dislocated shoulder

[doctorb]

Magic-  most patients that get relief from gabapentin don't take it episodically as you described.  But...whatever works!  Your symptoms may be arising from an irritated S1 nerve root in your lower lumbar spine.  Most patients with neuropathy don't have the symptoms come and go with complete resolution between attacks.  

Old Greenhorn- I'll wager you had an acute rotator cuff tear, not a dislocation.   Just a guess.

[doc henderson]

yes, it takes weeks to taper up on gabapentin.   Tom, often a subluxation pulls close to out and then goes back in when the tension is relieved.  If it is all the way out it takes full sedation, often 20 minutes and a doc who is sweating so bad, it requires a scrub change and a shower when you get home.  cannot know for sure.  but if all the way out in an anterior dislocation, it is tough to go back in.   the exception is the unstable joint that pops out with sleep or alcohol consumption.  they go in easily and sling it up quick before it goes back out.  those should prob. have surgery.  some have had several surgeries and are screwed.... not the threaded kind.

[Old Greenhorn]

Well

 it was a bunch of years ago so at this point there is no way to be sure. I was laying forward along the gunnel of the boat and we were getting hit with 3' waves from a major squall coming down the river in a hurry. The wind was about 30 and the sky was charcoal black. With the anchor hung up hard and 2 small kids and my wife in a little boat it was a very serious situation. SO I laid on that gunnel and when the boat went down into a trough, I pulled the rope up as far as I could and wrapped my left arm in it, letting the next wave lift the boat, along with me and hopefully the anchor up. Well I felt the joint separate as the boat came up, but then the anchor popped free and the shoulder went back in. I was so busy trying to get that 40' of line back in the boat and get the boat headed into the wind that I didn't feel anything else. We were still in a bit of a fix. It took 20 minutes to make that 1/2 mile back to the dock by running up into the wind, then tacking and doing it again. That was a very long 20 minutes.
 Afterwards, I took two Advil and called it a day. The immediate issue was loss of range and pain associated with movement vertically. The position I was in when it popped was the same posture I have seen used for reduction of a dislocation, prone with the arm hung straight down, so I just figured I got lucky and did the injury and repair at the same time. Eventually it did heal up. I did have a little permanent loss of range, but not enough to whine over.

[doc henderson]

I am glad you were able to get your family safely out there.  and you may be right, and it went back in.

[Magicman]

Your symptoms may be arising from an irritated S1 nerve root in your lower lumbar spine.

You are right.  I went to the hip Dr. thinking that I would need hip surgery and after taking an X Ray, he said that I did not have a hip problem, but that I had a lower back issue.  My hip pain was my "butt muscle". 

[doctorb]

In general, posterior hip (butt) pain is not caused by hip joint issues.  Spinal stenosis, lumbar nerve irritation from herniated discs, spinal facet arthritis, and sacroiliac disease are all on the list, but hip arthritis is not.  For a vast majority of patients, hip arthritis leads to anterior hip pain in the groin.  

[Magicman]

No anterior pain here and seemingly not sciatic down the leg.  Just a pain in the right butt and my right foot.  I need all of the cushion in the bottom of my shoes that I can get.

I do OK with Reebok boots with an extra insole and Reebok DMX MAX shoes.  Actually those are all that I wear 7 days a week.  No socks with any compression.

[doc henderson]

there is a small muscle that runs across the butt cheek and the sciatic nerve.  I strained mine trying to pull a combative patient in bed and had 5 years of intermittent pain.  piriformis muscle.

Piriformis syndrome - Wikipedia

[Magicman]

Yup, that is the diagonal butt muscle that my Dr. described.    

[doc henderson]

I will now also occasionally affectionately refer to it as MMDBM.  Magic man's diagonal butt muscle.

[Magicman]

And I may need to refer to you as a bad man....but good, but good. 

[doc henderson]

Well of course that is a badge of honor and compliment coming from you!

[doctorb]

Piriformis syndrome is pretty unusual.  In my experience, it attracts a lot of blame when we really can't figure out what's going on.  

[doc henderson]

I had it and know the moment it happened.  slide the patient up in the bed on three, and everyone else pulled up on 3 and 1/2.

[Magicman]

My main problem is when I wake up after turning onto my right side.  We have a memory foam mattress, but it still gives me the butt hurt on that right side.