Question: Hello I've been bothered with low back, left hip,left knee, left outside calf, and left foot pain off and on for the past year. I sometimes find yoga stretches and exercise helps and then other times it seems to aggravate. I do find acupuncture helps and aleve but I cannot seem to get permanent relief. I'm thinking it's sciatica and possibly problems with the piriformis muscle. I'm active and healthy at 62 years old and want to get back to biking and tennis this spring. I've reduced my daily walking habits because it does seem to aggravate it. I do find soaking in our hot tub helps. Not sure if I now should try other exercises, or see someone for an x-ray or MRI. I do have mild scoliosis and spinal stenosis determined many years ago with an x-ray when I experienced similar discomfort. I prefer to avoid medications because I'm allergic to codeine, sulfa, pencillin and usually have adverse reactions to meds. I do take magnesium and vitamin D daily but that is all. I'm very healthy and my MD just told me in Dec. that she could not tell me of anything to do to improve my health. My labs and physical were that of someone much younger. I did tell her about this left side discomfort but felt I would continue with exercise and acupunture. I'm feeling I should change my exercises and would like to know which are best. My worst time is sleeping at night when lying down seems to truly make this worse. I do sometimes use a pillow under my knees. Last night I slept very little because of the pain in the hip and knee and at times there are sharp , intermittent pains in both areas. Thinking I will do soaks more often and acupunture but interested in any other suggestions to get this under control.

Thank you for your help. My labs in Dec showed my VitaminD was good and also a bone density showed that osteopenia had remained the same as when it was done in 2011 early stage osteopenia no progression. I'm 5'1" 110 lbs. XXXXXXX