Author Topic: Leg Pain - how it's going away  (Read 4036 times)

JoJo

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Leg Pain - how it's going away
« on: January 22, 2020, 11:25:14 AM »
After being heavy and yo-yo dieting for the last 30 years, I am having leg pain and my legs feel generally heavy.  This pain is mostly around the knees and hips.  Sometimes the pain starts just minutes after standing or walking. 

 I just had a physical and there is nothing in the results that indicates there is a big problem.   EKG is good, no diabetes, blood pressure a little high but that will come down when I lose wt (thank God).   Doctor has suggested diet, exercise (low-impact like pool stuff), and compression socks.  She hasn’t suggested any meds.  I occasionally take ibuprofen if needing to be on my feet for longer (like I was aching after a 2 hour hike – I used to be able to hike 6+ hours a day).

I joined a gym.  Doing water aerobics twice a week and targeting to go two additional times per week.  Met with a trainer that showed me a couple hamstring and front thigh machines, standing hip flexers, and suggested recumbent bike. 

Questions –
Has anyone had similar pain and cured it?  What did you do?
Any suggestions for good brands of compression socks and where to get them?  The shear selection on Amazon is overwhelming.  I have relatively large calves. 
Any suggestions for specific exercises?
« Last Edit: April 15, 2020, 01:15:36 PM by JoJo »

GuitarStv

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #1 on: January 22, 2020, 11:37:47 AM »
Can you describe the pain?

Are you talking about general soreness that gets better when you move more, sharp shooting pains, what?

Dicey

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #2 on: January 22, 2020, 11:46:41 AM »
I am not a doctor and this is not advice. In fact, wouldn't even comment if you hadn't already seen one recently.

Immediate: Can you try drinking more water to see if that helps?

Immediate-longer term: Resolve to start losing weight to-day. Easiest diet I know is intermittent fasting. Choose the best eight hour period for you and only eat during those hours. I'm not a natural breakfast eater, so noon to eight is easiest for me. Losing weight is hard as hell, but brings the most rewards. You can do this!

JoJo

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #3 on: January 22, 2020, 12:09:29 PM »
Can you describe the pain?

Are you talking about general soreness that gets better when you move more, sharp shooting pains, what?

Occassional stiffness after getting up.  As for being on my feet sometimes 15 minutes or more, just general pressure around my knees.  Then after walking longer, pain around the hips.  An occasional shooting pain in my hip (like maybe once a week after walking longer).  The pain seems to be about the same on each side of my body, maybe a little worse on the right.

I feel like my right leg might be a little shorter... i've felt a little off kilter for years. 

JoJo

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #4 on: January 22, 2020, 12:12:50 PM »
Also should mention, I’ve been particularly sedentary in the last year and not watching my diet.  It’s a combo of laziness and not wanting to be in pain.   I’m getting serious now because I love hiking and traveling and want to get back into it and be pain free. 

mspym

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #5 on: January 22, 2020, 12:20:23 PM »
Have you considered seeing a physiotherapist? A good one is worth their weight in gold, and will give you very specific advice and exercises to relieve the pain and then build up the balanced muscles.

GuitarStv

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #6 on: January 22, 2020, 12:29:16 PM »
Can you describe the pain?

Are you talking about general soreness that gets better when you move more, sharp shooting pains, what?

Occassional stiffness after getting up.  As for being on my feet sometimes 15 minutes or more, just general pressure around my knees.  Then after walking longer, pain around the hips.  An occasional shooting pain in my hip (like maybe once a week after walking longer).  The pain seems to be about the same on each side of my body, maybe a little worse on the right.

I feel like my right leg might be a little shorter... i've felt a little off kilter for years.

So . . . I agree with everyone else that you should talk to a medical practitioner about any pain you're feeling.  I'm not a doctor, and don't even play one on TV.  That said . . . I've got some experience working with people who have been very sedentary for extended periods.  Stiffness getting up is not unusual.  It should get better as your body re-learns to move again and as it becomes more accustomed to the stress from the excess weight you've been putting on it.  Pressure around your knees isn't necessarily bad (knees are always something to pay attention to), and may be related to the same or it maybe a big deal.  You need to see someone to find out.

Dull pain/stiffness/soreness . . . typically that's normal and can be ignored.  Shooting pain is something to pay attention to though.  That's an indication of a problem.  If it's happening when you're doing longer walks, you need to aim for shorter walks and slowly increase time/distance over time.

The rebuilding process is a slow one, but if you keep at it things will improve.  Best of luck.

ixtap

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #7 on: January 22, 2020, 12:30:29 PM »
Also should mention, I’ve been particularly sedentary in the last year and not watching my diet.  It’s a combo of laziness and not wanting to be in pain.   I’m getting serious now because I love hiking and traveling and want to get back into it and be pain free.

As a fellow yo yo er on both calories and activity, it sounds like you need to work back up to your goals.

Does the stiffness/ pain subside with light activity? Do a little more of that each day.

I found yoga to be pretty beneficial, as well.

I also had great success last year with an elimination diet. I was freer and lighter, but didn't identify any specific triggers. A few months later I was back to eating junk and feeling worse again. DH did discover some specific food triggers.

Wrenchturner

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #8 on: January 22, 2020, 12:46:19 PM »
Massage!  Massage balls are a good place to start and they're low cost.

meghan88

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #9 on: January 23, 2020, 07:25:54 AM »
Sounds like generalized inflammation could be part of the problem.  You might try cutting out processed foods, anything with sugar, white flour, etc., and switching to unprocessed fruits, veg, legumes, and fish/meat for a month, and see if that helps.  It certainly can't hurt.

Also - how's your indoor environment?  Do you have good air filtration?

I suffered for a few years with massive generalized leg and hip pain.  This was after moving into a new place with brand new carbonized bamboo flooring.  Shortly after moving in, I could not walk, bike, stand, sit, or sleep without pain.  The first 2-3 years were the worst, especially in winter when windows were closed.  Things gradually improved and last summer we moved.  I'm now pain-free. 

I strongly suspect that I had a bad (inflammatory) reaction to the formaldehyde off-gassing from the floors.

Also, keep up the good work with exercising, and stay active.  Movement is like oil for your joints.  Being a couch potato feels great when you're doing it, but is bad for you in the long run; exercising feels bad when you're doing it, but is great for you in the long run.

Daley

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #10 on: January 23, 2020, 08:34:04 AM »
Any suggestions for good brands of compression socks and where to get them?  The shear selection on Amazon is overwhelming.  I have relatively large calves.

I'm just a lay person, and I'm not a medical professional in the slightest. Don't take my musings even remotely seriously. Talk with licensed professionals, such as a physiotherapist and pedorthist for your problems.

If your medical person is saying you could benefit from compression socks and told you the exact compression level you need, some of the better compression socks for the money I've personally used are from Run Forever. They're also available from Amazon.

As for the rest of the pain, if you're ramping up physical activity again after being sedentary for a while, you may be developing knots in weird places with some of your leg and back muscles. First, make sure you're keeping yourself well hydrated to help flush out the lactic acid buildup. Learning to locate those knots and doing the deep tissue massage necessary to break them loose is useful, and frequently that pain and those knotted muscles aren't where you think its coming from due to deferred pain. For example, my hamstrings will ache on occasion with long periods of standing on uneven or soft surfaces, and it's due to my developing knots on the outside backs of my calves trying to keep my balance. I massage and break up the knots in the calves, and the hamstrings in my thighs stop yelling.

It's not a perfect solution, but The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Clair Davies along with some sound guidance from a physiotherapist should give you a list of the most common muscle knot locations with deferred pain and how to work them out... assuming that's actually the problem.

If you genuinely think your legs are uneven, find a good pedorthist in your area and have a talk with them.

Lastly, it might help, it might not. A glass a day of tart cherry juice. It's helped a lot with my arthritis and muscle pain. Cheapest path I've found on that stuff is the Tart Is Smart concentrate, provided you have a Sprouts in your area. It's not the cheapest stuff in the world, but if it helps....
« Last Edit: January 23, 2020, 08:42:00 AM by Daley »

JoJo

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #11 on: January 23, 2020, 09:00:26 AM »
Thanks all for the advice. 

I agree there inflamation going on - ibuprofen makes the longer walks more bearable. 

I've cut back considerably on processed foods.  I'm trying to make my own "microwave meals" ahead of time that's frozen veg + chicken breast.  There are still a few salty/processed things I haven't cut out - cottage cheese, salsa (I should start making my own but it's hard to get good tomatoes), occassionally some fat free italian dressing.    Drinking enough water during the week is no problem (at work I drink coffee and water all day long) but I'm going to drink an extra glass or two on the weekends.

Thanks for the compression sock recommendation.

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #12 on: January 23, 2020, 09:23:19 AM »
Standard disclaimer: Not a doctor, this isn't genuine medical advice, please consult your doctor, etc etc etc.

Very possibly could be inflammation/arthritis.

What has really helped me, seemed to be some diet modifications.  I'm not sure which one(s) of these helped the situation most for me (since I did all of them at the same time):

- Reduced dairy
- Eliminated nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant)
- Improved my Omega-3/Omega-6 fatty-acid ratio (increased flaxseeds, using fish oil supplement, eating more fish, avoid soybean/vegetable/canola oils, and using more olive oil and avocado oil)
- Reduced alcohol

JoJo

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #13 on: January 23, 2020, 09:03:09 PM »
I've read about inflammation and diets for that.  I could mostly stick to it but I like tomatoes and peppers.  I don't eat a lot of dairy and since I started dieting, I eat 2 tablespoons of raw flax seeds a day.  I'll try to adhere to that diet better and see if it helps.

I already feel a lot better after 2 weeks of diet and mild exercise.  I'm going to try a 2 mile walk this weekend and see how it goes.

Frankies Girl

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #14 on: January 23, 2020, 09:31:53 PM »
This may not be helpful to you, but I'd never heard of it before, and it is apparently very common, so on the small chance that this helps you at all...

I used to be morbidly obese, lost an entire person's worth of weight and went from desk job/sedentary to active as hell (I work out/gym/do stuff/yoga) practically every day.

When I started the active/intentional exercise, it was basic walking. Around the 1 month mark, I thought I'd done something really awful. Shooting pains when I walked or stood for too long, very achy hips/legs and tingling down the legs to feet. It turned out for me to be a pretty painful case of piriformis syndrome. It's kind of sciatica, but not JUST sciatica (can read up and see if that sounds possible in the link below). I think I developed it due to the onset of constant never-as-an-adult actual exercise coupled with the weight loss and change in my gait - really did a number on me. Excruciating pain sometimes, other times, just dull ache/heavy feeling with occasional little "gotcha" twinges.

I fixed it by incorporating stretching/rolling/yoga. I used tennis balls for really targeted rolling otherwise I would do the standard foam roller (you can likely find one at your gym). I got REALLY into yoga tho, as it had so many other benefits on top of the basic stretching and it felt SO GOOD. To specifically target my piriformis/sciatic area, I do pigeon pose, deep/wide leg yoga squats, clamshells... there are tons of wonderful yoga poses/stretches that shouldn't hurt to try to see if you get any relief/improvement.

https://www.yogajournal.com/practice/primer-on-the-piriformis

lizzzi

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #15 on: January 24, 2020, 05:50:49 AM »
This is just my own anecdotal experience. I was having something similar, and the my doctor sent me to physical therapy. It is amazing what those people can do. The therapist identified that one of my hips was lower than the other, and gave me a regimen of stretches and exercises that got rid of the pain pretty quickly. What I've found over the years is that I have to keep my weight down to somewhat overweight-but-not-obese levels, and keep somewhat toned up--don't have to do a whole lot of exercise, but can't get too flabby. At the moment I am 15 pounds heavier than what my highest "normal" weight is supposed to be, and I walk two hours a day with the dog. No aches and pains.

rantk81

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #16 on: January 24, 2020, 05:56:03 AM »
I've read about inflammation and diets for that.  I could mostly stick to it but I like tomatoes and peppers.  I don't eat a lot of dairy and since I started dieting, I eat 2 tablespoons of raw flax seeds a day.  I'll try to adhere to that diet better and see if it helps.

I already feel a lot better after 2 weeks of diet and mild exercise.  I'm going to try a 2 mile walk this weekend and see how it goes.

I know, I love peppers and tomatoes too!  :(

Also - With the flaxseeds -- To really get the best benefit, you need to grind them up.  (I have a spare coffee-grinder that I use for spices and flaxseeds.)  Otherwise, they mostly just pass right through you, undigested.
Ground flaxseeds can act almost like a flour or breadcrumb replacement.  I use them in meatloaf/meatballs, etc.
« Last Edit: January 24, 2020, 05:59:34 AM by rantk81 »

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #17 on: January 24, 2020, 06:29:56 AM »
This is just my own anecdotal experience. I was having something similar, and the my doctor sent me to physical therapy. It is amazing what those people can do. The therapist identified that one of my hips was lower than the other, and gave me a regimen of stretches and exercises that got rid of the pain pretty quickly.

Same here. Everything was fine according to the normal doctor, but the physical therapist immediately identified the hip imbalance and it's made a world of difference!

JoJo

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #18 on: January 24, 2020, 01:38:58 PM »
This is just my own anecdotal experience. I was having something similar, and the my doctor sent me to physical therapy. It is amazing what those people can do. The therapist identified that one of my hips was lower than the other, and gave me a regimen of stretches and exercises that got rid of the pain pretty quickly. What I've found over the years is that I have to keep my weight down to somewhat overweight-but-not-obese levels, and keep somewhat toned up--don't have to do a whole lot of exercise, but can't get too flabby. At the moment I am 15 pounds heavier than what my highest "normal" weight is supposed to be, and I walk two hours a day with the dog. No aches and pains.

This is amazing!  I might see if I can get a referral.

I got my actual labs today (dr had just verbally told me everything was normal).  But most of my readings are even better than normal... very good cholesterol, no where near pre-diabetic, etc.  It's just that I'm morbidly obese.

wenchsenior

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #19 on: January 24, 2020, 02:15:45 PM »
This is just my own anecdotal experience. I was having something similar, and the my doctor sent me to physical therapy. It is amazing what those people can do. The therapist identified that one of my hips was lower than the other, and gave me a regimen of stretches and exercises that got rid of the pain pretty quickly.

Same here. Everything was fine according to the normal doctor, but the physical therapist immediately identified the hip imbalance and it's made a world of difference!

Same.  I got all the way to my mid 40s with no idea I had scoliosis and and uneven pelvic girdle,  with worsening pain the whole time.  I now have very specific strengthening and stretching exercises that I have to do nearly every day or things go downhill fast (and I'm underweight...additional weight would definitely make everything worse, but I wouldn't assume being overweight is the sole cause of joint pain).

JoJo

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #20 on: January 24, 2020, 06:08:59 PM »


. Shooting pains when I walked or stood for too long, very achy hips/legs and tingling down the legs to feet. It turned out for me to be a pretty painful case of piriformis syndrome. It's kind of sciatica, but not JUST sciatica (can read up and see if that sounds possible in the link below). I think I developed it due to the onset of constant never-as-an-adult actual exercise coupled with the weight loss and change in my gait - really did a number on me. Excruciating pain sometimes, other times, just dull ache/heavy feeling with occasional little "gotcha" twinges.


this sounds exactly what I'm feeling, minus the shooting pain is only occasionally.

JoJo

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #21 on: January 24, 2020, 06:10:32 PM »
I've read about inflammation and diets for that.  I could mostly stick to it but I like tomatoes and peppers.  I don't eat a lot of dairy and since I started dieting, I eat 2 tablespoons of raw flax seeds a day.  I'll try to adhere to that diet better and see if it helps.

I already feel a lot better after 2 weeks of diet and mild exercise.  I'm going to try a 2 mile walk this weekend and see how it goes.

I know, I love peppers and tomatoes too!  :(

Also - With the flaxseeds -- To really get the best benefit, you need to grind them up.  (I have a spare coffee-grinder that I use for spices and flaxseeds.)  Otherwise, they mostly just pass right through you, undigested.
Ground flaxseeds can act almost like a flour or breadcrumb replacement.  I use them in meatloaf/meatballs, etc.

on the flaxseeds... i chew them up really good... probably still not as good as grinding but I like the taste & chewing!

DavidAnnArbor

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #22 on: January 24, 2020, 06:11:47 PM »
I agree with Frankies Girl, it sounds like a kind of Sciatica pain.

I recommend stretching and strengthening all the core muscles, yoga, hiking, stretching exercises, etc.

Telecaster

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #23 on: January 24, 2020, 09:30:05 PM »
Like everyone else, I'm not a doctor....

...however, my ears picked up when I saw your doctor recommended compression socks.   I've noticed my legs definitely feel better after a long flight if I wear compression socks.   I've also noticed that if go through a period of a little of sitting and not much activity, like before a big work deadline (I'm self-employed, so I can't offload work), my legs will hurt when I walk, and otherwise feel heavy.  Somewhat like what you described.  I've concluded leg pain in my case is probably due to poor circulation from not enough movement. 

Here's something even better than compression socks:  Goblet squats.

https://www.t-nation.com/training/goblet-squats-101

Be careful to use correct form, of course.  The beauty you might not have time to go hiking or make it to yoga class, but you always have time for say, three sets of 30 goblet squats.  Done correctly, it will pump a ton of blood through your legs.   The other great part is you should start to feel improvement within a couple days so you don't have to wonder if it is working or not.   

wenchsenior

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #24 on: January 25, 2020, 08:09:50 AM »
This may not be helpful to you, but I'd never heard of it before, and it is apparently very common, so on the small chance that this helps you at all...

I used to be morbidly obese, lost an entire person's worth of weight and went from desk job/sedentary to active as hell (I work out/gym/do stuff/yoga) practically every day.

When I started the active/intentional exercise, it was basic walking. Around the 1 month mark, I thought I'd done something really awful. Shooting pains when I walked or stood for too long, very achy hips/legs and tingling down the legs to feet. It turned out for me to be a pretty painful case of piriformis syndrome. It's kind of sciatica, but not JUST sciatica (can read up and see if that sounds possible in the link below). I think I developed it due to the onset of constant never-as-an-adult actual exercise coupled with the weight loss and change in my gait - really did a number on me. Excruciating pain sometimes, other times, just dull ache/heavy feeling with occasional little "gotcha" twinges.

I fixed it by incorporating stretching/rolling/yoga. I used tennis balls for really targeted rolling otherwise I would do the standard foam roller (you can likely find one at your gym). I got REALLY into yoga tho, as it had so many other benefits on top of the basic stretching and it felt SO GOOD. To specifically target my piriformis/sciatic area, I do pigeon pose, deep/wide leg yoga squats, clamshells... there are tons of wonderful yoga poses/stretches that shouldn't hurt to try to see if you get any relief/improvement.

https://www.yogajournal.com/practice/primer-on-the-piriformis

I also have this, caused mainly by my desk job but made worse by my above-mentioned scoliosis/crooked pelvis.  It's astonishing that my tiny little piriformis muscle strand can cause so much agony.  I actually carry a softball around with me (in my purse, etc), and several times per day I do a form of trigger-point release where I lie down on the floor, put it into the hollow of my right glute/hip, and start putting all my weight on it, rolling it in small controlled motions until I hit that little bastard.  It can be quite uncomfortable to do this if the muscle is spasming but it makes an unbelievable difference to my overall pain....like taking me from having weeks of a shortened impaired gait to a fully functional normal walk 2 days later.


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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #25 on: January 25, 2020, 08:31:35 AM »
I'm glad you had a medical evaluation, but if it continues/worsens you should go back.  There are quite a few possible causes of this and some of them are potentially serious conditions that should not be ignored.

If you are thinking it's an achy/stiff in the AM/inflammatory condition, the first thing I suggest doing is cut out *all* wheat products for 2 weeks.  That means no bread, pasta, cakes, pie crusts, pizza dough etc.  Apparently that solves problems like this for a lot of people.  Sugar is another potential culprit - you could try them sequentially or both together.

I stumbled on this by accident when I started a ketogenic diet to lose weight.  I was completely surprised when 2 weeks later, the annoying hip and foot pain I'd been living with for years and assumed was normal "squeaks and rattles" stuff disappeared. When I went to the UK and enjoyed beer and Cornish pasties for a few days, the pains came back.  And then disappeared again when I went back to my ketogenic diet.  Same thing happened over the holidays due to family dinners featuring extreme yumminess in the form of pies and cookies.

The good part is that I bet eliminating sugar and wheat will be enough to help you shed some pounds.  I'm not sure a full-on ketogenic diet is even necessary for most people.

Wrenchturner

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #26 on: January 25, 2020, 09:53:05 AM »
I went for dry needling yesterday, where they insert needles into muscles to trigger a spasm and theoretically a release of muscle tension.  Worked great on my neck!  If you have physiotherapy benefits I would recommend using them, and they can do dry needling(at least in Canada).

Leisured

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #27 on: February 02, 2020, 02:59:49 AM »
I am not a doctor, but many years ago I took the Non Steroidal Anti Inflammation drug Voltaren to stop severe back pain. In those days, in Australia, it was on prescription, now it is available over the counter. It worked, after a few weeks.

I was interested in Lizzzi's advice on physio.


JoJo

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #28 on: February 03, 2020, 09:45:42 AM »
Update on this - I've lost about 5 more lbs since my dr's visit.  I've now had a pretty clean diet and have been exercising for 3 weeks.  I also replaced my mattress.   I have seen vast improvement.  It seems my worst pain comes from just standing... I went to a festival on saturday and was really sore, but sunday I walked 2.5 miles and went shopping... about 2 hours on my feet with a few short rests.  I was limping by the end of the 2.5 miles... I still think my right leg is shorter and/or my posture has gotten so bad by favoring one leg.  I'm going to see if the dr. can refer me to physical therapist.  Could also be osteoarthritis. 

Leisured

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #29 on: February 06, 2020, 03:41:19 AM »
JoJo if you suspect that one leg is slightly longer than the other, I recommend seeing your doctor, and if needed have a special built up shoe made, so that your long leg is not doing most of the work of walking.

JoJo

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #30 on: February 06, 2020, 10:46:59 AM »
I've asked for a referral to a Physical Therapist.  I'm hoping I don't have to go back to the doctor for just a referral, but we shall see.

JoJo

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #31 on: April 09, 2020, 03:33:49 PM »
Update:  Well, I've lost about 40 pounds since my physical by restricting diet and doing light/moderate exercise.  Haven't been able to get back to the doctor for that physical therapist referral due to the covid, but I started doing some hip strengthening exercises (Youtube videos by a physical therapist).  Walking 3 miles a day regularly including some elevation isn't really a problem now, but I can see in my shadow that I have poor posture/gait and there's occasional,light pain.   I'm going to try walking a longer distance this weekend, maybe 5 miles or so.  It's been hard work but so worth it.   

Dicey

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #32 on: April 09, 2020, 04:34:55 PM »
Update:  Well, I've lost about 40 pounds since my physical by restricting diet and doing light/moderate exercise.  Haven't been able to get back to the doctor for that physical therapist referral due to the covid, but I started doing some hip strengthening exercises (Youtube videos by a physical therapist).  Walking 3 miles a day regularly including some elevation isn't really a problem now, but I can see in my shadow that I have poor posture/gait and there's occasional,light pain.   I'm going to try walking a longer distance this weekend, maybe 5 miles or so.  It's been hard work but so worth it.
Well that's a ray of sunshine in a gloomy landscape! Thanks for the update and congratulations on your weight loss! Keep up the good work!

wenchsenior

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #33 on: April 10, 2020, 11:20:51 AM »
That's great news!  (Also a good motivator for me to get serious about body-weight training, which I keep saying I'm going to do as my next fitness goal).

meghan88

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #34 on: April 10, 2020, 06:25:26 PM »
Congrats!!  Good work.  What might help the posture issue are some gentle exercises to strengthen the muscles in the back of your body.  No equipment needed.  Google bird-dogs, supermans, sumo squats, tricep dips, body rows.  And anything for the core:  planks, side planks, etc.

Apples

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #35 on: April 11, 2020, 07:50:40 AM »
Congrats Jojo!  Losing that much weight while restricted on what exercise you can do and while dealing with pain is a serious accomplishment!

I have been dealing with lower back problems for 2 years now (and I'm 29, so that's not in the realm of "normal").  I won't get into the details because I don't think it'll help you, but the point is I'd like to suggest you add glute bridges (plus alternating leg raises) to your daily regimen.  Just 5 to 10.  If you believe you have posture issues, a glute bridge really helps activate all those back body muscles, and your core (suck in your lower abdomen area to turn on your transverse abs during the bridges). 

I will also say that I can walk all day, but standing for just 20 minutes is difficult for me.  I feel your struggle.  Strengthening my glutes and lower core (and learning correct posture) is helping with that.  Which is why I suggest them.  Also, yoga is lovely.  There are free classes of all levels on doyogawithme.com if you'd like to check a short one out, and they do have classes geared for brand new to yoga, and "I'm not 22 anymore" people.

I hope you get in to see a PT as soon as all this clears up, they really do offer wonderful insights into what is going on. And I know mine was excited to see anyone who wasn't there after a joint replacement haha.  Broke up their day with something interesting.

EngagedToFIRE

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #36 on: April 13, 2020, 06:09:27 PM »
Have you tried CBD?  I'd get a smaller/cheapish order of it to try it out.  It's a miracle for some, and does very little for others.  For me, it's been damn near a miracle for the nerve pain I had - something that traditional pain killers did nothing for.

AnnaGrowsAMustache

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #37 on: April 14, 2020, 01:11:55 AM »
If this kind of pain has come on after generally becoming more active, my best guess is that you have foot issues. This could be as simple as poorly fitting exercise shoes. It could be as complicated as one leg longer than the other. Either way, a visit to a podiatrist and getting some professionally fitted foot wear is the start. My guess is that you will need orthotics, and possibly some education on how you are moving your feet. It's a simple thing to change once you're aware of the issue.

JoJo

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #38 on: April 14, 2020, 10:48:42 AM »
If this kind of pain has come on after generally becoming more active, my best guess is that you have foot issues. This could be as simple as poorly fitting exercise shoes. It could be as complicated as one leg longer than the other. Either way, a visit to a podiatrist and getting some professionally fitted foot wear is the start. My guess is that you will need orthotics, and possibly some education on how you are moving your feet. It's a simple thing to change once you're aware of the issue.

Actually, the opposite.  I had a particularly sedentary 2 years and was gaining weight and having pain when walking/standing.  Most of that pain is now gone, and it's been walking and losing wt to accomplish that.  But I do still think there is an underlying foot/leg thing too. 

The bad thing is after losing about a half pound a day, every day, for a couple months, I've hit a plateau in the last 10 days.  But I haven't cheated and I'm maintaining at least.  Hopefully one of these days I'll break this plateau. 

AnnaGrowsAMustache

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #39 on: April 14, 2020, 05:21:42 PM »
If this kind of pain has come on after generally becoming more active, my best guess is that you have foot issues. This could be as simple as poorly fitting exercise shoes. It could be as complicated as one leg longer than the other. Either way, a visit to a podiatrist and getting some professionally fitted foot wear is the start. My guess is that you will need orthotics, and possibly some education on how you are moving your feet. It's a simple thing to change once you're aware of the issue.

Actually, the opposite.  I had a particularly sedentary 2 years and was gaining weight and having pain when walking/standing.  Most of that pain is now gone, and it's been walking and losing wt to accomplish that.  But I do still think there is an underlying foot/leg thing too. 

The bad thing is after losing about a half pound a day, every day, for a couple months, I've hit a plateau in the last 10 days.  But I haven't cheated and I'm maintaining at least.  Hopefully one of these days I'll break this plateau.

People develop very weird ways of moving, and that causes injury. For example, many people run using their hip flexors and hamstrings, instead of their glutes and core. It's a habit, and it puts undue stress on particular areas causing pain and injury. If you have some kind of issue like that, a podiatrist should be able to help. Even just filming yourself walking, you may be able to identify some little habits you have.

Dicey

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Re: Leg Pain - HELP!
« Reply #40 on: April 15, 2020, 11:46:47 AM »
@JoJo, I'm thrilled you've seen such an improvement. My heart lurches every time your thread pops up. Since you're doing so much better, would you please consider modifying your thread title? .