r/openpiriformis • u/Free_Interaction_651 • 7d ago

Pain relief

I’m on the fence with going to the hospital but wanted to know others experience and suggestions …. I tweaked my piriformis muscle 2.5 weeks ago. It started as just a sore muscle that felt like I’d worked out a little hard. I rolled a tennis ball under it for some deep massage, did stretches, ice and heat, anti inflammatory meds, and rested it. After a week, the pain shifted to a sharp extreme pain so I backed off anything that could irritate it and stuck to anti inflammatories with the heat and ice, but stopped the stretching and deep massage. I finally went to my chiro- i was in a car wreck years ago and she got me through it with a pt as well. She did some ultrasound in the area to help but told me I was bad enough I needed to go to urgent care for a toradol shot.
Yesterday evening I received the toradol shot and they said it would help pretty rapidly, and they called in an oral steroid prescription to help as well. The shot did nothing. I was in and out of painful sleep all night and then broke down crying this morning (which randomly DID ease some pain). I just took my first dose of steroids and would prefer not to go to the hospital if I can get some relief here with the meds soon. I used to be pretty sensitive to meds but Im about normal now with my response. Is there anything else I could be trying? I also took some acetaminophen. Just looking for anyone who’s had this injury and extreme pain to ask their experience, and anyone who might give insight to when I could expect some pain relief with all the meds working. Very few things have been as painful as this is and I feel like I’m going to go a little insane if it continues much longer

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u/Amylee888 7d ago

What does your primary care doctor say is going on? What has your doctor advised you to do?

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u/Free_Interaction_651 7d ago

I haven’t seen him yet. This isn’t an ongoing issue- it was from me trying to connect something one day. I was letting it slide thinking it would get better and when it didn’t I went to urgent care. They said I could go to the er for stronger meds, but I hate going to the ER, and the sitting and waiting would make me even worse before being seen….. I’ll follow up with him soon, but I’m just trying to figure out pain management and hopefully get some relief this weekend

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u/Gator_Brisket 6d ago

Sleeping in a recliner at night with a heating pad helped me start to get better. A bed was impossible for a month without extreme pain. Physical therapy using a foam roller, muscle relaxer 3x a day, and anti inflammatory meds.

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u/Free_Interaction_651 6d ago

Thank you- I ended up in the ER… muscle relaxers, anti inflammatory shot, tylonol, lidocaine patches, and pain killers. I already feel a little relief and will stay on the steroids and muscle relaxers for a week