pain in out side leg when walking fast or running
by Kyle
(Arizona)
outside of leg pain
when ever i go to run on treed mill lately my right leg starts hurting real bad and i can hardly walk i can only make it about 1/4 to 1/2 mile before it start hurting i went to a running shoe place got the right pair of shoes by what they said? they video tape you running bare footed then with all types of shoes. after resting a little the pain goes away but next time i run it starts up again even if i just walk on treed mill or out side it starts hurting.it is a sharp pain and a little swelling just at the bottom as far as i can tell its the peroneus longueurs muscle?
RESPONSEHi Kyle,
If the pain on the outside of your leg is associated primarily with running, then the first thought of course would be a myositis, or overworking of the peroneus longus or even peroneus brevis tendon which as you point out are on the outside of the lower leg. But here is the problem. The amount of pain that you are experiencing. Most people who experience a myositis or even shin splints, have pain to some degree but rarely is it debilitating as you seem to describe your pain.
The fact that your gait was analyzed and I assume you were sold running shoes that would make up for any deficiency in your gait, coupled with the fact that
the leg pain was not alleviated would lead me to believe there may be something more going on here.
My next thought would be that of a stress fracture. You can get a stress fracture of the lower leg without any history of trauma, other than just running. There may be other factors involved but since I do not know anything about your overall health or medical history, I cannot comment. Typically, the pain will start when running or even during prolonged walking and will be more painful than lets say a muscle ache. Once you rest for a period of time the pain will subside, only to resume once you do some type of extended ambulation.
The only real treatment for a stress fracture is rest, meaning you will have to refrain from exercise for a few weeks, possibly longer, depending on health factors, until the fracture has healed.
First, you have to make the diagnosis. I have found over the years, x-rays in many cases fail to reveal the fracture and that a bone scan or even an MRI are far more sensitive in picking up the fracture.
So, as you can see in order to get a proper diagnosis you will need to see a doctor in your area because your problem sounds to be more than a biomechanical problem, meaning your pain seems to be coming from a source other than abnormal foot function.
Marc Mitnick DPM
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