I'm usually an avid cyclist, doing at least twelve miles every weekday (six to-and- from work). About two weeks ago I noticed an 'irritant' of a mild pain on my upper rear leg (right leg). Two days later, I happened to fall on the rear of that same leg, hitting the right rear/side 'boney' area. Didn't seem like much, kept on doing the cycling, and even fit in one day of a three mile brisk walk outside in addition to the usual cycling... felt great.
Then a night or two it happened... pain in the lower back shooting down some into my leg. Took ibuprofen, woke up in what seemed to be enough pain to justify an emergency room visit. Went there, doctor asked questions about where the pain was radiating from. Seemed somewhat from lower back down rear of leg and DEFINATELY down right front side of calf. Standing up, sitting down, or lying down wasn't necessarily the problem, so much as the TRANSITION between the three positions. He gave a written diagnosis of "cramps", a prescription for Darvocet, and sent me on my way.
A day later I woke up in excrutiating PAIN, could hardly move my leg out of bed. The pain clearly radiated from my lower back to my ankle. Being away from home, I made an emergency appointment with my friend's chiropractor. It helped, but for a day or so after I walked around with a crooked spine, with the pain somewhat eased (this was the point at which I discovered that Ibuprofen, or Darvocet, or whatever was pretty much useless for this one).
I seemed ready to ride my bike to work two mornings later, but even doing it 'slow' seemed to set it off back in the wrong 'pain' direction (seemed to increase pain throughout my LEG (not so much my BACK), so I bummed a ride home since).
NO X-rays have been performed for this injury, be it a siatic (psiatc? how to spell that one?) nerve pinch (or anything else). When I get a 'referral' from the primary care doctor, should I set my sights on a Physical Therapist OR a Chiropractor FIRST (or for that matter, X-rays?)? Could one do a better job (better than attending emergency room physicians, anyway) at nailing down the root cause of the pain, and how to minimize it (by surgical options, IF it persists)?
As of Tue. morn 21 July MOST of the pain seems to be subsided, save a pain up and down my right lower calf,near the ankle, on the outside of my right lower leg (this during and after sleep). It seems only to get better after putting on 'comfort' tennis shoes. The key idea from me is, 'aggressive' therapy. Can any HMO doc say, 'aggressive' therapy? :rolleyes: Or should I say, "Give up leg cycling, get a local anesthetic, cut off my own leg :eek: , and pedal a cycle with my HANDS"?

Arthritis in and of itself doesn't know an "age" Rhuematoid arthritis can start very very young and generally, if not mistaken, invovles many joints at once, particularly it seems one's hands from hearing other folks talk about it (I don't have it so I'm not as versed on it). Osteoarthritis is caused by an old injury, surgery or wear and tear of a joint over years, this too knows no age. I was first DX's with OA at age 10 and many others have posted being DX's with OA very young as well.

It does not sound like arthritis, it sounds more like the sciatica nerve being pinched or a bulging/herniated disk that is pinching a nerve. Both a physical therapist and a chiropractor can help relieve the nerve if its the sciatica as well as strengthen your back etc if it's a disk but not necessarily diagnose the root cause.

I'd suggest you go ahead with PT (not a fan of chiro's but to each his own). If you are not feeling some relief within a few weeks it definately should be followed up with an MRI of your lower spine to make sure there's no herniations. X-rays are not going to show bulges unless they are quite large so that is why you have not had one at this point.

If it is the sciatica there are some gentle stretches you can do to help relieve the pressure, theres a post in the forum here on how to do that if you search it.

And for what it's worth no doctor in his right mind is going to operate on your spine if in fact it is herniated and it is deemed a mild hernation. Large herniations take a period of time to happen unless you've had an injury recently. It is definately not a quick fix surgery either, downtime on such a sugery will vary by proceedure but many folks report being out of commission for months, its a pretty serious surgery.

Good luck, I hope you find the root cause of your problem and are able to get some relief.

- forgot to add one thing. A very simple pinched nerve test in the spine that my dr showed me:

with your shoes and socks off and your foot off the floor point your foot and toes on the affected side towards the ceiling (foot bent upwards as far as it will go) and have someone else try to push down your big toe while you try to keep it in place and not allow it to move. If it moves easily downward dispite you holding it up then chances are very good that you do in fact have a pinched nerve in your spine.

Thanks, 'Kissa'. It appears that most recommend an MRI as a beginning diagnosis point, but now a friend of mine tells me that I can NOT get one done because of staples in my head from brain surgery over 25 years ago. If the area of focus is my lower back/leg (and they have the new fangled 'open' MRIs, which I would believe indicate no NEED to be locked up, whole body, in a resonant cavity to obtain decent pictures), then would a simple staple or three two feet away really disqualify an MRI as an option for ME? Gee, why not cram half of me IN the resonant cavity (the MRI 'cave'), the other half (brain) OUT? Seems like most EVERYTHING disqualifies an MRI: "No absolute 'proper' condition to warrant? No MRI. Metal in your body? No MRI. Bad weather last Saturday night? No MRI." :rolleyes: Is my friend correct in her analysis (MRI not an option for me), and are there any other options?

I think your friend is incorrect. Some metal may disqualify an individual such as recent hardware or metal, metal in one's eye and a few other things. I loads of metal, total hip, partial knee, plates and screws in my neck and have never once been told I can't have an MRI, and I've had many. I think its more an issue of how recent it is that the metal isn't firmly planted into the body because of the magnetism, if it's real recent or in some spots then no one wouldn't qualify. I don't think you'd have a problem. If you are really curious just simply call up a facility to does them and ask, they will be sure to tell you.

Generally they do put your entire body in the machine except if you are having your legs done and I can't recall if I was fully in or half in on my spine MRI to be honest.
An open MRI just means that the machine is open and both ends not closed up like a coffin with only one end open. There is still a large amount of magnetism in the outside field of the machine.

I think an MRI is warrented only after you have tried therapy or seen a chiro, doctors don't always do one right off because they are very expensive so they try to rule out a few things first as a general rule.

If for some reason you do need an MRI and can't get an MRI they can do a Mylogram where dye is injected into the spine and they can xray it from there. Personally I'd run screaming like a kid if I had to have one done they do hurt because of the pressure of the fluids that are injected into the spine, epidural steriodal injections feel the same. I've had one and honestly I won't have another anytime soon. They can premedicate you in both cases if you have any type of phobia and it can help.

i have osteoarthritis and other degeretave bone problems...and i am 26. seems it has no age restrictions ....!

One of my biggest gripes about having RA is that it is supposed to not happen to (1) the young and (2) men.

I have had RA since I was 34, and I have a very severe case. I am so tired of sitting around in waiting rooms with nothing but women's mags, and worse yet, people saying "but you are to young, and RA only happens to women!?". Boy, talk about feeling that I was 'singled out' for some reason! :confused:

Arthritis is a disease that can hit at any age, or gender. In my case, it's genetic,my Grandmother had a very severe case, and died from side effects of the meds in her early 50's. I have a wopper of a case as well, my RA factor is around 300.

I agree with the other poster that is sounds like something else, but what you want to do is get a doc to do Arthritis specific tests, like sedimentation rate, 'A' factor etc.

One thing to note, is that arthritis often "settles in" with old injuries, damage to joints etc.

Good luck!