Chronic right-sided muscle tightness and pain for YEARS. Has anyone recovered?
I’m 29F and have had persistent, almost entirely right-sided tightness, pulling, and pain for 10 years. It affects my lower back/QL, psoas and hip flexors, gluteus medius/TFL, outer quad and lateral knee, as well as my rhomboids, upper traps, and neck. Leg-workout pain can sometimes extend toward my foot.
I have normal range of motion, but my muscles constantly feel as though they are gripping or pulling, creating an urge to stretch, massage, or crack my back. The QL, psoas, and upper-back discomfort never fully disappears. Leg workouts may feel fine initially, but symptoms often worsen hours later or the next day; hip, quad, and knee flare-ups can take 4–7 days to settle. Reducing workout intensity helps.
I’ve been told I have mild S-shaped scoliosis, cervical disc bulges, right-sided scapular dyskinesis, forward shoulder posture, some shoulder hypermobility, pelvic tilt/rotation and hip instability identified in physiotherapy, and flat feet.
I’ve tried physiotherapy, stretching and mobility work, massage/muscle release, strength training, and chiropractic treatment. Stretching and massage provide only brief relief, also heating pads are a great tool to shut the pain and one chiropractic adjustment helped for about a month.
I’m wondering whether these symptoms share an underlying biomechanical, nerve-related, or chronic muscle-guarding cause. I’m planning to see a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist for a broader assessment.
- Has anyone experienced chronic one-sided pain involving the QL, psoas, upper back, hip, and leg?
- Did you find an underlying cause or diagnosis?
- Has anyone recovered after years of constant tightness?
- How did you return to strength training without repeated flare-ups?
- Which type of specialist helped most?
I’m tired of treating each muscle separately and want to understand the bigger picture so I can exercise and live without constantly thinking about pain.