Advice from a PT, chiro, or Dr for the source of this pain in my hip please!?

History: Initially the pain was very intense in my groin, right at the front of the hip in that groin crease, dull as apposed to sharp but quite intense in severity but only when walking.Not a shooting skinny electrical pain.





Each step on the right leg caused this intense pain in the front of my hip/groin. The pain was worse on hip extension. The pain spread downwards in the shape of a fan the size of my hand , on the upper front of my thigh (but not a skin pain)





I also had a sharp pain in the anterior medial aspect of my lower thigh above the knee, again only on each step. Above the knee, it is best described as being at 7oclock if I was looking down to my knee. It wasnt an electrical nerve pain either , more like a very well defined ache that spread upwards in a small fan shape.





Initially in this first week of hell I also had pain in the back of my thigh too, again only with each step. (I cant remember now if it was runnign up from the knee or going down from the top.)





If I continued to walk for more than a few minutes with these pains then my entire upper thigh (at the front) felt like it was on fire, a real burning ache.





Even driving the car hurt my thigh then- when I had to take my foot on and off the accelerator and move it to the brake and back again. At the height of the aching 'constant' burning pain that I would get it felt like I had been given a 'dead leg' (punched in the thigh).





The sharp pain continued with each step on the right side.It was becomming sharper and more defined. The burning across the top of my thigh lasted about a week. Mind you I stopped my 'exercise' walking after the first day and stayed home to rest it. The pain in the back of my leg had considerably weakened too and wasnt a problem anymore.





It has now been 18 days since initial injury. Whilst the week of rest gave some improvement in that aching, the last 11 days have shown no improvement at all. It feels like something is out of place. Like something is catching or getting pinched with each step, right in the front of my groin. If I was to look down my body the pain would be at 1 oclock below my iliac crest.





Tonight I lay on my back and put my R heel on my L knee to test a muscle group. It was mildly painful but more uncomfortable and tight feeling. Leaving my foot there I let my R knee slowly lower to the bed and the pain was gripping me in the inner thigh before it was even a fraction lowered. I brought that knee back up to stop the exercise and ease the pain but when I raised my foot up to straighten my leg it felt like I had pinched a nerve in my groin. The pain was so severe it took my breath away and I began to panick. It was like a dislocation in that to try and move it made the pinch even worse. The pain was unbearable until the groin joint popped and I could put my leg down. It all happened quite quickly though. I have repeatead this (gingerly two more times tonight) and the same thing happened.





(I feel I am getting misdiagnosed so was trying to isolate muscle groups.)





It hurts more to walk uphill or upstairs.


When I am not walking it doesnt hurt at all.


But if I do a 20min walk and therefore suffer 1000 steps of sharp pain then it leaves my upper thigh/groin aching.





I have spent hours online looking at signs and symtoms and diagnostics for the muscles and ligaments and joints in this region.





Today I pushed in where the pain was, in the front of my hip/groin, whilst I walked and the pain went away, when I took my fingers off - the pain returned.





I am an RN and I dont believe this is sciatica pain.


No offence to the kind people wanting to answer this question but if you are not experienced in this field please dont post a guess disguised as a diagnosis. As I said I feel I have been misdiagnosed (wont put the diagnosis in here yet) so I am curious to hear a second professional opinion to see if it matches my own.





I have tried to be as specific as possible.


Thankyou in advance,


JoAdvice from a PT, chiro, or Dr for the source of this pain in my hip please!?
I agree, not consistent with sciatica at all!





I would say you may have a radiculopathy (somewhere L2-L3 I would estimate). Have you had back injuries?





If not, also consider a problem with the hip joint itself, as this can cuase joint pain and may radiate down the leg as well. I would be concerned for something like osteonecrosis (taken any steroids lately?), occult or stress fracture (any trauma, or do you have osteoporosis?), or acute synovitis.





Certainly get a second opinion if you're unhappy with your work-up. I think you at least deserve plain xrays, and if you have radicular symptoms, you could argue for spinal imaging as well, maybe even an MRI of the hip, given your pain right over the groin region.





hope this helps!Advice from a PT, chiro, or Dr for the source of this pain in my hip please!?
Step one - go see a neurologist, they will do an EMG, if the sciatic nerve is pinched, there is your answer. Sciatica





- also the neurologist may order and MRI of the thoraco-lumbar spine, further answers - herniated disc, foraminal stenosis, radiculopathy...





This all sounds unilateral, so its not going to be claudication. Dissection through your iliac artery is possible but extremely rare without you having some other pain somewhere else.





good luck