So, I figured I would post it here, as it's good to have lots of ideas bouncing around, more chance to find a solution before paying a doctor hundreds(or thousands) to diagnose and/or fix...

So, I have a severe pain in my left leg, that has been ongoing for a while, but slowly getting worse over time...

The problem started in 2009 I think... It began as just a twinge that occurred when sitting in certain positions too long...(I don't remember any injury) When I would move, it went away entirely... Slowly, the frequency, and severity of the pain has increased... In 2012, I seen a chiropractor about the issue. He says that I somehow injured the cartilage in my pelvis, showed me an exercise, and re-aligned my spine... No notable improvement... At this point, the pain would most frequently crop up while driving, as I was commuting for 2.5 hours, once every weekend to and from college...

The pain continues to worsen, and last November, I seen a primary care physician about the issue... Without any tests of any kind, she tells me that I pulled the hamstring back in 09, and the problem has gotten worse over time... I tend to disagree, because the pain feels nothing at all like a pulled muscle, and I can't imagine how a pulled muscle can degenerate so far...

Fast forward to now- I nearly always walk with a limp, and the pain is near constant, and often is excruciatingly severe(10/10 pain scale)... Sometimes, I can't play with my son(or my wife if you get my drift)due to the pain, and I am starting to have trouble with my clutch pedal on occasion... Not sure if it's related, but my foot(same leg) sometimes goes numb, and often the pain extends from the center of my hamstring(origin) through my knee and into my calf muscle as a tightness... The original pain, however, feels much like I would imagine it would feel like to be stabbed with a large knife...

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated,,,

 

You need to get to a neurologist. Sounds more like a pinched nerve to me than anything else.

 

I agree with Charlie on the nerve damage.

 

I figured such, but I would probably need a referral to see one...

 

Call and find out

 

possibly sciatica....(sciatic nerve pain)

read here --- pretty detailed and a bunch of links regarding different aspects of it.

It's a symptom that results from other issues.

Definitely return to your PCP and describe the pain as you have here -- foot numbness, nerve pain down leg, sharp stabbing pain -- these are all consistent with nerve-related issues. He/she should refer you to a neurologist or possibly a spine specialist. You'll end up seeing both in all likelihood, as the xrays of your lower back should shed some light on the subject.

You're way too young to be limping around and suffering with something that is hopefully treatable.

Go make an appt.

Now.

Ok, in the morning.

Seriously -- the sooner the better.

 

I will probably need to find another PCP then... The ones I have went to since youth are the ones who diagnosed the pain as a six-year-old pulled hamstring... I'll also need to get my health ins card from my wife;we switched insurance a few months ago, from a company provided by my job, to a company provided for hers...


I've tried to be tough about this, just tune out the pain(not taking any meds for it), but I was at work today, wondering how I'm going to cope in 10 years if it continues to degenerate at this pace(faster as of recent)... I was starting to wonder how I would support my family if I couldn't work... And, about two hours before quitting time, my shift foreman comes up and remarks that I look like I'm in pain, that my limp was getting pretty bad...It was then that I decided that I needed to fix this, or at least know what's wrong so I could cope mentally with it...

It's funny you should mention sciatica, my mother got me a brace/wrap that was designed to fight sciatic nerve pain a few months ago, and just now, I caught the box in sight... Supposedly, it applies pressure to a certain place near the knee, and helps block the pain out... Maybe I should try it out?(also planning to see a doctor)it can only help at this point...

 

I would try the brace. Family first. You need to do whatever it takes to support them.
But just be careful with whatever medicine the doctor gives you. My mom and uncle got gabapentin (nerve medicine) from the car accident they were in (spinal damage on both) and they were basically walking zombies. They looked and felt miserable.

 

They tried me on gabapentin after my brain surgeries. That crap changed my personality 100%. Made me go from a nice guy to a mean s.o.b. They changed me to Lyrica and I've been a happy camper for nearly 11 years now. You might ask for a sample of that. Be aware of the side effects and realize it takes a couple of weeks for it to get in your system. You may notice some weight gain ( I did) and it might make you a little sleepy at first too. I take 75mg twice a day now. Once when I first get up and then about an hour before I go to bed.

 

I was gonna chime in on the precautions regarding medication after you saw the doc and got a real diagnosis, but I thought I'd wait. .....

If you want to know what living as a zombie is like, take 150mg of Lyrica twice a day.
I did for a short while for its anti-anxiety effects. Talk about outer space. You could have run me over with a hay baler and I wouldn't have noticed.

Seriously, these medicines offer great benefits but also come with side effects you AND your family need to be aware of BEFORE you start taking them. The opioids (oxycontin, etc) are also quite addictive.

The goal is to come out of this as pain free as possible WITHOUT the medication -- then take only what you need......