My legs ache like crazy!

[I'm Joe]

I came down with a really bad cold a few days ago and during it something very strange started happening. From my lower back down the back of my legs to about my knees is aching really bad... Like so bad I can't sleep without taking some pain killer. It keeps coming back and I don't want to have to go to the doctors, but I guess that is what insurance is for.

 

Anyone ever heard of something like this before? Im wondering if maybe I don't have some kind of back injury that is totally unrelated that just manifested itself at the same time I got sick.

[quankanne]

that sounds really odd – have you lined up a visit to the doctor yet?

 

also, have you tried applying heat to your legs and/or the suspected source of pain? Sometimes that'll relax the pain/hurt enough to let you rest.

[I'm Joe]

that sounds really odd – have you lined up a visit to the doctor yet?

 

also, have you tried applying heat to your legs and/or the suspected source of pain? Sometimes that'll relax the pain/hurt enough to let you rest.

 

 

I don't really have a heating pad, I guess I could slap some ben-gay on there.

[MichaelKEH]

I would say you should go see a doctor (of course that is a free statement for me as a canadian, if its expensive for you to see a doctor maybe wait a couple days) it sounds too me like your cold is affecting your muscles -which has been known to happen with the flue especially. But since you said its affecting your lower back you might want to see a doctor just to rule out a lower back injury; does it feel like muscle pain or pain in your spine?

 

Your lower back extensors are directly connected to your glutes, which work in close conjuntion with your hanstrings so that is what made me think it could be realated to your cold as it affected that particular muscle system entirely -but it is also very possible that pressure on or a problem with your sciatic nerve could be causing your pain as well. Like i said at the start, best to see a doctor.

[MichaelKEH]

The sciatic nerve is actually a cluster of nerves that run from the lower back in the buttock area down the back of the leg.

When there's pressure on, or inflammation of, the nerve roots, there's usually a burning or electrical-type pain, which can be accompanied by tingling or numbness in the leg or foot.

"In the majority of people, there is no single event that you can identify," says neurosurgeon Dr. Gerald Godts. "People just sort of notice the onset of vague back pain. That's usually how it begins, and then within a day or two, it spreads to the leg."

 

I just ran into the above, but maybe it sounds kinda like you?

[quankanne]

forget the heating pad, because it's dry heat that'll burn you if you fall asleep and forget it's there. Instead, find an old, clean tubesock, fill it with dry, uncooked rice and tie a knot in the open end.

 

you can toss it in the microwave 1-2 minutes (but no more than 3-3.5 minutes or you'll burn the rice) then place wherever heat is needed. I've been making fleece ricebags for about 7-8 years now and giving them as gifts and people love them because it's a moist heat that imitates body heat and relatively inexpensive to create.

[laRubiaBonita]

i have had my entire back and neck start to really hurt after i got sick.... i swore i had meningitus...

 

i lived in therma wraps for days...... i never knew what exactly caused it- i chalked it up to my body being stressed from being sick.

 

drink plenty of water, get some potassium, take a hot batha nd let your legs soak, then stretch

[I'm Joe]

I went to the Doctor today.. He said a lot of times when you get sick you muscles will tighten up. It happens in different places to different people. Since I have a history of back injury my back is just more prone. So basically the muscles around my Sciatic Nerve tightened up and just like that my legs started to hurt... So time will heal it. along with Ibproufen.