Hip-spine pain syndrome: What's the cause and solution?
When African-American songwriter James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938) and (perhaps) his brother J. Rosamond Johnson, penned the spiritual "Dem Bones," they wrote: "The thigh bone's connected to the hip bone/Hip bone's connected to the back bone." True enough! Just ask folks with what's called complex hip-spine syndrome. They have lower-back and hip pain with no clear source of their discomfort.
Researchers from NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City suggest a checklist for determining whether low-back pain that radiates to the butt, groin, thigh and even knees starts with problems in the hip or the spine.
They recommend doctors take a detailed medical history, assess a person's gait and range of motion through the back and hips. Then look at posture, lower limb and spine alignment, check for limb length discrepancy, previous surgery scars and use scans to get more info.
We say: If you're suffering from lower-back pain that lasts more than six weeks (most lower-back pain is due to muscle strain that affects the nerves and goes away within six weeks), discuss those diagnostic steps with your doc!
The causes of hip-spine syndrome include arthritis in the hip, a blockage of blood flow in the hip, a stress fracture or a tear in cartilage around that joint. If the spine is the trigger, it may be from a herniated disc, pinched nerve, narrowed spinal canal or joint problems in the sacroiliac.
Fortunately, there are effective treatments for hip and spine pain, including acupuncture, physical therapy, medications and surgery.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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