Difference in Calf Size, Twitches, Cramps

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Anxietyaway

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Hi all,So a few weeks back I posted about my difference in calf size on the left side, the side I also experience bad twitching throbbing in foot heel, arch, ball of foot and calf. One of my few remaining bad symptoms. You folks were great! Sharing your different size limb experiences, and telling me to relax. And I did!!! Even though I had stuff going on, feet cramps, twitches, etc. Well over the weekend the pinched nerve in my neck started acting up so I went to my chiro who got me through all summer at the height of my *** fears. So i mention calf thing and he measures and finds left is one inch smaller and no where near as hard full as right. So he says probably some lower back thing causing atrophy in calf, but go back to neuro get another emg. Neuro away. S/w covering dr. Who thinks it doesn't sound like *** to him. Made me stand on toes on one foot etc. Says maybe nerve issue in my lower back even though I don't have pain there. Also maybe always like this and I haven't noticed. Says cramps etc could be benign. And that my emg cleared me in july. I'm going away next week to London and won't see neuro til Nov 10. Really concerned this might worsen while away. neck and shoulder pain don't help right now. Any advice?Thanks,Victoria
 
Victoria,I think I posted on your last one, but I am not sure. I have one arm that is smaller than the other. And it is my issued arm. There is an indent in it, one that my Neuro even picked up on. He EMG'ed it for me and it was fine. I have not measured it as I really don't want to know what the difference is. And I have not had anyone else (DR wise) take a look at it either. I say this, because, I think if I had done that I would feel slightly nervous like you. I just know that it is there, the DR that needed to see it did, and it is weird, but fine. That arm is not as strong, gets sore when overused. You saw someone that would be able to tell you if they were concerned of anything life threatening. Nov 10th is not far off. Take a breath and realize that you can't make time go faster with worry, so try to enjoy your trip. And know that I have the same type of problem. :D)
 
Sorry, wanted to mention that I noticed this left calf problem late summer, after emg and it has felt increasingly flimsy, and my heels and ball of feet also feel less muscular and cushiony. The chiro said I seem to have less strength in left foot and toes. thanks for listening. I feel no one else understands.
 
I don't mean to sound disrespectful to your chiro, but I would just listen to your neuro DR on this stuff. Chiro told me I had an enlarged lymph node on my hip...which I could feel very well. I went to an ortho DR, they MRI'ed and it was def not a lymphnode that was swollen. It was a fatty cyst! So, they are not dealing with the same schooling.
 
Runnergirl,Thanks. both the chiro on the neuro on call said that virtually everyone has arm variation due to predominant use, but significant leg variation less common. But as reassurance both said not at all likely *** Nov 10 is somewhat far away, but I will try to get in before I on Thursday the staff was great getting the on call dr to call me. Hopefully she can get me in tuesday when neuro returns. Yes, different schooling for chiro. I was reluctant to even go. But he helped me. I will feel better when my neuro sees this and does emg.
 
CWW, I wanted to post to this, I dont remember if I told you or not, but I never noticed it until I got all of this, but my left calf looks wayy different then my right. When its measured, its 3/4 of an inch smaller than my right. I dont know if its been that way, or if its just with this that I have noticed it. But it does look like its alot smaller than my right, my physical therapist picked up on it at one of our visits and measured it for me and sure enough it was smaller.. But there is no loss of strength, and my EMG showed no nerve damage, so its not ALS atrophy. ALS atrophy looks different any way, it would not shrink you entire calf muscle group all at once. It would hit one of the muscles in that group, to where it would look like a hunk of your calf is missing, this is how my neuro and physical therapist explained ALS atrophy to me when I freaked about my smaller calf. There is also a good sticky on this site from a women who goes by KIT, she is a doctor and she put this sticky together for people curious or concerned about atrophy.Hope this helps some, I want you to enjoy your trip to London.Please try not to worry, your EMG was clean, as was mine, we're good, small calves and all, LOLTake careRobynn :D)
 
Thanks Robynn. Does your calf feel less hard? My right calf feels hard as a rock but the left feels flimsy. I can make a muscle in it but it is not near as firm. I will try to relax. I appreciate all you and runnergirl and all the voices of reason do for all of us out here. I know there are debates, etc. But really, the people on this site are truly special.
 
The answer cww would be a big fat YES, it does not have hardly any tone to it anymore. My right one does, but my left one kind of looks like I never was a dancer or in weight training in high school or my early 20's. It just looks like its a leg I never used at all, its weird, my hubby says he cant see that much difference but my physical therapist could and I really can, it looks so small compared to my right that looks and feels normal. Sorry for the debates and disputes, I think they are over now, and I'm glad you can still see the good in this board.Take CareRobynn :D)
 
Hi Robynn. Thanks for your candid timely answers. I have been up since three throbbing badly in that left heal and arch and calf. I'm so exhausted by this. I don't know how much longer I can deal with it. It takes so much effort to ignore it. And now to ignore a flimsy feeling calf that is shrinking. I felt free of the immense fear of it after I got emg and then after I joined here I have been able to imagine a future life. As so many people on here have fascics throbbing numbness throat issues etc and they survive years and years with it. And Mario and others said never has anyone on the site returned to report that they developed *** one thing that put things in Perspective for me yesterday was when on call neuro asked if I was still able to walk. I knew that he must get calls from people who can't and I realized I am fortunate. I just have a sense that something very bad is wrong with me. Of course I've thought that before years ago in my late 20s fear of heart attack, bowel obstruction, and in my 30s fear of HIV, and other maladies and last summer fear ovarian cysts were cancer. calling my life insurance company to check on benefits. Coming to find out cysts were too small to cause so much pain actually had rt hip tendonitis and bursitis. But this time with all that is happening it feels worse. I know I sound like a whiner but yesterday set me back. And my symptoms don't come and go with the anxiety. They are here even when I'm not stressed. Thanks for listening. V
 
I'm sorry you are feeling all of this so strongly rite now, it does sound like you are in the thick of BFS. But you are not alone with this, we have all been where you are rite now. When you said that your symptoms dont abate when you are not stressed, please let me gently remind you that you have stated that you have had several health concerns over the years, and more so even now. You dont have to be having an anxiety attack to be experiencing the consequences of anxiety, your nervous system is hyper-excited rite now, and you will continue to feel these symptoms until you have calmed and given your nervous system enough of a break from the constant worry, to calm itself. Not all of it is your fault, some of it is just a feature of BFS because it causes the nervous system to become hyper-excited, but adding to that with constant worry will only allow it to remain in this state. Even if you think you are not thinking about it or worried about it, your system is still in overdrive at the moment. But it will calm, try to find things to do that are calming, take a warm bath with epson salt ( there is magnesium in the salts that will help relax you and your muscles). They sell some epson salts now that are lavender scented which is also relaxing to the mind and body. Try meditation for a few minutes a few times a day. Go buy a relaxation CD, there are some really good ones out there and can be very helpful. Start drinking some Chamomile tea, it is very soothing to the nervous system and will help you rest better if you drink it before bed. Just try to find something that helps you cope with these feelings and bodily sensations. The pain and such that you are dealing with rite now sounds so similar to what I went through with my foot and ankle, it hurt, it felt very tight, it felt horrible when I had to walk on it, and it went on for so long, I really thought it would never get better or repair but low and behold, a couple of months later, it is no longer an issue, if feels so normal now, its like nothing was ever going on with it to begin with. So things do improve if you just give it some time, I promise.Please take care of yourself, and feel free to post any concerns you have, we are here to help.Robynn :D)
 
Great ideas...and yes, I recognize that I am in a constant state of hyper exciteability....worry simmers near the surface and grapepie over at times...I do hope these throbbing aching pains go away soon it has been months ...I have had other symtpoms go away like the body wide numbness and tingling that started last January and continued through most fo the summer...then it was gone...Right now it is this contrast of feeling strong tight muscles to walk on in right leg, and a flimsy feeling in the other. Even sitting feels different...It just feels almost hollow...if that makes any sense...Thanks, Robynn, again...you are great!
 

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