MY hip hurts!

Just wanted to drop a line to thank you all for the advice.My hip is not hurting anymore.The pain kinda went away with time and my stretching efforts.I never even stopped swimming.I sometimes feel just some slight pain, hardly noticable, but overall it is really cool, I am happy now again:-)))

What stretches did you do. I currently am experiencing what sounds like you suffered from. I did have an xray (normal) and start PT on Tuesday. I do not want to give up swimming either. Usually the pain is worse in the a.m., I swim aroulnd noon for an hour, and the rest of the day I seem okay. Of course, I'm a lot older than you. The pain seemed to start when I got some new fins and started working out with those (force fins: slim swim fins). Please let me know how long it took to get better, and what stretches you do. Thanks, Sylvia

I have suffered from piriformis pain for several years. In my case it's aggravated by driving for long periods. I find that deep muscle massage helps, along with targeted stretches. Swimming has always made my pain better. I suspect that pilates would help, but I have neither the time nor the money to take the extra classes. Here are a few good stretches: www.spine-health.com/.../Piriformis-Syndrome-Exercise.html

When my sciatica is pinched, I do the following: 1) I sleep with a pillow between my knees - this takes the pressure off while my body relaxes during sleep and 75% of the time the pain is gone the next day; and 2) I stretch by hanging - grab a bar with arms at shoulder or wider width and let the weight of my body stretch out my spine - I have to really focus on relaxing my my lower spine which tries to resist letting go and stretching.

I have suffered from piriformis pain for several years. In my case it's aggravated by driving for long periods. I find that deep muscle massage helps, along with targeted stretches. Swimming has always made my pain better. I suspect that pilates would help, but I have neither the time nor the money to take the extra classes. Here are a few good stretches: www.spine-health.com/.../Piriformis-Syndrome-Exercise.html These are good as well (helped me with sciatica, priformis inflammation and a disc extrusion with impingement, out of a wheelchair, onto two forearm crutches and now using only one crutch and back in the pool). www.exrx.net/.../LyingPiriformis.html www.exrx.net/.../KneelingHipFlexor.html and this one peripherally helps www.exrx.net/.../LyingModified.html

on delphigroups.com (free register--used to be part of about.com) there is a forum for SI joints. One of the posters on there is a Chiropractor with a site. He posts frequently and has exercises on there to correct the SI joint problem which MAY be what is kicking your sciatica and piriformis. They can be printed out and done at home. It sometimes helps if you have someone to assist with the exercises (:D ). I had the sciatica---tried the heavy duty advil routine, heat and ice routine, the rest routine. Finally had to resort to some PT and finally injections. Was found to be caused, at that time, by a herniated disk (surgery fixed that). When it happens now--or starts to--I start some Bextra (rx only), stretching of the piriformis and hamstrings and can sometimes knock it out. I'll try to get exact name of delphi group forum you want. sacroiliac resources www.kalindra.com/rounds.pdf (for exercises for the SI joint which may be why the sciatic is being "kicked") That article you linked to was a great help. In just two days of following the recommendations there, my piriformis pain from driving to funerals last week is reduced by probably 70 percent! Thanks!

I have what sounds like the exact same problem. However, I am certainly a lot older than you (at least your picture looks that way). All I could associate it with was the purchase and use of new Force Fins (Slim Fins: for swimming). Anyhow, I only swim for fitness, and haven't used fins basically at all except for very rare snorkeling. I was so excited by what the fins could supposedly do for my workouts I probably didn't use them as minimally as I should've to start off with. Of course, I was using them underwater as well, also trying to learn the dolphin kick etc. However, I didn't consider that I was using them but for maybe 15 minutes of a hour workout. I also started kicking with a kickboard minimally for improvement of kick etc. I had a hip xray which was okay, and am now getting some Physical Therapy. Doesn't seem to be helping. I'm pretty okay during swimming, but it's my right leg and hip, and I can hardly bear weight on that leg in the morning for a couple of hours, and sometimes after swimming. What relieves it for me is to really stretch in a couple of yoga postures, and by afternoon I usually am fine. By evening, things start stiffening up a bit. Please share with me what exercises you did to help you out. Did you sleep a certain way etc?