Pain in legs & lower back

[golfnut]

Dear all,
I have suffered a great deal since fall from pain in the hips. I was told I had trocanterit (or how it's spelled) which is an inflammation in the area where the muscles and tendons are attached to the hipbone (on the outside of the thigh so to speak). Now this inflammation has mostly gone away but I have lot's of pain in the lower back and leg/hip region still. (bone and joint is ok - x-rayed and checked)

And I have an idea of why, but this is just a personal thought. I have no medical verification..
We OT'ers tend to lean on things when standing. We lean sideways or on something in front of us in order to manage cooking or whatever we need to do. This must of course put quite a strain both on our muscles and spine! I think the leaning has caused the pain.

One thing I am now doing is trying to get more stamina in the core muscles, building strength all around the lower back and thinking about really using these muscles whenever I sit or stand or walk.
I'll ask Dr Bain about this when I see him next week in London - but what do you think? I know many of us suffer from pain - could the leaning be a cause?

best regards
the nut

[owen-lynettepickles]

Hi Golfnut
I believe the pain that I suffer in my legs and lower back is directly related to OT and the way I lean and stand. While I can now stand for a reasonable amount of time, legs astride, I believe it takes an extra amount of effort, which leads to more strain on the legs and pain is the consequence. Leaning definitely gives me a sore back. I keep reasonably fit by walking the dog every day, but my legs are extra sore on returning home.

Will be very interested in Dr Bain's views on this.
Kind regards
Lynette

[lla]

Hello to everyone,

I identify so much with the post from Lynette. For the past three years, I have been working to improve my stamina and strengthen my core. My neurologist believes I can still have more improvement if I can get my core stronger. It is true that I can stand longer (with much effort and pain in my back, hips and curled toes). It seems to me, I am exchanging one problem for another. After I struggle to stand, my legs don't work the way they should. They do not track right. If I stand holding on to something too long, I am frozen in place until someone helps me move. When I get to a place where I can walk faster, I quickly recover.

One of the worst problems is that the pain is lasting for longer periods of time. It is starting to take me 2-3 days to recover and be rid of the pain caused by the effort to stand.

I am not on any medications for my OT. My first neurologist prescribed Clonazepam. This did not work for me. After such horrible side effects, I am reluctant to try anything else. I am also gluten-free with some other food intolerances. My physical therapist has also fitted me for orthotics. This seems to have really helped.

I would appreciate any comments or suggestions anyone might have. Thank you for reading my post.

Linda

[owen-lynettepickles]

Hello Linda

I have found a cure for my pain - a medication called Panadol Osteo (New Zealand and Australia). I'm not sure what it would be called in USA, but it contains 665mg Paracetamol and I can take up to six per 24 Hours (2 tablets, 3 x daily). I turned down Clonazepam for OT when my Neurologist prescribed it as I was concerned about the side effects. I still get leg/back pain when I overdo things, but have found the Panadol Osteo to be very effective. No more going to bed at night with aching legs.

Regards, Lynette

[lla]

Hello Lynette,

Thank you so much for your response. I am so glad I found your post. Up to about a month ago, I thought I was improving. At that time, I really began pushing myself to stand longer and do more. There is a very fine line between doing enough and exhaustion.

It is so good to hear you have found relief for your pain. Thank you for sharing this with me. I will do some checking about where to find this in the United States.

Sincerely,
Linda

[geandreas@aol.com]

I have been diagnosed with OT. The problem is that the neurologists do not understand that I have a pain in my lower back as a warning signal that my legs are about to collapse. I can stand for about 5 minutes and then I have this pain in my lower left back. I have less than one minute when I have this pain or my legs will collapse and I fall.
I think that I have OT Plus because my tremors increase when I walk until my legs collapse. I have been to doctors at Duke Medical Clinic since January, 2014. The last diagnosis was in September. They concluded that I had Neuropothy, OT, and Apraxia. At this time I am not taking any medication. Since I am 81 yeas old, the doctors have told me that they cannot do anything to help.
At least, my back pain signals me that I must sit down immediately. I will have to live with this for the rest of my life.

George