Hi David. I asked in classtime Q&A about someone who had shoulder surgery for a torn labrum and now has pain in what appears to be her psoas. I wanted to follow up on that because she is still in considerable pain. She describes it as “twinge pain” (like when you turn your neck too fast) only the twinges are down her legs, stemming from the groin (the right worse than the left). She agreed that it was more stabbing than dull and that it doesn’t last long. It’s a “wincing pain” if she turns or bends. She saw an acupuncturist (but only 4 times; it was too hard to lie still), a “strain/counterstrain” specialist, a fascial specialist, and also a DO who said her hips are now weak, so she has been going to the gym and swimming but hasn’t been able to bring any strength back (she’s not overweight and is a former firefighter so knows how to work out properly). She can’t squat or stand without holding onto something, and when she initially gets on her feet, she needs a minute or two to stabilize (like the right leg is shorter than the other—the shoulder surgery was on the right side). I apologize for the length of this question and wanted to wait until I submitted my case study but my date is not until late March and she is now depressed because she doesn’t want to spend the rest of her life unable to walk for more than 30 minutes or lift her grandchildren (she’s 63). I know that there are a lot of issues going on here but maybe just something to help with the pain would be a start. She’s currently taking Tylenol every day for pain management. Neither cold nor heat on the legs helps at all. Energetically she runs dry and hot. Thanks so much.

When I ask for energetics, I am more asking for the energetics of her symptoms, rather than her constitutional energetics. So the fact she runs hot and dry, does not really help me understand this issue. It is quite unusual for shoulder surgery to have an effect like this on the hips. I wonder if it could be a post-operative effect of anesthesia ? Or sciatica. Anyway herbs that might be of some help include Achyranthes, Teasel root, Morinda for strengthening the muscles. For pain perhaps Sweet Mellilot, along with St John’s wort (as long as she is not taking any pharmaceuticals that it would be CI with), perhaps Horse Chestnut or Corydalis. Also deep tissue work like Structural integration can be very helpful (if somewhat painful).