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Suggest Treatment For Stabbing Pain In Lower Leg
Question: I am having a stabbing persistent stabbing pain in the front of my right lower leg for the last four days. Ibuprofen caplets do almost nothing to relieve it. I am not sleeping at night, when the pain is even worse. I went to the emergency but the doctor thought it was a strain and that I should more exercise and did not prescribe anything. Back at home the pain gradually got worse, I can't even walk. What can I do to try to relieve this unbearable pain? 3 ibuprofen caplets a day do not help, can have more than 3? Would heat help. Should I rest my leg or try to exercise as the emergency doctor suggested? What is the right thing to do?I thank you very much for any advice. Sincerely XXXX
Brief Answer:
There isn't great advice.
Detailed Answer:
Without actually being there I cannot diagnose, prescribe, or treat, but can give general information.
Looking at all of the possibilities, a tendon strain is, of course, the most common. The key point on strains (tendon, not muscle) is that moving it hurts. Implied in the question. In the immediate situation, rest, ice, trying a different aspirin like drug such as naproxen or aspirin (tylenol is weaker, and doubtful there is a reason to even try it) are about the only options on pain relief.
They really blew it in the ER, though. Unless they have some reason to give as little treatment as possible to the detriment of the patient (oooohhhh.... NHS.... sorry, awkward.....) they should have given a STIRRUP BRACE. It fits under the foot, lifts up the foot and limits the mobility of the ankle. This prevents pain. In the immediate situation these can be helpful measures.
In the longer run, the access to GP's without financial consideration is quite helpful. It is doubtful specialists are necessary and certainly not the initial doctor to see. These are common situations. Getting input from your GP and getting into a course of physical therapy for long term treatment and prevention of recurrence (and further evaluation of what occurred) will be quite helpful in the longer term.
There isn't great advice.
Detailed Answer:
Without actually being there I cannot diagnose, prescribe, or treat, but can give general information.
Looking at all of the possibilities, a tendon strain is, of course, the most common. The key point on strains (tendon, not muscle) is that moving it hurts. Implied in the question. In the immediate situation, rest, ice, trying a different aspirin like drug such as naproxen or aspirin (tylenol is weaker, and doubtful there is a reason to even try it) are about the only options on pain relief.
They really blew it in the ER, though. Unless they have some reason to give as little treatment as possible to the detriment of the patient (oooohhhh.... NHS.... sorry, awkward.....) they should have given a STIRRUP BRACE. It fits under the foot, lifts up the foot and limits the mobility of the ankle. This prevents pain. In the immediate situation these can be helpful measures.
In the longer run, the access to GP's without financial consideration is quite helpful. It is doubtful specialists are necessary and certainly not the initial doctor to see. These are common situations. Getting input from your GP and getting into a course of physical therapy for long term treatment and prevention of recurrence (and further evaluation of what occurred) will be quite helpful in the longer term.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you, Dr Wachsman. I agree with you about the NHS and tha's why I wrote to you!
The ER doctor thought that it was a muscle strain because the ankle is not hurting and can walk from time to time, which is puzzling to me! Probably I banged my legs while I had the builder around, in fact I found bruises on both my good leg and my right arm.
Yes, the aspirin is working much better so far.
Further questions:
should I exercise while having this condition, as the ER doctor advised or, on the contrary, rest my leg and try not to walk on it?
Should I use ice even if is not swollen?
Thanks so much.
Best XXXX
The ER doctor thought that it was a muscle strain because the ankle is not hurting and can walk from time to time, which is puzzling to me! Probably I banged my legs while I had the builder around, in fact I found bruises on both my good leg and my right arm.
Yes, the aspirin is working much better so far.
Further questions:
should I exercise while having this condition, as the ER doctor advised or, on the contrary, rest my leg and try not to walk on it?
Should I use ice even if is not swollen?
Thanks so much.
Best XXXX
Brief Answer:
frankly, both
Detailed Answer:
In the short run, rest. Pure, simple, as much as you can rest the area.
Then, you have to go back to using it eventually. Frankly, stretching, and stretching in a warm shower after a week of not very good rest helped my Achilles tendonitis. (same spot, but in the back of the leg). This is illustrative. Nothing 'hit' the area; it rested on the gas pedal and that injured it by compression after a 3 hr drive. The area couldn't be completely rested so it took a month to improve. Then I did fairly extreme amounts of exercise on it, but with gradually building up by 10 pounds a week up to levels I'd never get to without trying. That hurt a little during the exercise but prevents the area from being injured long term.
To summarize:
rest. Until entirely pain free
wait a week.
begin weight lifing the affected area at TRIVIALamounts of weight, 12 reps each leg 3-4 times a week and increase the weight by 5 to 10 pounds a week (if you are at 70 pounds to start, 10 pounds makes sense, if you are at 30 pounds, 5 pound increments are reasonable).
Thank you for a lovely conversation!
frankly, both
Detailed Answer:
In the short run, rest. Pure, simple, as much as you can rest the area.
Then, you have to go back to using it eventually. Frankly, stretching, and stretching in a warm shower after a week of not very good rest helped my Achilles tendonitis. (same spot, but in the back of the leg). This is illustrative. Nothing 'hit' the area; it rested on the gas pedal and that injured it by compression after a 3 hr drive. The area couldn't be completely rested so it took a month to improve. Then I did fairly extreme amounts of exercise on it, but with gradually building up by 10 pounds a week up to levels I'd never get to without trying. That hurt a little during the exercise but prevents the area from being injured long term.
To summarize:
rest. Until entirely pain free
wait a week.
begin weight lifing the affected area at TRIVIALamounts of weight, 12 reps each leg 3-4 times a week and increase the weight by 5 to 10 pounds a week (if you are at 70 pounds to start, 10 pounds makes sense, if you are at 30 pounds, 5 pound increments are reasonable).
Thank you for a lovely conversation!
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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