Dr Visit

Ok so I went to the Dr this morning and hopefully got some answers. He said that the MRI looked good and that I just have some normal "wear and tear". He feels that I have something called "Piriformis Syndrome". Which basically is a nerve condition in the hip that causes pain and occasional loss of feeling in the back of the thigh. It involves compression of the sciatic nerve at the hip by the piriformis muscle. The piriformis muscle rotates the hip, allowing the thigh, foot, and knee to point outward. The muscle travels from the pelvis to the outer hip. The sciatic nerve usually passes the hip between this muscle and other muscles of the hip. Some common symptoms are:

*Tingling, numbness, or burning in the back of the thigh to the knee
*Occasionally tenderness in the buttock
*Pain and discomfort (burning, dull ache) in the hip or groin, mid-buttock area, or back of the thigh
*Heaviness or fatigue of the leg
*Pain that is worse with activities such as running, jumping, long walks, and walking up stair or hills, and is often felt at night or with prolonged sitting.

General treatment is:

Initial treatment consists of rest from the offending activity and the use of medications to help reduce inflammation and pain. Stretching exercises of the muscles of the hip are useful. Injections with cortisone in the area where the nerve is being pinches may help to reduce the nerve inflammation and pinching. If this is not successful surgery may be necessary to free the pinched nerve..

So I guess basically I have a pinched nerve in my butt, LOL. I get to do lovely exercises at home, the Dr did want to send me to PT but I know that with PT you have to got 2-3X a week and I have a REALLY high co pay so I am opting to try and do it at home first.