Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...
Ok guys. I have, chronically for the past 15 years, slipped discs. Finally got to a doc last year for nonstop pain for an Mri. and it's a bulge in l3, l4, and l5. L3 is compromising the spinal nerves, the others bulges weren't at the time, but l 3 never stops (until I got on prednisone, so now not as much).
Lumbar disc pain is major nerve sciatic pain. L3 tends to wrap around the hips, when I've slipped l4 or l5 it goes down the leg.
Now. I've had an odd pain pop up this week. It's a burning nerve like pain, not zapping like the lumbar. It innervates my right butt cheek! Like goes through the muscle. From the upper part of the butt cheek, middle, straightdown and through it. It stops at the bottom of the butt and doesn't go further. It's worse when I wake, like a bad disc. It hurts when I twist funny. It's a different sensation, like burning nerve instead of compressed lightning zap nerve.
I tested negative for the hla b27 gene. Can this be si joint inflammation, and can you have it with just ra since I most likely do not have ankylosing spondylitis?
Lumbar disc pain is major nerve sciatic pain. L3 tends to wrap around the hips, when I've slipped l4 or l5 it goes down the leg.
Now. I've had an odd pain pop up this week. It's a burning nerve like pain, not zapping like the lumbar. It innervates my right butt cheek! Like goes through the muscle. From the upper part of the butt cheek, middle, straightdown and through it. It stops at the bottom of the butt and doesn't go further. It's worse when I wake, like a bad disc. It hurts when I twist funny. It's a different sensation, like burning nerve instead of compressed lightning zap nerve.
I tested negative for the hla b27 gene. Can this be si joint inflammation, and can you have it with just ra since I most likely do not have ankylosing spondylitis?
Although SI inflammation is one of the characteristics of PsA/AS, I don't think there's any hard and fast rule that RA can't mess with them, too.
I just read your post on the exercise thread. With the tendon & ligament problems you've had, also a hallmark of PsA, you could be enjoying the combination plate of autoimmune inflammatory diseases.
Cindy
sooner or later Jen will weigh in also and tell you the doctors focus on function, if you are having use of everything and pain, then they will just address the pain it means everything is still alive even though it is plain miserable.
hope you get relief soon.
My husband gets those shots too. They give him relief for months at a time. I'd rather forgo the PT and get the shots. :-)
I just looked up the hla b27 gene. I had no clue about what that was or means. My radiology report said no ankylosing spondylitis so I got lucky there.
RASally, so the S1 is where the radiating pain down my leg is from? It does make sense that the constant inflammation of RA would wreck havoc with the disc too. I think I'll talk to my rheumatologist about this and get her take on it.
sherrie
A bulging disk was the last straw that drove me out of my classroom (was a teacher). The pain down my left leg just would not go away. I'd had sciatica in my right leg several times before but it always went away after three days of bed rest. I stopped working on December 9, 1999, and did a couple of the epidural shots. They didn't help. Ihad surgery at L5 a few months later. It was successful.
I'm currently getting some pain in my left butt cheek. We've decided that it is because of my bad ankles and feet because I do not walk properly.
Pretty much stopped wondering as every time my RA is out of control my spinal pain flares.
I know RA can go after the cervical. My Rheumy said it doesn't react the same with the lumbar & thoracic.
Not sure about SI joints but mine had become 10 times worse since my diagnosis. My bum area a long with lowest part of the back hurts, sort of freezes that area up so mobility is hard. Super sore if I sit to long in one position, or can make it painful to sit.
Perhaps the disease over all contributes to any spinal mess.
DDD of the spine may be more likely with RA, makes sense. Then throw all that inflammation in there.
Sounds like you have enough lumbar problems to cause a number a painful problems.
Very well may be some SI involvement.
Hope it calms down for you.
Sammy