Leg cramps need advice on treatment.

[TLAM Strike]

Ok I figure someone around here has some medical knowledge (the subsim forum has knowledge on every subject it seems).

I’ve been having leg cramps (painful ) for the past three weeks in my left leg. Mainly they are focused from the nee down. The calf is kind of numb or tense (can’t really tell which). All this started after moving some stuff, not really heavy stuff but I guess I didn’t stretch beforehand and that might have overexerted something in my leg. My lower back is also hurting but that maybe just from walking funny. The pain can be very bad at times or almost unnoticeable, I seem to have less pain when my nee is bent and when I’m walking (Limping is more like it). Aspirin and Anacin help sometimes.

What is the best thing to do (besides talk to a doctor, can’t afford a medical bill)? I read that having a low amount of calcium in my body can cause cramps; I haven’t been drinking as much milk or eating as much cheese as I did several months ago. Should I change my diet?

What should I do?

[Torpedo Fodder]

Do you have diabetes?

[blue3golf]

My personal opinion is to make sure to stay stretched out and HYDRATE. I've played football in college and now am in the armed forces, that usually does the trick unless soemthing serious.

[Theta Sigma]

I don't mean to scare you, but leg pain can be caused by blood clots. The most common type is what's commonly known as "Eonomy-Class Syndrome"

Take a look here:

http://www.dvt.net

I know medical bills are a pain, but this possible cause should be ruled out by a doctor.

[Kapitan]

Ever thought about seeing a doctor?

[Skybird]

Try magnesium first. Check your food habits.

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Torpedo Fodder

Do you have diabetes?

No I do not.

Originally Posted by blue3golf

My personal opinion is to make sure to stay stretched out and HYDRATE. I've played football in college and now am in the armed forces, that usually does the trick unless soemthing serious.

I'll try and stretch out my leg. What is the best position for it would you say? Just strait out while sitting (putting it on a stool or something?)

I'm already drinking plenty of liquids I think. I got a gallon travel jug of water (or kool-ade) that I take a few swigs from whenever I'm in the kitchen (Which is about every hour or so).

Originally Posted by Theta Sigma

I don't mean to scare you, but leg pain can be caused by blood clots. The most common type is what's commonly known as "Eonomy-Class Syndrome"

Take a look here:

http://www.dvt.net

I know medical bills are a pain, but this possible cause should be ruled out by a doctor.

Well considering that this happened right after some physical activity I think it can be traced to the muscles in my leg. While do sit for a while and am overweight (but losing and relatively healthy) I'm not really immobile, I'm always getting up and just walking around for one reason or another. I'm kind of ruling this out but I'll keep it in mind if this contiues with out improvement.

I was improving a lot (almost to the point of normalcy) until last Monday when I walked around a lot the two days before and the pain came back.


I’m applying this blue pain reliving jell that helps a little and using a heating pad which I read increases blood flow to the area along with some rapid deep breathing exersizes that is supposed increase oxygenation.

I've read that Potassium and Calcium can help with muscle cramps. This true? I’m going to look for some vitamins with them at the store today.

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by Kapitan

Ever thought about seeing a doctor?

Read his first post Kap...it's the states, they don't have the NHS.

[Deathblow]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

Ok I figure someone around here has some medical knowledge (the subsim forum has knowledge on every subject it seems).

I’ve been having leg cramps (painful ) for the past three weeks in my left leg. Mainly they are focused from the nee down. The calf is kind of numb or tense (can’t really tell which). All this started after moving some stuff, not really heavy stuff but I guess I didn’t stretch beforehand and that might have overexerted something in my leg. My lower back is also hurting but that maybe just from walking funny. The pain can be very bad at times or almost unnoticeable, I seem to have less pain when my nee is bent and when I’m walking (Limping is more like it). Aspirin and Anacin help sometimes.

Some questions.
1. Are there any particular motions, actions, or positions that make the pain worse?
2. Is their pain with touching your calf, or is your calf not particularly tender? Can you touch the skin around the pain and sense it your touch or is it really numb? Any particular sites of numbness on the calf, like the front or back?
3. How bad is your back pain, on a scale from 1-10, and what kindof positions make your back pain worse?
4. Can you lie back flat, straighten your leg, and have someone elevate your legs upward to 70-80 degrees without having the pain reproduced.
5. How is the muscle strenght in tho calf and foot. Weak? Normal?
6. What effect does heat or ice on your calf have on the cramps/numbness.

Some of the symptoms you describe suggest a couple of origins for the pain...

1. One is that you may have sustained a slight nerve strain in your back. The nerves that inervate the leg and calf originate at around the L4-L5 and strains at the nerve root origins can cause preceived pain at the distal sites. This is sometimes anti-intuitive because the pain/numbness is preceived at the nerve destination, not at the back.
2. A muscle strain or nerve strain in the calf itself maybe the source of your problem but is less likely since you said that walking actually makes the pain better. However, if your calf is noticeable "sore" when you rub and touch it then that may be the cause.
3. An abnormality low calcium and magnesium can cause muscle cramps, yes, ethier by decreased calcium in diet, lack of vitamin D (for calcium), or hormone imbalance. Dietary deficiencies can be remedied by vitamin supplement (of both calcium and VitD), hormonal imbalances in calcium regulatio cannot and can really only be detected by some blood testing. However, if your electrolyte levels are normal, then supplementing high amounts of calcium and VitD into your diet is not likely to relieve your symptoms, and the excess will be pee'd out by your kidneys (if functioning properly). Its also unusual for a global deficieny in electrolytes to cause pain in one and only one muscle region and its more likely that the muscle cramps would be recurrent in several muscle groups, but not impossible.
4. DVTs can cause swelling and pain. A test that doctor's sometime do is to have the person lie down with knee flex at about 30 degrees. Then the examiner takes the persons foot and flexes the ankle upward suddenly. If their is a marked pain in the calf or shin with this movement then its a sign of DVT, though not haven't pain isn't a garantee that a DVT isn't present. The definative testing involves ultrasonography.

Again you'll probably have to refer to some kind of health professional (doctor, nurse practicioner, physicians assistant) for definative diagnosis and even then the exact cause of the problem may not be easily determined.

[Type941]

buy some of that Lioton gel for your muscles and it will get the pain away. An anti inflamatory or similar drug can also help, doesn't ever hurt to take some aspirin with vitamin C for a couple of days, or paracetamol.

If the pain is there for long time, you feel uncomfortable, etc, by all means cut the crap and go to a doctor, if you have some stuff in your leg that could get serious it's much better to know sooner than later.

But looking at what you say, it's just a muscle pull. You get cramps when your muscles are lacking oxygen basically. So breath. :rotfl:

Here's some more junk science: When I suffered from cramps in my calves at night (like a really severe charly horse), a friend suggested that the problem was not low calcium, but potassium. He recommended a banana or two every day. To my surprise, it worked!

Can't say it's real medicine, but it's cheap and it wouldn't hurt to try.

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Here's some more junk science: When I suffered from cramps in my calves at night (like a really severe charly horse), a friend suggested that the problem was not low calcium, but potassium. He recommended a banana or two every day. To my surprise, it worked!

Can't say it's real medicine, but it's cheap and it wouldn't hurt to try.

Damn that sounds really close to what I got. Tomrrow I'm going to the store again and I'll look for multi-vitimin with potassium.

******************************
Some questions.
1. Are there any particular motions, actions, or positions that make the pain worse?

Laying on my back leg flat hurts. Standing up and not moving hurts too. I walked quite a bit today and I didn't hurt when walking but when I got home or was sitting in the car I hurt.



2. Is their pain with touching your calf, or is your calf not particularly tender? Can you touch the skin around the pain and sense it your touch or is it really numb? Any particular sites of numbness on the calf, like the front or back?

There is no/little pain when touching my calf. I can feel touch. The front and sides are i guess tight is a better word then numb.


3. How bad is your back pain, on a scale from 1-10, and what kindof positions make your back pain worse?

Its a 1 or 2. Sitting leaning to the right causes it to hurt sometimes. The pain is currently gone, I have a feeling this is more an effect than a cause of my calf/nee pain.


5. How is the muscle strenght in tho calf and foot. Weak? Normal?

My right leg seems normal.



6. What effect does heat or ice on your calf have on the cramps/numbness.

Heat makes it better. Have not tried cold.

[DeepSix]

Potassium is important for maintaining the pathway between nerve synapses. It also builds muscle tissue. Bananas are a good source of potassium; so are lima beans, tomatoes, potato skins, leafy greens, nuts, fish (esp. salmon), and even chocolate.

You can also take a daily multi-vitamin (like Centrum), which also contains enough calcium. Actually, half of one is really enough, and don't take the ones marketed to women and osteoporosis because they have waaaay more calcium than you need.

Don't want to overdo it; too much potassium can seriously affect your heart rate, while too much calcium makes it easier for kidney stones to form. I'd rather have the leg cramp, I think.

Smoking also increases your chances of having cramps because of its effects on the blood vessels.

[Sea Demon]

I agree with everyone here who says Potassium might help. But I'd still go see a doctor anyway....and screw the cost. It could potentially be a blood clot. My sister had one of those recently, and her symptoms are almost identical to yours.

Your health is nothing to screw around with or second guess.

[TLAM Strike]

Well I’m feeling better now; my nee seems to be mending and the pain in my calf is almost gone. I’m taking about 6 aspirin and three vitamins a day and I can walk a lot better and I’ve been sleeping well. The pain seems quite manageable and I hope it will be gone soon.

Thanks to everyone who gave advice I really appreciate it.