Wendy & Dee -
It wasn't too long ago that we had a similar discussion about leg pain and
its relationship to Parkinson's.  (Below are some of the exchanges)

I visited my second orthopedic doctor yesterday, one supposedly specializing
in gait disorders.  He was fantastic!  I had a negative electrical workup
(left leg) for nerve damage (EMG) done by the neuro, have had an MRI of both
my hip and lumbar spine (both negative except for "bulging disks"), and have
been getting simple physical therapy and ultrasound and heat therapy from a
chiropractor.  I was frankly ready to give up!  Then I went to my GP for a
regular checkup and he suggested the ortho I saw.

This orthopedic doctor did all sorts of motiion range testing, watched me
walk, and took an extensive history.  Immediately he gave me a steroid shot
in the hip (which has given me great relief!), and didn't like either my
gait or the brace I've been wearing.  He has prescribed Bextra (an
anti-arthritic medication for pain and inflammation) and has ordered
physical therapy to be focused on correcting my gait, with the goal to be to
do the therapy at home.  He also wants to "watch" my knee for a possible
catilage tear. At last I feel like I am getting somewhere!  I go back in two
weeks and will start therapy this week.

Also, at the request of my neuro, I started Amantadine, which has slowed
down the spaasms I have been having in up thigh (dystonia).  I believe all
of this is related to PD.  Massages, heat, ultrasound, pain medications, and
even steroid shots are all temporary fixes. The suggestion of regular
exercise is of paramount importance in relieving these symptoms!

Peggy

----- Original Message -----
From: "Wendy Siegel" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2004 2:15 AM
Subject: Re: Leg pain


 Hi Dee!
 I am new here and have been lurking for a couple of weeks. My name is
Wendy, and I am a caregiver for my husband who has just been diagnosed with
PD. Do you have any disc problems contributing to the sciatic problem? If
so, there are a number of options. If your problem is due to muscle
tightness alone, I don't know what else to recommend, other than massage and
warm baths.

 Wendy

 -----Original Message-----
 From: Parkinson's Information Exchange Network
 [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Dolores Buente
 Sent: Monday, January 05, 2004 10:54 AM
 To: [log in to unmask]
 Subject: Leg pain
 Mario, In response to your message on leg pain, I too have a great deal of
pain and stiffness in my left leg, hip and lower back.  It affects the side
where the PD symptoms are greatest and I feel that it is a direct
relationship to the muscle tenseness that is brought on by PD.  I believe
the sciatic nerveis being pinched by the muscles which surround it and I do
a lot of stretching to relieve it but don't always get relief.  In fact, if
I overdo the stretching routine, the pain gets even worse.  I have had
steroidal injections in the past ( believe it was 2 injections over a period
of a few weeks)  That was about 18 months ago and it had helped somewhat up
until a few weeks ago.  The doctors are reluctant to give these shots too
often and, with good reason.  I believe that they can cause problems over
the long run if used too frequently (make bones soft, etc).  I have also
gone for physical therapy but it is not too effective and only relieves the
problem on a short term basis.  I've tried "Zanaflex" which is a muscle
relaxant and it helped a great deal but had to quit taking it because it
caused my blood pressure to be too low...was getting light headed and had no
energy.  So........I don't know exactly what to do at this point.

 Some days I have more trouble with it than others and I try to stay as
active as I can in order to keep my muscles relatively loose. I doubt that
this is of much help to you in finding a relief but at least you know that
you are not the only one dealing with it.  I think, I will eventually be
back to my doctor for another try at steroid injection if the condition
progresses.

Dee
----------------------
Earlier messages *   *   *   *

Jan. 4
For the last five weeks, I have been experiencing excruciating,
tear-producing pain in my  right leg.  At first I thought it was the Sciatic
nerve and proceeded to treat it as such .
Neither Acupuncture nor Chiropractor were able to do any good.

As I read literature on leg pain, the ones  that come the closest to my
condition are:  SHIN SPLINTS  and STRESS FRACTURE. They both describe  my
condition to a "T".
Question: Is this  PD taking its toll? - Can it be PD related?
What sort of test should  I have done?
Is a neurologist the right doctor to be looking at this?
Any answers will be appreciated.

 Mario
* * * *
Dec, 8
Some leg pain can be relieved by old-fashioned stretching routines done
regularly in the evening.

 Also. avoiding beverages that have milk in them may halt the accumulation
of lactic acid in the calf muscles, therefore reducing pain.

Hope these ideas help

Ivan Suzman
*   * * * *
Dec. 5
Thanks Joan for pointing me to these messages.
I also have had excruciating pain in my right leg, beginning at the base of
the buttocks and down to where the shin meets the foot. Had x-rays and MRI
done, they show the curvature of the spine and some arthritis.
I have been going to the chiropractor, and right now am waiting on a call
from my GP to see which way he wants to go with this one.
And I mean "Excruciating

Mario
* * * *
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