Why am I getting excruciating pain in my legs at night?

Question

Hello doctor,

My leg is in excruciating pain at night to the point where I cannot walk. During the day, it still hurts but is manageable, and I can still walk, but once it hits about twelve, I can barely move without crying. The pain starts in my butt and feels like a constant cramp from there down my entire leg. The pain has been there intermittently for the past four to five months and has happened thrice in the past one and a half years. Only Tylenol reduces the pain. I do not know if this is a back or leg issue, if something is thrown out of place in my back, or is there something precisely wrong with my leg?

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I have gone through your problems and can manage your symptoms if you follow the below-mentioned guidelines. As per your complaint, it is evident that there is some compression at the spinal cord level. Due to that, there is radiation of pain from the buttocks to the thigh and lower leg. This is known as lumbar radiculopathy and irritation to the sciatic nerve. You can manage pain through physiotherapy treatment like lumbar traction and interferential therapy (IFT) with stretching of the calf and hamstrings, and piriformis will relieve the pain. It is better to go for physiotherapy treatment rather than analgesic drugs for chronic pain management. I hope you are satisfied with the answer. Feel free to ask again.