What on earth have I done to my leg/hip/back?!

[Newgolddream70]

I did some gentle exercise last Thursday. It was a 20 minute YouTube workout - targeted for over 40s - so wasn't difficult but it got my heart rate going. No jumping but stretching and kept on moving.

About half an hour later, my left hip started to feel stiff. It got worse and that night, every time I tried to turn in bed, I woke up with the pain. The next day I struggled to get my jeans and socks on! Friday I laid on the sofa all day, it was so bad.

It's a lot better now but the pain is coming and going and seems to be travelling down my left thigh and across the base of my back. It's not agony and oddly enough, I don't notice it when walking but sitting down it starts to hurt. It's sore and achey and makes me feel nauseous at times.

I can't work out if I've pulled a muscle (really not sure how though; nothing went twang!) or if it's some sort of nerve pain.

Any ideas what I've done? Can't see any bruising or redness but my leg and left bum cheek hurt if I press into the (what little) muscle I have.

Could it have triggered sciatica?? That's what it sounds like.

Sciatica?

I mean if you are over 40 it could be a pathological fracture of the pelvis (pubic ramus) from osteoporosis/osteoarthritis.

Could be sciatica or piriformis syndrome

Piriformis syndrome is a condition in which the piriformis musclee, located deep in the buttock, spasms and causes buttock pain. The piriformis muscle can also irritate the nearby sciatic nervee and cause pain, numbness, and tingling along the back of the thigh and leg (similar to sciaticaa_)

Is it the first exercise you have done in a while?

I get that when I need to stretch my IT band more. It doesn't ache the way muscles normally ache but has a nasty grinding crunchy feeling, like I'm going to need a hip replacement

I have done the same recently and a few days ibuprofen really helped (I am not a doctor so this is not medical advice!)

Overdone the psoas muscle?

Morning all. I am indeed over 40 - 52 to be precise.

The exercise involved twisting at the waist and I wonder if this has something to do with it? I am about 10 pounds overweight and have a desk job (wfh mainly) so trying to incorporate a bit more exercise other than walking.

It definitely feels worse after sitting so I'm going to make sure I take regular breaks and I found some exercises I can do to relieve the sciatic pain (if that's what it is). Bloody hell this ageing lark is a pain in the arse (literally).

@StamppotAndGravy I've got some IT exercises to do as I had a knee problem a few years back. Hip isn't crunching tho - it's more like a dull sore ache that you can feel moving about, if that makes sense? Like a radiating heat sort of sensation.

Just taken two Nurofen 😊

Try cold packs and heat.

Try some gentle piriformis stretches. If you sit a lot that will get very tight and can cause the pain you're describing. Don't push the stretch so it's painful, just gently stretch it out a few times a day

Could you have torn your labrum? Possible if your exercise involved twisting. Pain is often felt in hip and lower back/leg.

I get this kind of pain if I'm not doing enough yoga (I generally go to a class weekly), but am doing other exercise. For me, it's tight hips and piriformis muscle. A sports massage sorts it out straightaway, but at home, pigeon pose is helpful (when in the pose, I rock until I can really feel the deep piriformis stretching and then try to hold it). And lots of stretching. And more stretching. Who knew you needed to do so much stretching as you got older?!?

The piriformis stretches have really helped and I'm definitely on the mend.

I'll try the pigeon pose too.

Yoga with Adriene has a yoga for lower back pain that really helps when this happens to me. Mine can be triggered by virtually nothing, last time it was putting a knife in the dishwasher.

@Newgolddream70 what are the stretches