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How Can Severe Stiffness And Inflexibility Be Treated?
Question: I have always been very flexible. I have extreme stiffness and inflexibility now, particularly in the leg muscles. At night, after a couple of hours the legs begin to hurt so I can't sleep. This lasts all-night and I get up stiff and sore the next day. I've tried changing beds, massage and pain relievers. Alieve and Advil 12 hr. relief for example, last about an hour. Asprin doesn't touch it.
I walk each day and limit my sitting as I can, working the legs rather than just let them sit motionless. At 76 years old, I pay attention to diet and my wife cooks healthy. I take medicine for blood pressure, gout and cholesterol.
This condition is about two months old. Any ideas would be helpful. My doc is stumped.
Thank you XXXXXXX
I walk each day and limit my sitting as I can, working the legs rather than just let them sit motionless. At 76 years old, I pay attention to diet and my wife cooks healthy. I take medicine for blood pressure, gout and cholesterol.
This condition is about two months old. Any ideas would be helpful. My doc is stumped.
Thank you XXXXXXX
Brief Answer:
Lumber disc prolapse
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Your symptoms are most probably due to a lumbar disc prolapse which leads to pressure on nerve roots. This can cause various symptoms including leg muscle stiffness, numbness or pain.
This can be diagnosed by a ct scan on your lumber vertebrae.
However, this can also be caused by hyperlipidemia which can occur if the cholesterol medication you are taking is not efficient.
Other causes include multiple sclerosis or venous insufficiency.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Take care
Regards,
Dr Salah Saad Shoman, Internal Medicine Specialist
Lumber disc prolapse
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Your symptoms are most probably due to a lumbar disc prolapse which leads to pressure on nerve roots. This can cause various symptoms including leg muscle stiffness, numbness or pain.
This can be diagnosed by a ct scan on your lumber vertebrae.
However, this can also be caused by hyperlipidemia which can occur if the cholesterol medication you are taking is not efficient.
Other causes include multiple sclerosis or venous insufficiency.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Take care
Regards,
Dr Salah Saad Shoman, Internal Medicine Specialist
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Thank you for your response. However, rather than dismiss me as being non-descriptive perhaps it would help if you asked questions that would inform your opinion. What information would you like? Do you have a list of questions that would help narrow the potential cause? Should I seek some tests that are important?
I am scheduled for additional blood work for a slight anemia of just less than 12.0 (I don't have the results in front of me). The question is whether it is caused by low B12 or iron.
I m away from the computer frequently so cannot get back immediately. I should be available this weekend though. XXXXXXX
I am scheduled for additional blood work for a slight anemia of just less than 12.0 (I don't have the results in front of me). The question is whether it is caused by low B12 or iron.
I m away from the computer frequently so cannot get back immediately. I should be available this weekend though. XXXXXXX
Brief Answer:
Diagnostic tests
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Anemia can be the cause of your symptoms but it is unlikely to cause muscle stiffness.
However, to narrow the potential causes it is important that you get a CT scan in your lumbar vertebrae and blood test for cholesterol level to exclude the commonest cause of your symptoms.
I would like to see your test results to be able to guide you better, so please attach the results in the follow-up query..
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Take care
Regards,
Dr Salah Saad Shoman, Internal Medicine Specialist
Diagnostic tests
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Anemia can be the cause of your symptoms but it is unlikely to cause muscle stiffness.
However, to narrow the potential causes it is important that you get a CT scan in your lumbar vertebrae and blood test for cholesterol level to exclude the commonest cause of your symptoms.
I would like to see your test results to be able to guide you better, so please attach the results in the follow-up query..
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Take care
Regards,
Dr Salah Saad Shoman, Internal Medicine Specialist
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Arnab Banerjee
I believe these are the results you wanted. I'm going to suggest the CT scan for a lumbar disc prolapse, but I wonder what specific indicators should I mention? Should there in addition to the muscle pain be stiffness in the back or something?
Also, since the leg pain and stiffness comes on after I go to bed, I've some suggestions that this could be a Restless Leg Syndrome. Could that cause the high pain associated with laying down?
White Blood Cell Count 6.9 K/uL 4.0 - 11.0 K/uL
Red Blood Cell Count 3.98 M/uL 4.40 - 6.00 M/uL L
Hemoglobin 12.7 g/dL 13.5 - 18.0 g/dL L
Hematocrit 37.5 % 40.0 - 52.0 % L
MCV 94 fL 80 - 100 fL
MCH 31.9 pg 27.0 - 33.0 pg
MCHC 33.9 g/dL 31.0 - 36.0 g/dL
RDW 14.2 % <16.4 %
Platelet Count 341 K/uL 150 - 400 K/uL
Differential Type Automated
Neutrophil % 63 % %
Lymphocyte % 24 % %
Monocyte % 10 % %
Eosinophil % 2 % %
Basophil % 1 % %
Abs. Neutrophil 4.3 K/uL 2.0 - 8.0 K/uL
Abs. Lymphocyte 1.7 K/uL 1.0 - 5.1 K/uL
Abs. Monocyte 0.7 K/uL 0.0 - 0.8 K/uL
Abs. Eosinophil 0.1 K/uL 0.0 - 0.5 K/uL
Abs. Basophil 0.1 K/uL 0.0 - 0.2 K/uL
NUCLEATED RBC AUTO 0.0 /100 WBC
Brief Answer:
Unlikely
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Lumber disc prolapse basically produces referred pain to the legs more than back pain due to compression of the nerve roots supplying the legs.
However, if lumber disc prolapse is excluded then I would recommend that you get a duplex study on your legs to exclude arterial or venous insufficiency which could also cause leg pains that increase by lying down.
Restless leg syndrome mainly causes itching and pins and needles sensation rather than causing pain.
Your test results show a decreased RBC and hematocrit level which is probably due to iron deficiency anemia. This needs to be confirmed by a blood test for the iron profile.
If found low then it could also be the cause for your leg pain at night.
Hope I have answered your query.
Take care
Regards,
Dr Salah Saad Shoman, Internal Medicine Specialist
Unlikely
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Lumber disc prolapse basically produces referred pain to the legs more than back pain due to compression of the nerve roots supplying the legs.
However, if lumber disc prolapse is excluded then I would recommend that you get a duplex study on your legs to exclude arterial or venous insufficiency which could also cause leg pains that increase by lying down.
Restless leg syndrome mainly causes itching and pins and needles sensation rather than causing pain.
Your test results show a decreased RBC and hematocrit level which is probably due to iron deficiency anemia. This needs to be confirmed by a blood test for the iron profile.
If found low then it could also be the cause for your leg pain at night.
Hope I have answered your query.
Take care
Regards,
Dr Salah Saad Shoman, Internal Medicine Specialist
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
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