Does anyone have tight leg muscles?

  • Thread starter Thread starter tmvincent30
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My legs muscles seem to tighten up all the time. After I've been sitting a while when I get up my calf muscles are really tight. After I take a hot soak in the tub at night they are really tight when I get out. I can barely walk. It's so weird! I lie on the bed for a few minutes to "cool off" and then they get better. I guess I shouldn't get the water so hot. Anyway, Lately my legs have been really tight. It comes and goes. Sometimes in the evening I feel like I can only "shuffle" when I walk cause they are so tight. I have had back problems off and on for years. Does anyone think that my low back could be making my legs get so tight? My low back does feel tight when I try to bend in any direction. In the mornings sometimes if I bend to touch my toes I can only bend to about knee level. If I really stretch my hamstrings then I can bend a lot lower but they always tighten back up. Also I have to be very careful that I don't stretch too much or I will really irritate my back.

Sound familiar to anyone?
 
Yes i have real tight muscles if i happen to cross my legs or anything i get up limping. Or after laying down or just sitting i walk like that now after a good 30 minutes it gets better. I am taking flexeril and it does not help all the way. I am 18 months post op 360 (anterior/posterior) surgery with all the hatrware.
 
Marcia,

Thanks for the reply. I did the reflex test on the knees. I really don't know what to tell you. It depenRAB how hard I wack my knee (lol) if I do it really lightly I'd say it's a bounce. If I do it a little harder then it is more like it kicks out. So I really don't know.

I do have neck issues. I've been working with a chiropractor for the last year and my xrays have changed a lot in my neck.

I have tightness in neck, shoulders actually all my back. It's not just low back. The last time I had a MRI on my low back was probably 12 years ago. Then it showed some bulging at L4-L5 and L5-S1. The chiro hasn't said much about my low back, more about my neck problems.

I haven't had too much problem with my low back as long as I am careful. I recently had a bad spell and I believe it was because I had been sitting at the computer a lot leaning into the screen and not keeping my spine straight. I have never been good if I sit and lean forward for very long. My low back hates that.

I will definitely give the epsoms salts a try.

Ro
 
hi

i have the same issue i have tight hamstrings i can't touch my toes when i bend down

also this does cause lower back problems because i went to a doctor plus a special pyhsio .
 
A slant board is very helpful for this problem. Many physical therapists have them in their offices but you can also buy them. When your calf and ankle muscles are released, also your hamstrings, that will help your low back problem as well.
 
alot of what you can really 'feel" kind of depenRAB upon just what areas are being affected by the level of your actual spinal issues. if a motor nerve is being impacted or if your actual cord is involved, both can create a form of spasticity and over tightening of leg muscles. just how really severe is your back problem and do you have anything going on above that area too or has that never actually been scanned? is there ANYTHING at all impacting the actual cord anywhere?

you can try actually taking that bath along with about a cup of epsom salts that you can buy at just about any drug store? this is just pure granulated magnesium, natures little muscle relaxer? it actually gets absorbed right thru the skin and irectly into the tightened muscles. it helps me ALOT and i have spasticity from a spinal cord injury. it can help. just give it a try and see how it works for you.

one other thing i needed to ask. when the doc simply taps that area right under your kneecap while doing a neuro exam, just what is the lower leg response like? do the legs lightly just 'bounce out' like normal or do they tend to actually ' kick out' kind of 'briskly? you can also check this yourself at home just using the heavier end of a plain old butter knife? just take it and tap underneath that kneecap til you actually obtain some type of a response. you would know the "brisk" if you saw it and felt it. do this on both knees and let me know what they do,K? marcia
 
When I injured my back a couple of months ago, I also had tightness in the calves. I would even wake up in the middle of the night with cramping. It was worst in the morning. I still have some problems with this, but it isn't as bad.

I am still tight in my lower back--it is really frustrating. Like you, I have a hard time touching my toes. I don't know if it is muscular or an issue with a disc.

But I do think your issue is with the lower back.
 
My muscles along the outside of my calves get tight/spasm at night. My feet also get cramps at night. I've tried muscle relaxants but they really don't help. It stinks to finally get to sleep and wake up in the night to with leg cramps.
 
Absolutety!! I need a 360 fusion and just complained to my doctor about my hamstrings being tight. Was hard to walk 4 days ago. I also get them in my feet and toes, calves. I get in while sleeping too. They hurt awful.
 
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