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What Causes Shooting Pains In Lower Calf And Ankle?
Question: I am 8 weeks from total knee replacement. Getting shooting pains in lower calf and ankle since 3hrs. They are about 1-2 mins apart.
Brief Answer:
tricky.
Detailed Answer:
Certainly there are many reasons why a lower limb that has knee problems will have pains in the same area:
1) there can be radiation out from the painful knee (it can throb outward). There are many parts to this. The nerves and even the spinal region connected to the knee area ARE sensitized by pain and WILL have increased pain and increased sensitivity to pain.
2) there can be muscle cramps from walking in an unbalanced fashion due to favoring the knee and, decreased flexibility in the leg from not moving it as much due to the knee injury.
3) the same reason there was a problem in the knee WILL also act on other joints in the same limb (hip and ankle).
4) the back can have unbalanced load on one side more than another. This can impact the nerves coming out from the back.
Without being there, you literally will know which of these are likely occurring better than I will:
You can probably tell if it is a muscle or a joint and which joints are painful to move and/or are swollen and stiff.
You can tell if the pain runs out from one spot to another
You can tell if it feels like it is inside, if it is a sore muscle, or if it shoots and feels like a nerve.
Pretty obviously, if one finds where the problem lies, one can find particular treatments for it. Nerve pain is different from joint and muscle pain. One needs nerve pills the other needs joint and muscle medicines.
tricky.
Detailed Answer:
Certainly there are many reasons why a lower limb that has knee problems will have pains in the same area:
1) there can be radiation out from the painful knee (it can throb outward). There are many parts to this. The nerves and even the spinal region connected to the knee area ARE sensitized by pain and WILL have increased pain and increased sensitivity to pain.
2) there can be muscle cramps from walking in an unbalanced fashion due to favoring the knee and, decreased flexibility in the leg from not moving it as much due to the knee injury.
3) the same reason there was a problem in the knee WILL also act on other joints in the same limb (hip and ankle).
4) the back can have unbalanced load on one side more than another. This can impact the nerves coming out from the back.
Without being there, you literally will know which of these are likely occurring better than I will:
You can probably tell if it is a muscle or a joint and which joints are painful to move and/or are swollen and stiff.
You can tell if the pain runs out from one spot to another
You can tell if it feels like it is inside, if it is a sore muscle, or if it shoots and feels like a nerve.
Pretty obviously, if one finds where the problem lies, one can find particular treatments for it. Nerve pain is different from joint and muscle pain. One needs nerve pills the other needs joint and muscle medicines.
Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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