Is it peroneal pain? Lower left leg pain, I am running out of options..

I have searched this forum for the same problem I am experiencing (pain in lower outside left leg and back of lower left leg) and this is the closest post I could find, but without any guidance of treatment:


http://www.physiobob.com/forum/patie...lower-leg.html


I went to an orthopaedic doctor, who suggested my lower leg pain could be caused by disk compression of the S1 nerve in the lower spine. I did an X-ray and MRI scan but both results were normal.


The pain comes from getting into or out of specific positions, examples:

• I can hunker down on my right side no problem (left leg bent at 90 degrees) to talk to my kids, but If I attempt to do same on my left side I reach a point that I cannot go any further without triggering the pain. If I trigger the pain it will be very sharp, strong and agonising.
• Getting up from the floor in any way I have to be very careful. If I attempt to get up from my left side my body will stop and warn ‘don’t do this’ otherwise I will trigger the pain. I have 1 and 3 year old kids so I am required to spend a lot of time on the floor!
• Today in pilates after lying down stretching I attempted to ’fling’ meself up from the floor without any hands, and when my calfs met the back of my quads to rise, I triggered the pain. It was a-g-o-nising and I had to remain on the floor for some minutes afterwards before I could get up again.
• Getting up from my desk at work after sitting for any period of time, I have to be very slow as the ligament(?) behind my left knee gets very tight and I need to ease it out. Before I have risen from my chair too quickly and triggered the ’stabbing' pain, the only way in which I could describe was by making a quick sketch here: Share.Pho.to | This photo set was shared via Share.Pho.to
• Actually, anytime my calf comes close to the back of my quads (quad stretch for example is near impossible without triggering the lower deep left leg pain).

This pain is starting to make me seriously depressed as I have always liked to practice exercise but am very much inhibited from doing so now this past few months. I’ve learned most of the triggers for the pain, and try to avoid it but it still happens and when it does it’s is like somebody stabbing me with a long metal shaft down the back of my lower leg and/or outside lower left leg deep into my leg and sometimes down to my forefoot.


I’ve tired to find a good PT but the problem is I am living in Brazil for the last year (originally from Ireland) and don’t know where to look. Nobody seems to have every heard of a ‘sports’ PT and everyone just keeps recommending orthopaedic doctors, which in my experience to date have not been very good for me.


I really hope somebody here can help me.

Thank you
David.

Hi All,

Can somebody please offer me some help or advice on this query?

I received an email from PhysioBob offering to 'sell' me an answer for a fixed sum. I replied to say I wanted to avail of this service, but since got no reply.

I hope somebody here in this community can help me.

Thank you
David.

Hi David. I'm sorry to hear of the pain you have been experiencing. Pain on the lower part of the leg (front) could be shin splints or Tibialis Anterior Tendonitis, but for the pain to be in the back of the leg as well isn't overly common for those ailments. The lower back of the leg is typically a problem with the Achilles. I don't think it is the peroneal tendon as that pain is typically along the side of the foot and ankle. I know that probably isn't much help but thought I'd try and give you some things to look into to try and determine what it is. I've attached some pics too that might help.
Attachment 1333Attachment 1334Attachment 1335

Hi ALS388,

Many thanks for you reply, I really appreciate you taking the time to respond and try to help.

I will review the images you have shared here.

Somebody mentioned to me recently that I could have a bursitis at the back of my knee. If would tie in with the slight swelling, and tightness (very tight) when I stand up after sitting.

I've started performing this set of stretches daily and it's really helping. (In fact, the reason I know these stretches are truly helping is because I perform them every day 3 times a day for an entire week, and the pain really subsided a lot. However, I then stopped for 5 days and the pain returned :( ) So, I'll keep doing these stretches for now at least.

http://www.spine-health.com/<wbr>fig-17-piriformis-stretch-<wbr>supine

http://www.spine-health.com/<wbr>fig-18-piriformis-stretch%E2%<wbr>80%94supine


http://www.spine-health.com/<wbr>fig-19-hip-and-knee%E2%80%<wbr>94supine-piriformis-stretch

http://www.spine-health.com/<wbr>fig-8-pull-knee-chest

Thanks a lot!
David.

Hi David, how have you been? Hope you're doing better :)

In your last message you said someone mentioned bursitis behind the knee.....is it swollen or painful right behind the knee? If it's that area that is painful, it could also be a baker's cyst. These typically arise due to an underlying knee issue.

The first and hardest thing is always determining what the actual ailment is :(