Hi everyone,

Because of a childhood trauma, I have struggled with anxiety most of my life. There has been a lot of healing, but for the past few months I have had extremely stiff legs when walking. My daily walks for exercise are no longer enjoyable. Can years of anxiety cause this condition.

Any input would be appreciated--thank you!

viktik

hi
I have had stiff legs but not due to anxiety it has only been after straining too much and exercise of course causes peoples legs to feel stiff,but for me if I keep going with the exercise it fades away.I have never heard of anxiety causing this,but I do know anxiety can cause loads and loads of weird things.
Has your doctor checked this out? If not you should visit your doctor.




good luck hope it gets better!

A buildup of lactic acid could be a cause of that extreme stiffness. Athletes get this due to overexertion. But those who suffer from panic/anxiety can get lactic acid buildup due to slight hyperventilation. I can't remember if it is the lack of oxygen or the lack of carbon dioxide that causes this physical reaction.

I did get this once. I was 2 miles into a hike and my legs just froze up! It was very weird and I had to sit down for about 20 minutes until I felt I could get back to my car.
Even then they felt super wobbly. There was no reason that I could fathom WHY this happened (other than I am diagnosed with panic disorder), but I never had this happen before. That is when I found out about lactic acid and panic. Try googling it!

Take care!

I'm not sure what could be causing stiffness in your case but anxiety or constant worry does cause muscle stiffness and general body aches. I'm suffering from anxiety and Ive had the stiffness and aches. The aches and spasms have mainly been in my back and arond the base of my neck but I currently have mild aches in my armpits.

Hi there, i get very extreme pain/lead feeling in my upper leg like you are unable to move!! Feels like throbbing or general ache!

i've been experience pain/stiffness/weakness in my legs, arms, wrists and hands for the past few days. it's really annoying, and i'm assuming it's due to anxiety

Yes, it can happen. When I am anxious, it feels like my legs either stiffen up on me or they are not going to hold me up. It's hard to explain, but it's very scary when it happens. I used to have panic attacks where I could hardly put one leg in front of the other...I would describe it as "they were seizing up on me." Talk to your Dr. and get your anxiety straighened out, and hopefully, that will help. Otherwise, you may need to have your legs checked by a neurosurgeon. Good luck.

yes i have had that many of times hun. your fine :)