Expert: Dr. Paul Newhart - 8/13/2008

Question
good day! i'm cj and i'm 18 years old. i have this pain since i was 16 years old and i have not seen a doctor for this because i thought this is just an ordinary pain caused by prolonged sitting, but as the time goes by, it hurts more especially when i sit for long periods of time and when i my right leg, i hear a pop and it gives me a short time relief. to ease the pain, i raise my leg and for about 5 seconds i feel numbness so i need to lower it. what do you think is this? at first i thought it is restless legs syndrome, but now i doubt it because the pain starts in the right buttock, and when i massage that area, it intensifies the pain. please help me. do you think ibuprofen can help this? what are the other medical management that can be done with this? thank you!

Answer
Ibuprofen can help if there is inflammation involved.  It can be a variety of things, from misalignment to muscle spasm.  A visit with a good chiropractor should be able to get to the bottom of it, diagnose the problem and correct it, and set you on a rehab program to make the area stronger.