andymcl
10-10-2005, 10:22 PM
Hi
I am currently suffering 2-3, 20-30min extremley painful episodes of bilateral referred pain in either of my quads per day.
The first episode of pain started while decending a steep slope. Prior to that I had been pain free in tis reas - even after hard workouts in the hills - apart from the usual DOMS which goes away within 2 days of an extreme effort.
I am a keen road cyclist and mountain biker and have well developed quads. There is no evidence of muscle strain or tear in my quads.
The pain starts as a minor tingling in a particular muscle and builds to an intense burning muscle spasm that rates 9-10 on my pain-scale. Bad episodes are so intense that they leave me sweating and in tears. The spasms only occur in one muscle group in any given episode. The episodes seem to rotate their chioce of location, working their way around all the different muscles in the quad over a five day period. ie one episode = Left VMO, next episode = right ITB, next episode = left vastus internmedius, next = rectus femoris etc. Episodes last about 20-30mins and are followed by a 4-5 hour period of tenderness and stiffness in the affected muscle. I can't remember when I have felt pain like this before other than when the local anaesthetic wore off after having 5 molars ripped out with pliers!
I have no lower back pain or stiffness. Though during a severe episode I do experience a dull ache up through the top of my glute which terminates at the L4/L5 area on the same side as the affected leg.
I have just had a CT scan which shows a moderate central posterior disc protrusion at L4/L5 () and a mild disc bulge at L5/S1. The intervertebral nerve rots exit normally through the intervertebral foramina at all levels. No bony abnormality seen and no pars interarticularis defects.
I have good range in my hip flexors, however I do experience pain when pressure is applied to trigger points in my illio psoas.
I have very good (maybe hyper) mobility in my lumbar spine and am a bit stiff in my lumbar/thoracic and throracic vertebra.
I am wondering what might be the cause of this painful problem which currently has me incapacitated. (pressure on nerves due to bulging disc, nerve entrapement in tight psoas or other)???
Anti-inflamatories ingested or applied to the lower back or area of muscle spasm have had no effect on the pain nor do painkillers.
Presently my physio treatment is focussed on all three possible contributing areas (disc, psoas & tight L-T area of spine), but the improvement (after 10 days) is minor and certainly not conclusive in terms of knowing whether we are "on-the-money" or not.
I would also like to hear what other treatment might be worthwile investigating and what outcomes/results/sideffects might be expected from those treatments.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. If anyone could help me or give me any sort of lead, I would be most appreciative.
I am currently suffering 2-3, 20-30min extremley painful episodes of bilateral referred pain in either of my quads per day.
The first episode of pain started while decending a steep slope. Prior to that I had been pain free in tis reas - even after hard workouts in the hills - apart from the usual DOMS which goes away within 2 days of an extreme effort.
I am a keen road cyclist and mountain biker and have well developed quads. There is no evidence of muscle strain or tear in my quads.
The pain starts as a minor tingling in a particular muscle and builds to an intense burning muscle spasm that rates 9-10 on my pain-scale. Bad episodes are so intense that they leave me sweating and in tears. The spasms only occur in one muscle group in any given episode. The episodes seem to rotate their chioce of location, working their way around all the different muscles in the quad over a five day period. ie one episode = Left VMO, next episode = right ITB, next episode = left vastus internmedius, next = rectus femoris etc. Episodes last about 20-30mins and are followed by a 4-5 hour period of tenderness and stiffness in the affected muscle. I can't remember when I have felt pain like this before other than when the local anaesthetic wore off after having 5 molars ripped out with pliers!
I have no lower back pain or stiffness. Though during a severe episode I do experience a dull ache up through the top of my glute which terminates at the L4/L5 area on the same side as the affected leg.
I have just had a CT scan which shows a moderate central posterior disc protrusion at L4/L5 () and a mild disc bulge at L5/S1. The intervertebral nerve rots exit normally through the intervertebral foramina at all levels. No bony abnormality seen and no pars interarticularis defects.
I have good range in my hip flexors, however I do experience pain when pressure is applied to trigger points in my illio psoas.
I have very good (maybe hyper) mobility in my lumbar spine and am a bit stiff in my lumbar/thoracic and throracic vertebra.
I am wondering what might be the cause of this painful problem which currently has me incapacitated. (pressure on nerves due to bulging disc, nerve entrapement in tight psoas or other)???
Anti-inflamatories ingested or applied to the lower back or area of muscle spasm have had no effect on the pain nor do painkillers.
Presently my physio treatment is focussed on all three possible contributing areas (disc, psoas & tight L-T area of spine), but the improvement (after 10 days) is minor and certainly not conclusive in terms of knowing whether we are "on-the-money" or not.
I would also like to hear what other treatment might be worthwile investigating and what outcomes/results/sideffects might be expected from those treatments.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. If anyone could help me or give me any sort of lead, I would be most appreciative.