Hip Pain

[SAVANNAH21]

Can anyone tell me is they have had hip or low back pain associated with their Celiac? I had and MRI of my back and the only thing it shows is arthritis. The pain is mostly in my hips and there are times when I have difficulty standing up after sitting for extended times. Every morning I have so much pain I need to get out of bed. I didn't know if this was associated with something that can be caused by Celiac.

[rosetapper23]

I don't think there have been very many--if any--studies on how celiac affects the tendons, ligaments, and muscles. However, I know that a LOT of people with celiac have problems with these body parts. I had to have physical therapy in my early 20's for both my knees and hips. Have you seen a doctor about a referral to a physical therapist? If you don't have medical insurance, you might try taking yoga, which I've found helps a lot, too.

I had horrible pain in my tendons, ligaments, muscles, joints, and bones as I was growing up. I wouldn't be surprised if you received many responses from forum posters agreeing that they've had similar experiences.

[SarahJimMarcy]

I am new to celiac (6-weeks gluten free), but am learning that celiac is an autoimmune disease and autoimmune diseases can cause migraines, skin rashes and joint pain. I am reading a book called Living Well with Autoimmune Diseases and it's helpful.

Can anyone tell me is they have had hip or low back pain associated with their Celiac? I had and MRI of my back and the only thing it shows is arthritis. The pain is mostly in my hips and there are times when I have difficulty standing up after sitting for extended times. Every morning I have so much pain I need to get out of bed. I didn't know if this was associated with something that can be caused by Celiac.

[Luddie]

I don't think there have been very many--if any--studies on how celiac affects the tendons, ligaments, and muscles. However, I know that a LOT of people with celiac have problems with these body parts. I had to have physical therapy in my early 20's for both my knees and hips. Have you seen a doctor about a referral to a physical therapist? If you don't have medical insurance, you might try taking yoga, which I've found helps a lot, too.

I had horrible pain in my tendons, ligaments, muscles, joints, and bones as I was growing up. I wouldn't be surprised if you received many responses from forum posters agreeing that they've had similar experiences.

I'll chime in to agree. My pains seem to migrate around my body. Currently shoulders, arms, hands, right wrist and a couple of fingers. Yes, the doctors say it's arthritis in some places or tendonitis. I asked the rheumatologist if he thought celiac or certain foods might make it worse and his comment was that it might. At least his wife seemed to think that eating some foods made her feel worse!! I love it!!!

The good news is, sometimes I feel pretty much okay, so if I can only figure out if there really is a trigger I'm home free, right?

I even tried acupuncture along with physical therapy. I do know I have some damage in a shoulder that is not from the celiac, but I think it gets exacerbated by it.

Good luck. You'll eventually figure it out. Maybe an elimination diet would help pin point your triggers.

Luddie

[eatmeat4good]

For 5 years I walked hunched over like a little old lady with excruciating hip bone pain.

It was as if my very bone marrow hurt.

I had weak legs and severe muscle pain.

All those years...and it was only Celiac.

Wheat!

7 months gluten free and I can now walk normally

Without pain.

It wasn't fibromyalgia after all Doc!

[Meg123]

I am gluten intolerant, maybe celiac (positive bloods) and my joints are all terrible, I feel like a very elderly lady, and I'm in my thirty's. I can't walk on my feet properly (diagnosed with planta fascietis sp, and bursitis) also I recently have terrible weakness and pain my my knees and hips, and am walking hobbled over. The Dr's way maybe early arthritis.

I haven't pursued any further diagnostics for this as I suspect it's related to the gluten, and suspect I will feel alot better soon. I believe the condition causes inflamation systemically, but I could be wrong.

I also think my joint problems might be associated with all my vitamin deficiencies due to the malabsorbtion. ie low magnesium, which is good for joints and muscles etc.

[mushroom]

Sometimes it is hard to respond to these posts without sounding like a whacko (which I don't think I am - at least one hopes not )

My sister and I are both gluten intolerant (she lost a lot of weight, I gained a lot of weight, she is chamically sensitive, and also reacts negatively to salicylates; I have psoriatic arthritis and more food intolerances than you can shake a leg at) and we think both our parents were gluten intolerant also.

We also both have extreme hypersensitivity in our limbs - neither of us can lie on our sides no matter how soft the mattrress, because of the pain in our hips. Neither of us can stand to have someone palpate our legs - it is too extremely painful. Yet without the pressure applied the limbs are not in and of themselves painful. I had to have an ultransound of a suspected hematoma or abscess in my leg today, and the sonographer was amazed at the sensitivity in my legs. Gluten seems able to react with our joints, our tendons, ligaments, connective tissue in very negative ways. For my sister her sympathetic nervous system becomes involved and causes here all kinds of problems too. Doctors would label us head cases, so we don't talk about these things to doctors mostly, because we don't want that label, and because they don't know what it is. Neither do we. Maybe 20 years from now there will be greater understanding of these things. For now, we are on our own

[zimmer]

Unexplained hip pain was one of my symptoms that prompted my doc to test me for celiac. It was so bad - had to take pain relievers to sleep, couldn't lay on either side, could only creep up hills / inclines while walking, stiff on standing up, etc. That is all gone now, and disappeared within days of my going gluten free.

[Debbie B in MD]

In addition to the gluten, you may want to avoid nightshade veggies: tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers, paprika, There are a couple of others,but I can't remember what they are. These give me PAIN. They cause inflammation in a lot of people with arthritis. If you search it, you will find a lot of posts about it here. I hope you are on the right track and feeling much better soon. Soy is a big one too.

[Luddie]

I am gluten intolerant, maybe celiac (positive bloods) and my joints are all terrible, I feel like a very elderly lady, and I'm in my thirty's. I can't walk on my feet properly (diagnosed with planta fascietis sp, and bursitis) also I recently have terrible weakness and pain my my knees and hips, and am walking hobbled over. The Dr's way maybe early arthritis.

I haven't pursued any further diagnostics for this as I suspect it's related to the gluten, and suspect I will feel alot better soon. I believe the condition causes inflamation systemically, but I could be wrong.

I also think my joint problems might be associated with all my vitamin deficiencies due to the malabsorbtion. ie low magnesium, which is good for joints and muscles etc.

Meg,

I don't know how others on the Forum feel about this, but I did go for physical therapy on my shoulders (recently) and I think it might help to keep my joints more limber. When I hurt I know I don't move around as much as I should and I'm afraid inactivity will just make things worse. Anyone out there with similar idea?

Luddie

[Meg123]

Meg,

I don't know how others on the Forum feel about this, but I did go for physical therapy on my shoulders (recently) and I think it might help to keep my joints more limber. When I hurt I know I don't move around as much as I should and I'm afraid inactivity will just make things worse. Anyone out there with similar idea?

Luddie

Thanks Luddie, you are absolutely right in that I am moving less and less, it's mainly down to the chronic fatigue, muscles weakness that I have. My whole system is sick, it seems. I feel like I'm hunching over, and everything is getting worse and worse.

I'm not in a position right now to pursue a physiotherapist or anything like that, but perhaps once I've been gluten free for a few months, then I might be able to get the right dose of another medication my Dr can't get right (it's for insulin resistance), she needs me to be gluten free to be able to assess if the medication level is working for me.

I'm hoping to be able to start with some gentle yoga and some gentle walking. (this has been my big dream for many years now, some regular walking)

That is wonderful that your shoulder is feeling much better, congratulations.

[glutenfreeinminnesota]

I have been gluten free for a year and a half, and recently started getting really bad hip pain. Only in my right hip and the pain shoots down through my butt and down my leg. (Much like sciatica I guess) It came out of nowhere and sometimes I have to stop walking it hurts so bad. Don't know if it's associated with celiacs and what not, but you are not alone!!!

[KatG18]

It's my understanding that autoimmune diseases cause myriad forms of inflammation in the body. Very often joint pain is caused by inflammation. 

I have pain in my hips (the left always). And sometimes in my knees, elbows, shoulder, even my fingers and thumbs. 

Lord, I can't wait to go back to not eating gluten. It makes an enormous difference.

Good luck! 

Kat

[Lori Armstrong]

I have inflammation in back and hips that is severe if I am exposed to gluten. My inflammation goes systemic and I can barely walk without a cane. If I stay gluten free, do yoga and exercise this seems to help. Swimming and yoga are the best way I can keep my mobility. I’m 54 and when I feel good, I walk 5 km a day, garden, travel, everything actually. I was accidentally glutened on Nov 23. It’s taken 2 and a half months to heal. It was rough, not going to lie. On my way back to healing. Inflammation gets worse at night, I’m trying to get loads of sleep. 
Gluten most definitely affects my back and hips. Also I get weakness in my legs. Hope this is helpful to someone. ?