Unexplained Leg Pain in Left Leg

This is my long saga of 'leg pain'. Getting a diagnosis has been a confusing, frustrating and painful process and I feel I am no further forward than I was 7 months ago.

In December/January I decided to start trying to lose some weight and improve my level of fitness. I started walking for at least 30 mins every day...nothing too major, just walking at travel speed. I noticed almost immediately that I was getting pain in my left outer hip like a lactate burn feeling that came on within 2mins of walking, and the upper back of my calf felt stiff. It wasn't bad enough to stop me and I put it down to being unfit. My right leg was totally unaffected. I did basic stretches after each walk to stretch my hip and calf.

After 6 weeks I saw no improvement and went to see my GP who immediately came to the conclusion that I had some form of peripheral vascular disease and referred me to a vascular surgeon. He said there was no PVD and circulation was fine in both legs. Vascular problem ruled out...referred to a spinal surgeon. The problem was getting acute and coming on much quicker and was more intense and now affected the front of my left thigh, I reduced the distance and speed to cope.

In the time I was waiting for an appointment I went to see a Chiropractor and he said the whole of the left side of my spine was very stiff as was my SI joint, my gluteus muscles and core strength was poor. The spinal surgeon sent me off for a CT Myelogram to check out the nerves in my spine for a possible compressed nerve, something my Chiropractor disagreed with because it affected too many parts of my leg to be that. Apart from being a most unpleasant and painful experience that made me very sick and gave me spinal headaches for weeks, the CT Myelogram came up with nothing and spinal nerve issues and anything nasty where ruled out. Referred to Physio.

The Chiropractor has been manipulating my whole spine to get me more mobile without issue and I do feel much better for it but there has been no change to my leg pain when walking. He gave me some gluteus medius stretches to do last week and I was fine until Friday, then I suddenly got agonising outside shin pain and numbness right down to my foot. My foot went numb when elevated afterward and the top of my foot and lower front of my shin feels cold. I have rested it since then and the numbness has nearly gone but the coldness remains. Its hard to say if the pain has just moved to a different place or not.

Its difficult to say what is going on but I am now thinking this is a nerve pain or muscle imbalance from within my pelvis somewhere. Some years back I had a piriformis problem but with no nerve pain and it was treated OK (can't remember which side). I should also mention that I had SPD during my pregnancy 9 years ago which took a long time with Physio help to sort out. I now have a physio appointment (hurrah!) but I just get the feeling that they will only treat the symptoms and not the fix the root cause....perhaps being a little pessimistic.

I open minded to any suggestion that anyone has on this because it’s now got to the stage where I can't do the things I want to do with my son, not even walk him the 2km to school and back...very depressing.

Many thanks,
Cherry

Update 20/07/2015
Having examined my lower leg from knee to toe, the Chiropractor could feel my left leg is cold and after lying flat for a short period the veins collaspe in my left foot, they return to normal when I sit up. He said this appears to be a vascular problem but it could also be a nerve problem that comes from the lumbar spine...I should go back to my GP for another vascular referral, and get a copy of the CT scan.

Since I have already had dopplar ultrasound on both legs in the last 3 months that came up clear and a CT Myelogram in the last month that indicates no nerve problem and I have zero back pain, I have gone full circle in trying to get a diagnosis! I have also gone from being able to walk 5+ km a day to being able to walk less than 100 yrds.