Piriformis issue or L5 nerve irritation due to stenosis?

[1xsculler]

To the orthopod Docs and PTs:
Twelve years of sculling, seventy-two years old, first time ever, deep Gluteal pain on left side only, recent MRI shows good healing from the previous one which showed a train wreck at L5-S1 with only moderate stenosis.
I've Youtubed it and had email conversations with my friend/orthopod spine surgeon MD and I'm getting conflicting information. It never hurts when I row and seldom when I sit but standing is painful, i.e. 4 out of 10. I'm taking four Naproxen Sodium tabs per day with food which seems to help some. I've been rolling my pain point on a 6" diameter ball which offers some help as does a 4" x 9" bag of frozen peas placed over my lumbar/sacral back, twenty minutes on, forty minutes off.
Suggestions as to what's going on and best way to treat?

[bd_sculler]

I'm neither (PT nor orthopod doc) so I cannot offer advice, but I send you good wishes and hope you can solve the problem.

[Remomex]

The fact that it is only affecting one side of your body makes me think that it is a nerve root impingement issue, especially since it only hurts under certain positions (e.g. when you stand).

Is it purely pain? Any burning, tingling, or paraesthesia?

[1xsculler]

Purely deep butt pain.

[Remomex]

Purely deep butt pain.

Hmm.. I am not a doctor, PT, or chiropractor, nor do I hold any sort of medical license, but I did monitor back surgeries in my past job so I have some exposure to this. If it's purely muscular, it may not be a back issue at all. Usually, when a nerve root or the spinal cord is involved there is accompanying paraesthesia or burning. This isn't always the case though, definitely want to be clear on that.

I'd say try to get a good massage or attempt to do some good stretching (maybe yoga) and see if that helps at all. If it doesn't go away after some weeks then it's likely not a muscular issue, as those will go away with time.

[boston_1x]

Deep tissue massage. Been there. Yesterday.

Keep it under half pressure for awhile.