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What Causes Pain In Left Calf Muscles And Pressure In Sacral Region?
Posted on
Wed, 14 Jan 2015
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Wed, 14 Jan 2015
Answered on
Wed, 11 Feb 2015
Last reviewed on
Question : I have been experiencing pain in my left calf muscles since two days now.
This is accompanied by extreme pain and pressure on sacral region. I feel tightness near the tail bone. (This thing started when I wore heels last week.)
History of pain: I had been experiencing a severe pain in lumbar region since 2 months. X-rays seemed fine. I underwent physiotherapy and have been doing exercises regularly. The lumbar pain alleviated last week. Now it doesn't pain much in that region.
But now I feel pressure on sacral region and also there is extreme pain in calf muscles of left leg. I checked with spine specialist yesterday. The X-ray reports seemed fine. The doctor only asked me to do yoga regularly.
Please tell me how to approach this pain in calf muscles and sacral region.
Additional information: I have a desk job which requires me to sit inside air-conditioned room for more than 9 hours. My vitamin D levels are extremely low. I have been taking cholecalciferol powder once every week as prescribed by the doctor. I am an active person in general. I do a lot of cycling, running and dancing as well.
This is accompanied by extreme pain and pressure on sacral region. I feel tightness near the tail bone. (This thing started when I wore heels last week.)
History of pain: I had been experiencing a severe pain in lumbar region since 2 months. X-rays seemed fine. I underwent physiotherapy and have been doing exercises regularly. The lumbar pain alleviated last week. Now it doesn't pain much in that region.
But now I feel pressure on sacral region and also there is extreme pain in calf muscles of left leg. I checked with spine specialist yesterday. The X-ray reports seemed fine. The doctor only asked me to do yoga regularly.
Please tell me how to approach this pain in calf muscles and sacral region.
Additional information: I have a desk job which requires me to sit inside air-conditioned room for more than 9 hours. My vitamin D levels are extremely low. I have been taking cholecalciferol powder once every week as prescribed by the doctor. I am an active person in general. I do a lot of cycling, running and dancing as well.
Brief Answer:
Pain is likely due to vitamin D deficiency. Please give additional details.
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Thanks for being on Healthcaremagic.com.
I am Dr.Ajay Panwar,a neurologist, here to answer your query.
I am approaching your symptoms as - a case of diffuse bony pains(initially lumbar spine and now sacrum) with normal spine X-ray. It is accompanied with acute onset left sided calf muscles pain(of 2 days duration). These symptoms are presented with a background of severe vitamin D deficiency.
If you would have presented to me as an outpatient, with such symptoms, I would have asked you the following questions before arriving to a conclusion-
1) Is the sacral pain localised or radiating to thighs or legs?
2) Any history of tingling or numbness in legs?
3) Does the pain increase on walking and relieves on sitting for few minutes?
4) Is the pain relieved in bending forwards position?
If answers to any of the above is yes, it can be related to a nerve(neuropathy) or nerve radicle (radiculopathy due to spine or disc problems). In that case further investigations like 'Nerve conduction studies' or 'Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) of lumbo-sacral spine' may be needed.
If all the answers are 'No', then with background of severe vitamin 'D' deficiency, I would say that sacral pain as well as leg muscles pain is due to vitamin D deficiency itself(X-rays are normal in vitamin D deficiency, if it is not an advanced stage/osteomalacia).
In such a case, my sincere advice is to please follow your vitamin D/cholecalciferol therapeutic regimen(once a week for at least 8 weeks followed by twice a month) in a dedicated way along with regular physiotherapy. I am sure you will definitely improve.
Hope I have answered your query. If you have follow-up queries, I shall be glad to answer, else please close the thread-rate it and write a review.
Dr.Ajay Panwar,
MD,DM(Neurology)
Pain is likely due to vitamin D deficiency. Please give additional details.
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Thanks for being on Healthcaremagic.com.
I am Dr.Ajay Panwar,a neurologist, here to answer your query.
I am approaching your symptoms as - a case of diffuse bony pains(initially lumbar spine and now sacrum) with normal spine X-ray. It is accompanied with acute onset left sided calf muscles pain(of 2 days duration). These symptoms are presented with a background of severe vitamin D deficiency.
If you would have presented to me as an outpatient, with such symptoms, I would have asked you the following questions before arriving to a conclusion-
1) Is the sacral pain localised or radiating to thighs or legs?
2) Any history of tingling or numbness in legs?
3) Does the pain increase on walking and relieves on sitting for few minutes?
4) Is the pain relieved in bending forwards position?
If answers to any of the above is yes, it can be related to a nerve(neuropathy) or nerve radicle (radiculopathy due to spine or disc problems). In that case further investigations like 'Nerve conduction studies' or 'Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) of lumbo-sacral spine' may be needed.
If all the answers are 'No', then with background of severe vitamin 'D' deficiency, I would say that sacral pain as well as leg muscles pain is due to vitamin D deficiency itself(X-rays are normal in vitamin D deficiency, if it is not an advanced stage/osteomalacia).
In such a case, my sincere advice is to please follow your vitamin D/cholecalciferol therapeutic regimen(once a week for at least 8 weeks followed by twice a month) in a dedicated way along with regular physiotherapy. I am sure you will definitely improve.
Hope I have answered your query. If you have follow-up queries, I shall be glad to answer, else please close the thread-rate it and write a review.
Dr.Ajay Panwar,
MD,DM(Neurology)
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Ashwin Bhandari
Answered by
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