I had inguinal hernia surgery 8 years ago with a mesh put in to strengthen the area. It has been fine for 8 years, but recently I have been feeling a lot of pain in that area whenever I lift something heavy or after any kind of exertion. The pain ranges from a pulling and stabbing to a deep, throbbing ache. The pain subsides when I remain inactive, but I still feel as if there is something wrong even when I don't feel pain. I have no insurance at present, so I went to a medical clinic at my local hospital, but the Docs (surgery residents) did not feel any bulges. They said to wait a few weeks and try to take it easy. However, my work is of a physical nature, so that is almost impossible. Should I get a CT scan or MRI to try to diagnose this? It does not seem to be getting any better.