Hi "Gosh knows" or anyone else who's still keeping up with this thread. Six months have gone by since anyone posted, but I'm just now discovering the site. I never got a diagnosis, but I'm 95% certain I have ischial bursitis.
"weaver's bottom" is a misnomer and a dated name. Do weavers even exist anymore? It should be called "cycling butt". I've had it for about 13 years, (yes, 13!) and most likely got it from too many years of sitting on a bicycle. I rode for 2-6 hours every Sat. and Sun. and an hour two nights a week for 16 years. Although I've seen some internet reports about how folks who have it should lose weight, it's definitely not due to my weight. I'm 5'6" and have weighed 120 lbs. for the last 30 years, though I was 114 lbs. for a month after a Grand Canyon trip.
Actually, the discomfort started about my 7th year of riding, but I actually didn't know then that it was originating in my butt, since my butt was numb during the rides.
The first discomfort I felt was in my lower back on the R. side during rides. It always started at about mile 18-20 during rides. It would be so bad, it felt like someone was sticking a knife in my back. I'd have to stop and get off the bike and stretch before getting back on to finish the ride. I rode through the discomfort but every year it got worse and came on sooner, so I started cutting back and kept cutting back til I gave up completely. I haven't been on a mtn. bike or road bike for 4 years, but it's still there!! It hurts most when driving, but almost all sitting is uncomfortable.
After the first year of having it, I finally went to an orthopedic Dr. who ordered an MRI. He read it but found nothing....recommended anti-inflamm's, but I said no thanks. I waited several months before going to a neurologist. He just palpated the area and said he didn't know what it was, but maybe I need more padding on the bike saddle. I got a gel saddle cover from a friend, but that didn't help. I then changed saddles several times, bought gel shorts, eventually even bought a suspension seat post. Nothing helped for very long.
Over the next 4-5 years, I went to 4 chiropractors, 2 more orthopedic docs, an acupuncturist, and many massage therapists.
I also had to quit running. THe running was what I thought was causing it, because after every run, it would feel like someone with those really long fingernails...or maybe Edward Scissorhands - had their fingers drawn together in a cluster and was stabbing and pinching the bottom of my butt with them. Other times it felt more like a burning sensation. But, I always walked with a pronounced limp and a stiff right foot for a couple of days after a run.
I laid off of jogging first, then biking, then jogging again, biking again,....each time waiting longer before going back to either. WHen I finally had given up cycling completely, I was able to jog again (though my knee gave out, so I can't run anymore). I now believe jogging just exacerbated it, but didn't cause it.
On one of the last rides I did more than 4 years ago, I did take two ibuprofen beforehand because, though, we were going to ride only 40 miles, we were going over three mountain passes so it was going to be a long ride. The ibuprofen did not do a thing to help. I had to stop multiple times and the discomfort was weakening me.
For about two years, after lots of searching on the net, I decided I must have piriformis syndrome or pudendal nerve impingement.
I'd had no shortage of stretching in my life, so I've always doubted that as a solution. At the time I got this, I was a personal trainer who stretched with every client because they wouldn't on their own, so I was stretching 10-15 min. of every hour for each client (about 8 per day)....and then sometimes on my own so I could do more extreme stretches that clients couldn't do. I stretched gently, never forcefully, (no, I wasn't overdoing it) and more often than probably 99% of the population.
I waited about three years before going to any more "experts".
The final orthopedic doc I saw told me to "be glad you can walk". He said he couldn't find anything either but said "it might be bursitis". After paying $250 to hear that, his indifference caused me to give little thought to anything he'd said. Eventually, though, after many searches on the net, I came across ischial bursitis and realized how much sense that makes.
So, here's what DOESN'T help:
1. stretching (the hamstrings, the quads, the glutes, the back, whatever....)
2. Ibuprofen
3. padding
4. lunges (I broke my coccyx many years before this started. lunges hurt that area)
5. massage (makes it worse!)
6. heating pads
7. jogging (makes it worse!)
8. hamstring curls and most glute machines (such as the "multi-hip" nautilus machine) and the Roman chair.
One thing I will say is NOT to allow anyone to directly massage the area. Most massage students or therapists I saw wouldn't even go near the area. One young guy apparently thought I wanted some sort of sexual stimulation from him. I just told him the problem as I wanted to improve the circulation in my glutes...I didn't want him to touch my genitals or even be near them. yipes! how awkward.
Well, eventually I came across a masseuse who really wanted to help, so she went searching for it and found it, on the medial side of my ischial tuberosity. She pressed hard. I should have stopped her because I didn't think it was a good hurt. I couldn't walk right for 2 months after that, and the discomfort increased twofold for about 4 months afterward. Once I realized it was an inflammation, I knew it was wrong for me to allow anyone to press that hard on it.
I'm continuing to look for solutions.
), and eating about 30% raw, which isn't much, but is a lot better than before. It's amazing how long I can sit now without noticing anything. I look forward to seeing how much change I get if/when I can manage to get to about 75% raw.