back and leg pain

nutty192

I am 73, and have lost 30 lbs with only another 14 to go. My problem is with all forms of exercise. After any form of activity my back and legs are really painful. I am not strong, but thought that I would be able to build up starting with very short walks, but it never seems to get easier. My doctor just says I need to lose weight. I also do Pilates, which is helping with the strength, but not the pain. Any suggestions welcome.

socalrunner59

Ask your doctor for a referral to a geriatric physical therapist.

NikkiMichelleS

The above suggestion is great. Definitely speak with a Dr; you shouldn't have to be in constant or recurring pain!

Also, more stretching exercises for the pain. Perhaps trying more yoga-type exercise and simple body weight exercises may help. Low impact exercises, swimming as well.

arditarose

Are you sure it's not the pilates causing you pain? If you don't have the right form I can only imagine. I'm strong and pilates is going to give me a big pain.

cutbackcoach

Don't put up with it - its not normal or inevitable. Get a second medical opinion - 14 pounds overweight is a pretty questionable "cause" of the type of pain you describe. The truth is that back and leg pain is common, often somewhat time-consuming to sort out and fix, and some primary care doctors give it less attention than it deserves until it becomes truly debilitating. (If they have not done an MRI, X-rays, or some other diagnostic image to allow them to see your vertebrae, discs, hip joints, etc., they cannot possibly know whether you do or do not have something out of kilter that is causing this pain. "Just lose weight" to a patient with no more weight to lose than you have is suspect advice at best.) If no doctor finds any underlying medical cause, the advice above to see a PT is spot on - there may be something about your posture, muscles, or movement patterns that a good PT will spot quickly - even if it is not something that qualifies as a medical diagnosis per se. Be sure to tell the PT about the Pilates as well as everything else you do physically, in detail - he or she will want to know what kind of stress your spine, pelvis, and hips are being exposed to that seems connected to the problems. Hang in there and be resolute to get rid of this pain - its awful and you don't deserve it or have to put up with it!

dutchandkiwi

Just wondering - are you on statins? One of the side effects may be muscle soreness and in some cases such pain that excersie in all forms is too painful. I have seen it happen with family.
That said I second @cutbackcoach in his approach. Get a full-on second opinion, because the weight issue does not ring quite true.

pomegranatecloud

cutbackcoach wrote: »

Don't put up with it - its not normal or inevitable. Get a second medical opinion - 14 pounds overweight is a pretty questionable "cause" of the type of pain you describe. The truth is that back and leg pain is common, often somewhat time-consuming to sort out and fix, and some primary care doctors give it less attention than it deserves until it becomes truly debilitating. (If they have not done an MRI, X-rays, or some other diagnostic image to allow them to see your vertebrae, discs, hip joints, etc., they cannot possibly know whether you do or do not have something out of kilter that is causing this pain. "Just lose weight" to a patient with no more weight to lose than you have is suspect advice at best.) If no doctor finds any underlying medical cause, the advice above to see a PT is spot on - there may be something about your posture, muscles, or movement patterns that a good PT will spot quickly - even if it is not something that qualifies as a medical diagnosis per se. Be sure to tell the PT about the Pilates as well as everything else you do physically, in detail - he or she will want to know what kind of stress your spine, pelvis, and hips are being exposed to that seems connected to the problems. Hang in there and be resolute to get rid of this pain - its awful and you don't deserve it or have to put up with it!

This. What kind of doctor did you see? I've found primary care doctors are not very helpful for pain issues, and I wouldn't see one unless your insurance requires you to get a referral to see a specialist. Make an appointment with a specialist or get a second opinion if you already saw one. If you have any sort of muscle imbalances that are causing your pain then your doctor should have given you specific exercises to do or referred you to PT.

lloydrt

make sure you take magnesium..........esp Mag Ox.....its great for leg pains and leg cramps.............you will be shocked how much it will help.............did for me

nutty192

Thanks everyone, I will be asking for yet another referral. Yes I do take magnesium. At first it seemed to help, but now I am not so sure.

DancingMoosie

Look up Miranda Esmonde-White and classical stretch. She has a show on klrn and specializes in exercise for pain and injury prevention.

AnnPT77

Diagnosis is vital as a starting point.

Some things that have helped me with back pain (probably mostly arthritic or muscular), knee pain (torn meniscus, arthritis), and hip pain (probably bursitis and arthritis) among other issues:

• Regular massage therapy from someone with actual skills in therapeutic massage, not just relaxation massage.
• Manipulation by an osteopathic physician, at a university health practice, on a regular basis (every 4-6 weeks).
• Physical therapy referrals for a couple of things (specifically, (1) learning to move, especially walk & climb stairs, in ways that put less stress on my knees; and (2) neck/shoulder/jaw contraction plus headaches that I blame mainly on scar tissue from radiation therapy for breast cancer).
• Regular practice of stretches, especially those recommended by all of the above sources for my specific issues. I also read about stretching (and related modalities) & tried things.
• I cross-examined, badgered and hectored the professionals in the top 3 bullet points, plus primary care physician and others, for things I could try that might help. I'm a teensy bit on the assertive side.
• After workouts, routinely icing body parts that get inflammation/swelling (ever) from workouts (mainly the worst knee).
• Learning how to use a foam roller (and other self-massage tools) for my specific issues.
• Weight loss - big time help.
• Getting stronger, gradually, over a long period of time.
• Maybe increased fruit & vegetable consumption; maybe increased protein consumption, maybe increased healthy fats. I'm not sure about these - there's improvement that I think is nutrition related, but I changed too many variables at once and can't be sure.
• Adequate hydration.
• Attention to posture & habits and how they contribute, improving them over time (hints came from the professionals in the top 3 bullet points).
• Judicious use of moist heat (Thermophore heating pad is awesome) or vibration on sore muscle areas (some types it helps, some it doesn't - I experiment and see).
• Hot baths or forays to the YMCA's hot tub/jacuzzi/spa thingie when muscles got spasm-y.
• Occasional use of over-the-counter topical products, like topical analgesics, capsaicin/menthol rubs or patches, etc., for acute problems.

Geez, I'm sounding like a hypochondriac. I'm not, I swear.

After I had breast cancer (including 6 months of chemotherapy & 6 weeks of radiation) in my mid-40s, I figured out that I was going to have to really work hard if I ever wanted to feel strong and healthy again. An inactive life before treatment had left me with some minor physical issues, and the weakening effects and inactivity during treatment exacerbated those.

Slowly, trying to avoid significant injury, I ramped up activity, and became (improbably) something of an athlete (I'm a rower), while remaining fat. Along that route, part of my "really work hard" was exploiting some of the above interventions, in order to keep plugging away, and resolve minor injuries or problems so I could continue to progress. It was a bumpy, but upward road. Over the past 18 months, I've also gone on to lose 60+ pounds & improve my eating (which wasn't awful to start, other than being too much).

I'm "only" 60 now, but I'm very active, seemingly healthy, quite strong for my age, and mostly feel great. I still keep up with many of the above practices in "keep tuned up" mode, but the only thing giving me much aggravation is the torn meniscus, and it's greatly improved from what it used to be.

I hope you find what works for you!

nutty192

Wow, what a fascinating, detailed and helpful, very personal reply. You are an inspiration to us all.

I too have had breast cancer, treatment was 25 years ago. I had not made any connection to my present problems, but now you have made me think.

I am losing weight, have increased protein, and try eat well. I really think I have just got to battle on with my present routine of exercises to strengthen muscles, massage to pamper muscles, and (ha ha) not get any older.