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How Can Stiffness And Pain In The Legs Be Treated?
i am having continued stiffnes and pain in my leg leg/hip. It radiated from my hip down through the knee and lower leg. It feels tight throughout entire leg. i am able to walk on it however to left my leg (i am not able sit with legs cross or to lift leg up to put on a sock or tie a shoe). Along with these symptoms I have had unexplained itchiness in legs (Top of thighs, back of knees and tops of feet) I did see my family dr She ordered Hip x-rays that showed no fractures and slight narrowing in hip joints. Blood test were done: Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate was 44 mm/mr RA Quant (CPAL) was ANA Screen (CPAL) was negative. The dr s diagnosis was that I have bursitis in my hips. I was given a cortizone injection yesterday afternoon. No follow-up. I ve been takeing Aleve daily and Aleve PM at night for the last 4 months - no relief HELP!
Mon, 12 Nov 2018
Hi,
I wish you gave us some other important information such as your age, your sex, the duration of the symptoms, whether you have concomitant low back pain or not, whether you feel any weakness in your legs.
Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate of 44 can be normal or abnormal according to your age.
Anyway, based on your provided information, it seems there are some other possibilities which are more probable than bursitis of the hip (which is actually not a common finding). I will summarize some of them for you:
- A disk protrusion between the lower lumbar vertebra sometimes causes pain which is felt in the hip and the legs but not at the low back itself.
One simple test is that you can lie down on the floor with both legs stretched and then raise one of your legs slowly (with extended knee), up to about 70 degrees, if you felt a pain radiating to the back of your thigh or leg, the test is positive and there's a possibility to have a lumbar disk problem (We call this test as SLR): plan:
A more detailed exam and possibly a lumbosacral MRI (according to findings)
- A trigger point (some sort of muscle tightening) in one or more of your hip muscles.
The pain of hip trigger point can refer to the lower limb and sometimes mistaken by disk problem. Plan: A detailed exam by a neurologist, orthopedist or physiatrist then physiotherapy:
if positive for trigger points you need repeated stretching of those muscles as well as some physiotherapy sessions. Dry needling ( a technique that the therapist pierces tiny needles into the muscle repeatedly) could be of great help.
- Irritation or local inflammation of the soft tissues at hip region could also become problematic sometimes.
This also can be diagnosed easily during your exam.: plan: a few days of rest as well as taking an anti-inflammatory medication such as Ibuprofen, Diclofenac.
My Overall suggestions:
1- Provide me with the other information that I mentioned above
2- Do the SLR test that I explained earlier
3- see if there are one or more points in your hip, gluteal area or low back that are sensitive to pressure and become painful: if you have some, report them
4- If you already have taken a lumbosacral MRI or EMG test, give me the results.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Take care
Regards,
Dr Hooman Mahmoudi, Neurologist
I wish you gave us some other important information such as your age, your sex, the duration of the symptoms, whether you have concomitant low back pain or not, whether you feel any weakness in your legs.
Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate of 44 can be normal or abnormal according to your age.
Anyway, based on your provided information, it seems there are some other possibilities which are more probable than bursitis of the hip (which is actually not a common finding). I will summarize some of them for you:
- A disk protrusion between the lower lumbar vertebra sometimes causes pain which is felt in the hip and the legs but not at the low back itself.
One simple test is that you can lie down on the floor with both legs stretched and then raise one of your legs slowly (with extended knee), up to about 70 degrees, if you felt a pain radiating to the back of your thigh or leg, the test is positive and there's a possibility to have a lumbar disk problem (We call this test as SLR): plan:
A more detailed exam and possibly a lumbosacral MRI (according to findings)
- A trigger point (some sort of muscle tightening) in one or more of your hip muscles.
The pain of hip trigger point can refer to the lower limb and sometimes mistaken by disk problem. Plan: A detailed exam by a neurologist, orthopedist or physiatrist then physiotherapy:
if positive for trigger points you need repeated stretching of those muscles as well as some physiotherapy sessions. Dry needling ( a technique that the therapist pierces tiny needles into the muscle repeatedly) could be of great help.
- Irritation or local inflammation of the soft tissues at hip region could also become problematic sometimes.
This also can be diagnosed easily during your exam.: plan: a few days of rest as well as taking an anti-inflammatory medication such as Ibuprofen, Diclofenac.
My Overall suggestions:
1- Provide me with the other information that I mentioned above
2- Do the SLR test that I explained earlier
3- see if there are one or more points in your hip, gluteal area or low back that are sensitive to pressure and become painful: if you have some, report them
4- If you already have taken a lumbosacral MRI or EMG test, give me the results.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Take care
Regards,
Dr Hooman Mahmoudi, Neurologist
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