Nuts...

[foo on patrol]

I still think you have sciatica troubles TLL as all of the areas you have pain shooting through, is the same for me or I should say was, as I am not as bad now, since seeing a Physio and doing some specific exercises. But they could be totally different in your case.

It just drives you up the wall and runs you down with this sought of pain, I had it for 3years straight, until I got it soughted. Thought I would start glowing in the dark from X-Rays, scans and ultra-sounds.

Foo

[twizzle]

If going to an oesteo brings relief by tweaking your lower back - it pretty much tells you where the problem lies, doesn't it?

Mate, I was seeing the chiro ever 2 - 4 weeks, or sometimes twice a week, for two years. My sacral joint was out and the inflammation was pressing on the sciatic nerve. It was only when the chiro got violent that it finally popped back in - he's a weight lifter, and he had to try hard, so this is real danger territory for doing permanent harm. He also had to to use that cute little tool they use for applying pressure to muscles to get them to release, otherwise known (to me) as 'sticking the knife in'.

I also used a sacral support belt - against his advice - and found it wonderful. That was 18 months ago after the last time I tweaked the back - by coughing.

If these problems are because your sacral joint is mobile, it's something that will continue to give you grief forever more.

[Marty Moose]

I agree with Twizzle/Foo being your back. The bladder issue! I've never been the same since my op’s and damage at L5 S1. If and when I get pain it has a huge affect on No1's. When I ruptured my L5 S1 I lost the use of my bladder all together i.e. had no sensation. The sacrum I also had pain from and still sometimes do have issues with this joint, the pain from the sacrum also hurts in my legs and hip/glutes. I believe (I'm no doctor) that the sacrum being jammed or out upsets my whole lower back it’s the cause of it all. I can free my sacrum myself now using a technique called muscle energy. You use the muscles in the area to move the sacrum no external pressure it’s the only thing that works for me long term. I’ve tried many Physio’s and Chiro’s most have just cost money and provided temp relief. The only one who helped was a Physio who does this muscle energy stuff. I just get my wife to do it now if I even get the slightest twinge which is rare now. The sacral belt used by Twizzle is also really good and stops your glute spasm causing leg and back pain some call it a pregnancy belt . Feel sorry for you TLL the hassles with everyday living is what is the real annoying thing I went through this for years it sucks the life out of you. Don’t get fat it makes it worse
MM

[Bradwah]

Hey again TLL,

Quite a story, and i feel your pain, i too atm have some pain around the abdominals into hips and groin. All these questions i have asked, were the ones my physio asked, and he knows what he's doing he's with an NRL team.

Anyway, you said your package is all good after sex, but how are the hips and abs? I know this sounds wierd, but are you doing all the work ie thrusting? Also any pain in doing a sit up? I know you specified where you get the major pain, but this will prob be the last questions from me, then its up to this "super doc" to figure everything out for you.

Having problems in the l4 l5, can possibly mean bulging disc through the lower back which can "impinge" the sciatic nerve. If that was happening, id be worrying about the osteo getting aggresive with it. But then again they are the ones who have studied for 5 or so years, and ive only done 2 years of muscle anatomy

Also, your psoas might not be weak, there are more than just 1 hip flexing muscles if you have muscle pain in around the abdominals, and it cause physical pain exertion flexing at your hip, then obviously the body won't just want to stay in that position. How does it feel when you stretch out your quads and hip flexor?

Anyway that's it for me mate, also i have osteitis pubis, which is inflammation of the pubic bone http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteitis_pubis, http://www.physioadvisor.com.au/1047415 ... dvisor.htm Only thing is they should have noticed this from your xrays, well that is if it was major.
Anyway hope its not mate, and hope this gets sorted out soon. Good luck and keep us updated please, i think we'd both love to find out exactly what this is

[toolonglegs]

Thanks chaps ...yes I agree Twizzle that it must be something related to my back.As when I see the Osteo I do feel better.There is definately no bulging disc or nerve impingment as the MRI would have shown that up.The sacral belt might be worth a go.
Brad...I haven't down sit ups or push ups in many years.I have had back problems off and one since I was about 16.Sit ups puts too much stress on my back so I stay away from them.
I only really have shooting pains in my groin area...everywhere else is just aches.The front of my thighs just feels like I have really bad DOMs from a hard work out but it wont go away.
Anywhere if I want to get here...

...I will have to ride my bike (mtb) with a heavy camera on my back...and it will be hot ...better be worth the photo.

[slowflow]

Have you considered core strenghting. A really simple exercise, sit on a fitness ball so your knees are at a right angle, lift one leg & put your arms out cross fashion. This helps condition the muscle close to the spine & may help. Should to be able to hald for atleast 15 seconds. Good luck, hope you find relief.

[twizzle]

That was one of the things the chiro's pointed out - my core muscles were not good. I started doing a "core strength & stretch" class once-a-week through work, and last year managed to touch my toes for the first time in years. I've also had lower back issues since I was a teenager - bending over doing the washing up, going for a hard ride, I'd always end up having trouble straightening up. The first injury was carrying parts for a competition trampoline down three flights of stairs - it was the box of springs that did it. One Naprosyn tablet fixed that. The second and major incident was putting the air compressor into the boot of a car - that took 12 months to fix with a chiro. And then in 2006 it all went pear shaped when I slid out of the drivers seat in the van and the back went out and stayed that way for two years. My pain was mainly lower back, but sometimes a sore right hip and stabbing pains in the right nad.

Now, when I push too hard for too long, I get an aching lower back and the power disappears. Fixing it is as simple as stopping for a minute with both feet on the ground... which really sucks in a race.

And if I get up in the morning without pain any pain at all (I usually have a dull ache in the lower back for the first hour), I really appreciate how good it is to be pain free.

[twizzle]

O.K. - just got back from a trip to the chiro. I don't think he's very impressed with my bad advice... he's adamant that my issue isn't illial-sacral as it's almost impossible to dislocate the joint and the symptoms would be different, my problem is lumbar/sacral and caused by ligament damage.

Anyway TLL, in his opinion :
- Not sciatic, as that would not present in the quads.
- Not lower spine, as that would present in the lower leg.
- Unlikely to be illiac, as it would be very unlikely to trap both nerves at the same time.

His best guess is Myofascial Pain Syndrome, and suggests you look into Trigger Points, Fibromyalgia, publications by "Travell & Simons" and Dry Needling/Trigger Point injections. The emphasis here is all on trigger points.

He also strongly suggests finding a sports doctor who knows about trigger points, plus getting a good,deep, beat-the-crap-out-of-you massage.

[toolonglegs]

Cheers Twizzle,never heard of that one before ...I agree that I was trying to stretch my symptoms I bit to fit with sciatica.
I am seeing the iliac guy on Friday,I will see what he says.Interesting (or not!) after walking up and down the Madeleine yesterday I was in a lot of pain in hip fold again (amongst all the other places!).I couldn't sit down for more than five minutes while waiting and driving the car is not nice.
Anyway I am checking out every angle so will look into this as well.

[toolonglegs]

I saw the Proffeseur today...you know you are in the right place when he has a bike on a trainer in his office.He doesn't think it is Iliac but I will take my bike in next Thursday for him to run the tests to make sure...his bike is a bit small for me .
He thinks that I have "Maigne's Syndrome"...and after reading up on it I agree (syptoms are thigh,lower back,buttocks and groin pains)...doesn't show up in a scan or MRI and the only way to truely diagnose it is a corticoid into the affected spinal area by a rhuemitism specialist.
Anyway this guy knows his stuff so feeling confident I may be getting close to a diagnosis.

[twizzle]

Looks interesting. Keep us informed...

[toolonglegs]

Will do.Fingers crossed!.

[Marty Moose]

Found this (bet you did too) So yours would be the front of the nerve LATERAL FEMORAL CUTANEOUS NERVE if you have the "nuts" issue, L2 and L3 being the issue areas. Would be great if this was it then you can start some treatment to get you back on track(pun intended) my fingers are crossed as well. Keep letting us know how you go.

MM

[foo on patrol]

I hope you are closer now to finding out what's up. (needles in the spine area hurt like......... well you know)

Foo

[toolonglegs]

I will take any pain to get rid of this... .
Here are the symptom areas of Maigne's Syndrome...

Doesn't get much closer than that!.

[Bradwah]

Hmm very interesting TLL,

I read up on this, so you just need some treatment from a chiro and maybe some massage?

Are they going to do some nerve testing on you to check this out? It aint gonna feel nice but then again if it gets rid of your pain who cares

[toolonglegs]

I am not 100% sure on the treatment...the Doctor I saw yesterday said the only 100% way to diagnose was a corticoid injection into the inflammed area.The pain will totally dissapear for 2 or 3 months.The injection can also be a cure at the same time...and yes I expect back to my osteo.I really hope that is it...and that it isn't to chronic and can be cleared up.

[twizzle]

Hmmm - I get 1 and 2 when pushing big gears. In fact, after the visit to the chiro the other day, I had pain in the right nad for the first time in ages.

Could be worse - my mother (68) is on day 4 of total bed rest, prolapsed discs L3/L4/L5/S1, and the L5/S1 has pinched the sciatic nerve.

How much do you want to bet that I have that in my future?

[/\ |_ |]

Hi All

I had the numb nut problem which was fixed by changing to a SMP saddle and the length of the stem shortened from 110mm to 90mm. The problem I have, is poor flexibility in the back which puts pressure on my nuts. Due to poor flexibility in the back I was sliding forward which resulted in me not sitting on my sit bones properly and putting undue pressure on the delicates. All is good at the moment and I am slowly working on improving my flexibility; my goal is to install the 110mm stem for the ideal bike fit. Hope this helps other riders with the similar issue. On a side note I own the SMP with minimal padding, the evolution, padding has nothing to do with numb nuts just a comfort feature for long haul rides.

Cheers

[ValleyForge]

I am not 100% sure on the treatment...the Doctor I saw yesterday said the only 100% way to diagnose was a corticoid injection into the inflammed area.The pain will totally dissapear for 2 or 3 months.The injection can also be a cure at the same time...and yes I expect back to my osteo.I really hope that is it...and that it isn't to chronic and can be cleared up.

Thanks for the posting TLL - I learned stuff today!

Glad it's not Leriche's syndrome!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leriche%27s_syndrome

[toolonglegs]

Well I hope its not that ...looks nasty.
I tried a SMP saddle...hated it!.
But then I don't get numb nuts...mine is a shooting pain the groin.Which has all but dissapeared the moment I started taking the anti-inflamatories.

[toolonglegs]

Well iliac is all good...doctor said I had lower heart rate than 99% of the pro cyclists he see's...shouldn't of had that coffee before hand and it would have been 100% .
He said my legs are nearly equal in blood pressures compared to my arm from near max hr back to resting...but on the bike I have major problems in his opinion...so injection in the back and structural specialist it is.

[foo on patrol]

So maybe some light on the horizon for you?

Hmmm back injections, oooouch.

[hannos]

So maybe some light on the horizon for you?

Hmmm back injections, oooouch.

The alternative is more ouchier.


Hopefully works out for you TLL.

[roobab]

After three months of torture my nuts problem has improved to almost gone.
I think my problem was related to the 3 spin classes I do each week where I was wearing normal jocks.
My nuts were forced under and I must have squeezed them a bit too much. After changing to wearing cycling knicks to the spin classes, cured.
Doctor had a good feel of the nuts and could not feel any lumps. While I was there he decided to have a squeeze on my prostate and that really hurt.