Is anyone else falling apart at the seams? What's going on?

[garlictwist]

Over the past couple of years everything seems to have gone wrong from the waist down. I'm 45 and have fell run and cycled my whole life and been very active. Now I am having to massively curtail what I do and I am not sure what's happening.

I have awful burning in my feet (I don't think it's PF as I had an ultrasound and my fasica looked normal). I have burning in my achilles on both sides. I have this horrible feeling of fullness in my shins as soon as I exercise like my legs are going to explode. My calves are always insanely tight to the point where I can't stand up. I have burning nerve like pain at times at night down both my legs. Both my ankles hurt all the time on the inside and out as soon as I walk for a while.

And the other day I was just walking along the road and my knee gave way. Now that hurts too. My knees were previously the only thing that was holding up.

Has anyone else experienced similar? I am fed up of these aches and pains and I can't find an answer.

Have you considered that it might be pelvic/core muscle related? Your muscles might be overcompensating for tension elsewhere. What you describe is a little similar. There are physios who focus on things like that and it might be worth a couple of appointments

Sounds horrible, fellow allium @garlictwist. I'm not a runner but it did cross my mind that something may be awry with your weight distribution while on your feet, as I think @SpaceStar's suggesting. You've been doing it for a long time, though. Did anything change around the time this started? Pushing through a small injury, for instance, could've led to compensations with cascading effects.

The other most obvious explanation would be arthritis. Sorry. Either way, you CLEARLY need to be doing a lot more stretching! Start gently; do it in a hot bath if it helps. Roll your ankles when you're on the sofa. I hope it eases.

Have you seen a Dr or physio?

I haven't any answers apart from wear and tear and the inevitable mention of the peri meno word.

I'm no medic but I always think of spine and muscle issues when legs and feet are involved. I don't run, but I do have a hairline fracture in my spine that's just there, it in itself doesn't cause me any problem, but I notice if I over exert myself that my legs and feet can feel very heavy. I don't know if it's related, just a guess!

My DP was a marathon runner as was my BIL. They each have had both knees and hips replaced and achilles tendon surgeries. Running does take its toll eventually I suppose!

We are all a lot older than you, so you are pretty young to be going through this. Try a chiropractor and see what they say/do is my suggestion for a starting point.

Thanks all. I've actually stopped running almost entirely and just walk, swim and short cycles as well as some weights as my exercise so I don't think any of this is running related.

I'm seeing a physio this week but I've not had good experiences with physios in the past so I am kind of dreading a bit. I do feel I have to do something though. I feel that any time I stretch I hurt myself, sometimes my body feels so awful I am scared to move and just lie on the sofa in the evening too scared to stand up to have a wee or make a drink in case I pull something.

Even though you don't run now, it's possible that wear and tear has built up from your running days. DP and BIL eventuallyneeded their replacements and surgeries nearly 20 years since they stopped and they suffered for years before that. Just a thought.

I hope you find some relief, but start with physio/chiropractor etc. and see where that leads. MRI can be useful to check for injuries that are not visible. But I'm sure you know all this, I don't mean to lecture you!