Doctors or nurses only please-leg pain.?!
Question: I've got a bone spur that was found on x-ray 3 years ago on the bottom of my heel. I was given some antiinflamitories that took care of the inflammation and had no more problems until about 6 months ago. I'm a nurse and I work on a busy surgical unit, always on my feet and I havent been able to get the inflamation to go down and stay down. I've seen the doctor, and have medication, but it makes me very sick to my stomach. I now have pain that goes all the way up to my knee, started 2 days ago. The pain is a burning sensation, it hurts when i first start walking and then subsides to bearable. I have taken advil and aleve. What has me worried is that I have taken 800 mg of advil and 2 aleve today, the pain doesnt seem to improve. It gets better when I walk, but if I set down for only 3-4 minutes, it is as bad as it was when I first woke up. I'm worried its a DVT instead. Does DVT pain get better with walking initially?
Answers: I've got a bone spur that was found on x-ray 3 years ago on the bottom of my heel. I was given some antiinflamitories that took care of the inflammation and had no more problems until about 6 months ago. I'm a nurse and I work on a busy surgical unit, always on my feet and I havent been able to get the inflamation to go down and stay down. I've seen the doctor, and have medication, but it makes me very sick to my stomach. I now have pain that goes all the way up to my knee, started 2 days ago. The pain is a burning sensation, it hurts when i first start walking and then subsides to bearable. I have taken advil and aleve. What has me worried is that I have taken 800 mg of advil and 2 aleve today, the pain doesnt seem to improve. It gets better when I walk, but if I set down for only 3-4 minutes, it is as bad as it was when I first woke up. I'm worried its a DVT instead. Does DVT pain get better with walking initially?
If your heel spur (plantar fascitis) has only been treated with anti-inflammatory medication, this is no guarantee that it has receded. The plantar fascia tendon can still likely be inflamed and walking on it in this condition does no good.
I'm sure you'll have taken the necessary precautions, such as good footwear etc. A special heel pad is available for heel spurs and can aid greatly in relief.
The pain up to the knee may well be because you are compensating elsewhere rather than putting weight onto the painful part of your foot, this will fatigue the muscles.
It's one thing having a heel spur diagnosed, another finding out the cause. It can be anything from bad shoes to pronation or rheumatoid arthritis. Ask for an x-ray to determine cause and check for a vascular problem.
Neuropathy cream might give some relief in this case.
Dvt pain will not get better when you walk. If you are a nurse, you should know how to do the Hohm's test, point toes then push then up, if painful then positive for possible DVT. With all the Advil and aleve you have been taking I would be surprised if it was a DVT, since you already know those drugs thin your blood. It sound like spasms in your arteries, when you stand the blood goes into your legs and relieves the pain. Are your feet turning cyanotic (blueish) when you sit and the pain starts in your legs--if so this would be arterial spasms. Standing relieves it. Good luck and get the your MD in the morning.
My mother is an RN as well and this is what she says. "No it doesn't. It can cause pulmonary embolism." I know it is short and brief. I hope it helps!
I am NOT a DR. or a Nurse but I have had Deep Vein Thrombosis and it doesn't get better when you walk. My leg turned purple or blue as you might call it. If you think you might have DVT go to the Dr. as soon as possible and get a ultra sound and to be safe.I had a bone spur in my knee which caused the DVT in the upper thigh.