Hard & swollen calf
I think I know the answer to this, but thought I'd ask anyhow. This weekend, Sam has been running around almost non-stop. We're currently out of town visiting family. He came down the stairs about an hour ago and his right calf was extremely swollen. It's quite noticably bigger then the other one and hard as a rock. He also says it hurts. When he was walking, he was having trouble getting his heel down on the ground. The whole leg is pretty tight. I'm assuming this is from overuse. The only concern I really have with this is that it's on the same leg that he hurt the foot a month ago at the school playground. I never have taken him to the doctor for that because he stopped limping and wasn't complaining about it. I was back to being able to stretch him as normal. Now I'm thinking I may need to have it checked out since only this leg seems to have reacted to all the activity. I'll also add that this has never happened before, and Sam has had some very active times.
Has anyone experienced this before? Especially with just one leg?
Has anyone experienced this before? Especially with just one leg?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jenny Garofalo on
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Laurie,
Danny had this a couple weeks ago. I also posted questions about it. Best advice is get him into a warm bath and stretch/massage him out. Danny's only happens on one leg also ( third time it has happened).
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Permalink Reply by Samantha Dearing on
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When Justin was still walking, he always had more problems with one leg/calf than the other. For him, it was always the right one. It was tighter than the left and with alot of use, the calf would be enlarged more than than left. We always had to stretch it more. When he had bi-lateral tendon release and transfer surgery, his right was more turned and tighter. he had alot more trouble with that foot and a longer recovery period for it.
--Samantha
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Permalink Reply by Joshua's mom on
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Joshua too has more problems with one leg in particular. We call it his strong leg. We call it this because it is his stablizing leg. He holds his body with it when climbing stairs; he holds his bike with it when swinging his other leg over; and every time he runs, he leads with it. He too gets his stretches et al. but the spa bath is what does it best. He lays on the mat for 10 minutes on high speed and it would take me an hour to massage out what it does.
Naomi
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Permalink Reply by Sharyn Thompson on
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Massage, massage, massage, massage. Just keep kneading the hard part of the leg to break it down a little. This is what my physio told us. James often has hard swollen legs, especially after loads of exercise. It also tends to be more on just one leg - often the leg he uses the most. Give him a warm bath in the evening, and then a good firm massage, followed by the usual stretches. If he is having trouble getting his heel down, maybe stretch his achilles a little more, but always make sure he is warmed up first.
I hope I'm giving the right advice - perhaps I am wrong, but this is what we have been doing. If I am wrong, I am hoping someone will correct me. That's what this place is for, so we can all learn.
I need to know, where can i get one of these spa mats? They sound wonderful!
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Permalink Reply by Jerry Dallapè on
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Sharyn Thompson said:
I need to know, where can i get one of these spa mats? They sound wonderful!
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=14...
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I bought our spa mat at Wal-Mart. It's made by Conair. We only paid $40.00. It works beautifully! Once Joshua lays on it, we put a towel over him and it balloons up when we turn it on. He gets a kick out of still!
Naomi
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Permalink Reply by Karen Barnett on
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My son has been experiencing a lot of muscle cramping throughout his body over the last week. It will be in his arms one day and then his legs the next. There is no particular leg or arm that it happens in more than another. I know it is from over doing it.
We just came back from a 4 day weekend camping with my husbands boss/co-workers where he played quite a bit - rode his quad, swam and played on the beach for hours and enjoyed his first jetsking ride. It was anguishing for me to see him in such constant pain and discomfort so frequently throught the day and I knew he was over doing it but I just wanted him to enjoy the weekend and have fun like all the other kids there along with his siblings. I let him go at his own pace and he rested when he was tired and the cramping got really bad. We really tried to help relief it by massaging the hard swollen muscles and then giving him Advil.
He was almost in tears a few times from the pain and has been asking me why this is happening to him and why his sisters don't get this. I explained it was from the Muscular Dystrophy that he has and that over doing it causes this. It was little consolation for him.
Does anyone know if there is anything that can be given in particular to help relieve this? The massaging and advil didn't do a whole lot. I have heard of something called Baclavan (sp?) that helps relieve this. Does anyone know much about this?
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Permalink Reply by Susana Arroyo on
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Karen I'm really sorry your son is experiencing this pain.
I get dmd related muscle cramps in my legs, knees, and arms.
I have taken advil, tylenol, you name it....it helps alittle bit but its definately not enough.
I massage my legs when they hurt but most of the time I just have to wait it out.
It is one of the worst pains I have ever felt.
I have had cramps last 12-14 hours.
Karen Barnett said:My son has been experiencing a lot of muscle cramping throughout his body over the last week. It will be in his arms one day and then his legs the next. There is no particular leg or arm that it happens in more than another. I know it is from over doing it.
We just came back from a 4 day weekend camping with my husbands boss/co-workers where he played quite a bit - rode his quad, swam and played on the beach for hours and enjoyed his first jetsking ride. It was anguishing for me to see him in such constant pain and discomfort so frequently throught the day and I knew he was over doing it but I just wanted him to enjoy the weekend and have fun like all the other kids there along with his siblings. I let him go at his own pace and he rested when he was tired and the cramping got really bad. We really tried to help relief it by massaging the hard swollen muscles and then giving him Advil.
He was almost in tears a few times from the pain and has been asking me why this is happening to him and why his sisters don't get this. I explained it was from the Muscular Dystrophy that he has and that over doing it causes this. It was little consolation for him.
Does anyone know if there is anything that can be given in particular to help relieve this? The massaging and advil didn't do a whole lot. I have heard of something called Baclavan (sp?) that helps relieve this. Does anyone know much about this?
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Thanks everyone for suggesting the Conair Spa Mat. I have just ordered mine on Ebay and hopefully it will arrive here within the next week or two. I am really keen to see what a difference it makes to James's legs.
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Permalink Reply by Kelvinsmom - Michelle on
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Dr. Wong says a hot tub or form of hydrotherapy is great, but none of it too long if it is too hot of course. Your doctor may write a prescription for hydrotherapy if you ask for it and then you can write it off on your taxes if your medical bills, insurance, etc. is enough to enable you to write it off. We did and are going to write it off. Even the upkeep can be written off. We got a pool as well. I think the mat does what a hot tub would if the tub is real warm. We are installing a hot tub we got used on Craigslist. We are hopeful for all of us to enjoy it and hope Kelvin gets his massage by it more than my hands (since I have carpal tunnel, massaging hurts me, but helps him). Have others tried a hot tub and if you have, did it help? Kelvin loves them and it is hard for me to keep him out if we get near one. Michelle
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Unfortunately, being in Singapore, we don't get covered for any medical expenses. If we were Permanent Residents, perhaps. But we are moving to London soon and will hopefully be covered under NHS, and they tell me they are fantastic interms of treatment and therapy for DMD. Until then, we will have to just try this spa mat.
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Permalink Reply by BOZ4J on
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I think that is because of the compensatory system. Our kids puting more strenght on one leg then other. Maybe Sam was walking a lot of stairs plaing with others?( is it same leg more svolen ,as is the leading leg on stairs? Maybe he was claiming playset , I am not sure, but this would be the most logical explenation, I think. Sam is very young and his muscles are not deterioraited yet, so probably that is why you observe just one leg swolen more then other and after extra bussy day.
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