I am suffering hip and buttock pain - Please help!

Dear Gary,
I am praying you can help me. I have suffered hip and leg pain for the past 9 months. Anti-inflammatory medicine has not worked and a recent cortisone injection into my hip does not seemed to have improved it. If I don't do too much during the day, I have minimal pains here and there but as soon as I try to lead my normal life i.e. cleaning my house, 30 minute walk, gardening etc, the pain comes back severely, in my hip and buttock area, around my kneecap, tight calf muscle and aching ankle. I also cannot sleep on my affected hip. My ankle on this leg is weak from spraining in my twenties. I am 43 years old, 3 kids. I am desperate to get my life back. Could you please advise me on what supplements may help me.
Yours sincerely, Cathy (USA)
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Gary
Cathy, I am not surprised that cortisone has not relieved your pain. Refer here for more about cortisone injections.

The most likely cause is you have chronic inflammation and spasm in the buttock and iliotibial band which extends down the outer side of the knee to the tip of the fibula. Refer the diagrams to the right - look at "Gluteus Maximus", "Tensor Fascia" and "Iliotibial Tract of Fascia Latae". Being unable to sleep comfortably on the affected hip gives the best clue as to the cause.

Solutions:

• Ensure your body is extremely well nourished and therefore able to heal. Complete an Active Elements Assessment (I will report back with the results several days later). Ensure your diet is rich in all the essential fatty acids and you have a little protein with each meal. Ensure you have a rich supply of all the fat and water soluble vitamins.
• Be drugs free. If you are on medication such as heart and cholesterol drugs, antidepressants, anti reflux and many, many others, these are probably interfering with healing in many ways, including interfering with liver function (causing toxins to build up). You may need to talk with your doctor about getting off medication (I can suggest natural, healthy alternatives to specific medicines)
• Get a weekly deep tissue massage to the lower back, buttocks and legs - both of them. But do not commence this until you have had the nutrition in place for at least 2 weeks and drugs free. If you can not heal quickly and thoroughly, deep tissue massage will be somewhat akin to little more than a ritual weekly beating. If the massage is done well and healing processes are responsive, you should notice a significant improvement in your hip and leg pain by the 3rd session. Carry on weekly until completely pain free and then have the occasional "maintenance session".
• Stretch Gently. Do so about every 2-3 days rather than daily. My book on Back Pain has a good selection of safe stretches for the low back and hips.

Cathy, you may find the same processes going on with the muscles of the weak lower leg and ankle. Apply the same principles of massage. You have a "weak side" possibly due to the flow on effects of that old ankle injury.

Please let us know how you get on and wishing you all the best!

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