Pain, Pressure, Discomfort, Burning, Tingling, and Numbness in the Abdomen, Groin, Pelvic, Genital, and Upper Thigh Areas. My experience with these symptoms as the result of pinched nerves and other underlying issues.

1/3/2011

For those who may not know me, I have been a personal trainer for over 8 years now. I have always been very physically active my entire life. I typically take an aggressive approach to fitness and athletics. I mention myself as vigorously active because this issue typically affects vigorously active or athletic adults. As told by my sports medicine doctor this issue is common with bodybuilders, power lifters, football players, rugby players and other sports that require heavy lifting and power. In my case I was intermittently lifting heavy weights. This dysfunction will cause many odd and confusing symptoms that most doctors will have no clue on how to diagnose it. Explaining my issue to many types of doctors before and after being correctly diagnosed by my sports medicine doctor, I received the common reply, ”I have never head of that” or “that doesn’t make sense”. This is an unknown issue/injury to most doctors. Many seemed to believe my pain and discomfort was psychological resulting out of anxiety. Anyone who has experienced this issue will tell you that the symptoms are very real and many times painful.

I must apologize ahead of time to readers for not having all my medical information related to this issue. Being some time ago I can not remember my specific diagnosis, but it was some type of neuritis. They were pinched nerves causing all these symptoms and my inclination is there was an underlying issue leading up to the muscles pinching nerves. I will do my best to update this blog as I dig up more information.

Also know that this blog is about my experience with this specific issue and there are many other issues/injuries that will have some of the same symptoms. Please read carefully and if this blog falls in line with your current situation it may be of valuable use to you. I am not a doctor, but when very few doctors are aware of this issue and there is little information on the web pertaining to this issue, I felt it necessary to write this blog to help others suffering from this injury/dysfunction.

For a detailed explanation of this issue, read my updated blog on psoas nerve entrapement.

First symptoms
I first felt these symptoms when doing a fairly heavy bench press. Normally I kept my feet up on the bench, but I had them down this time to give more stability for a heavier bench press. I was doing a 6-8RM intensity, which was a gradual change from my 12-15RM a few weeks prior. I felt a jolt of electricity shoot roughly from my belly button area to my groin. It was very uncomfortable so I scaled down my workouts. Throughout the next few weeks I felt light tingling, numbness, and discomfort in my groin and genitalia. Unfortunately I chose it ignore it. About a month after the symptoms from the bench press, I spent a few days moving to another apartment. This brought new symptoms of abdomen and pelvic pressure and discomfort. It felt like I needed to defecate frequently. Although I did, afterword the feeling remained. A week or two later I suddenly awoke in the middle of the night with extreme pressure in my genitals. This was very confusing and scary as now I definitely knew something was wrong. My initial inclination was that there was a nerve issue, being that all of the symptoms were so different but within the same general area. Another two weeks later very painful symptoms arose. In addition to the previously mentioned, I had intermittent severe pelvic pain to the point where I could not stand up. I experienced constant pain in the superior (top) portion of my testicals, mostly on one side. I experienced intestinal pain and diarrhea. There was burning in the upper thigh region. The best way to sum up the general feeling was that it felt like I was consistently being hit in the testicals.

Pain, Depression, and Anxiety
Not knowing what exactly to make of all this, I decided to ask my then chiropractor. He had no clue, did not even suggest it was a nerve issue! He did not even care that I was in pain and suggested that it might be a bladder infection. A bladder infection, are you kidding me! I completely respect the chiropractic profession and one day hope to be one, but this guy had no clue or care what was going on with me. I dealt with the pain for another month then went to urgent care. There, the doctor examined me and checked for a hernia. She could not diagnose anything and suggested, “You probably just pulled a muscle in the groin area”. To be safe she sent me to get an ultra sound on my testicals which came out negative (whew!). Taking her advice that I pulled something, I refrained from any weight lifting or cardio activities for a month. After, I tried working out again only to find myself in more pain. So, I refrained again from working out for another two months in order to “heal”.

Fitness is my passion and it is very hard to take someone’s passion away. During those 4 months of no vigorous or even moderate physical activity I became depressed. Anxiety came right along with it, always thinking, “what’s wrong with me? Do I have an intestinal issue? Is it a testicular issue? Will I ever be able to workout again? What if…?” This happened every day. I recently noticed many blogs of people with this issue and doctors telling them that it is just depression and anxiety. Well, I don’t know who wouldn’t have depression and anxiety if they were experiencing pain which no doctors could explain. Since I could not workout, I spend many nights going out to bars (night-time was my usual workout time). Although this was not a daily thing, it was much more often and much less healthy than working out (obviously).

Discovering a Solution
After 4 months of pain and inactivity, I decided to see a sports medicine doctor. Almost immediately he came to a diagnosis and understood all of my symptoms. He did a few orthopedic tests, most of which I can not remember, and manually searched for sore spots. I specifically remember him testing the flexibility of my piriformis, expecting it to be very tight, which it was. Supposedly this was the major problem in my pinched nerves. He diagnosed me with a type of neuritis (I am still trying to find my medical information with the full diagnosis). He explained that my muscles became so tight that they we essentially “scissoring” nerves, causing dysfunction and pain. He prescribed some meds to help calm the nerves down which lasted 5 days. I went back on the day those meds ran out and he game me another prescription for a different medication and referred me to physical therapy. The pain lessened after a couple days of taking the first meds.

I had a great experience with physical therapy and was happy to just be active again. I must say they were pretty aggressive as far as exercise intensity goes, but it always felt safe. There was consistent progress in my flexibility, functionality, and most important, less pain. I went there 2-3 times a week for 1.5 – 2.5 hours, over the course of about 3.5 months. By the time I had left physical therapy I felt about 75% better. I paid close attention to the therapy/exercise program and was able to continue on my own. I did so more or less in addition to my regular fitness workouts. 6 months later I was about 95% better and occasionally experienced symptoms that were very short in duration.

Things to avoid
During my time experiencing this injury, I noticed a few things that aggravated it. Most of these were confirmed by my sports medicine doctor.

Caffeine and other stimulants – The need to run to the bathroom after coffee (or energy drinks then) was much stronger than normal. They are CNS stimulants and stimulated/aggravated the nerves of concern.
Alcohol the day after – Alcohol is a CNS depressant, which was part of the reason I felt the need to drink to sooth the pain caused by pinched nerves. It did while I drank. The next day however, your nerves are firing harder than normal making the symptoms more painful than usual.
Lifting from the ground – It is suggested that the muscles involved with the pinched nerves were guarding a back injury or an SI injury/dysfunction. Lifting stressed the injury or dysfunctional joint and caused the muscles to cramp and thus causing pinched nerves.
Leaning on a table/counter with my pelvic or abdominal area – This created direct pressure on the nerves of concern and aggravated them.

My Theory on the Chain of Events Leading to this Injury
I have spoken to a number of people about this injury. The ones most familiar with it were friends that were into heavy lifting or bodybuilding. In this community it almost seemed fairly common. As mentioned, my sports medicine doctor was the only one fully aware of my condition. I had explained my past injury with a chiropractor (one of the many) and although he had never heard of such a thing, he did shed some light on my condition.

Piecing everything together from the last 5 years and going back 7 years to when I initially hurt my back, here’s my theory: I was diagnosed with a disc injury in 2010 and the doctor was almost certain that it was from doing 1000 pound leg presses 7 years ago. After this unnecessary workout, I felt numbness and tingling in my feet. It seemed to get better in the following months after scaling way back on my leg workouts and chiropractic care. Recently however, I have talked with other health professionals, chiropractors, and medical doctors who said that a disc injury was an incorrect diagnosis. I also had issues of Sacroilliac joint (SIJ) dysfunction going back as far as high school. Either way I have a history of low back injury. With any injury you are going to get muscles that tighten up to protect the vulnerable spot. The psoas muscle will tighten up to protect a low back injury, shortening it and causing it to cramp. This will create knots (trigger points) in the muscle which can then pinch the nerves running through and around the muscles. The pinched nerves created the symptoms I experienced. As of recently (3/1/2012) I have found when my psoas tightens up symptoms arise. I am convinced that in my case tight psoas muscles are causing all of my symptoms and back pain if and when they arise.

Now, I am not quite sure where the piriformis muscle fits in all this, but it was involved in the chain of events. The most likely explanation was to help protect the back injury and possibly causing the psoas to cramp. Of all the research I have done shows that the psoas is the immediate cause of the pinched nerves. My personal proof of this came when I received some active release therapy (ART) on my psoas muscles. Upon the doctor massaging my trigger points (knots), I experienced many of the symptoms associated with my past injury.

My suggestions
The most immediate thing you can do to relieve the pain yourself is to stretch. Specifically stretch the psoas and hip flexors. Stretching the piriformis helped tremendously for me as well as the psoas stretch. In general stretch any muscle that you can as long as it is safe for your back. The foam roller became my best friend to help release some of the muscle knots.

If you are experiencing these symptoms intensely like I did, I would suggest finding a good sports medicine doctor familiar with this issue. I am not certain if all sports medicine doctors are familiar with this because mine was the first one I went to.

Massage therapy helped a good amount and chiropractic care to some degree. The most helpful things were stretching and physical therapy. Physical therapy will help you activate the inhibited muscles due to injury and also strengthen them. Strengthening the right muscles is key. Unless you are a physical therapist or a highly experienced and educated trainer who may be able to put together a program for strengthening and flexibility, I would not suggest attempting this on your own. Physical therapy is quite a long process and takes hard work, but a good physical therapist will show you how to strengthen these muscles properly.

You can alleviate your symptoms
I hope this long explanation of my experience will help you overcome your injury. I know how frustrating, stressful, painful, and depressing having this injury can be. Aside from the pain, the worst part was that I had doctors who could not diagnose it and in some cases not believe me. It would have helped greatly if I had known someone else out there who had it and resolved it.

For a detailed explanation of this issue, read my updated blog on psoas nerve entrapement.

Other possible Injuries/Dysfunctions with similar symptoms:
I have come across other injuries or dysfunction with similar symptoms when explaining my past condition with various health professionals, chiropractors, and medical doctors. As you probably know, diagnosing a condition can be very tricky and complex. Although doctors may have trouble diagnosing this issue, they are still the ones qualified to do so.
Cuada Equina Syndrome: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cauda_equina_syndrome
Disc Herniation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herniated_disc

Feel free to post any solutions or resources for this issue. I will no longer be answering personal questions because I am not a doctor. Even so, a doctor could not give medical advice for a complex issue as this without a proper medical examination.

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Elias

7/11/2011 05:50:26 am

Jerry,

I believe I am suffering from something similar to you. I had lifted on a regular basis for two years straight and throughout that time I had no issues (which are now VERY similar to yours) I picked up a couple jobs and had to lay off lifting. After about eight months of little lifting I jumped back in it with very heavy hex bar dead lift. Two days later I suddenly began getting these symptoms. It has been about two months now and has resided some but now seems to be sitting at the same level of discomfort. I have tried some stretching which makes it go away for a little while but then comes back more intense. Did this happen to you? I also seem to notice when I bend or flex in certain ways I get "zings" that shoot through my groin,"no mans land", through to my anus. Lastly, it seems to build up a heavy feeling throughout the day (hernia?) that seems to lessen when I lay down. I saw a urologist. He wasn't much help. I'm glad I found your article. I will try to get in with sports medicine and hopefully someone will have experienced this before. My main goal for this message was to find out about the stretching and delayed intensity of discomfort and your experience with it. If relevant was it something your trainer made you push through? Anything else not in this article that you have I also would be very glad to have to at least be conscience of. Thank you for the ad and for your time.

Elias

Jerry Yuhara link

7/12/2011 05:11:54 pm

Elias,

Thank you for your comments, as personal injuries like this one is sometimes hard to throw out online. I'm glad you saw a doctor to rule out any other possible issues in this region. The good news is that there was nothing wrong "down there" at least from what he could find. It probably was frustrating to not get an answer from him - I know what that is like. I must say first that I can't diagnose your issue, but I can give you some advise if it is the same. (sounds like it is). After all, most docs how no clue about this issue.

I would stay away from deadlifts of any kind for now and any heavy lifting for that matter. Yes, you should stretch, but this can get a little tricky. Certain stretches like a rectus abdominis stretch can actually irritate the nerves. Hip flexor (including the psoas), glute, and piriformis stretches were all very helpful and recommended. Go easy on the psoas stretch to start. One of the first orthopedic tests the doc did on me was a piriformis flexibility test which I failed miserably. Although tight, this was not the actual muscle impinging nerves. The psoas is main culprit here. This muscle can become over active and create "knots" or "trigger points" which can then irritate the nerves resulting in many of these odd symptoms. To answer your question on the stretch intensifying the pain - Yes, but only when I did an ill-advised stretch. Also don't lean your abdomen against counters and such. Putting any pressure can irritate it further.

I had all the symptoms you described and many more. Most likely the relief you feel from laying down is due to the relaxation of the muscles (or possibly fascia) causing your complications. The "delayed intensity of discomfort" which I felt was usually after a heavy lifting workout involving a heavy load on the lower back. Exercises like squats, heavy barbell rows, even bench sometimes caused pain later that night. Again, I would look to the psoas since the nerves involved with this pain run through the psoas. Without proper back strength, these exercises can cause back injury and result in the psoas "locking down" to help stabilize the lumbar spine. Or the psoas can simply overcompensate for back stability resulting in the same issue.

If you go to a sports med doctor make sure he is familiar with this issue. Again I am not a doc, but when your doctors have no clue what this is where else are you to get advice from? Hope this helps.

Amelia

12/28/2012 06:38:53 pm

Thank you for this, I thought I was losing my mind or something. I have a herniated disc and degeneration of my spine, but lately I've been having intense pain in my hip and thigh area along with this odd feeling of pressure near the bottom of my pelvis (where I envision the hole of the pelvis to be). I'm female, but your situation mirrors mine in many ways. Thanks for having this out there for people like me!

Ethan

8/5/2011 02:10:08 pm

Jerry,

Thank you for writing this post…. You may have changed my life! Reading your blog post was like reviewing my own history; I've been dealing with this issue sporadically for the past 13 years.

Although not a weightlifter, my former profession included demanding lifting followed by periods of sitting. I also played ice hockey for years. I've experienced all the symptoms that you described, plus a couple others. Reading this post has blown my mind!

Just today my doctor had sent me for an ultrasound on my testicles, which turned up nothing. (As you so succinctly said; WHEW!) I'll be sending her this post and will attempt to have a good Physiotherapist help me with this.

Jerry, thank you….sincerely!

8/6/2011 05:36:36 am

Ethan,

You are very welcome! This was the purpose to writing about my experience - to help others with the same issues of nerve entrapment by the psoas. Yep, we definitely shared the same issue as many people have, but can not get it diagnosed or treated.

Here is one of the few, if only papers written that really goes in depth about this issue: http://www.simple-ergonomics.com/pdf/Ilio-Psoas-07-2003.pdf

Also check out my psoas stretch: http://www.jyfit.com/4/post/2010/12/stretch-the-notoriously-tight-iliopsoas.html
-Go easy on it though and make sure to really pull your TVA in(abs) to protect your back.

Hope you feel better soon,

Vicki

8/13/2011 12:51:53 pm

This is amazing!!! I have been shoved from doctor to doctor to figure out what is going on and why my psoas muscle along with my hip flexors continue to have spasms. I have similiar symptoms with bladder control, although constipation is a HUGE issue for me with the psoas pain. I have finally found a neurologist that I believe will help me. This has been a long 8 months of my life!!! I just want it to go away. I've already had 2 rounds of physical therapy and currently getting accupuncture. None is helping. I feel like I my physical life has gone down the drain. With the pain I have no motivation to do anything. Thank you for explaining all of your symptoms throughly. :)

Robin Barr Sussman

2/3/2012 10:06:25 am

Vicki -- thank god you wrote this and I found it! I have been experiencing the same thing w/ the spasms in hip flexors (and now lower back) for a whole year! I've always been athletic and never had any chronic pain close to this nightmare. Been to millions of doctors and have no idea where to turn next. Being female too, you sound just like me! Pls advise on why your think a neurologist might help. thanks!!!

8/15/2011 06:03:17 am

Vicki,

You are welcome and I hope you get this resolved asap with your new neurologist. There are doctors out there that can help. That is interesting that constipation is a major issue, thank you for sharing as others may have this in common. Stay positive and get well!

Angela

10/24/2011 10:10:30 am

Thank you for posting this blog. I am a runner and have been an overall athlete all my life. Soccer, basketball, volleyball, you name it. But I got more into running within the past 10 years or so, which is when my wacky symptoms started. I am 31. I have been living with chronic pelvic, back and hip pain for the past 4 years with a couple of diagnoses here and there. I was of course sent through the ringer of testing in which they found nothing alarming in any images or blood work. After switching doctors a few times, I was referred to a neurologist's office. She diagnosed me with some sort of "psoas issue" and sent me to physical therapy. God bless her for at least figuring that one out. I tried PT for about a year. They gave me a number of exercises that would supposedly strengthen my core, which in turn, would relieve the stress of the injury. Keep in mind, the injury was never named.....but a psoas problem. Basically no one knew what to do since I wasn't showing any signs of progress. I would basically feel good enough to be dismissed, but I would always wind up back in their office. So I transferred to another physical therapist who re-evaluated me and suggested that I go see a hip surgeon because I might have a laberal tear in my cartilage. So I went to an orthopedic hip surgeon. Great doctor by the way. He was specifically looking for a tear in the cartilage of my right hip. He ordered a contrast injection and an MRI of the joint. The radiologist found nothing, but after the doctor looked at the images, he found an obvious tear. Like I said, he is a good doctor. I never trust radiologists to read images. Always make sure that your doctor has seen them. Anyways, I had hip surgery over a year ago in which he removed the tear and shaved off the bone that would hopefully prevent another tear from happening. I recovered really rapidly and well from the surgery, but the pain inevitably came back. I was referred to another doctor that thought it was a specific nerve and she performed a nerve block and put me on gabapentin for awhile. I also took up acupuncture that I seemed to get some relief from as well. The pain returned and even though I fixed A problem, it wasn't THE problem. So now I am back in the circle of doctors trying to figure out what the heck is wrong with me. I was also diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue syndrome about 3 years ago as well. I had a whole set of symptoms aside from just the pain that included light headedness, nausea, shakiness, fatigue, and weakness. Basically I felt like I had the flu all the time. The interesting part, was that the doctors treated these two different things as separate ailments, but they all started together and I am convinced they are somehow linked. Within the past 4 years my symptoms have included right pelvic and abdominal pain, right back flank pain, difficulty urinating, extreme bloating, IBS symptoms, Chronic Fatigue symptoms, and that horrible pinched nerve feeling like you actually have thorns stuck in your side. The pain is always there, but seems to cycle intensity. So needless to say, I have no other options but to research on my own. Which is why I found this blog. It was really creepy when I found it because I felt like it I could have written it myself. I feel like I have resolved some issues, but very much like Jerry, feel like I am still searching for the cause. The depression and anxiety that evolves from something like this is hardly understood by anyone unless you are a fellow athlete. Giving up something you love to do while you painfully wait along side for some mystery doctor to give you some answers is pretty unbearable to say the least. I found this blog very useful and hopefully it will help me with some answers. So thank you. Let me know if I can help any of you as well.

Jerry

10/25/2011 02:59:50 am

Angela, thank you for your post. You have quite the experience with this issue and I know what it is like to suffer through the symptoms. Chronic Fatigue or Adrenal Fatigue (there are a few names for this syndrome which none are medically coined) is a very real issue. All the symptoms you explained fall in line with this syndrome. The stress of having "Psoas Syndrome" contributed to Chronic Fatigue or Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome.

One of the best things for my Psoas Syndrome was soft tissue work on the Psoas muscle. Although it is painful, getting a well qualified professional to hit the trigger points has really helped me with this issue.

10/26/2011 02:55:13 am

Hey Jerry, thanks for the advice. When you say soft tissue massage on the psoas muscle are you referring to a physical therapist or a sports medicine doctor? What do you recommend? Because of your post, I am in the process of finding a good sports medicine doc. I have never been, only to PTs, which doesn't seem to be helping much. Thanks again for all of your advice.

10/26/2011 04:45:37 am

Angela,

You are welcome. I would suggest a well qualified massage therapist, physical therapist, or chiropractor. Not all these health professionals do soft tissue work and many may not be very good at it in my experience. I have found a few good ones in each profession listed above, but I have also found many that did nothing. When looking for one, make sure they are well trained in ART,NMT, or Trigger Point Therapy. They also should have a solid understanding of anatomy and treating injury.

My sports med doctor (I wish I could tell you who he was) diagnosed the issue, gave me medication to calm the entraped nerves, and then sent me to physical therapy. I would make sure the doctor knows of this issue before getting treated because they may just send you right back to PT. They might also send you to a good therapist who can do soft tissue work though. Did you get my email regarding your Chronic Fatigue?

Kerri

11/28/2011 01:46:52 pm

Trigger point injections help.

Trina Saverin

12/24/2011 02:03:55 am

I discovered this article in searching for an answer to "why am I experencing this numbness and tingling in my upper right thigh." To read the artickle and discover others are searching for similar answers is amazing to me, I am not an athlete, , I do exercise, I am a registered nurse and I do lots of lifting of patients. I was puzzled because I would expect my back to hurt or give me problems, but not my hip area, but after reading the article and posted comments,my concern could very much stem from the lifting of patients. I also informed my primary doctor of my symptoms and she look puzzle , shook her head and; said I am not sure but if it oontinues we will see. i thought I was imaginging the sensation and pain, so thanks to you guys I will contact a sports medicine doctor for further eval and tx.

Andy Boyles

2/24/2012 10:16:13 pm

Jerry, thank you very much for sharing your experiences. Since December 2011, I have been experiencing almost exactly the same symptoms as you describe - a "band of pain" about an inch or two below my navel, and pain in the genitals that burns and aches so bad that recently I have been on Dilaudid 4 mg a day. Like you, I too am in very good shape, was a competitive athlete for years and spend 2-3 hours, 6-7 days a week, at the gym doing ellptical trainer for cardio and weight training. My problem started as what I describe as a "low level aching / pressure in my bladder area" while I was on vacation in December 2011. I didn't think a lot of it, and I continued my daily workouts. By the first week of January 2012, I noticed the problem was getting worse and I went to the doctor, who prescribed Ciprofloxacin (antibiotic) as my symptoms included a pressure in the abdomen near my bladder or prostate - the doctor thought it might be prostatitis. After it didn't work, I was also prescribed a similar antibiotic (vibramycin). Six weeks later, no progress. Also I was prescribed numerous anti-inflammatories, all to no avail. I noticed a direct correlation between working out on the elliptical trainer and being in severe pain that day or the next day. I would have to take the following two days off just to "recover". It's Feb 25 now, and I had two CT scans performed, of my lower and mid abdomen, to rule out bowel, urinary, prostate issues (inflammation/cancer). The scans came back 100% ok - normal. Blood work and urine analysis - 100% normal. My doctors are mystified and don't know what to say other than "you should try physiotherapy". So my next step is to see an osteopath and hopefully, with the explanation that you and the others in these posts have shared, she will identify the cause of the symptoms I am having. Like you and the others, having to give up the athletic lifestyle due to pain is depressing and discouraging. However, what you found gives me hope that I too will find a solution to this problem. After I undergo some treatments from osteopath/physiotherapy, I will post progress in this thread. Thank you again for posting your experiences and to everyone else who has done the same. I wish all of you a speedy resolution to your problems.

Daniel

5/23/2013 12:04:57 am

I know this is over a year and a half later, but if anyone is perusing this who has the same issues, I had this same thing. The diagnosis was osteitis pubis with associated athletic pubalgia/sports hernias. They don't show up well on an mri, but are diagnosed clinically, or by a dynamic ultrasound. A good sports surgeon is the one to see for this issue.

Jerry Yuhara

5/24/2013 08:16:18 am

Thanks Daniel for your comment.

I'm glad you posted this as I have been meaning to write about osteitis pubis or inflammation of the pubis symphosis for some time. I have experienced this injury as well and initially I thought it was nerve entrapment by the psoas muscle which this blog is about. Although two different injuries, some of the symptoms overlap. I found that osteitis pubis (or publagia/sports hernia) is more local to the pubic region. It can put pressure on the bladder and cause pain in the genitals.The symptoms involved with the nerve entrapment by the psoas can include these, but typically have many other odd symptoms.

Again there are a lot of injuries with the same symptoms in this blog. This blog serves as a suggestion it might be the psoas muscle causing the pain if many common issues are ruled out.

paula burzacott

12/31/2012 06:20:46 am

hi have 2 bulding disks in lower l
L4 a L5 d after a fall at work and a chiro tried to put two disc in and i had incrediable pain between shoulder blades and electric shocks up arms if lean on elbows on table. I to have useless doctors that didnt believe me and keep telling me all stress ,ive been of work for over 12 months and no better off the pain in shoulder took 9 months to settle and also my right thumb if bent lock up bent especially if lying on back i tried to explain that felt like pinched nerve but made to feel stupid and told thumb was all stress .did go to hospital when thumb became very painful and told trigger finger but that did fit either cos i knew what triggered the locking but im no doctor but i do know my body.ive now started the pain in groin and it has doubled me over when bad i have tingling in feet and pain in toes.reading what happen to you makes it all clear as i have knots in groin and while massaging them i can feel sesation all way down leg .my back feels like its in a vice and had toilet issues for a while and coffee and alco does affect legs i get tingling and a weird sensation down legs .i feel so much better now as know i have answers to my injuries and can make my way forward and now can push my for my issuses to be addressed insteads of made to feel like a hypocondeace every time go to doctor .my doctor even been negative with my reflux and wasnt convince had problem till went to hospital vomiting and unable to breath and sent to have camera down throuth and yes going to change doctors to get fixed up and get the duty of care we all deserve thank-you for a light in a fustrating time for me

1/7/2013 05:32:39 am

You are welcome and thank you for sharing your experience. The more I learn what can cause these symptoms, the more I realize that there are a number of possible different root causes. I do know this: It is a nerve being irritated if the symptoms are similar to the ones listed in my blog. The question is what is irritating the nerve? A injured intervertebral disc is a very likely cause. The psoas muscle impinging the nerve is also very likely or possibly the psoas is indirectly causing the irritation by irritating a disc. There are many possibilities, but these seem to be the first places to look.

Rachel

1/29/2013 11:25:42 pm

I quite literally almost burst into tears after reading this - as someone finally understood what I felt and was going through. How you described the onset of pain is EXACTLY what happened to me, except I felt it the day after I ran the hardest sprints I'd ever done before on the treadmill. I quite literally thought I was going to end up with a UTI after the onset of the pain - it was that type of sensation. I had initially ignored it as you did, and continued to workout (while I do take boot camp type classes here and there throughout the year, I mainly run on the treadmill (distance and sprint intervals), outside, ab exercises, and take spin twice a week). After about a month, I noticed that I was having lower abdominal pain when I was simply sitting at a restaurant, and a few times running I noticed the tingling, nerve like feeling throughout my abs. I was nervous at this point and found myself at the gyno - thinking something was wrong in that area. After a clean ultrasound and exam, they determined that it was muscular skeletal and told me to stop working out, ice, and take ibuprofen. By this point, judging from the spot it seemed the pain was permeating from, I determined it was a hip flexor strain. I stopped working out, iced, etc, but the pain has never fully gone away. After some GI issues had recently come about, I got really nervous again and wondered what was going on. I had all the same types of fears in terms of intestinal/colon issues. I went to the doctor again yesterday, thinking and hoping she was going to say the ab pain I was still experiencing and the GI issues were unrelated. Essentially, she did. For the first time, after seeing one doctor, a gyno and a PT, someone FINALLY suggested I may have a nerve/disc issue. I was so relieved to hear something different that seemed to much better fit my symptoms. This is what brought me to you - I googled my symptoms with "nerve and ab" and I got here. I feel consistent yet subtle discomfort in my upper thigh area and pain points all throughout my abdomen. If I do attempt to do anything that gets my heart rate up (and I also noticed this when moving desks at work, bending, hauling, etc), I feel a tingling pain throughout the abs like someone is tugging my belly button. I do have an issue with my right hip flexor but I am now certain this is not a huge deal or the underlying problem. It is INCREDIBLY difficult for me to not be able to workout. It has been about 3 months now and I quite honestly feel like a shell of myself. I workout 5-6 times a week, crave the endorphins, love the routine and enjoy maintaining physical health. I have been dieting a ton now (not huge shifts form my usual diet, as I am very cognizant of what I am putting in my body, just shying away from starchy carbs more than usual, other small changes), which I think possibly contributed to the GI issues. So overall, I just really want this to go away and be able to get back in the routine. I definitely relate to the anxiety and sadness over this. I am going to go get an xray (to see if it is a disc issue) and have a script for PT, but now I am considering going to a sports medicine doctor as well. Thank you very much for posting this - I honestly want to print it and bring it to any doctor I see from here on out. Hoping that this does not last much longer.

john

2/24/2013 05:46:57 am

as soon as you have bowel/incontinence or genital or saddle pain issues id be getting an mri quick to rule out cauda equina/serious disc issues asap. mris are much better than xrays for disc issues. an xray may not even hint at disc issues unless there is sn accompanying loss of disc height.

Bob

5/7/2013 10:47:56 pm

Jerry,

Thanks for the blog, I have been dealing with a similar issue.
About one month ago I was training for a kickboxing match. I was shadow boxing , hitting and kicking the heavy bag etc after cardio weight lift combo workout day.
During a shadow box routine I felt that familiar tweak my back. You know, the kind tht you can push through but know your going to feel later....Well I did. About 6 hours later my back tightened up and movement became limited. A day or two later I noticed the upper inside of my left thigh was numb/dead to the touch. I also noticed that it affected my hip flexor in that I can not raise my knee any higher then the level of my hip. For a kickboxer, this stinks.Now the lowback pain is gone but the numbness and motor loss remains. I have been to the Chiro and it appeared to be a classic case of L1 L2 nerve entrapment. I had a few adjustments, decompression and A.R.T . this seemed to help minimally but with my work schedule I have not been able to maintain a consistent care schedule. Lately I have be feeling more pressure in my left inguinal area. Feels irratated like my boxers are bunching up in the area. I want to rule out hernia or tumor but after reading your blog I now know I need to stretch a lot more.. Any suggestions?

5/8/2013 03:40:59 pm

Hi Bob,

Thank you for your post. You are correct to rule out a hernia or tumor pressing on the nerve. Many of these symptoms overlap with a disc injury. An MRI would be a good idea just to make sure. Many people find this post because they have seen multiple doctors and had many test done and still can't resolve the problem. If the MRI comes back normal, then you may look at stretching your psoas and getting some soft tissue work done on it. Stretch your psoas and hip flexors in general as well as your adductors.

I can't emphasize enough how important it is to have a qualified massage therapist or someone who knows how to work on the psoas. Call around and ask if they have experience working on the psoas. The only way to get to it effectively is through the abdomen. This is done with you laying on your back, knees up, and feet on the table. The therapist will take their hands with fingers extended and push on the belly inward and to the side (just medial and superior of the ASIS when in this position) of your lower abdomen where they can reach the psoas and illiacus. This is hard to explain in words and I promise to add a video demonstrating how it is done.

If your psoas is in fact the cause of your pain doing this will cause pain as the therapist works out the knots in your psoas muscle.

Good Luck!

John

5/26/2013 12:10:15 am

Hi Jerry,

Like so many others from your blog I too have been to numerous doctors, had blood work to test for everything, even had a cat scan but still no diagnosis which for me is the worst part! I've rested for 3 months and I've had enough.

I am an avid fitness enthusiast and very keen cyclist. A few months ago I started feeling burning sensations and shooting pains over my pubis and through my testicals and perenium. I went to the dr and he said its probably muscular so prescribed me ibuprofen. Which did nothing!

Now three months later my symptoms have changed. I experience almost pin point cramp like sensations in my abdominals (I suspect my psoas) occasionally a vibrating like a phone ringing down my outer right thigh, dull aches to either side of my perineum and muscle pains very randomly throughout my thighs.

After hours and hours of trawling the Internet and self diagnosing with every fatal disease under the sun I finally feel that this blog may have the answer! Thank you!

Like many others on this page I am very active and fear never riding my bike again, but now I have hope.

I had thought that my nerves were being trapped by tight inaugural ligaments in the groin as this is where the pain is, and tight belts or leaning on counter tops make the pain worse. I'm going to take the info from this page to the doc and ask him to prescribe me some physio.

Thanks!

John

5/28/2013 07:31:13 am

Hi John,

Thanks for your post. It very well could be the psoas muscle causing issues. I have found that groin strain/pulls produce similar symptoms. If you would like an official report on nerve entrapment by the psoas, I have a very good and complete report by a well qualified doctor. Email me and I can send it to you as it is no longer on the web.

Good Luck,
Jerry

Luke

6/28/2013 11:43:45 am

Hello Jerry,

Thank you for taking the time to post the above I found it very helpful. You mentioned in one of your responses that you had an "official report on nerve entrapment by the psoas". I'm wondering if you could please send this to my e-mail as well.

I'm a 23 year old male. I've had pain for 3+ years now. For the first year my pain was simply lower back pain. It has now progressed to the following: lower back pain (usually in the morning), tingling sensations around knee caps (brought out when wearing pants), tingling in the tip of penis as well as a snapping/clicking on right side of pelvis. Sitting/standing for long periods of time bring out the worst of all these symptoms. I feel like I've tried practically everything. I'm currently involved in physiotherapy (again) with a great physiotherapist but I'm just not seeing the improvements I expected.

I intend on visiting an osteopath very soon who is trained as a massage therapist with myofascial release to investigate my illiopsoas.

Given your experiences do you have any advise for me?

Thank you very much!

Luke

7/1/2013 06:48:45 am

Hi Luke,

Please email me at [email protected] so I can send you the packet. Unfortunately I do not receive your email when you comment.

As always, it is important make sure you don't have a spinal disc injury. You can also have an an asymmetrical shift in your pelvis which can throw things off, possibly contributing to the clicking. Chiropractic adjustments can help, but that alone probably won't solve the problem.

See if the psoas therapy helps. That along with other therapies seems to help me.

Brian Erney

6/6/2013 04:44:56 am

Hey Jerry,

I had a couple questions for you. Not to go into a long detailed list of my history, but i was also diagnosed with a Psoas muscle strain, but some of my symptoms are a little different. Did you have any pain/burning/tingling in the shaft or tip of your penis? (Sorry for being so personal) Also, did you have any form of rectal pain either? I have been to numerous Dr's who can not figure out what is causing my pain. I have had S2 S3 Rhizotomy and Pudendal Nerve blocks and a 3T MRI that showed i have no Pudendal Nerve Entrapement. I get pain in my left butt cheek, groin, penis and rectum.

Did your lower back hurt at all? And did the pain go down in front of your knee? I have sometimes a hard time walking long distances because of the pain in my back.

Sorry if this was to personal of an email, i was just curious if you had similar symptoms.

A month ago i went to my Physical Therapist and he said i strained my psoas muscle and started pressing on my stomach near my belly button and i had so much pain. He said my Psoas muscle was not right.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Brian

6/7/2013 01:54:21 am

Hi Brian,

If your doctors could not figure out the cause and your PT pushed on your psoas which caused pain, it could be likely that that is in fact causing the your issues. To answer your first question, I had mild symptoms in the penis which only lasted a short while. Your psoas could be indirectly causing some issues here. I will say groin injuries, inflammation of the pubis sysphosis, and/or misalignment can cause these symptoms.

I've had back issues in the past, but surprisingly during this injury I did not. The psoas is notorious for tightening up and contributing to back pain. One local business here in the SF even named their practice after this muscle due to problems it can cause.

Pain down the front the leg to the knee? No. If it is not nerve pain, it can be referral pain from a muscle. Of course all these are all just suggestions as I am not a doctor or PT. I would say keep going through physical therapy and make sure you get that psoas worked on.

Kevin Johnson

6/20/2013 01:28:24 am

Hi Jerry,
I'm happy I came accross this blog. I have similar symptoms to yours and performed all kind of tests (Abdominal xray, ultrasound, blood and urine test) and nothing was found. I have this dull pain in my abdomen and tingling sensation running to the lower part. I can also feel like a tender spot to the left of my belly button (like I torn something). The pain is decreasing as I stopped working out... And sometimes I feel a very slight tingling sensation running to my penis from the belly button. This is so weird.

6/20/2013 08:15:06 am

Hi Kevin,

Thanks for your comment. I always recommend getting an MRI to make sure it is not a disc injury. If it is not, then you might look at doing some soft tissue work and stretching for the abdominals (rectus abdominus). As always there's other possibilities, but give this a try and see if it helps.

Alexander

6/21/2013 08:46:46 pm

As someone who also suffers from a psoas issue, it would be nice i people who commented in this blog also posted followups on theire issue. If it were resolved, how you did it and so on.

Anders

7/1/2013 09:13:05 pm

I have a hip/pelvic muscle/pinched nerve injury now for the second time in my life. I have had many of the symptoms you and the people commenting describe. Ill tell you what ive learned myself and from various docs and therapists. This will heal by itself, its just that the location of the injury makes it a slow healing injury. Its difficult to properly rest the pelvic area, and it can flare up if you dont stop doing wrong movements. Many docs will even diagnose you with prostatitis and utis, since you often get urogenitial symtoms too (due to nerves passing through muscles). One doc told me its almost like a twisted ankle, but since you dont get symptoms in your genitials and so on from that, you dont get as worried and anxious. You may get some relief from a skilled therapist, but they can also make things worse. The most important thing to do is rest and relax, relax your mind too, knowing that this will heal in time. About 6-12 months is normal. Stressing and obsessing 24/7 about it will just make it worse, and release cortisol in your body, impairing your healing process. So try be patient, relax and let yourself heal. Your body has an amazing capasity to heal itself, it just takes time.

7/5/2013 06:07:34 am

I agree with you in that this is a injury that can take time to heal and that stressing about it can make it worse. Both the systemic effect of stress on the body and the act of tensing up can have an impact on the healing process.

Finding a good therapist can be difficult. Many people who go to physical therapy find it to be of no benefit for any injury. I find that about half the people I talked who went through PT for an injury did not get any better and sometimes worse. The other half did benefit and some fully recover quite quickly. Fortunately I got significantly better after 3-4 months of PT and by 6-7 months was working out at almost full capacity. Heavy leg presses, squats, deadlifts, and heavy single leg exercises were all taken out for obvious reasons.

Many people have already let this injury heal by itself without any improvements. Now it is hard to say what they are doing that may keep them from healing, but if it is not getting any better after a month or two of rest I would highly suggest to start finding a good doctor or therapist to help.

Tim

7/2/2013 07:43:35 pm

Hi Jerry
It is 2 am, I came across your blog looking for answers about tingling in the groin area.
I have been having tingling in my right groin area for about 3 weeks now. I went to my doctor right away to get checked out. The tingling was intense at first, but now it just comes a goes. It wakes me up during the night, it is like a electric shock going off. The doctor said it is probably a pinched nerve. Sometimes my mind takes off in different directions because of not being 100% sure of what it is making that tingling feeling. I have another appointment with my doctor, is there certain questions I should be asking?
Thanks

7/5/2013 06:18:03 am

Hi,
Your doctor is probably right being the symptoms you are having. The next question is what is irritating the nerve. This blog is about the psoas muscle entrapping nerves. The nerves can also be irritated by a disc injury or anywhere along the nerve's pathway. I would ask where they think it is being irritated which they may not know and may be a better question for a sports med doctor. Other testing may be done to rule out any other possible issues.

7/5/2013 06:23:25 am

To all reading this blog,

I will leave this blog open for comments, but I will no longer be answering any personal questions as I would just be repeating myself. If any one has successful solutions to this issue or reputable resources regarding this subject, your comment will be approved for posting.

Thanks and good luck,
Jerry

Gordon

12/18/2013 07:13:54 am

This is an excellent blog. I have suffered from most of the symptoms described (low back pain, abdominal discomfort/weakness extending down to my thighs, perineum pain, painful urination). I was diagnosed with chronic prostatitis (non-bacterial) and most recently with chronic pelvic pain syndrome (the "new" name for chronic prostatitis). My symptoms are made worse by lifting, sitting/standing for extended periods. The ileopsoas and piriformis stretches described in this blog have made the biggest difference to me, along with deep tissue massage therapy. I strongly recommend reading "A Headache in the Pelvis" by Wise and Anderson. They have a treatment protocol based on trigger point release, physical therapy, and progressive relaxation.

Andrea Tener

1/20/2014 04:24:25 am

Hi Jerry, reading your blog is great, lots of great info...I am a former personal trainer, now I teach Adapted P.E. so I am very familiar with what you are saying (have had lots of hip issues myself, resolve them through-guess what!-stretching, yoga, no more heavy lifting and no more repetitive cardio). Last night I spent the night in the hospital with my 13 year old son who had extreme lower left abdominal pain with extreme left leg pain/weakness. I had my suspicions but was waiting to hear from the scan to rule out appendix, etc. Turns out he was very constipated and AMAZINGLY the doctor mentioned that the psoas might be involved. I mention this because a couple weeks ago a friend of ours was mentioning an extreme issue with his teenage son where doctors couldn't figure out (same as your scenario) and it turned out to be psoas related. But here is what I really want to say in all of this. The TYPE of doctor that figured out our friend's son's condition was a Bowen Therapist. That is worth mentioning because it is different than Chiropractic, acupuncture, physical therapy, etc. For all the people out there struggling with this issue, a Bowen therapist might be a quicker answer than several doctors...just a thought. The last thing that I wanted to add is that for any younger teens that are experiencing this, I thin VIDEO GAMES are part of the culprit. I am so sorry that my son had to go through the pain, but it turns out that mom is right: too much sitting and playing video games is bad on EVERY LEVEL. My son is not inactive, is great in P.E. and keeps himself fit...but all that sitting is no bueno for anyone, especially if you are prone to hip issues (I am, so it makes sense that my son might be). So I just wanted to throw it out there that other things besides athletics and fitness can be culprits!! Good luck to everyone, and if this issue persists for my son, we will be going to see that Bowen Therapist....:)

Petre Lica

3/5/2014 05:46:46 pm

Dear Jerry, my name is Petre Lica, I am from Romania, and I was untill
2 months ago a very active guy (running, and lots of cardio).

I have the same simptomps like you had (http://goo.gl/UiSter).
Unfortunetly, first decision that I did was to resolve my inghinal
hernia, believing that it was a symptom from hernia (I had it for 15
years, but no bother me)...

But it wasnt from hernia, the symptoms stood the same and more acute
:(((( I did an MRI for my back and I dont have major problems (I did
also have 2 testicular ecographys, blood tests, urology tests, etc),
but I still feel, especially at night, burning in my legs and groins,
very tight abdomen, a very upset and disturbing feeling :((

I already have problems sleeping at night, I sweat a lot at night. I
dont now what to do, my family doctor gave me Naproxen and
Tolperisone, I took them for 6 days, but no major reduce of symptoms.
I have a day or 2 when I feel 70% ok, and days when I feel burning &
chill...

Please help me in any way you can, because its very hard for me to
concentrate at work and I always expect something bad to happen..
The next days I will go to see a sport doctor, please try to remember
and help me with this:
- what was the right diagnosis of your sport doctor?
- what gave you for relaxing your nerves for 5 days that you said that
your symptoms dissapear?
- please help me with some exercises that helped you (just give me the
youtube links)...

Thanxs in advance for your kind support, I really need it, nobody in
Romania know about this...
kind regards petre lica

Lynn

7/20/2014 10:36:27 am

I am so glad I found this site and your discussion of your hip flexor problems. I am no athlete, rather a typical 60+ year old woman. In Dec of 2013 I slipped on ice and fell in a sitting position with my legs straight out. I got up and thought I would be sore, but otherwise okay.. When I got home about 10 min. later, walked a bit, went up and down the stairs, all of a sudden the toes on both feet went numb and kind of curled under. I finally got them to uncurl and the sensation to come back. I rested with ice on and off my back for 2 days, but could not put any pressure on my left leg without my leg collapsing or stand up straight. Finally went to ER, had a few xrays, everything looked fine, and was put on prednisone for soft tissue inflammation.
Finally got to Dr. and PT in a few weeks. PT seemed to be helping some, but I was in a lot of pain, tingling in toes and feet, back pain.

Then one day in Feb when I came home from PT and started having the symptoms you have described. I got a pain on each side of my lower abdomen/groin area, an electrical pain went across from each spot to meet in the middle, and a pain shot down the center of the front each of my thighs.
I could not sit without pain, or barely lie down without pain.
All of a sudden had to constantly go to the bathroom and did, but always felt like I still had to go.
Dr. thought it was disc issues due to all the odd, nerve-type symptoms and back pain, and also digestive problems. Went to neurologist, though, who said he did not see any evidence of disc problem, but did not have any explanation other than it must be my digestive system.
Had many tests....CT scans, colonoscopy, MRI of lumbar area.
Everything came back that nothing was wrong except for some arthritis of spine.
Went to a different PT, who said my pelvis was out of line and that it sounded like hipflexors, and mentioned iliopsoas, which I had never heard of. From reading on this problem and having the PT explain more to me, it seems this has been my problem all along. They definitely can cause symptoms that mimic disc problems.
Why didn't anyone listen when I kept saying I felt like I had pulled all the muscles from my lower back down ward?

I can sympathize with anyone here who has been frustrated or even depressed over not having a diagnosis and taking so long to recover. I, too, was labeled as "anxious" just because the medical people didn't know what was wrong.
Thankfully the digestive problems have resolved, but it took 4 months. Stretching is not always pleasant, but I do the exercises plus walk every day.,and go to PT each week. One of my main problems is still driving the car very much...putting the pressure on the pedal and having to keep my leg in a bent position can still bother my hip flexors in the front and can eventually cause my back to hurt, too. Still, I feel like I'm at last headed in the right direction.
Hindsight being 20/20, I wish I would have gone to a specialist in a large city who deals with sports injuries (even though this wasn't due to a sport, they seem to understand injuries better than other doctors) That's probably still an option, but I expect to keep making progress and recover.

Thank you again for sharing your story.

Josh

7/29/2014 09:45:47 pm

Hey Jerry!

Man I'm not sure whether to be excited or relieved or what reading your post. Don't want to get my hopes up either but here's my story:
I'm a personal trainer and exercise physiologist, and now at 23 after training in gyms since I was 15 I've been having similar problems this year.
Last year a champion power lifter joined my gym and I started training with him and have since competed at a few meets, shortly after the last one I broke my scaphoid and was put somewhat out of action for almost 2 months - 1 month later I had regained most of my strength through a likely over-aggressive training taper. Any way the symptoms came on slowly but found I was getting weak flow of urine and difficulty starting along with intermittent burning sensation in the urethra which was rare. The main problem I have had on an off is an uncomfortable feeling of fullness in the urethra, as if there is urine waiting to leak out, but I do not have incontinence. Was quite worried about cauda equina syndrome as I already have a (at last ct scan) 5mm paracentral disc extrusion at l4-l5. I'm finally going to see a urologist tomorrow, after having tests for UTIs and a renal/bladder/prostate ultrasound which was all clear from the GP.

So far the symptoms have gone through 2 severe cycles and has recently tapered off again, so I'm not sure what the urologist will be able to help with. However I have seen my Chiro the last 2 weeks, he too is a power lifter and is positive it is what he refers to as bladder fixation. He mentioned I have L SI joint dysfunction and along with my normal adjustments he was digging around in my lower abdomen and gave me lost of exercises and manoeuvres to do everyday.
Since the second visit I have had much milder symptoms, even to the point of feeling almost as if they had disappeared the last 2 days. However I have felt a slight return of them during and after benching this evening. Along with his bladder lifting technique I have been digging around the psoas and iliacus areas and feel as if this relieves the urethral sensation (it isn't a full bladder feeling). It also makes me feel like passing gas and defecating. So I'm hoping this can be cured via keeping on top of my physical therapy. Sorry for the long story, but I just wanted to know if you or anyone can identify with this sensation (it's damn depressing and kills your sex drive too) and if it ties in with musculoskeletal causes like you mentioned. I've been pretty stressed about serious urological issues or needing discectomy to relieve pinched bladder nerves or something. Mind you for the last couple weeks I've said screw it and started prepping for my next comp at the end of August.

John Hellna

11/18/2014 10:55:32 pm

Hi,

Thanks so much for this post - it's cured all the worry I was having, reading this and the subsequent posts have been like reading my own timeline of the last few weeks! Googling the internet for these conditions and symptoms throws up so many ‘WTF’ ‘this is serious’ thoughts, but this page has been the most accurate description of my issues by far! The exercise you recommended (kneeling hip flexor) helped ease the discomfort for sure, although not fully. Is this an exercise you'd recommend doing daily in order to get back to normal?

I had a couple of sleepless nights full of dread and worry (as you would with this sort if pain in those area's) but the doctor was clear, nothing at all found. He also got me to do a UTI test which also came back clear, but as other's have said the symptoms of this tie in closely with how a UTI would feel.

I can also train my mind back to a few weeks as to what I believe caused this. It was a bit dim from me really, I was doing leg lifts in improper form (about 80 on each leg in a 4 min spell) and I pushed myself over the pain barrier for a spell.

Now for me, I've never been that active usually and I think I pushed myself too far (this was the first bit of exercise I’d done in years, and I’m personally pushing on 17 stone). And to follow that up, a week or so later, I then did a lot of heavy lifting of building materials very quickly, as I was in a stupid rush. (And this seems to have aggravated things even further)

Also, the muscles associated with the 'raised legs' exercise seem to tie in with the hip flexors and the PSOAS, and I think this is what has caused the crux of my issues (and aggravated by the subsequent heavy lifting). Is this what you would conclude Jerry?

As other's have found, it's a worrying condition as no one in the profession seemed to have a cure. Doctors have said the same to me, test after test...no issues....and they prescribed me anxiety tablets! As we know, it's definitely not a made up feeling...but anxiety does make it worse, for sure (As I think it tenses the muscles which are already tense!)

Cheers,

Doug

1/11/2015 01:46:53 am

I am an active male 38 years old. I have had L3/L4 disc issues for a number of years. Over the past 3 months I notice that I am getting shooting/throbbing pain that goes from my perineum area, rectum, to the tip of my penis. It stays on the right side. I have been told my hip flexors are extremely tight. Can disc issues/tight muscles cause all this random pain? My Psoas is extremely tight.

Prakash Ratnam

5/1/2015 05:24:35 pm

Hi Jerry,

How are you going? I am from Sydney Australia. For the past two months I have symptoms like tingling in my gentiles and pressure on my anus. I am an avid weight trainer. I am also do lots of running.

From this year January 2015 itself I started having mild tingling sensation in my penis. I though this will mend by itself and still started lifting weights and also did dead lift as well after a while. I was wearing the belt but didn't stretch properly. On the 6th of March 2015, I got a sharp pain in my gentiles during the night for 15 to 20 minutes It was a stabbing pain. and soon after that I had a tingling sensation all over my buttocks and both the legs. It was very orgasmic. I thought it was to do with my penis. Went to a GP and then a Urologist and all the tests came negative. I was asked to do a CT scan, and an ultrasound. I felt the pain in my penis when I did the CT scan. They inserted an X ray ink while doing CT scan and when the heat was generated this is what caused me to feel the pain again. I didn't have any symptoms of kidney stones. I didn't feel vomiting, fever and nausea to name a few. While urinating no pain or blood.The urologist couldn't find the pain was caused. I am able to sleep well in the night but might have the tingling sensation. In the mornings either there is pressure in my bladder or anus. I was confused to what was happening. When I stand up the symptoms are very minimum and the symptoms are more when I sit.I accidentally felt few seconds of shooting pain in my right groin (Right groin to me and left groin to people who are standing opposite to me) while doing the Psoas streach two weeks ago. That was when I knew this is a sports related injury and it makes sense because I train so much with little or no rest. I do weight training four time a week. Play cricket and do cardio as well and do lot of yard work. I went to a Chriopractic yesterday and his guss is also it must be a nerve related pain and sensation. He has asked me to do some spinal X rays. I am seeing him this Monday. I hope he can fix my issue otherwise I have to see a sports medicine doctor. I already have an appointment for a sports medicine doctor. Hopefully I can find a solution for this problem.

Always I feel pressure either on my anus or gentiles. I am not on any pain killers as the pain is not excruciating.

I think the main cause of my injury is due to doing dead lift after a long time without stretching. Also I had foot drop problem 6 years ago. If this issue is sorted out will stick to very light weights and the reps.

lindsey

5/5/2015 03:35:16 pm

In July 2013 I fell and shattered my right knee cap. After surgery, it took several months to heal and I was strong enough before I was cleared for PT. I went from a walker, to a cane then without assistance. March/April this year I transitioned from PT to a gym program. My therapist came with me a few times to make sure I knew how to operate the machines and do them correctly. A few weeks ago I wa at my dr getting results from routine bloodwork, he noticed I was rubbing my back, I said I figured I had stepped wrong or perhaps my body was adjusting to wallking better. He did some poking and said he thought I may have a pulled muscle- he felt muscle tightness across my lower back. It could be due to a UTI but gave me a quick dose of predsone and told me to rest. At follow uo appt I felt better. ( I had had a UTI). I went back to the gym on a Friday. Sunday I hurt again. It got progressively worse as the week went on and I had a tingling pins and needles sensation in my right thigh. I saw him Monday and he thinks it is a pinched nerve, dealing with the muscle areas you spoke about. I'm now taking a higher dose of pred, a muscle relaxer which doesn't seem to due much and resting on a heating pad. The tingling pins and needles is now also in my wrists and ankles. What are your thoughts?

Fabian

8/2/2015 01:34:39 am

Wow, I believe this is my solution to years of problems and multiple doctor and emergency room visits that never showed anything wrong. They always told me, your healthy as a race horse, you have anxiety go get therapy. Lol, therapist/psychologist/psychiatrist all said, your a bright guy you had no issues that would lead to anxiety. I live a pretty relaxed and healthy lifestyle., sports foods spirituality etc etc. I am close to like being a new age engineer/athletic/hippy.

So... Some light started to show upon it when I started using a squat potty helper, those little things you put under your toilet to raise your knees to have your pelvic floor muscles relax and have better bowel movements. Gastroenterologist also approved me if good health, including CT scans not showing any damage, or misplaced/moved organs.

The squatty potty was a thing out of chance., I soon realised I had better moods after a bowel movement. But it wasnt due to infections, or cysts nothing at all. I got curious and started using it without any urination or bowel movements just to, test what was going on. Soon I experienced a pain I had not experience since the day I injured myself with a weight bar. While doing a deadlift, the bar lightly tapped my testicle, which in turn triggered an automatic response and shoot my testicle into my abdomen. In fear and desperation I literally pulled it down and rushed to the E.R. Ultrasounds showed everything was fine. Was given pain meds and sent home. Since then, my body has never not once been the same. Suffering from anxiety, depression and easily stressed. I knew this was not me, it had never been me.

I started doing core/pelvic exercises soon after the potty squat experience. I felt slightly better, so I continued to do this in my sauna and steam room, which aids soooo much on the mental and physical relaxation. I soon felt that my internal muscles were tense., and id actually feel certain odd " strings " inside my abdoment. After my own therapy techniques I figured out, I was suddenly in better moods, confident, energetic.

Unfortunately, any level of muscular slack I made, would send a shooting pain though my abdoment from my anus, through scrotum, kidney, stomach, spine and finally right side of neck to my head.

I figured I knew it was due to what I was doing., but it began to scare me just a few days ago when all the pain subsided, and instead it was replaced with an odd tingly/needle pin feeling. This I understood as a more scarier condition as I know it more nerve related.

Now I am here, seeing I am not the only one feeling what 8 professional doctors couldn't find. Never thought about seeing a sport medicine doctor, and physical therapy.

Thanks for sharing, and you have no idea how happy and excited I am to have more light shed onto this condition and knowing now what my next steps are.

I am an entrepreneurial mind, with a humanist heart and a nerdy thirst for knowledge. I hope I can get in contact with you, and talk about maybe bringing more awareness to this pelvic floor issues. As I believe that the majority of medicated Americans who are on antidepresives anxiety meds and etc really have to do with complexity of nerves within the pelvic area.

Thanks again for sharing, and in return I share my experience with everyone. My two cents.

Thank you.

Ray Cirks

8/28/2015 03:26:05 am

I had to search extensively to come across the article and I wish you could get this out there.....years I suffered the same symptoms....thinking I had everything from an std to cancer.....at least 11 doctors visits that did no good.

A few months ago, I was diagnosed with a herniated disc in my neck....got hat taken care of all my symptoms disappeared

melissa

11/16/2015 11:30:02 am

I am so glad I found your website and I want to first thank you for all the information you are providing.
I am a 49 yr old woman who is on her feet 10 hours are more a day. I stock a large store work long hours. About 3 months ago I started having lower back pain thought it was due to working to much. So I would come home lay on ice pack and take it easy til time to return to work. The pain is not getting any better and I did go to a massage theropist once. My muscles in my lower back are super tight and although it helped for an hour or so something is not right. I use pain back patches you buy from store to help along with Aleve and Tylenol for pain. I am terrified to go to doctor for I fear they are going to say the word surgery and give me pills and send me down the road. I looked up back stretches to help withback pain and have started in morning. And evening yesterday.
I have been having numbness in legs and feet and pain in abdomen too. Last night while doing stretches nothing to hard yoga type stretches for back. While on my hands and knees curving my back up and back down I got a crazy sensation that ran across my lower abdomen and felt like my whole private area or saddle area went numb along with a feeling when I stood up everything was gonna fall out numbness. I know I have lower back issues which I believe are muscle related but I am getting worried about these feelings down my legs, belly, and in fingers. I feel like you are a very proactive caring trainer that believes in self help and natural ways to get your body back on track. Please advise. Thank you

David

12/18/2015 02:32:26 pm

I have had two fusions performed on my back in 1985-86! Over the past few months i of have had pressure around my groin area and at the bottom of my pelvic area. Also, this discomfort and pressure is around my testicles. A week ago I could hardly get up when I was sitting. After stretching out for a minute, the pain would subside! After reading your blog, I have decided to make an appointment with sports medicine clinic. Thank you for your input!

Dan

12/1/2016 09:15:43 pm

This is a fantastic article.

People, this is partial Cauda Equina, he just found the cause of his!! Fantastic, I was walking up the stairs after a night of extreme heavy bent over rows, dumb right? BAM, something went in my back, had to laydown but I couldn't bend, needed to stay straight, immense pain in back and groin next few days, dark bruise on the right side of spine (L1 or L2 maybe). I know I have a herniation at L5-S1 from a decade ago.

I think I ripped my psoas as it attaches to the Lumbar vertebrae, this write up has pretty much solidified my hypothesis. I'm seeing a sports doctor on Tuesday to get the results of Ultrasound/Blood work/Bone Scan. I am going to print this up and give it to him, just to consider, it might be my disc, who knows, but this is a good read.

BTW I get a sharp pain in my shaft every now and then and it feels like I my junk and butthole are extra relaxed, like a sagging feeling, pure CES symptoms, now to find the cause of these symptoms!!!

steve

2/28/2018 07:05:54 am

I'm a 62 year old male that works out 4 days a week. I have very strong abs to support my bad back (L5) and lift fairly heavy weights..I was making my bed and got the dreaded shock to the lower back. I didn't sleep for two days due to the pain, sitting and laying down was dreadful..On the third day when I stood up I had amazing pain in my lower left ab area that burned and felt like needles. Not soon after my left ab section fell to my beltline and left a huge indention just below my ribs..This is only on the left side..I also have the numbness in my left groin area..I've been to the ER and three doctors. So far they can't come up with anything even after a CT scan..I have no issues with BM's or urinating...Any help would be great.

3/1/2018 08:10:10 am

Steve,

This is very hard for me to say what likely happened in your abdominal area. That is good that you went to see some doctors and ruled out some common issues. The fact that you have a L5 injury means that it is always going to be susceptible to reinjury. As far as the abdominal area goes some possibilities may be due to injury to the nerve supplying the muscle, changes in posture due to pain.

As always, this is for information purposes only and not to be used as medical advice.

Good luck,
Jerry

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Pain, Pressure, Discomfort, Burning, Tingling, and Numbness in the Abdomen, Groin, Pelvic, Genital, and Upper Thigh Areas. My experience with these symptoms as the result of pinched nerves and other underlying issues.

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