Is this pain normal? Joint edition
October 17, 2015 10:17 PM Subscribe
I'm in my early 40s, female, weigh more than I should, walk regularly. Every once in a while (walking across the room or on a walk through the neighborhood), I will take a step and get a sharp pain in a joint that makes me gasp. On subsequent steps the joint will feel completely fine.
Today it was my left ankle. A few steps in a row were shockingly painful, then it was totally fine. 20 fine steps later, sharp pain then fine again. This went on for an hour, and has been gone for hours since including a pain-free 1.5 mile walk. I've experienced this in my ankles, knees, and hips over the years at various times on both sides. It could be weeks or months between incidents.
So is this just part of being human? An aging human? An overweight human? An aging overweight human with say, bad shoes or weak muscles? I'm super inflexible so it's not something like a hyperextending joint condition. I think my feet pronate (no flat feet though), but I don't have orthotics. Would something like that help line me up and keep this from happening? It's so random, there's no recreating it for a doctor. Thanks!
Today it was my left ankle. A few steps in a row were shockingly painful, then it was totally fine. 20 fine steps later, sharp pain then fine again. This went on for an hour, and has been gone for hours since including a pain-free 1.5 mile walk. I've experienced this in my ankles, knees, and hips over the years at various times on both sides. It could be weeks or months between incidents.
So is this just part of being human? An aging human? An overweight human? An aging overweight human with say, bad shoes or weak muscles? I'm super inflexible so it's not something like a hyperextending joint condition. I think my feet pronate (no flat feet though), but I don't have orthotics. Would something like that help line me up and keep this from happening? It's so random, there's no recreating it for a doctor. Thanks!
Mild tendonitis can cause those kinds of symptoms in feet (I don't know if it's linked to the other areas of pain you mention). You mention walking regularly-- do you have good supportive shoes for doing so? I pronate badly, and yes-- I can get mild tendonitis from walking/running without correction from the pronation. (There's an argument to be made that this is because my feet are weak to begin with, but okay.)
I'd ask a physiotherapist (I am not one). They may be able to give you some good advice about shoes and support for your activity level and weight.
posted by frumiousb at 11:05 PM on October 17, 2015 [3 favorites]
I'd ask a physiotherapist (I am not one). They may be able to give you some good advice about shoes and support for your activity level and weight.
posted by frumiousb at 11:05 PM on October 17, 2015 [3 favorites]
I play a lot of sports and orthotics completely removed my knee pain.
Go see a physical therapist, they can figure out which muscles are too strong / too weak that is causing the misalignment that is causing the pain.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 11:06 PM on October 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
Go see a physical therapist, they can figure out which muscles are too strong / too weak that is causing the misalignment that is causing the pain.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 11:06 PM on October 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'll link to my usual article on pain science.
It's entirely possible you are physically 100%, and the above article goes into how you can end up in pain anyway.
posted by MillMan at 12:39 AM on October 18, 2015 [2 favorites]
It's entirely possible you are physically 100%, and the above article goes into how you can end up in pain anyway.
posted by MillMan at 12:39 AM on October 18, 2015 [2 favorites]
It could be a vitamin or mineral deficiency. I like to drink mineral water to help with aches and pains. It seems to work but it could just be a placebo effect. At any rate, I feel better and I actually like mineral water so it's a win.
It could also be your shoes. I get all sorts of aches and shooting pains when I am walking in the wrong shoes. Get professionally fitted for walking shoes. And keep walking!
posted by myselfasme at 6:30 AM on October 18, 2015
It could also be your shoes. I get all sorts of aches and shooting pains when I am walking in the wrong shoes. Get professionally fitted for walking shoes. And keep walking!
posted by myselfasme at 6:30 AM on October 18, 2015
I am here to say as an overweight woman in my 40's who is pretty healthy and walks a LOT... this happens to me. Joint issues and arthritis run in my family, so it could be related, but bodies are weird. It usually reminds me I need to go to yoga more often than I do.
posted by bibliogrrl at 8:45 AM on October 18, 2015
posted by bibliogrrl at 8:45 AM on October 18, 2015
Pronation can cause knock-on effects up the chain for sure, and if you have weak or imbalanced muscles, that could definitely contribute to throwing things out of whack. Nth physiotherapist to figure things out, maybe do some massage and suggest exercises, and a podiatrist for the orthotics. Once that's sorted, a balanced resistance training program could help keep you in check.
posted by cotton dress sock at 8:50 AM on October 18, 2015
posted by cotton dress sock at 8:50 AM on October 18, 2015
It may be a matter of mindfulness. I am a distracted if not disassociated sort. I often get up and pay no attention to gait, and then step wrongly with an ankle, knee, or feel like I wrenched my hip. I try to keep my core in better shape with an exercise set that takes less time than heating water for coffee. I am mindful of having my shoulders back, and using a more muscular gait, knees bent a little, rather than continually crash landing on straight legs, in my zombie way.
posted by Oyéah at 10:42 AM on October 18, 2015
posted by Oyéah at 10:42 AM on October 18, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
I have recently started going to one due to my shoulder/neck trapezius muscle clamping down and making any movement of my arm/head/upper torso - impossible. I had a few other complaints that I hadn't really thought much about - which sound similar to your intermittent ankle issue. One or the other hip joint would suddenly seize up - it would catch my breath because I was afraid that I might fall - it was somewhat sharp, but I described it more like it felt that something was causing an 'impingement' in the joint - so that it just *would not* move past a certain point without that sharp pain. Amazingly, the RMT worked on the muscles around my hip, including where the hamstrings attach and the different layers of gluteal muscles... and I have had free and clear, albeit still careful, movement since. I am going back weekly now and getting a little more done each time. Maybe you just have some tight, overworked muscles that need some TLC?
posted by itsflyable at 10:42 PM on October 17, 2015