Agnostic.com

19 5

Exercising atheists: I walk about 50 miles a week. Yesterday, after sitting for a while to grade papers for a summer class, I started to walk again and I began to feel what I would describe as a pinch in the leg. I do not know the name for the part of the leg. If I touch it, I feel nothing. Standing, nothing or virtually nothing. But when I walk, there's the pinch and occasionally it feels like a rubber band stretched too far and then snapping back. So, short of stopping walking (which I cannot completely do), suggestions? Particularly from those in health/biology fields? Where'd be a good place to look so I can figure out the name for the part of the leg and give a better description? Some warm/cold mix of applying a compress? How long to wait before saying, yes, I need to see a doctor about this?

(P.S.-sorry this isn't about agnosticism/atheism. But if I asked religious friends, they'd pray for my leg, right?!)

LimitedLight 7 May 20
Share

Enjoy being online again!

Welcome to the community of good people who base their values on evidence and appreciate civil discourse - the social network you will enjoy.

Create your free account

19 comments

Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.

0

Look, people can give all the advise they want. But, damn it, no one can diagnose you on a web site. You need to go see a good doctor, probably get appropriate imaging, perhaps nerve conduction tests, an MRI, whatever.
Anyone who takes advice other than seeing a doctor is making a big mistake. In fact, I would personally want to go to a good specialist.

0

I asked below and I'll ask again. Have you had a nerve conduction test. That would rule out sciatica, (which is what it sounds like).

0

As a licensed chiropractor for over 40 years, you might look for a Chiropractor who has experience with athletes. Your request is virtually impossible to solve without an in person evaluation by a this kind of practitioner.

1

Sounds like you may have hurtinlegitis, possibly. See a doctor - no one on here gives medical advise (or no one should unless they're an actual doctor.) 😛

We promise, though, that we won't pray for your leg. XD

1

If you have pain that prevents you from doing your normal activities and that pain doesn't resolve or improve within a day or two, I would definitely have it looked at by your PCP. If it's sharp pain OR redness, swelling especially behind one leg, I wouldn't wait. It could be injury or over exertion or it could be circulatory. None of us can assess your pain online. What is your gut telling you...are you worried or do you have a feeling it will pass? Usually we are our own best judge.

2

Please get thee to a doctor. I work in disability claims. Knees and hips are wonderful and complex, and can mess you up. Maybe it is nothing, maybe it is age. But seriously, the doctor has years of training and great machinery in his office. If it is nothing you have peace of mind. If it is not nothing then you caught it early and might save you some pain and time on down the road.

1

You should get checked out right away. If it is a blood clot, some of the advice you are getting here can be quite detrimental. I thought my pain was muscle/tendon related at first and it almost killed me.

0

I think that you need way more walking but not in one go. Just pace yourself and get walking.

@LimitedLight Yes it is more than most do, however you should not worry about what most do and if you want to be healthy than just walk. Apparently if you walk slowly it is just a waste of time.

1

WebMD will tell you your'e dying; it always errs on the side of caution. I'm constantly pulling muscles and pinching nerves; I use cold to numbing warm to relax. Stretch gently when you're warmed up. Definitely google the anatomy and symptoms, then search for stretches. If it gets severe or lasts, go to the doctor.

0

Was it a sharp, electric shooting sort of nerve pain or more like a tendon/muscle strain or spasm? N what region of the leg? If it felt like a tendon or muscle pain towards the top of the leg (the hip flexor) you should look into yoga for psoas tension release. That’s the tendon that runs over the hip and connects the top of the leg to the bottom 5 vertebrae of the spine n it’s super important for alignment n posture of your whole body. If it’s a nerve pain running up the back of your leg it’s the sciatic nerve. Those seem like the most common/complex leg problems you usually hear about and there’s yoga stretches on YouTube or wherever designed to help with each.

0

I would research things online. Cross reference articles to be sure.

It may take you a while, and lots of work, but the answer is out there.

Alternatively visit a chiropractor, if you have the money. It sounds like a tendon.

0

You probably have stenosis in your spine. That means the nerve conducting electrical signals to your legs is compressed. This situation may well require surgery as the nerve can die.
Generally, they do MRIs of your spine, as well as tests of your electrical connectivity down the spine.

I had the condition, and was told it was permanent. A structural integrationist, (like a Rolfer) opened up the distance in my spine, and I was fine.

1

I've had a similar problem and I was recommended alternating hot and cold therapy, gentle stretching of the affected muscle and NSAIDs (like ibuprofen) or CBD. Don't stop activity, that only makes it worse.

1

Could it be sciatica? That is usually more of a shooting pain though...

@Jello_vero I disagree, it sounds exactly like sciatica, the only way to know is a nerve conduction test.

0

Could be a DVT bloodclot. I've had those.Don't play, get it checked out.

0

lol @ praying for your leg
[nih.gov] might be a good starting place.

1

above the knee? below it? in the knee? in the calf? in back of the quad(large muscles above the knee) which would be the hamstring?

@LimitedLight addendum since I see where you’re talking about now. If it’s toward the top of that adductor region it could still be the hip flexor (psoas). I’d look into stretches for the adductor longus too though if the strain seems to go all the way down the inner thigh like that..

@LimitedLight if its in the back, its the hammy.....You stretch before you exercise?

2

Do a Google search for anatomy.

0

Without being able to run tests your description sounds like PAD or maybe inflammation of a joint or nerve. Hard to say.

Write Comment
You can include a link to this post in your posts and comments by including the text q:86205
Agnostic does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any content. Read full disclaimer.