Quote Originally Posted by SuburbanLifeMom
Now I really feel broken! I'm only guessing here as all I have to go on is how I feel, but it feels like bone pain to me. It's just relentless, no position helps it, no rest helps it, it just keeps hammering me. Marijuana was like my last hope. Before I had my knee replaced, my knee was bone on bone, but that pain pretty much stayed within my knee, radiating a bit up and down, but still pretty localized, this hip pain is from my waist to my toes, just killing me, sure wish the marijuana had helped.
So you're saying marijuana hasn't helped? It is an anti-inflammatory, it should help massively for 99% of people, excluding the freaks like myself lol.
I know you say it's "different" from arthritic pain, but honestly I think arthritis really is the key. It can be a painful condition after all, and triggered by sudden injury. The reason you feel it's "bone pain" is because your knee replacement, and the years of rubbing bone on tone, has stongly irritated and damaged the tendons (that attach your bone to muscle). Tendon pain feels exacly like you hurt the bone, hence why shin-splints are such hell.

I'm sorry you have to deal with all that pain, but I guarantee you it is due to inflammation. I can only recommend the following lifestyle changes to keep your inflammation down:

1. Eat limited amounts of meat, but don't cut it out altogether, you need the protein. It's better to eat lean meats like chicken and fish (especially fish).

2. Eat oatmeal, or any kinds of oats, they reduce inflammation.

3. Ice the affected area as needed, and do so till the tissue feels totally frozen and numb. Once it reaches this stage though, immediately take off the ice, as icing it too long can cause a hyper-inflammatory effect shortly after. Apply heat right after the icing.

4. Painkillers like acetaminophen and aspirin don't reduce inflammation, they only block pain receptors. You want to take ibeprophen, and I'd recommend celebrex for a prescription anti-inflammatory.

5. Massage the sore joints frequently, if only to decensitize the nerves.

6. Try not to eat too many wheat or potatoe based carbs. Focus more on oats, rice, and citric fruits.

hmm...that makes me wonder....

Can I ask you a question? While my nerve pain is not related to my back, but to the left area of my rib. Recently I started working-out again, and while the pain has dulled, it seemed to have spread to my lower back at times. Sometimes I feel a shooting pain on the lower left side of my back. What causes nerve pain to spread?
In this case, it's really just a matter of muscle tension spreading. In your core muscles you have a muscle "belt" that wraps around your body from your top rib to your pelvic bone. The rib pain, even if it's a top rib, can send pain shooting low enough that the muscles in this area of the belt tenses up and pulls the muscles around to your back. Eventually this can cause enough back tension to pull the spine slighty, and slightly is enough to press on nerves.

For one, you want to strengthen these core muscles. A great way to do this is leg lifts, where you lie on your back, put your legs together, and lift them way up, then down just an inch above the floor, and repeat. These can be a pretty intense workout on your core abbs if you're not used to it, so start with only 5 or 6 reps the first time and see how you feel. If this is too intense, start by lifting just one leg at a time.

You also want to alleviate the muscle tension of course. There's a great muscle relaxant called cyclobenzaprine, commonly marketed as "Flexeril". It'll make you extremely tired, so it's best to take it before bed. You'll get a great sleep and it'll relax your muscles at night which will help during the day. It's by prescription only.

Also important is some tension relieving excercises. Yoga can be great for this, but doing a full class might also aggrivate your back and rib. I personally just pick a few excercises. I suggest you learn the cow/cat stretch, downward dog, and sun salutations.
It's also good to sit on the floor (or a mat), put your right leg flat and your left leg over the right, the put your right elbow on your left leg and twist to the left (then do the other side). You might have done this in highschool gym class actually. The idea is to twist the spine both ways like you're ringing out a wet towel. This will losen up the muscles and tendons, and help lubricate the vertebrae.

Take hot baths, they're so great for relaxing every muscle in your body at once.

And finally, sleep with a pillow under your legs or between them, though it might take some getting used to. If you have a spring mattress, get a new one (foams are good), because spring's are awful on your body. Don't get a bed that's excessively soft, or rock hard, somewhere in the middle and most importantly one that feels comfortable to you.