Question
My husband gets these episodes only several times a year but he gets SEVERE calf pain, enough to make him nauseated and it will last for several weeks.   We have tried whirlpool, heating pad, adding all types of vitamins etc.   Eventually he will get over them but he walks with a limp when he has them and I notice that his right foot turns outwards when he walks while hurting if that is of any significance.  He has had leg claudication problems and stent but tests on this have turned out fine as well as for blood clots.  CT several years ago did show a bulging lumbar disk but nothing really significant.  Years ago, he was putting a motorcycle up on its stand and tore something in his leg and pain so bad he passed out at the time..Could this be from old injury or any suggestions on what it could be.  FAR worse than just muscle over use.

Answer
Linda,

Usually, calf pain comes from calf muscles in a high state of contraction.  Sometimes, circulatory problems cause the pain.  And sometimes, muscular tension causes circulatory problems (tight muscles block circulation, rather than pump blood as they contract and relax).

I don't know how old your husband is, but my guess is that he is far younger than we would expect circulatory problems to be present.

The bulging lumbar disc indicates strong contraction of certain back muscles, and that might cause the pain through nerve entrapment.

However, the injury you describe could also have triggered reflexive contraction in his calf.

In either case, if he were my client, I would be assessing the pattern of his constant muscular tension and then training him in muscular control until the muscle tension relaxes.

See the video at somatics.com/page2.htm for a somatic exercise to free calf muscles; see the articles on back pain at somatics.com/page4b.htm.

with regard,
Lawrence Gold