Author Topic: Aching Legs  (Read 1668 times)

zuludog

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Aching Legs
« on: 08:23:07, 25/03/19 »
For several months now I have been getting aching legs when walking
I'm OK with everyday walking, but hiking, especially going uphill produces quite painful aches in my calves, progressing to my upper legs
Yes, I know that's because I'm hiking, but I can tell that it is different to the usual aches & pains from being unfit. If I rest for a few minutes it clears up and I'm OK for a while then it comes on again. Also it takes a few days afterwards to feel better


I've Searched t'Net and I'm fairly certain that it is INTERMITTENT CLAUDICATION, which is narrowing of the arteries in the legs.
 I haven't had this confirmed but all the symptoms fit, and also the risk factors - I'm 68, a bit overweight, and have diabetes
I have a doctor's appointment in a couple of weeks' time discuss this


In the meantime I wonder if anyone else has had this, or can offer any advice or comments?


I was looking forwards to some backpacking trips this year, but that seems unlikely now
As you might imagine I'm rather unhappy about this, and not a little worried.

gunwharfman

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Re: Aching Legs
« Reply #1 on: 11:17:53, 25/03/19 »
I had a relative with this problem, plus other medical problems as well. My mother always called him a 'working class expert' because he would dismiss anything from anyone if he didn't want to hear it! He smoked heavily, was overweight and had diabetes. He was told by his GP to give up smoking (No!) to lose weight (No!) to give up eating so much junk food, cakes and biscuits, (No, but he did give Hob [censored] and moved onto chocolate digestives) and to walk every day. Two years ago he died of lung cancer! As an extended family we always laughed that he was the inspiration for Harry Endfield's character "you dont want to do that" series of sketches. He did walk though, not far, usually just to his local but he did this every day.

I hope things improve for you.

BuzyG

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Re: Aching Legs
« Reply #2 on: 22:56:27, 25/03/19 »
I had a relative with this problem, plus other medical problems as well. My mother always called him a 'working class expert' because he would dismiss anything from anyone if he didn't want to hear it! He smoked heavily, was overweight and had diabetes. He was told by his GP to give up smoking (No!) to lose weight (No!) to give up eating so much junk food, cakes and biscuits, (No, but he did give Hob [censored] and moved onto chocolate digestives) and to walk every day. Two years ago he died of lung cancer! As an extended family we always laughed that he was the inspiration for Harry Endfield's character "you dont want to do that" series of sketches. He did walk though, not far, usually just to his local but he did this every day.

I hope things improve for you.


Full of the joys of Spring today I see  gunwalfman

richardh1905

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Re: Aching Legs
« Reply #3 on: 08:45:53, 26/03/19 »
Seeing your GP for a firm diagnosis is the correct course of action - hope that it goes well.
WildAboutWalking - Join me on my walks through the wilder parts of Britain

zuludog

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Re: Aching Legs
« Reply #4 on: 09:34:40, 26/03/19 »
Seeing your GP for a firm diagnosis is the correct course of action - hope that it goes well.

Yes, I have an appointment next week. You do get treatment with the NHS, albeit slowly. The thing is to get it started and then chug through the system, but as I have suffered from depression in the past I'll lay that on a bit to see if I can speed up the process

Interestingly I have been on two day walks recently, around the Pendle district of East Lancashire

The first was with a walking group, and my legs ached quite a bit for a few days afterwards. But that included some uphill, and I was keeping up with the others, even though it was not a particularly fast pace. It's the sort of thing that I would never have bothered me, but obviously in my present state I found it harder

Yesterday I went on a walk on my own; along the canal, across fields, and at my own pace. I managed that quite happily, so there's hope yet

I've been Searching t'Net & YT, the recommendation is that more walking & exercise will improve things; let's see what the doc has to say

We all know that there's going to come a day when we can't do what we did when we were 20, but keep hoping 'not yet.....not yet....'.

gunwharfman

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Re: Aching Legs
« Reply #5 on: 09:45:21, 26/03/19 »
Buzy G, all I can say is that I have some interesting extended family members. One good thing though, certainly keeps the wider family interested in each other.

fit old bird

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Re: Aching Legs
« Reply #6 on: 10:11:05, 26/03/19 »
Buzy G, all I can say is that I have some interesting extended family members. One good thing though, certainly keeps the wider family interested in each other.


All I can say is that I'm glad I have a very narrower family. I do not dictate how others live their lives, it's their personal choice.


Op, see what the doctor says. I hope things get better for you.  O0


ilona

Jac

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Re: Aching Legs
« Reply #7 on: 11:15:29, 26/03/19 »

All I can say is that I'm glad I have a very narrower family. I do not dictate how others live their lives, it's their personal choice.

Op, see what the doctor says. I hope things get better for you.  O0 

ilona



I hope so too - horrid when you can't plan ahead  - hope the NHS doesn't keep you waiting too long.
So many paths yet to walk, so little time left

fernman

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Re: Aching Legs
« Reply #8 on: 11:30:23, 26/03/19 »
I've been Searching t'Net & YT, the recommendation is that more walking & exercise will improve things;

I can vouch for that. I sometimes get a painful knee and lower leg, almost certainly related to a ligament injury many years ago that has never completely gone away, and I find that I can go out and "walk it off". Within a short distance I'm back to normal.

rural roamer

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Re: Aching Legs
« Reply #9 on: 12:41:02, 26/03/19 »
I sympathise, more bits of me seem to ache each year! I’ve just retired (last week) and looking forward to doing more not less walking. But I have an appointment end of next week with the GP as my left side and back have been hurting for a few weeks. It got worse when we recently went to Barcelona and I only had a very small rucksack but we did do an awful lot of walking on the hard pavements.  Not sure if I would be able to carry a larger rucksack on a LDW but we were hoping to do the Two Moors Way and the guidebook has just arrived. Not sure whether to risk booking it up yet. Perhaps I should have bypassed the GP and referred myself straight to the physio but I’m not sure if its bones, muscle or organs hurting!

 

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