MS?

[AndrewK61]

I'm a healthy 17 year-old boy, but I have a problem when i excercise where my left leg locks up at the knee, my foot turns outward and tilts slightly towards the ground. However when I sit down it stops after about five minutes, but if i resume activity it will return quickly. This happens most commonly when i play tennis, but it also occurs when I run. This has been happening for about a year and a half, and I've been to several doctors with virtually nothing to show for answers. I've even had a bone scan, which came back inconclusive. I'm going to see a neurologist soon to see if he can tell me anything. I began to suspect the possibility of MS when I stumbled upon an article about a man with MS describing symptoms eerily similar to mine. What do you think?

[essdipity]

Please don't quote others without putting that part in quotation marks. It sounds as if you are both 17 and have had MS for 22 years. Most confusing.

In any case, what you describe sounds very much like a mechanical problem with your leg, especially if it only happens when you're participating in sports. This is not what happens in MS. I'm guessing the person you're quoting has many more symptoms and problems than what is described here.

Foot drop occurs when weakness prevents the normal sequennce of muscle movements needed to walk normally. The person literally cannot lift with the right muscles, and so tends to trip or to drag the afflicted foot. If you walk normally, you do not have foot drop.

My advice is to keep investigating this issue with orthopedic doctors. Be glad that it doesn't at all sound like MS.

ess

[AndrewK61]

The doctors just called it a bone scan, although it could have been an MRI of some sort. I don't know if its MS or not, it would seem like after a year and a half it would have progressed or I would have seen a variety of symptoms. The reason i even suspect that it  could be be MS is this post:

I've had MS for 22 years and over the last 5 my right knee has locked up and my right foot turns outward.  I also have foot drop in the leg.  Will breaking the leg help with my knee problem and if not, do you suggest anything that may help.  I am considering a stem cell procedure in Costa Rica after speaking with several patients who have had amazing results.  You can respond by emailing me at the address I provided below. Thank you kindly

which describes symptoms that sound remarkably like what I'm experiencing.

Could someone please clarify what "foot drop" is please? Thanks :)

[Lulu54]

Hi Andrew and welcome to the Medhelp MS Forum.  

I think you are fortunate that the doctors are willing to investigate further the cause of your foot complaints.  Seeing the neuro as the next step makes sense.

When you say you had a bone scan and it was inconclusive, do you mean you had an MRI done?  

While you may have MS in the early stages, you may very well have any one of a number of other problems some of which are easily treated and others which take more time and effort.  We don't know enough from what you have shared to make even an educated guess.

We hope you will stick aruond and ask more questions and share you story as you progress through the doctor visits.  

my best,
Lulu