Unexplained Leg Pain?

Question

To start, I feel off a ladder, two steps, and hurt my foot - thought nothing of it, just thinking I sprained it. Until I was feeling and hearing popping noises and having pain. Went to the doc and found out that I broke a bone but it healed and I have bone fragments floating about. So I have had surgery on my foot to remove two pieces of bone back in September and all went well. But for two months now I have had mild to severe right leg thigh pain. I am a retail manager so I am on my feet constantly, but when I have a chance to rest it will hurt and sometimes it will hurt even if I am on it. It aches, burns and sometimes have stabbing pains along with a brief cold feeling. Those pains are off and on but what is constant more than anything is a dull ache and pain near the inner thigh near the knee. There is no skin discoloriation or swelling. And sometimes it hurts to walk. I have seen my podiatrist and he gave me a referal to see the Physical Therapist. The PT did two sessions with me on the pain in the thigh with light therapy and an electro one. By my third session she said do you feel any better and I said no. So she told me to go see the Orthopedic, so I did. The Ortho doc looked me over, moved my leg around and touch certain areas to trigger the pain. Unfornatly, I had a good day with no pain and nothing seem to set it off. So she had no idea - she gave me a question mark in my file. But when I left to go home I was feeling pain so I went back up to see her and she didn't even see me - the nurse offered me medicine. The day after my appointment I still had the pain and the next day after that I was in extreme pain to the point that I was about to cry. And now I am not that much in pain - finally subsided. But this pain is off and on so that is why the doc had no clue. - Where do I go to? I was wondering if this is another issue not related to the surgery or accident. Or it is arthritis and it hurts the foot as well as the leg. Please help.

The pain is not the back of the leg.

Answer 1

LN has the right idea...but rather than the sciatic nerve being the problem, it might be a femoral nerve problem. This is especially true if you are having pain while sitting and resting and it seems to "come and go." It occurs by the same mechanisms of a sciatic nerve problem...it's just a different nerve...but either way, it sounds like you need more testing to confirm that. I doubt it is directly attributuable to your original injury....but perhaps an altered pattern of walking led to this problem. If you are still in PT, I'd ask them to rule out the lumbar spine...if you are not in PT, I'd follow up with a spinal neurosurgeon...a lumbar MRI might be in order.

Answer 2

Sounds like it could be a sciatic nerve problem. This can cause your symptoms and you don't necessarily have to have back pain with it to experience the pain described in your leg and even your foot. Go back to the Dr and if necessary get a second or third opinion until you get to the bottom of it. Will need a cat scan of your lumbar spine to confirm.

Answer 3

It sounds like it's something to do with a nerve in your leg. You should see a new doctor and get some fresh opinions- possibly see a pain management doctor or a neurologist. It sounds like this doctor isn't helping much so it's the best idea to see a new doctor to get some new opinions. I have Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) and some of your pain sounds like CRPS, but since it's on and off, I highly doubt that it's CRPS, but it does seem to be another type of nerve problem.

Answer 4

Try TENS Trans Electro Nerve Stimulator - it is used for pain management.

Answer 5

1

Answer 6

Go back to your doctor