Nightmare

Well I've been having this reacuring nightmare well..not reacuring the same problem different dream I guess, its been happening more recently and I was wondering if it was connected to something. In the dream my legs give out and I can't get back up, and the feeling of my legs giving out is so vivid its scary and when I do finally get up a few steps and they give out again. I also have problems with my right leg, severe pain from my ankle shoots up to my kneecap at random times this too has started recently.

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

Considering the different locations of pain described, the pain could be due to compression of a nerve, the sciatic nerve. The resulting symptoms are often referred as sciatica. The pain can vary in severity and can be accompanied by numbness. This occurs due to spinal disc herniation (slipped disc), spinal stenosis (narrowing of spinal canal) or due to the piriformis syndrome. It can also be due to osteoarthritis or osteoporosis and sometimes due to tumors. But your scan does show degenerative changes and disc protrusion. I would advise you to consult your doctor for a reevaluation of your symptoms. Depending on the severity of your symptoms he may prescribe pain medications and may advise physical therapy. In the meantime, Avoid those movements or exercises that aggravate your pain. Try not to lift weights or bend as this can worsen your symptoms. Try applying local analgesic creams. Place ice over the painful area every 1-2hrs for pain relief. Sleep on a firm surface with a pillow under the knees and take OTC pain medications like Tylenol (acetaminophen) or ibuprofen. Ensure to take them after food.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.