It is not likely that you can diagnose the cause since you do not have the training in this area. As an example, my nurse friend was in pain for decades, but never went to a professional because she was convinced it was sciatica because the symptoms were similar and sciatica is a common nursing ailment caused by lifting heavy people. Ten years ago she made one visit to a chiropractor who does active release therapy and discovered that her self-diagnosis was wrong because he fixed her and she has never had any pain or problem since. If she hadn't seen this pro, she would have spent another decade in pain.
No one can diagnose from here, so I suggest you see your doc or someone with training and work experience dealing with body pains. Doctors don`t do rehab, but might give you a good diagnosis of what your problem is and how to resolve it on your own if that is possible.
I don't know anything about reflexology but the guy who fixed my friend snorted when she mentioned reflexology. On the other hand, you think the amateur reflexologist seems to have helped, so perhaps the rub is all you need or else some of the problem might be in your imagination.
There is no substitute for a trained professional when it comes to body pain relief, unless it is a free rub from a friend if it works.
Ask your physician to order an ultrasound on the veins in your legs. Fatigue and pain like this is often associated with restricted blood flow through the legs - narrowing of either arteries or veins. I don't know how old you are, but obviously this is more common in people over 50. I've had two male friends who were diagnosed with this problem. Both managed the condition through a same-day surgery.
For your foot problem - well, this sounds like what I and my mother both experience. IF it's the same thing, and I obviously can't diagnose that it is, it is, believe it or not, related to the tendons in your heel and ankle. I described it as feeling like someone had pounded my heels and feet with a hammer, and mine DID come and go. Gentle stretching exercises were recommended; for example, I was told to do a bit of a lunge, then slowly raise and lower the back heel up and down 10 times, then switch which leg was in the back, and do this several times per day. It really does help me, so may be something to try for you.
Hi, koldman. I'd say that
CurfewX's suggestion about impaired circulation in the legs is an excellent place to start.
You can read up a bit on 'claudication', especially if you have risk factors for atherosclerosis (high BP, high LDL etc).
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/claudication/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20370959
While you're waiting to get a Doppler ultrasound (the kind that shows blood flow), there is a simple test that you can even DIY - using just a blood pressure cuff.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/ankle-brachial-index/about/pac-20392934
It's just comparing BP in the ankles to that in the upper arm. Maybe your GP did that already? That would be pretty much standard procedure for leg pain in anybody >50yrs -- especially because claudication is often a harbinger that the heart is also undergoing similar blockage.
"The pain is more present the more I walk..."
As I recall, that is a symptom of claudication. The leg muscles don't get enough O2. So that's similar to angina pain in the heart caused by exertion.
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"I came here because I believe two heads are better than one."
If you do not have claudication, then it's likely something more mysterious and uncommon, and so I'd think of trying things like the following:
Do a websearch for--> DDx muscle pain weakness
and/or for--> DDx fibromyalgia
(not because you have fibromyalgia, but because that might turn up some leads)
E.g,. those might lead to 'mitochondrial dysfunction'. Or to folate deficiency -- or other nutrient deficiencies, especially if you have an unusual diet or any gut problems that might result in some malabsorption.
Or more rare, a muscular dystrophy, or a neuromuscular junction disease. Or Channelopathies.
So you'd be compiling a list of possibilities, and then seeing how your symptoms match, or not, to each possibility. That can possibly give you clues which docs to seek out, and what tests to ask for.
"I think my doc just wants to rule out DVT..."
That's entirely reasonable.
Let's presume for the moment that the US will show no venous clots and no serious artery plaque.
Here's a quick 5 second muscular test, since you seemed to have mentioned the shin/anterior-chamber area:
can you walk on your heels like a penguin? Not a joke.
https://www.mda.org/disease/facioscapulohumeral-muscular-dystrophy/signs-and-symptoms
Also, Creatine Kinase is released into circulation when muscle cells break down. I'd write to your doc today and ask for that test.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4233647/
"A PATTERN RECOGNITION APPROACH TO THE PATIENT WITH A SUSPECTED MYOPATHY"
Or maybe you've had that already?
That looks like a very good article to work through.
"Creatine kinase (CK) is an extremely useful laboratory study for the evaluation of patients with a suspected myopathy. The CK is elevated in the majority of patients with muscle disease but may be normal in slowly progressive myopathies. The degree of CK elevation can also be helpful in distinguishing different forms of muscular dystrophy."