Sporadic Calf Muscle Soreness and Stiffness in both legs at once

[JNGW]

I am not sure if anyone has experienced this.. for the past 6 months I have been experiencing a sore tightness in both of my calf muscles sporadically. It does not seem to be related to exercise since I can go for a run and feel nothing... but then I can be sitting and all of a sudden my calves (always both at the same time) start to ache and feel tight. Sometimes they feel so sore that I can almost not walk. Water seems to help on occasions. I can't understand why all of a sudden I may be becoming dehydrated so that doesn't seem logical...

The aches come and go without warning and sometimes it's much worse than other times. There have also been times when I may not experience any aching for several days.

My doctor, general practitioner, has no explanation. I am thinking that I need to see someone else... any ideas? Endocrinologist?

Any ideas would be great.

[strongetta]

I have had the same issues with both calves feeling crampy sort of the feeling that you know you are about to get a charlie horse but then I never do.  Since I know the reason behind charlie horses is low iron, that is why they tell you to eat bananas, that is what I started doing eating a banana every day and I didn't feel the crampiness.  Of course today I am out of bananas and I noticed the crampy calves again.  I would definitely try eating a banana every day or taking a iron supplement and see if that works you could possible stop for a day and see if it did the trick.  I have come to find that most aches and pains are normally a form or vitamin deficiany.  Good Luck everyone.

[TKDBlackbelt]

This might answer some questions. I have the same symptoms as mentioned in past posts. This was my problem. I am a martial artist for over 20 years in tae kwon do and this problem started about 3 years ago with sore feet that went into plantar fasicitis. The worse symptom was shooting back pain in my lower back near my spine and right above my hip. Turns out that the IT band (Iliotibial Band) on my left leg and my Psoas muscle on my inner right leg were over tight and causing my body to be toqued (twisted) out of alignment. I had an MRI of my back and there wasn't any tears or ruptures in the disks. It took my chiropractor about 4 months to stretch me to where his treatments would hold. The miracle worker was his massuse. He was able to perform deep tissue massages to release the tight muscles in my legs, thighs, buttocks, and back. This has taken about 9 months of weekly treatments, but I have seen a major improvement. Deep tissue massages were painful at first, but decreased with pain as the muscles loosen up. I still where orthotics in my shoes, but I think I can start wearing shoes without them in a few months. Going barefoot has no pain at all. I still have sore/achy muscles in my legs and calves at times, but I walk without limping or shuffling. I have talked with others and they all have jobs lifting packages or doing repeat tasks with twisting. I did work for UPS for 7 months loading/unloading trucks.Your legs would be sore if your gait is shortened when you walk thus causing sore feet/plantar fasicitus. I am a 46 yr old female, healthly. I only slightly tore my right inner ACL 5 years ago. Other than that I have been active in sports all my life.

[Lolllee]

I had the same problems.  They'd been getting worse over the years, and it was worse when I exercise, but I had the pain and cramps even when I took time off from exercise.  I used to lie to people when I was limping around and tell them I'd over done it working out even when I hadn't done anything for weeks.  I had cramps and shooting pain or burning in my feet, calves and sometimes even all the way up to my back and in my hands.  I've been to multiple doctors over the last 10 years.  I've been tested for Lymes disease, high thyroid, cancer, arthritis, autoimmune, ect.  I've been told I have rheumatoid arthritis, no wait - firbomyalgia, no actually - lupus . . . I've been through this cycle at least 3 times.  I had other symptoms as well, migraines, insomnia, no apatite, heart palpatations and allergies.  My blood work was always normal, except for the highest calcium levels my doctor had ever seen in a woman, and high potassium.  Then, my mom, a nurse, read an article about low vitamin D, and how 85% of people in high latitudes have low Vitamin D because of the lack of direct sunlight they get 9 months out of the year.  My vitamin D sure enough tested low. I started on perscription strength supplements, and within a few months (it takes a while to increase the levels) my symptoms lessened.  I still had them off and on, but they were no longer constant.  Frustrated, I put my symptoms into Google, and came up with magnesium deficiency.  Vitamin D and Magnesium are what facilitate potassium and calcium.  Within a week of taking magesium chloride, all my symptoms disappeared.  I still get some minimal cramping when I exercise hard, and my doctor has suggested upping my dose a little.  I no longer have migranes or heart palpitations and I can fall asleep and sleep through the night.  My mom, who was diagnosed with foibromyalgia, has started taking it, but it makes her sleepy, so she takes it at night.  I have been completely amazed at the reversal of my condition.  I went from not being able to walk, to working out everyday again.  I feel great!  Hope my story helps some of you.

[sandinnalee]

I have been on a walking routine for the last couple of months and I have a lot of stiffness in the back of my calves.  I had walked previously and never had this problem.  I live in Florida and I am thinking it may be related to dehydration.

[margo5]

Just when I thought my calf muscle stiffness was all in my head instead of my legs, I found all these comments.  My problem started right after my knee surgery, but not just the one calf muscle.  It began in both legs.  I am fine as long as I am up moving.  If I sit or lay down, and then get up my calves seem to just freeze up.  I have to stand in one place for several seconds before I can move, and when I do it is so painful that I sometimes cry.  The stiffness and pain last only a few minutes then I am fine.  That is, until I sit or lay and get up again.  It has been a year and a half since my surgery.  My GP and my orthropedic do not have a clue.  I think that they think it is just me whining.  My chriopractor started me on magnesium this week.  I haven't seen any improvement yet, but I will let you know if I do.

[paulieraw]

I also had this, really painful, found that sitting at my computer for long periods with the chair to high was partly to blame, also took some milk thistle, this is good for the Kidneys and someone had told me it may help, it was great.