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shelee
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 Posted: 11/20/03 - 17:45 Post subject: bursitis
I have what is called greater truncator bursitis. 
I finally went to the sports doctor and, as unhelpful as the visit was, at least it's something. I'm suppose to stop all attempts at running...  until healed; take Vioxx and ice for three more weeks...; and lay off biking at the pace I was riding. If that doesn't releive the pain then I'll have to start PT and have an MRI.
Does anyone else dread going to the sports doctor? In my few experiences with them, they seem to be really dismissive of running injuries. The last one told me I'm a running junky and to stop abusing my body with the sport and this one yelled everything...YOU HAVE...it was really hard on my ears. I just wish that they seemed more concered with gettting us back out there. Many times it's a wait and see diagnosis. It's just frustrating. I'd have rather he started the PT now. This hip hurts really bad and it's been since October. That's too long.
Shelly
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Cappy
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Posted: 11/20/03 - 17:55 Post subject:
I have the same on my left side. My GP referred me to a Orthopaedist, who gave me a cortisone shot. Vioxx helped, I usually took it the night before my long runs over 8 miles
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megawill
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Posted: 11/21/03 - 01:14 Post subject:
try as hard as you can to find one that runs...(contact running stores, running clubs etc to see if they know of any in your area)...its hard to understand our 'addiction' unless you've been there yourself...
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megawill
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genie
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Posted: 11/21/03 - 08:18 Post subject:
But...in defense of sports docs....runners are, as Mega says, addicts to our sport, and how long do we normally run on something we KNOW is injured (pain is a messenger, folks....if you ignore it, it just gets LOUDER) because we don't want to give up a few weeks on the road, instead of getting it diagnosed ASAP, sucking it up for the short term and getting back out there? When I had the stress fractures last year, I ran a damn half marathon KNOWING that's likely what the pain was, in fact I ran for four months on them before getting a bone scan, and by that time the one crack was so bad it was close to needing pins (which I naturally refused and still ran on it twice WHILE in an air cast). Instead of six weeks, I was benched five months.
I agree that a lot of them are not athletes themselves, so they don't always get our mindset. Mine happens to be one who does, but he also doesn't take a lot of crap from me about what I want vs. what is best for my body, and he deals with a lot of the professional athletes in our area and he told me that it's very frustrating for them watching us continue to abuse our bodies simply out of the love of a sport....or often a deeper issue. And let's be honest here.....continuing to run on some part of you that hurts IS ABUSE unless it is just muscle soreness from overdoing, which goes away in a day or two. Flarunner could probably speak to this better than I, but from what my doc told me, sometimes you have to let an injury start to heal before you start PT or it'll just aggravate it, depending on the injury. Bursitis is an inflammation and if you continue to work the hip area, you'll just aggravate it more.
PLEASE don't be in such a hurry to get back out there--give your body the time it needs to heal so you're not out way longer than you should be. Feel better soon!!! 
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robp
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Posted: 11/21/03 - 08:57 Post subject:
Find a new doc would be the first thing I'd do. I've not had much experience with sports doctors but the orthopedic guy who repaired my knee was very supportive of my running and gave me a good plan to begin my rehab back into running. Not once did he give me anything negative about running.
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Running Brewer
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Posted: 11/21/03 - 09:41 Post subject:
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megawill
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Posted: 11/21/03 - 12:22 Post subject:
| genie wrote: | But...in defense of sports docs....runners are, as Mega says, addicts to our sport, and how long do we normally run on something we KNOW is injured (pain is a messenger, folks....if you ignore it, it just gets LOUDER) because we don't want to give up a few weeks on the road, instead of getting it diagnosed ASAP, sucking it up for the short term and getting back out there? When I had the stress fractures last year, I ran a damn half marathon KNOWING that's likely what the pain was, in fact I ran for four months on them before getting a bone scan, and by that time the one crack was so bad it was close to needing pins (which I naturally refused and still ran on it twice WHILE in an air cast). Instead of six weeks, I was benched five months.
I agree that a lot of them are not athletes themselves, so they don't always get our mindset. Mine happens to be one who does, but he also doesn't take a lot of crap from me about what I want vs. what is best for my body, and he deals with a lot of the professional athletes in our area and he told me that it's very frustrating for them watching us continue to abuse our bodies simply out of the love of a sport....or often a deeper issue. And let's be honest here.....continuing to run on some part of you that hurts IS ABUSE unless it is just muscle soreness from overdoing, which goes away in a day or two. Flarunner could probably speak to this better than I, but from what my doc told me, sometimes you have to let an injury start to heal before you start PT or it'll just aggravate it, depending on the injury. Bursitis is an inflammation and if you continue to work the hip area, you'll just aggravate it more.
PLEASE don't be in such a hurry to get back out there--give your body the time it needs to heal so you're not out way longer than you should be. Feel better soon!!! |
Well said and I do agree for the most part...but I must add some caveats.
The hardest thing serious runners have to learn to distinguish if they ever want to make past the pure recreational/fitness stage (not that there is anything wrong with that) is:
(1)What is typical soreness?
(2)What is atypical?
(3)What requires an extra easy day vs an extra day off?
(4)What requires a self imposed 3 day rule? (mulitiple days of rest to see if it gets better)
(5)What requires a doctor visit?
Unless you can make these distinctions (i.e. you shut down too soon or don't shut down soon enough) you will likely never make if past 20 miles a week for any extended length of time. ---
(PLEASE ...don't misinterpret this as me saying that YOU aren't seriously injured and should just go out and run!!!)
On another thought on why it is so important to find running doctors...
Doctors on a whole (sweeping generalization) want to try fix you...so for a non-running doc the way to fix you is to do what it takes to heal you and then pound into your head that running is the cause of your injury...thus stop running and you will stop getting injured...it's the old patient says: 'Doc it hurts when I do this' and doc replies: 'Well don't do that'. A running doctor is much more likely to help you find (or at least give or send you the resources) the mixture of flexiblity, mechanical/stride related, strength issues that caused your injury in the first place. Without addressing those issues, you're likely to fight a continuing injury battle. A Health Professional that runs should understand these issues and will hopefully allow you to address them..
best of luck
---
megawill
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shelee
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Posted: 11/21/03 - 12:56 Post subject:
thanks everyone for the useful information, rb for the links, and everyone for the advice. i guess i'm leaning toward what Mega says. I mean honestly it's a question of doctors listening and a running doctor is probably the best bet. honestly, though, i think the issue is even deeper than this, i think it has a lot to do with money and insurance. let's make her wait first 6 weeks to see if the pain goes away. i wait the 6 weeks. same pain. call my provider and say i need a referral to a sports doctor. there in lies the catch, i don't get to choose if i want the appointment to be covered. i go to him...let's wait 3 more weeks, this time on vioxx. so, i'm on the vioxx. regardless of my desire to start pt now with the vioxx, he insisted on waiting and seeing. what i don't understand is this, they KNOW that this sport is very important to us. They KNOW we go through a withdrawal, yet they continue to give the advice, stop running, wait and see. i'm sorry, but that's not really an option. if it's important to the patient then shouldn't it be important to the doctor. i'm really tired of their lectures about the "abuse" to my body. you know, i see a lot of obese, smokers, drinkers...you name it doing a lot more damage..., and when i consider what runners say running has done for them, such as El Kid's recent post, I'm convinced these doctors just don't care. Just don't listen.
well, that's my rant for the day. thanks again, everyone. 
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genie
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Posted: 11/21/03 - 16:48 Post subject:
| megawill wrote: |
The hardest thing serious runners have to learn to distinguish if they ever want to make past the pure recreational/fitness stage (not that there is anything wrong with that) is:
(1)What is typical soreness?
(2)What is atypical?
(3)What requires an extra easy day vs an extra day off?
(4)What requires a self imposed 3 day rule? (mulitiple days of rest to see if it gets better)
(5)What requires a doctor visit?
Unless you can make these distinctions (i.e. you shut down too soon or don't shut down soon enough) you will likely never make if past 20 miles a week for any extended length of time. --- |
VERY good points, Jerry. I should have included that in my original statement. I think a lot of us can relate to one side or the other of the newbie spectrum, either not pushing hard enough through routine pain or running through everything assuming it is "supposed" to hurt. Kemibe used to call it "kung fu", or running by feel....where you really get to know your body and its responses to the stress of running, increased speed or distance. Pain in the muscles is often "normal" whereas pain in the joints usually means some sort of damage. Unfortunately many of us NEED to be seriously injured before we learn the difference.
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genie
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Posted: 11/21/03 - 16:56 Post subject:
| shelee wrote: | what i don't understand is this, they KNOW that this sport is very important to us. They KNOW we go through a withdrawal, yet they continue to give the advice, stop running, wait and see. i'm sorry, but that's not really an option. if it's important to the patient then shouldn't it be important to the doctor.
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Shelee, I'll be honest, this really worries me. Yes, running is addicting, yes, it does wonderful things for us, but to be this upset over not being able to run and to insist that YOU MUST be allowed to regardless of the fact that you are still in pain is really not healthy. If you've been in pain since October, there's a reason why, and not stopping running is likely a large part of it.
Would you rather find out you have a fracture and be benched for a lot longer because you refused to sit down when you were told to?? Because truly, if you keep insisting you ABSOLUTELY MUST RUN regardless of what might be wrong with you, then perhaps that is a sign of a deeper issue?
Just concerned....I've heard this argument come out of my own mouth before and I am just starting to realize why, and it has more to do with other things than it does with my love of running. Food for thought, nothing more.....
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shelee
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Posted: 11/21/03 - 18:29 Post subject:
| genie wrote: | | shelee wrote: | what i don't understand is this, they KNOW that this sport is very important to us. They KNOW we go through a withdrawal, yet they continue to give the advice, stop running, wait and see. i'm sorry, but that's not really an option. if it's important to the patient then shouldn't it be important to the doctor.
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Shelee, I'll be honest, this really worries me. Yes, running is addicting, yes, it does wonderful things for us, but to be this upset over not being able to run and to insist that YOU MUST be allowed to regardless of the fact that you are still in pain is really not healthy. If you've been in pain since October, there's a reason why, and not stopping running is likely a large part of it.
Would you rather find out you have a fracture and be benched for a lot longer because you refused to sit down when you were told to?? Because truly, if you keep insisting you ABSOLUTELY MUST RUN regardless of what might be wrong with you, then perhaps that is a sign of a deeper issue?
Just concerned....I've heard this argument come out of my own mouth before and I am just starting to realize why, and it has more to do with other things than it does with my love of running. Food for thought, nothing more..... |
no, genie, i've been very good about waiting and seeing. i have been sitting it out. it's that when i requested to start the pt now, since it has been since october, he refused adn said another 3 weeks on vioxx. what i meant by not an option is this opinion that "quit running" as just don't do it is not an option.
i think you raised some great points, but my point is many times that the sports doctor sees teh patient and finds out running is his/her "hobby" and thinks well get rid of the running get rid of the injuries and moves on to the next patient. sigh. i think mega and rb are right. the answer is getting a sports doctor who runs. unfortunately, insurance plays a lot into that decision, though. just was releasing some tension i felt over this issue.
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genie
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Posted: 11/21/03 - 18:54 Post subject:
You're right in some cases about the docs....insurance does really limit you. I had some problems with GP docs until I found my current one, whose hubby is a runner, so she's pretty sympathetic. But again, sports docs study to treat athletes, and they often see many athletes, like my doc said, who WON'T sit out no matter what and do abuse themselves in the name of sport. But I do think sometimes they lump us all into one category and are a little quick to say, give it up and do something else. My point was, if we insist on running against their advice, we may end up having to "give it up and do something else" permanently somewhere down the road.
I hope your hip gets better soon though, I soooo hear that frustration and remember it very well from last year. Have they done any biomechanics studies to see if it's a structural thing that could be causing the injuries?
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flarunner
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Posted: 11/22/03 - 15:31 Post subject:
I'm gonna make a couple of comments.
Re Megawill's comments, there's a difference between 'good' pain and 'bad' pain. Delayed onset muscle soreness is 'good' pain. Bursitis is 'bad' pain.
Re Megawill's comment on doctors. So true.
Re Shelee's comments on insurance. Sucks but true.
Re Shelee's comments on doctors knowing how important running is to us. Gonna have to disagree.
That doctor doesn't know what's important to me until I tell him/her what's important to me AND how important it is to me. Don't be bullied, blown off or dismissed by any doctor. Let that doctor know that you expect and demand that he/she works with you and your lifestyle to find the cause of the pain (not just the symptoms), and to treat you as an adult and with respect.
Remember, it's a medical practice but you don't have to be their guinea pig.
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shelee
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Posted: 11/23/03 - 19:20 Post subject:
| flarunner wrote: | I'm gonna make a couple of comments.
Re Megawill's comments, there's a difference between 'good' pain and 'bad' pain. Delayed onset muscle soreness is 'good' pain. Bursitis is 'bad' pain.
Re Megawill's comment on doctors. So true.
Re Shelee's comments on insurance. Sucks but true.
Re Shelee's comments on doctors knowing how important running is to us. Gonna have to disagree.
That doctor doesn't know what's important to me until I tell him/her what's important to me AND how important it is to me. Don't be bullied, blown off or dismissed by any doctor. Let that doctor know that you expect and demand that he/she works with you and your lifestyle to find the cause of the pain (not just the symptoms), and to treat you as an adult and with respect.
Remember, it's a medical practice but you don't have to be their guinea pig. |
amen!
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