Leg pain

[ivypress]

I suffer from aching, painful legs, especially below the knee in the shin area.Can anyone suggest anything I could do to ease the pain or stop it altogether-I get cramp in my toes quite often&very sore muscles at the backs of my thighs but it's mainly an aching pain down my shin that makes it very hard to walk on.A doctor in the past mentioned I might have greenstick fractures but I don't really know what they are or what I should do to help them. Any suggestions gratefully received!

[FP]

You could go and see a foot specialist (podietrist?)  Often if you are walking badly this can affect your legs and back really badly and can cause a lot of pain.

I suffer from leg and foot pain, including cramp.  A lot of my pain is caused by arthritis, but I have recently been given advice on the sort of shoes that might help.  I can assure you that I am not wearing granny type shoes, there are some wonderful fashionable shoes out there made by Scholl and other companies.

 

Just an idea, I hope it helps you.

[FP]

I believe greenstick fractures are just small cracks in the bone as opposed to breaks.  Children are very prone to them.  I think they can happen as a result of knocks, etc.

[booksworth]

It depends how old you are, and how hard you work your body. Look up "greenstick fractures" on Google; also look up "shin splints", which affects runners and fast bowlers. If you are into jogging etc, try to find a doctor who specialises in sports injuries - ask around at the local sports centre.

[MORELLO]

ivypress -  I am a Podiatrist working for the NHS. What you're describing is referred to as 'shin splints' which is a general term used to describe pain in that area. Cramps in the toes, and in the rear thigh are usually muscle spasms of unknown cause. If they are experienced in the calf or inside thigh they may relate to circulation. Green stick fractures are usually experienced by children due to the flexibility of their bones. Imagine a fresh, young 'green' stick that when bent, doesn't actually break but just 'bends'. But anyway, - shinsplints. Caused in most cases by posture, stance and personal gait - the way you walk. You need to register with, or be referred to, a Podiatrist such as myself who can visually and mechanically assess your gait pattern. You can then have made an individual insole ( orthotic ) to improve it and hopefully eleviate your symptoms. Unfortunately with the NHS you may experience post code lottery. Good luck.

[ivypress]

Thanks for all your suggestions - i am not very old (23!) but i'm also not a runner of any kind so i think i may be paying a trip to the doctors soon. I wear my shoes down in a very weird way (more on one side of my foot than the other) so maybe i just walk very oddly..

[secretspirit]

I know this answer won't go down well with the salt police but a lack of it can cause muscle cramps so make sure you're getting enough but not an excess. Also if you get cramp at night a lot try wearing bedsocks if you don't already. I used to suffer with that a lot but since wearing the socks it never happens any more.