I have a medical problem doctors can't solve.

[Leglesslilly]

I have excruciating back pain that radiates down one leg. As I've got older it's got worse. No over-the-counter painkillers can touch it. It also varies in intensity. I've had two MRI's & lots of tests but they can't see anything. Occasionally, the nerve down that leg 'fires' and the leg just gives way under me. The feeling I have on the inside is that the leg doesn't 'belong' to me. Such a weird thing to say I know. It just doesn't feel part of me. It feels like some kind of dead appendage that I carry around. It feels like it needs to be amputated for me to feel whole. Of course this is impossible as it'd mean taking a piece of my back too & I do not want to be an amputee. It's just getting me down that the doctors have said there's nothing more they can do. And I'm left in terrible pain. Has anyone ever heard of similar? I should add, I'm not overweight & I'm reasonably fit. I've also done LOTS of hospital physiotherapy & no change.

Sounds like sciatica to me. I get that sort of pain, and it is relieved by Pregabalin 100mg each night. Good luck with it.

I'd def ask to try some nerve pain drugs for the pain - they really are effective.

Mirror therapy can be super effective at getting your leg integrated into your brains picture of you again, and theres some people using VR to do the same thing. Its a bit like phantom limb in reverse, and a weird thing your brain can do if the nerves aren't firing right.

Wow I've never heard of mirror therapy - I'm off to google

Have you been referred to a pain clinic?

Also if you can afford it see a good private podiatrist.

I have/had terrible ankle problems with stress fractures, torn tendons, etc. Lots of pain. But no real reason for the injuries. Hospital are/were contemplating surgery on the tendon but no thought into the cause.

Podiatrist has done measurements, declared some very severe over pronation and I now have prescription orthotics which he seems confident will sort out all my leg/ankle problems.

Any problem with ankles/feet being out of line can cause issues further up, so hips,knees, pelvis, back....all get out of line.

have you tried acupuncture? Was life changing for me with similar pain

Research cauda equina. It's very rare so is not often picked up on but is awful if left too late, I've seen my dad go through it.

I second requesting a referral to your nearest pain clinic OP. What have doctors attributed the pain to?
I would also speak with your GP about the possibility of a long term painkiller- gabapentin, pregabalin, amitriptyline etc to see if this is something that works for you. The side effects can be unpleasant for some people but life changing for others.

You could also purchase a TENS machine and try that, go down the legal CBD route or trial acupuncture. Chronic pain often requires a multidisciplinary approach!

Have you been tested for MS and other neurological conditions?

I agree with Viva. See a good podiatrist before asking for drugs! So many knee/hip issues can come from the feet as I've just found out

This might sound a bit daft, but could you have one leg shorter than the other? My friend was always in excruciating pain in her hip and all down her leg, and doctors could find nothing wrong at all. She went to a chiropractor who got her to walk up and down and said she had one leg a bit shorter than the other, so a great deal of stress and pressure was being put on the other leg to compensate. And then it referred out up to her back. I know lots of folk don't trust/like chiropractors, but at least she could make sense of what was bothering her.

Have you had a CAT scan or just MRI? I have arthritis in my back and was told mri is not the best way to diagnose. Things that help massively include tens !achine, heat, codine when bad, and supplements including glucosamine, msn, turmeric and fish oil.

OP - the nerves firing - does this feel almost like stabbing pains? I ask because I've had this. As you say, the leg just gives way. I have ongoing leg issues too, though different to yours. I also often feel that my leg is 'other' and isn't mine!

Has your walking gait ever been assessed? Maybe there's something in your way of walking that exacerbates the pain? I was referred to the musculo skeletal clinic and they assessed my gait. I second all the advice given by other posters.

Some pain really is in the mind. That's not to say its not real, but it's very real to those suffering but if there is no physical cause it can be the brain playing tricks on you and some cognitive pain management techniques can be very helpful.

I came on to say the same as Tighnabruaich.
I had back pain and leg pain and numbness. MRIs and nerve conduction tests failed to pin point any problem. My (private) consultant concluded it was psychosomatic.
I'd seen endless physios but went to a different one and within half an hour he said it could be because of leg length discrepancy. I got to 45 with no symptoms but my right leg is 12mm shorter than my left.
It took a year but wearing a simple heel raise in one shoe cured it.
If I ever go barefoot or wear shoes without the orthotic for a while it twinges to remind me.