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Get your butt to an urgent care. They can best do a basic evaluation to see if it's something serious, especially because it's getting worse. You don't want to wait until you're unable to move. The worst thing that happens is they say it's a strain and give you some muscle relaxants to tide you over for a while. (Actually, the real worst thing that happens is that they dismiss you because women's pain is more likely to be dismissed. Ugh.)
Good luck and take care.
Thank you! I'm going to call some pain clinics I found on Google maps too.
It might be different where you live, but my experience is that pain clinics are unlikely to take a walk-in patient. Because of the risk of painkiller abuse [insert an eyeroll here], almost all pain clinics require a referral from another doctor with a diagnosis for whatever is causing the pain.
FYI: urgent cares should take Obamacare insurance. If you're worried about cost you can call and ask if they take your insurance and how much their co-pay is, if any.
I'm not a doctor but did study anatomy for yoga teacher training -
Do you sit a lot? if so it sounds like maybe the psoas or hip flexor which wraps from the back around to hip may be tight or irritated. If the hip is out of whack that might take the knee with it.
Have you tried gentle stretches to see if it helps?
There's great beginner youtuber called Yoga with Adrienne who has a bunch of these kinds of stretches. When i say gentle stretches, please be kind to yourself and be super gentle ๐
There's a big difference between pain and discomfort. If you feel any sharp pain, needless, numbness stop the stretching immediately. If it's just achy just stay there for a bit and see if it loosens up.
Finally as someone who had had back issues - i was told if you ever experience any sudden weakness, numbness or have trouble urinating get to the ER asap. That might be a nerve problem which is serious and needs attention.
Please let us posted on how you get on if you're comfortable sharing. Sending all good thoughts through the electrons for a speedy recovery โค๏ธ
After a couple physical therapists and a chiro confirmed my hip and knee were fine an osteopath found it in the IT Band "Iliotibial Band Syndrome". Likely the result of my dominant leg overcompensating for the weakness on the other side. I would only feel relief if I did a deep tissue push between L4 and my kidney on that side.
The treatment plan was stretching the psoas muscle, favoring the other leg for a while, and working on core strength. It can still happen but I can take care of it in a few days now rather than months.
What is your lifestyle like at the moment? Do you do a lot of sitting? Not a lot of movement, exercise, etc? Are you under a lot of stress or do you suffer from anxiety or panic attacks? Have the weather been particularly nasty where you are? (This is starting to sound like a start of an infomercial, sorry! ๐ )
I led a sedentary life style for a long time, especially during the pandemic. I was getting random aches and pains in my hip joints, in my legs, my arms. But since I've started practicing yoga (at home, only), and also started treatment for my anxiety disorder, they have been a rare occurrence.
I don't know what your situation is like, but I really hope you can find some relief! I know how scary it can be to feel these pains and have no idea what's wrong. I hope you can find the strength to keep away from that doom spiral though. The anxiety and the stress from that is more likely to make things worse. If you do want to try the yoga route, or interested in a youtube channel recommendation, I've found Yoga with Adriene incredibly helpful for me.
๐ซ ๐
Oh I love yoga with Adrienne! I just started doing stretches and basic yoga again in hopes of it helping. I also used my massage gun. I work a very physical job, but I'm not very good at exercising outside of work ๐ thank you for this, I really appreciate it ๐ you sound a lot like me, lol
Iโm sorry about your back/hip pain :( Iโm just a medical student so take this advice with a grain of salt:
Can you describe the pain more? Does it radiate anywhere? Is it worse with more physical activity? Or any particular time of day? Do pain meds help? Also general info about your background - med history, family history, physical activity level, history of present illness (what started it, what youโve tried etc)
Generally the recommended treatment for low back pain is conservative (pain meds, physical therapy) for about 6 months. So for myself I usually do NSAIDs (ibuprofen, aspirin, or naproxen), gentle stretching (google lower back/hip stretching), and water.
Maybe sciatic nerve pain? Sitting for long periods can put pressure on that nerve that runs all the way down your legs from your back. It can get pretty nasty. There's a lot of stretches you can do that help (look it up on YouTube), and walking and standing help.
See a doctor, of course. Good luck