Leg pain that I can't pinpoint

[TimeToGo]

Hi

I wouldn't normally post here but I've had this problem for months now, it's getting me down, and my physio appointment got cancelled because it was 2 days after lockdown

So basically I've been having pain in my right leg, but if you asked me to point to where specifically, I'd have a hard time choosing between my quad, my groin and my knee because it just generally aches. Things that trigger it are:

• Moving my right foot towards the left side of my body (adduction, I guess?). The more my knee is bent, the worse this pain is. With an entirely straight leg, there is basically no pain at all. But if I were to do something like take off my right sock by bringing my knee up towards my chest and then my foot up towards myself while standing, that would hurt a lot. I've developed a coping strategy for this which is to support the weight of my leg while doing it so my muscles don't have to, and this stops it from hurting. I can recreate the pain by putting something between my feet and squeezing it.
• Rolling over in bed - when I move my weight around by pushing my body up off the bed.
• Occasionally getting up off the floor - e.g. I was playing with my toddler neice on the floor a few weeks back, and when I pushed myself up off the floor with my right leg, the pain spasmed so badly that I shouted out.
• Occasionally getting on/off a bike - the lifting of my leg over the bike.

I don't get any pain with it while actually riding my bike though, or any other normal activity like walking. I think this all started, ironically, after I went to see a physio about a problem with my other leg. He gave me some exercises to do, including clam shells (with resistance band) on my left side. I think this may be an overuse injury caused by my right leg having to tense up to stop my left leg pulling it up off the ground during the clam shells.

I can't palpate the bit that's sore, but my upper leg seems generally quite tender - parts of my quad, my IT band, all hurt like hell if I foam roll them, but foam rolling brings absolutely no relief. I'm at my wit's end here, can anyone help. Thanks

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• Groin/Hip/Buttocks Pain - Cannot pinpoint the pain

[Physio Performance]

Hi there,

Thanks for your detailed description which is a big help.

From what you are describing it sounds like the pain is coming from your groin/hip.

Your symptoms suggest a hip problem, possibly hip impingement or a torn labrum (cartilage).

To test this at home, lie on your back and using your hands, pull your right knee up to your left shoulder. This compresses the hip joint and would indicate a hip problem if painful. Also a deep squat could be painful.

There are other potential causes, such as adductor muscles and symphysis pubis joint pain.

Going forward, a full examination would be required and possibly an MRI scan if rehab exercises do not help after a period of time.

Out of interest, do you play any sports?

Best of luck

[TimeToGo]

Hi there,

Thanks for your detailed description which is a big help.

From what you are describing it sounds like the pain is coming from your groin/hip.

Your symptoms suggest a hip problem, possibly hip impingement or a torn labrum (cartilage).

To test this at home, lie on your back and using your hands, pull your right knee up to your left shoulder. This compresses the hip joint and would indicate a hip problem if painful. Also a deep squat could be painful.

There are other potential causes, such as adductor muscles and symphysis pubis joint pain.

Going forward, a full examination would be required and possibly an MRI scan if rehab exercises do not help after a period of time.

Out of interest, do you play any sports?

Best of luck

Thanks for your response. I tried as you said, and this doesn't reproduce the pain - does this rule out hip impingement? Something else I have noticed just sitting here in my desk chair - if I squeeze my knees together, this doesn't produce the pain, but as I said above, squeezing my feet together does. Does this imply anything about what the affected muscles/tissues might be?

I don't play any sports - my main form of exercise is cycling.