why is my leg so sore? cant get a DR appointment

[whatdidido2]

ive had some leg pain on and off for around 10 weeks now. I didnt injure myself and i didnt slip, fall, twist or hurt my leg at all. i didnt sleep in a different/awkward position either. It just started hurting and it hasnt stopped. im 24 so not really age related pain either. Does anyone have any knowledge about what it could be?

i paid for a physio to look at it- they said its not consistant with an injury, and i know i definitly didnt injure it, and they said with my age the doctor would be better than them at investigating it. I saw the doctor when it started who said its probably one of those anomylous pains that just sometimes happen but it should ease off,, but it hasnt. I've been trying to be seen again since then but have been unable to get an appointment.

the pain started in the middle of my leg, around my knee. It doesnt hurt too badly to walk on - it did initially but thats eased off- but it feels extremely painful to lift it and tight to bend and i cant physically bend it fully, its too painful and uncomfortable. Ive started walking with a limp - its not the weight bearing that hurts, its the lifting it when im walking and its making me limp. I've also had a lot of pins and needles and numbness down that leg and into/under my foot itself. I also get a lot of cramping and numbness in my lower leg and foot randomly, its not like ive been sitting on it etc

ive started getting hip pain too in that side but tbh i think thats from limping and walking funny on it

does anyone know wtf could be going on? Its not swollen, red, bruised and i definitely didnt injure it. my leg/knee/foot doesnt look any different to look at. I had a blood test for something unrelated about a week before it started and my inflammation level was totally normal at that test too if that makes a difference.

i know this isnt a replacement for seeing a doctor, im just slightly frazzled and fed up with it and am hoping someone can help in the meantime :(

Op, I didn’t know until days before my knee replacement surgery that I also had a partially torn miniscus. It explained the strange things I’d had going on in my leg that weren’t arthritis related. I don’t know how I got the injury.

MS is also a possibility. The tingling /numbness was how it started for a friend of mine, but in her arm.

I have something similar and it started in the back of my knee. My doctor thinks it’s a bakers cyst. They have done the usual try these exercises for the next few weeks to see if it helps. The exact same exercises I’ve been doing for months and the apparently they can investigate further and they can drain them or something.

I had this some months ago - woke up on Boxing Day with a sore knee. I hadn't banged it or anything; I just woke up like that. It got progressively worse over the next few weeks, so much so that it was like the pain I had when I broke my leg and I was in tears with it more than once (fairly high pain threshold normally). As I'm not currently in the UK I was able to get a doctor's appointment quickly, and then referred to x-ray. It turned out to be a 'tumour' (benign) and the doctor said I should go for further scans. I ended up not bothering as my knee was getting much better, and now four months on it's about 90% okay. It was very odd though because like you, I definitely hadn't banged or strained it!

Can you afford to go private? If I'd been in the UK when this happened I'd have been in despair - as it was, I walked into my nearest GP surgery and was seen within two days. Good luck.

Forgot to say - my knee was very obviously swollen too (I assumed there was a fluid buildup, but apparently not). I wore a support bandage when the pain was really bad, and stayed indoors with my leg up. Hope you get some answers!

Interesting. I have pins and needles and burning down the front of my shin. I have no idea what it could be.

Keep trying with the GP, hopefully you can get an appointment soon. There's obviously all sorts it can be from what PPs have said. This is how my chronic pain started and that was triggered by a virus I didn't even know I had. Things like MS, pinched nerve, vitamin B12 deficiency could all be possible with the symptoms.

I have similar and Gp hasn't done anything. Actually reading this reminds me to push again on that or make a complaint.

I would say something like MS sounds unlikely given the primary symptom is pain and it seems to be triggered by specific movements. The pins and needles could well be a nerve issue. I may be wrong, I do have a fair bit of knowledge about MS as my mum has it and I know it can cause pain but it's not usually a primary symptom and it doesn't seem to fit with what you're describing.

For those suggesting a Baker's cyst, I note you've seen a physio and any half decent physio would consider that as a possible cause of knee pain. So I would think they ruled it out from examining you.

At this stage, if I was you I'd just pay privately to see an orthopaedic consultant. They're likely to be able to give you a better idea about what might be going on even without a scan. Appointments are generally around £200 so it's not a cheap option but if it's really impacting on your life and worrying you, and you can find the cash, it's a worthwhile spend. If you need an MRI and can't pay for it (usually around £400), you can just be referred back into the NHS for it at that point.

Kept a record of your symptoms- how long the pain lasts etc.

And phone your GP at the time they release future appointments. It's 5pm everyday at ours. An average of 10 days wait until the appointment then.

You need to emphasise not just the pain but the numbness and pins and needles.

If you still can't get any joy from your GP with this, then call 111 and again emphasise the numbness & tingling and say you've been trying to get a GP appointment for some weeks and haven't been able to, the condition is getting worse every day so you can't walk properly, and that you're getting very worried/scared.

@WhatToDo2023 : I had this but in my hip. Turns out it's torn cartilage, probably from a long time ago, slowly deteriorating. I needed an MRI to figure it out.

Now that you know, what will you do differently, from the scenario where you didn't know what it was?

When you say you can't get a GP appointment - what's the problem? I assume they don't have a website/e-consult? or only take calls at 8am on Monday? You could pay for a GP appointment with LIVI

@lljkk quite a lot actually. Have been doing targeted physio for 2 months, an exercise regime to strengthen certain muscles while not aggravating the pain and will also do a PRP injection soon. Also pushed for a standing desk at work which has been life changing in terms of pain. Knowing what was wrong enabled me to do some about it! And what to avoid i.e. before the diagnosis my GP was recommending spinning and other low impact exercises which are actually terrible for a hip labrum tear (in the beginning anyway, I'll be able to go back to it in 6-12 months when I'm stronger).

There's also a lot of value in knowing what's wrong and that you're not crazy!

This is exactly how my current flare up of sciatica feels. Pins and needles in foot, tingly/fuzzy feeling, numbness, hip ache.

All of the above. No advanced booking for appointments. No ask my GP or enconsult either. Just the 8.30 lottery, I callled at 8.30 on the dot and was in position 100+! I’m not in a good place financially at the moment unfortunately and already spent more than I realistically have at the physio

Op how did you get on?