Question
Can a lower back injury/pain mimic period cramps and cause pain in the hip joint area? About a year ago I started working out again after not doing so for a while and thought I just over did it.  For about a week following the workout the pain was very intense, mainly in my right hip, and hindered walking.  It felt as if my hip or lower back were to "pop" then all would be well.  I made an appointment with my doctor, but I could not get an appointment for another month.  The pain started to subside and I continued doing my daily things. Once I visited the doctor, she didn't seem too concerned by it. As time has gone on, the pain is still there, but I've never had to take any pain medication.  Several times though, it feels as if I'm having menstrual cramps on the same side that has caused me issues.  At times, I feel a dull ache in my lower back and sometimes some tingling, basically about my buttocks on just that one side.  I'm just concerned that there could be something "female-wise" going on, but I've had routine check ups that are normal and again, my doctor is not really phased by it.  It's like something is "locked" up and if it were to pop, the discomfort would be relieved.  Any help and info is greatly appreciated.  Thank you!

Answer
Hi Marie,

Yes, your situation is all too familiar.    You simply need to find a good chiropractor.   No x-rays are necessary.    See if you can find someone on this site   www.westhartfordgroup.com    or   www.ACBSP.com        If you are fairly young and healthy, you would require a hands-on examination to target the joint system that is locked up causing the problem, and then the chiropractor would (hopefully) perform the combination of joint manipulation by hand, and then some form of myofascial therapy, e.g. Graston Technique (.com) and/or FAKTR (.com).    The ACBSP site is where the sports chiropractors are listed, and the Diplomate status is the highest credential.   You would very likely be in excellent hands if you found a DACBSP.      Your symptoms are commonly caused by lower back or pelvic joints that can become irritated by a variety of mechanisms and then refer pain or paresthesias into the hip or thigh.   For some, it's an irritated disc, others irritated joints that interlock on the back of your spinal vertebrae, and others a stuck pelvic ring.    Often the connective tissue, called fascia, gets adhered and can cause or compound these symptoms.     For some folks, relief can be immediate, and for others it can take a few weeks of treatment.     If you find a well skilled doctor of chiropractic, you would likely not be obtaining treatment more than a few times per week for a few weeks duration.   If you do not obtain relief in a few weeks, then it is the doctor's responsibility to re-assess and either change the type of care or refer you to a different provider for another opinion.    Sometimes, if a patient is not responding when the situation seems straightforward, re-assessment can help determine what component of care is missing, e.g. certain exercises, ergonomic changes, or avoiding certain treatment modalities.    

'Hope this helps.

Dr. G'