1st:
Dear Sir/Madam,

I’ve just read your website (under ‘chiropractor stuff’) and took note of the ‘trapped nerves’ advice – ie. to be quizzical about this diagnosis.

I’ve had 4 years of leg pain (just in one leg – a deep ache from hip to foot, which is much worse when walking uphill or trying to cycle up an incline) and have just been told (by a physio) that the sciatic nerve is ‘irritated’. Since the piriformis muscle aches – and the sciatic notch aches – but only when I am moving – I suspect there might be ‘compression’ of the nerve in that area. I now have foot pronation and pain at the adductor origin/rectus femoris origin in that leg. And the knee aches deeply too (when repeatedly bending)

I’ve had no success with NHS physiotherapy – and no diagnosis has been given. (MRI scans showed inflammation at the adductor muscle and in the butt – but no other damage.)

I’m in danger of being shunted off to NHS ‘Pain Management’ – which I see as a watershed.

Do you think a chiropractor could figure this out? (My pelvis is slightly ‘down’ at that painful side.)

Does it ring any bells with you – as a pain pattern?

Any advice or insight would be welcome!

2nd, my reply:
I think the key feature of what you’ve added here is that your pelvis is ‘down’ at the painful side as this is a huge problem and may be the key underlying cause. See our blog articles here as well as some others:

http://chiropractor.blog.co.uk/2009/11/05/leg-length-inequality-the-whys-7313331/

http://chiropractor.blog.co.uk/2009/10/29/leg-length-inequality-what-s-going-on-and-can-chiropractic-help-7268588/

I’d get along to a local chiro and get then to have a look at this aspect of your problem as it is obvious to me no one has yet bothered to treat this part of the issue (why would you ignore such an important anatomical change as this) and you’ve not been responding to other care, well, perhaps, just perhaps it’s because they’ve been looking in the wrong place (which is incredible common).

Take it to a chiro and emphasis the leg length discrepancy bit and tell me how it works out.

3rd, patient’s response:
Dear Rupert,

Thanks ever so much for your email and advice – I really appreciate it!

Just yesterday, my cousin visited from the States – she’s an experienced physio – so she examined me and believes the underlying cause is a joint dysfunction (she found a noticeable leg length difference when she pulled me up into a ‘sitting-up position’ from laying down) -and believes this is causing muscles/tendons to be ‘sore’. She said to treat that underlying joint problem (not try to strengthen the muscles with ankle-weights etc, as the NHS physio has been doing)!

So you’re right in your view – and I will go and see a chiropractor asap!

(I have to persuade the NHS that this is the problem. Physio-Cousin was trained in UK and doesn’t understand why they haven’t nailed the problem so far. I must’ve been sent to nearly 75 hospital appointments since 2006…)

Am hoping it’s fully fixable/curable – and I will drop you a line and let you know what happens!

Many thanks.

Regards,

4 years and over 75 appointments and no one has bothered to give a diagnosis or mention the leg lenght discrepancy – incredible!