Hi, I Noticed Mild Pain In A 3 Inch Area

Posted on Wed, 24 Oct 2018

Question: Hi, I noticed mild pain in a 3 inch area midway down, on the side of my right calf area around September 16th. By the 19th it was very painful, especially when I would put weight on my right foot. I went to the ER on the 19th where they tested my blood and said the could tell it wasn't a blood clot. I was told it was probably a muscle strain. I was told to rest, alternate Icing and heating the area, elevate it, and to wrap it. I was able to stay off my feet pretty well for 5 days but I recently returned to work, teaching Pre-k, using a cane and trying to limit my standing and walking. I am on pain medicine but still in a lot of pain, sometimes just sitting still.What do you advise me to do concerning taking care of my leg and dealing with the pain? Thank you doctor

Answered by Dr. Dr.Arnab (40 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
some other possibilities explained below...

Detailed Answer:
Hello and Welcome to 'Ask A Doctor' service...
I've gone through your query in details...

Well, it's a good thing that they've ruled out the blood clot already.

However, the fact that you're feeling the pain the pain specifically on putting weight/standing/walking, indicating the pathology could be somewhere between the Hip/knee/ankle joints (either any one of them or all of them to some extent, is affected, most notably the hip/knee joint).

It's mostly seen in the case of Osteoarthritis and a few other medical conditions (namely Vit B12, Vit D3, and Calcium Deficiency). For further evaluation, a few investigations should be done (i.e. serum Electrolytes assay, Vit B12, and Vit D3 assessment and an X-ray of the Right hip, Knee joints). Muscle strain can also be there additionally.

Please note, it's only been 10-11days since the onset of the symptoms. In fact, all these conditions require quite a longer duration of resting period (at least few weeks) along with necessary supplements, painkiller and other supportive therapy. Physical therapy afterward can be quite beneficial too (but only after the acute pain episode subsides)...

Please discuss with your doctor regarding getting these done and proceed further as per the findings.

Meanwhile, please continue all those advice given by them (the ER) for another few days, and if possible, please rest a bit longer (around another 2weeks of rest would be beneficial).

Let me know if I can assist you further.

Take Care
Kind Regards

Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee