28 year old. Right calf muscle weakness - cannot tense at all.

So this might not be the right section to post this in as technically I don't have Sciatica but there is nowhere else to post!

Basically a year ago I noticed that I could not walk properly because my right calf muscle will just not work - it won't tense and as a result I walk with a slight limp because I cannot push off the ball of my right foot unaided. I spent most of my life from 10 - 20 years old doing Judo (stopped because my body was feeling the effects of being constantly thrown!) and after Judo I've been at the gym at least 3 times a week. I'm no bodybuilder so I don't go crazy on the weights - the gym is simply to keep my fitness intact. I'm 5 ft 11 and my weight shifts anywhere from 70-80kg so not overly heavy but not super skinny either.

My day job is sitting at a desk but I have spent the last several years strengthening my core and improving my posture so my back does not cause me any problems like it used to (like when I was doing Judo).

I went to my chiropractor in January of this year who suspected it was a compressed nerve in my spine. She did various tests including achilles reflex which did not jerk at all when sitting down however when lying flat on my back had a slight jerk!

Went to my GP who after doing the same tests sent me for an MRI of my lower back and Nerve Conduction Study/EMG. The MRI and Nerve Conduction Study came back clear but the EMG showed definite changes.

Fast forward to September and my patience with the NHS had worn thin (not to mention COVID putting stress on their already long wait times) so I paid over £900 to see a private consultant (nerve specialist) including another MRI of the pelvis and lower back as he was convinced there would be compression in the pelvis if the back shows up clear. The scans turned out clear as well - I suspect this is to do with the achilles reflex my chiropractor did which showed some reflex when lying down (since you also lay flat in an MRI machine). Maybe the compression is only when I sit down / stand?

I'm now at a loss as what to do as my calf still does not work and shows no sign of getting any better. I cannot walk in my own house barefoot because the heel pain is too uncomfortable on hard floors and wearing anything but my super soft trainers is unbearable when walking for more than an hour!

I would like to point out that I have experienced no pain whatsoever other than side effects from a lack of calf muscle when walking. Which everyone I've spoken to finds odd since nerve compression is normally quite painful so I'm told...

Can anyone suggest what I should do before I spend more money going private?

0 likes, 0 replies