that joint.
    
    						Ann B.

    re: .0
    
         For alternatives to AMA-type (allopathic) medicine,
    you might consider asking this question in the ::HOLISTICS
    notesfile, instead (or in addition to.)
    
    Frederick
    

    
    	My chiropractor helped me....no drugs, no side effects, no more
    	pain!
    
    	-Dotti.

    Chiropractic really helps.  A good chiro is fantastic.
    
    Also, when the pain and inflammation is under control, you may want to
    explore yoga.  Keeping limber and improving muscle tone without impact
    can do wonders.
    
    I've found regular chiro apointments help, and I can go less frequently
    if I keep up with the yoga but am rarely that disciplined.  Until I've
    gone through a bad patch, then I'm really disciplined, for a while at
    least.
    
       Margaret

    
    	Agree with everyone on chiro's, been going to one for about 15
    years.  Ditto on the past few notes as far as treatment, but one 
    other thing that really helped was a back pillow for my car.  It 
    really took the stress off of my leg when driving--my right side is
    the one affected.  That and periodic adjustments (3-4 weeks) keep it
    in check!
    
    
    Debbi  who's sore at the moment--from starting back at wieght training!
    

don't know if I mentioned chiro in my previous reply.  I did try a chiro; I 
made the drive to her office by alternately holding my breath and swearing
horribly.  The chiro was no help at all.  I was in such pain that I could not
function.  She was really excited about how easy it was to manipulate my neck.
I gave her 3 or 4 visits, and she never even addressed my problem. Note, I'm not
saying that she could not help me with any problem, just that she did not even
try to help me with my most pressing problem.

It may even be that some other chiropractor could have helped.  I'll never know.
I guess the overall message is to keep trying - different therapies, different
practicioners, until you get the help you need!

Sara

I now live in California but one of the people and things I hated most to leave
behind in Boston was my incredible acupuncturist, formerly a medical doctor of
the traditional Chinese school, working in a hospital in mainland China, now
practicing acupuncutre in a small storefront in Chinatown.  A great man, to
whom bank VPs and lawyers, as well as poor old ladies go, but who refuses
to charge very much. He cured me of an athletic injury for which the medical
doctors wanted to use cortisone or surgery.

I suspect this is the type of  ailment acupuncture could help with--and it's 
noninvasive, nonmanipulative, etc. Although it's not covered by John Hancock, 
it's not terribly expensive and it can give great results. 

My doctor is Rui Xiong Mai (or you can call him Dr. Mark) at the Boston
Chinatown Acupuncture Center, 88 Beach Street.  I know it's a hassle to drive
down there, but if you go around 6 there's plenty of street parking and it's 
right near where the Pike lets out. If acupuncture can help you, once you
experience the relief and good feeling it can bring, the other hassles don't
seem so big. Contact me if you want more info or look at the Holistic 
conference for some other people's experiences.

nina

    thanks, Nina, I wondered if acupuncture was ever helpful for this.  I'm
    very sure I would have tried it if I had found it then (was in too much
    pain to think of it myself!)

    re: .11 (Nina)
    
         Just a nit, but to me non-invasive would exclude needles being
    pushed into various parts of the body.
    
    
    Frederick
    

    My specialist said that he "can't help me", but has now arranged
    a course of ultrasound sessions.  He said some people respond to
    cortisone and some don't, and that some patients he knows are still
    in pain but he can't do anything for them.
    
    I will try the ultrasound and see if this helps, but meanwhile will
    investigate the other remedies people have kindly entered here.
    
    I was interested in the painkillers mentioned here.  Currently I use
    FROBEN, but this does not really touch my pain.  The specialist said
    it was the strongest he could give me.
    
    
    diana

    Best wishes, Diana.  Remember (from my .5) that if straight
    ultrasound doesn't work, ultrasound with electrical stimulation
    might.
    
    						Ann B.

actually, Frederick, I thought I'd understood from other contexts that
accupuncturists' needles don't necessarily puncture the skin, they merely
put precise pressure upon certain nerve/{?} sites.  non-invasive, no?

DougO

    I had acupuncture once and the needles do puncture the skin.  There
    is something called acupressure though.

    re:  last two
    
         Acupuncture uses needles to stimulate the nerves...though the
    needles are extremely thin, they *do* cause unpleasant sensations
    (in me, at least.)  Anything which penetrates my skin is considered
    invasive, or potentially so, if not requested.  Context is very
    important here.
         Acupressure is a form of body work which uses mild pressures
    onto similar points as the acupunturist's needles go.  Shiatsu is
    another variation of the same concept.
         Are these invasive?  Same answer as paragraph one, above.  
    Yes or no, depending on the context.  Obviously, if something is
    welcomed or requested, it would hardly seem appropriate to
    disparagingly call it invasive.
         I simply found the use of the word "invasive" to be interesting,
    because there was a hidden agenda or hidden understanding to be
    read there.  That is, there was an implication that "other techniques"
    are invasive, but *this* one isn't.  And yet to me, *that one* IS
    invasive, while others feel more "user friendly."
    
    Frederick
    

    I had my first session of physio yesterday, together with ultrasound
    and electrical stimulation (weird!).  I have also been given a lot of
    tips about posture and standing.  Hopefully this is the start of a
    road to recovery.
    
    
    diana

    
    my father used an electrical stimulation unit called a TENS unit (a lot
    of ex-footballplayers use it) that stimulates the muscles in small,
    repeated electric shocks.  This allowed him to be off medication for a
    year and a half, with his back problems!  the theory has it that either
    the muscles cannot spasm while they are being repeatedly stimulated in
    small ways, or the muscles are able to relax enough and "exercise"
    enough not to knot.
    
    -Jody
    

    I also have a TENS unit.  There are two other ways they believe it
    works.

    1. It interrupts the pain signal being sent by the nerves to the brain.

    2. It stimulates endorphin production in the brain.



    E Grace

    NOW we know how E manages to keep up her hug-energy... all she's gotta
    do is slap in a new battery!!
    
    Scandal.  Scandal.
    
    There oughta be a LAW!  
    
    Oh, I forgot.  There is.  
    
    E = IR
    
    :-)
    
    BTW, glad it helps, E.  I've known others who used TENS units with
    success...

    I didn't say it helps, Dan; I just said I have one.
    
    )*8
    
    
    E Grace