Can this be a hernia?

[Erik]

Right hip has been uncomfortable for about 12 years. Location is just a little below the beltline. Tuck your thumbs into your belt and touch your pointer fingers in the middle on the belt buckle. I feel no difference in topography when I palpate the location and cough or flex my core, so there's no obvious sign intestine sticking out. Location is slightly crotch-ward along the crease from the red circles here: http://destroychronicpain.files.word...hip-flexor.jpg

Discomfort waxes and wanes along with discomfort on the right side sacrum (roughly where the piriformus is here: http://destroychronicpain.files.word...hip-flexor.jpg) and a very painful tightness going right down the middle of the quad (point to location and line indicated by the vatstus intermedius on this diagram: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ty_muscles.jpg). Or, on the Rectus Femoris here: http://www.beebleblog.com/images/thighdiagramsmall.jpg

I'm just pointing to the location, not sure if these are actually the muscles/ligaments/tendons that are actually hurting.

It hurts after running or biking, hurts a lot more after sitting for too long. D*@#$ed if I do, also if I don't....

It's gotten really bad recently, probably due to my commute changing from a 30 minute bike ride to 90 minutes of driving. Hurts a lot.

I am very hesitant to get this checked by a doctor and create a paper-trail because I'm on COBRA right now and have already been flat-out turned down by two insurance companies due to pre-existing injuries (that are no longer even an issue - don't get me started...!)

My buddy, the chiropractor, thinks it may be a hernia as it hasn't healed for a long, long time.

Any ideas, guys (Jay & Jason especially)?

[Webmaster]

Hmm, you could get a free consult from your wife the MD, or buddy the chiropractor, or you can go see a doctor who will order up some imaging and other tests as may be appropriate. I can tell you that the pain you are experiencing is in the same location as I had when my hip was going South. Get it checked Erik.

[Abbax8]

Erik,
First relax. I have a hernia, I have had it for over 15 years. I had symptoms and went to my doc who sent me to a surgeon for final diagnosis and treatment. The surgeon confirmed the hernia and said he could schedule me for surgery. Things were crazier than normal crazy and I asked if it could be put off for a few months safely. The surgeon said it can be put off for many years if I can deal with the pain.

The pain comes and goes, it is mostly gone right now. The pain changes from a dull ache in the lower abdomen to a sharp pain in the testes (yeah I hate that one a lot). Sometimes there is a sensation of the injury feeling wet. I also get pain down the leg but that is probably from my not having a disc at C4-C5. When I sit and do nothing I hurt bad. When I work out I usually feel great. I lift weights, and do all the lifts. I ride my bike, walk, walk with a weight vest and sometimes even do judo with my kids. It all seems to help. Sometimes I do need to ease up, usually after carrying something heavy in an awkward manner. Going to bed and laying flat on my back stops the pain, in the morning I usually feel fine.

I researched hernia surgeries, you should too. I checked the NIH website and read the studies by surgeons on results. It was enlightening and convinced me to put off surgery until I have no choice. The studies showed that surgery will fix the hernia, but the fix can later fail. Also the fix itself can cause pain of its own in several ways. Of course with a hernia you are concerned about it becoming constricted and tissue dying, this is very serious. According to what I read this is not all that common with hernias although it does happen.

Several studies I read talked about the risk/reward factor of surgery and quality of life and how active you are. The more active you are the higher the risk of the fix breaking in the future requiring further surgery.

I hope this helps.

Dennis