Leg Pain

Other conditions
1

My wife who is now 40 has been experiencing increasing episodes of what she describes as leg pain.  Here are the typical symtoms

Pain just below the knees

Coldness of the extremties - feet & toes

A sensation of cramps, numbness, tingling in the toes etc

What she feels is related is a feeling of heaviness after eating and a sensation of soreness in the lower back when standing

She is slim, fit, does not smoke, has a healthy vegetarian diet and exercises regularly. She does not have a family history of arterial disease or venous insufficiency.

Quite recently we have had a whole battery of tests performed 

Blood tests - very extensive all of which turn out to be perfectly normal.

Venous ultrasound scans - normal

Arterial scans - a mystery here since she was told that everything was normal and then had a letter sent to her GP which said she had issues with her posterior tibial artery.

Her GP insists of talking in terms of "claudication" but this sounds bizarre since she has no difficulty exercising, running, walking up or downhill... . In fact such activity generally makes her feel better - the issue is more when she has to stand still though of late it has become near continuous.

It is possible that the condition worsened after we moved into a house with underfloor heating and/or after the birth of our second child.

Compression stockings help relieve the symptoms but both she and I have doubts that this is a prudent and effective long term solution.

About the only thing that has given some relief is acupuncture.  I try to help by giving a regular massage.  Through some trial & error and much searching on the net I have found pressure points that appear to bring much relief.  The points in question

Three finger widths above the ankles (at the back)

Three finger widths below the knee (also at the back)

In the area around the sacral hiatus

In the crotch on either side of the labia - just where the Gracilis muscle can be felt with the fingers

I personally am starting to suspect that her symtoms are caused by issues elsewhere - in the hip & pelvic area and have been exacerbated by pregnancy.

We have got very little clear guidance from the various doctors & specialists we have seen.  Acupuncture has provided relief - until the practitioner starts performing the treatment mechanically for his next fee.

I would be eternally grateful to anyone who reads this long and windy post and offers comments that might help.

2

Hi fredat, when you mentioned coldness of extremities, I wondered about Raynaud's  https://patient.info/health/raynauds-phenomenon

You also mentioned the birth of your second child and house move, both of which are very stressful.  Pregnacy can trigger all sorts of conditions, has your wife seen a Gynaecologist about this condition?

Does the acupuncture still work, even if the administrator is performing it on auto pilot?  Could you find a new Practitioner?

3

Hi. I am not medically qualified but I have picked up on a couple of the symptoms you mention which are the cold extremities and pain, numbness and tingling in toes and feet. I suffer from a condition called spinal stenosis which is the compression of the nerves in the pelvis. This stops the fluid from the spine getting to the leg and causes all these symptoms plus terrible pain in various parts of the leg. The point is, I had a hard time getting diagnosed until I saw a Neurologist who recognised my tale of woe and arranged an MRI scan of my lower back. This was the only test which clearly showed the problem. Has your wife seen a speciallist yet? Have they considered a nerve related problem? I hope you get to the bottom of it soon. I know how it feels to have all this pain and feel like you are a hypochondriac keep pestering the doctor! Thank goodness she has you. You sound very supportive and caring. That makes a big difference, believe me!

4

Thanks, I'll check out Raynaud's

5

Thanks Debbie.  Spinal Stenosis is one of the conditions that came up in my own researches.  My wife has an appointment with a neurologist in about 2 weeks from now so we will explore that - I hope.

I found an Orthopedist who is also a Chiropracter + does accupuncture.  She will be seing him this afternoon and I am hoping that might help.

 

6

MrsMop - answering your question re accupuncturist on auto-pilot: she has been two two accupuncturists thus far (the first one for almost a year).  Initial results were nothing short of miraculous.  Then they started pricking her on "autopilot" as you put it with no effort at consultation.  The treatements still worked but the effects were pretty short lived.

I have got accupuncture needles at home now and we have tried doing it on our own.  I read in a Chinese treatise on accupuncture that the groin area around the labia is like a big railway junction and controls sensations in the lower legs.  I followed the instructions there and even tried pricking in that area.  The results were good but I am no expert so I hesitate to do more than a fairly superficial prick.  It goes without saying - going to a practitioner and asking specifically for treatement in such an intimate zone would not be an easy thing to do.

7

Debbie,

Following the diagnosis did you get treatment that alleviated the pain?  If so, what was the nature of the treatment?

8

Hi. So far I have had cortisone injections followed by a decompression .operation (unsuccessful in my case but I understand usually a fairly high success rate) I am now waiting to have a spinal cord stimulator fitted. I had a trial one recently and it was very helpful. Meantime I find Tramadol are very good for this type of pain. They are a controlled drug so have to be prescribed. Good luck with the neurologist.

9

Sorry, an extra thought. Does your wife lean forward over the supermarket trolley when shopping? This was one of the questions I was asked by the neurologist when he made my preliminary diagnosis. Apparently a real giveaway!