Chronic Bilateral Cramp-like Calf Pain

[Andrew Degen]

Petr.s, I don't quite follow your post, or what your spinal problems have to do with the question. Are you saying your back surgery is the cause of your calf pain?

No, the chronic calf cramping preceded the lumbar surgery. The surgery was intended to relieve possible nerve root impingement at L4, L5 and S1. It was only partially successful. Perhaps an improvement of 15% and a long, slow recovery from the surgery itself which took 6 months (and this was laproscopic surgery, not open spinal laminectomy). Lately, I am having considerably more success (after 14 years) with mindbody therapy pioneered by Dr. John Sarno in NYC. Spinal abnormalities and nerve root impingement (radiculopathy) are the leading cause of leg, calf and foot pain and are, thus, directly related.

[jfelano]

No, the chronic calf cramping preceded the lumbar surgery. The surgery was intended to relieve possible nerve root impingement at L4, L5 and S1. It was only partially successful. Perhaps an improvement of 15% and a long, slow recovery from the surgery itself which took 6 months (and this was laproscopic surgery, not open spinal laminectomy). Lately, I am having considerably more success (after 14 years) with mindbody therapy pioneered by Dr. John Sarno in NYC. Spinal abnormalities and nerve root impingement (radiculopathy) are the leading cause of leg, calf and foot pain and are, thus, directly related.

Hmmm....I was asking because I have been having this persistent calf pain for about 7 days now. I had a L5 Laminectomy in 1991 and a L5 Lumbar Fusion in 2000. I also have a couple lumbar bulges along with a cervical disk herniation and a cervical bulge. I also have degenerative disk disease, stenosis and spinal arthritis. Like you I've had countless epidurals, nerve blocks and radio frequency ablation (RFA), most without relief. I'm pretty worried now that my calf pain could be related to my spine.

[Andrew Degen]

Hmmm....I was asking because I have been having this persistent calf pain for about 7 days now. I had a L5 Laminectomy in 1991 and a L5 Lumbar Fusion in 2000. I also have a couple lumbar bulges along with a cervical disk herniation and a cervical bulge. I also have degenerative disk disease, stenosis and spinal arthritis. Like you I've had countless epidurals, nerve blocks and radio frequency ablation (RFA), most without relief. I'm pretty worried now that my calf pain could be related to my spine.

You have had a lot of surgical and non-surgical procedures, plus a number of underlying conditions ... so, Yes, I would think that there is a high likelihood of a direct relation or causation between continuing spinal/lumbar changes and developing calf pain. It is interesting (and lucky for you) that you do not mention sciatic nerve problems - the usual route for pain and fasciculation in the gastrocnemius calf muscle - which might be the case in my situation. I also have disk herniations and stenosis (but no arthritis). The surgeon I consulted stepped through the fMRI images with me one by one and decided that the stenosis was not sufficient to cause my pain and cramping and declined to operate. I assume your situation was different and the laminectomy was intended to relieve central pressure on the nerve roots exiting the foramina and reduce the stenosis; however, as you are no doubt well aware, the continuing plasticity of spinal changes (especially if arthritis is involved) may have devolved to the point that impingement is once again an issue. One cautionary consideration I always try to keep in mind before deciding on more surgical intervention is the fact that by age 50 something like 80% of the population have degenerative changes of the spine but remain asymptomatic.

There is one other therapeutic route that has been suggested to me to address calf pain that you might want to consider: Botox injections. Such injections enervate the calf muscle for up to three months and in some cases permanently relieve the pain.

Good luck!