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[shreena]

I seem to have pulled four muscles in my legs. The back muscles of both calves and the front muscles of both thighs. I seem to have done this in my sleep in that I went to sleep the day before yesterday feeling pretty normal and then got up feeling like my legs had been in a serious brawl in the night. They are still extremely painful.

Comments

[lisekit]

Are they in a spasm, or do they just feel generally achy? It's possible to cramp in your sleep - this can be easily treated by stretching the muscle out and rehydrating (too little water in bod = muscular cramps). If it's a general ache, a nice hot bath and gentle mobilisations should fix the probem.

NB if the muscles are twinging or giving you sharp pains, don't heat, ice. Slap a pack of frozen peas on the hurty bit, for 20 minute every couple of hours.

If it's really causing you problems to move around, I would earnestly counsel not moving around. Pain is a pretty good indicator that you shouldn't do a thing.

[shreena]

I get sharp pains in four areas (same two on each leg) and a certain amount of achiness surrounding them. Some things are absolutely fine and other things are seriously painful. It's difficult not to move 'cause of work and tube stations and such.. but I will try and take it easier.

[lisekit]

If it's sharp pains, then really do take it seriously. Try to get some ice on the affected area, and if you can, elevate your legs (pop them on a chair or something). I'd seriously consider taking a bus or taxi home if stairs hurt that much and they're unvoidable at stations. I'd even suggest workig from home tomorrow, to give them a proper rest.

The general rule is, if you have a sharp pain/twinge, that's a fresh injury and it needs icing and rest. If the pain comes on a particular movement, that's your body telling you not to do that movement.

If it's more of a dull ache, then that's more likely to be post-healing stiffness (if you treat your injury correctly and keep it immobile for a couple of days, then it's quite natural for the affected area to seize up a bit). Dull aches can be stretched, heated and massaged back to normality. Sharp pains should be healed with rest and ice.

[actually_not]

have you had a virus recently? muscles can sometimes play up in the aftermath of colds/flus. on the other hand it may be that it's actually your lower back that is the problem, manifesting as referred pain into the legs from your lumbar spine.

(the second I add because I had much the same thing recently after a particularly vigorous hula hoop session on the wii fit!)

[angoel]

You sleepwalked into a local karate dojo where you impressed the denizens with your spins and flying kicks. Unfortunately, when returning back to your abode, you tripped over a cat and fell into the path of a string quartet who trampled on your legs. Thus causing the injuries you describe.

[khalinche]

Ow! I can only conclude that you were sleep-dancing in some fine party in your dreams. However you sustained the injury, I hope you cease to be in pain soon.

[helixaspersa]

My guess is it was something you did the day before the sleep in question, since pulled/unusually used muscles tend to present the following morning, not on the day itself. It might not have been anything particularly energetic, just something that used your muscles differently from usual - carrying something awkward? climbing a lot of stairs carrying something? running for the bus in new shoes? The symmetric presentation suggests this too I think - if you'd had a bad cramp or slept awkwardly in the night you'd expect it to be just a single calf, for instance.

[shreena]

Yes, I think you're right. Not sure what it could have been, though. The only thing that occurs to me is that I did spend a lot of time going up and down stairs on Tuesday but I have done that before without injury!