Why do my legs feel like I’m wearing lead boots? DR MARTIN SCURR answers your health questions

Both my legs are stiff and hot all the time, and just below my knees I feel like I’m wearing lead boots. The hospital says it’s probably arthritis. Can you make any other suggestions? I can’t go on with this excruciating pain. i am 84

Tom Cummings, Cricklewood.

Don’t lose heart, I think there are ways to end or at least reduce this terrible pain.

I suspect that the sensations in your legs are due to a neurological problem – meaning it affects the nerves that supply the region.

One of the most common causes of these types of symptoms is diabetes type 2. Even if there are no other signs of the condition, the high blood sugar levels can damage nerves in the lower legs, causing pain (usually a burning pain). and reduced feeling, even numbness.

Type 2 diabetes is diagnosed with blood or urine tests to determine blood sugar levels. But I suspect that is not the problem in your case since you have already had these tests and diabetes is pretty much ruled out.

Another common cause of these sensations is referred pain caused by nerve compression in the lower part of your spine.

This is usually caused by spinal canal stenosis, or osteoarthritis of the lower vertebrae of the spine: the body tries to repair itself, which leads to inflammation and the formation of new bone, which in turn narrows the spinal canal (the tunnel that carries the bundle) . ). . of nerves known as the spinal cord).

The spinal cord ends around the level of your lower rib, where the nerves then form a bundle called the cauda equina before dividing and running down each leg.

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In your longer letter you mention that you had an MRI of your spine which could have revealed if you have spinal stenosis.

I think you have low back osteoarthritis which has led to inflammation and excess bone affecting these nerves.

I suspect the diagnosis was not clearly explained to you, but your GP should be able to confirm this with the MRI results.

The next step is therefore to discuss treatment options – as well as possibly prescribing anti-inflammatory medication. The first option should be a consultation with a physiotherapist as they can give you exercises that can really make a difference.

This usually requires a referral from your GP. However, if there is no improvement after about eight weeks, despite physiotherapy, it is advisable to consult a spine surgeon.

Although the prospect of surgery is frightening, there is no contraindication for an 84-year-old man unless you have other medical conditions that would preclude general anesthesia. I suspect surgery gives you the best chance to recover from your nagging predicament, and I encourage you to be optimistic.

I have had hemochromatosis for 20 years and most of the time I was advised to have regular blood tests to keep my iron levels as low as possible. I haven’t had it done in five years, but wouldn’t it be wise to pick it up again?

Johanna, Newcastle upon Tyne.

I can understand your thinking: after all, hemochromatosis is a condition that leads to iron build-up over time.

In some people it causes no symptoms, but without treatment there is a risk that this accumulation can lead to joint or liver damage.

Bloodletting, or taking half a liter of blood regularly (eg every few months) keeps iron levels in check. [File image]

Bloodletting, or taking half a liter of blood regularly (eg every few months) keeps iron levels in check. The goal is to keep ferritin levels (a measure of the amount of iron stored in the body) below 500 ng/ml.

From your longer letter it appears that your GP is keeping a close eye on your ferritin and you don’t need to say goodbye to blood anymore.

But there could be another explanation: you also mention that you have multiple sclerosis (MS).

MS can also cause elevated ferritin levels, and I wonder if hemochromatosis was diagnosed 20 years ago (before genetic testing became available), meaning that your MS is instead the real cause of your high iron levels. If so, this may explain why your ferritin levels do not increase further.

I would suggest asking your family doctor about genetic testing to confirm or rule out your hemochromatosis diagnosis.

Write to Dr. scramble

Write to Dr. Scurr to Good Health, Daily Mail, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY or email: drmartin@dailymail.co.uk — add contact details. DR Scurr cannot respond to personal correspondence. Answers should be taken in a general context. If you have health problems, contact your GP.

I don’t think cancer is diagnosed by a phone call

Unfortunately, pancreatic cancer seems to be in the news – rates have risen by 9 percent in the past decade and has claimed the lives of some real talent, most recently Chelsea legend Gianluca Vialli, as well as Terry Hall, Aretha Franklin, Luciano Pavarotti and Alan Rickman and Steve Jobs.

Surgery can cure it, but tragically less than one in five patients are eligible because the disease is often diagnosed late.

Even in patients who undergo surgery, the five-year survival rate is about 30 percent.

Surgery can cure pancreatic cancer, but tragically, fewer than one in five patients are eligible because the disease is often diagnosed late. [File image]

The problem is that there are few symptoms until the cancer is advanced. But the following should be a warning: weight loss (occurs 85 percent of the time); loss of appetite (83 percent); abdominal pain (79 percent); and jaundice (56 percent). Any combination of these requires a physical examination by a GP, not a phone call.

The liver has been shown to be enlarged in more than 30 percent of patients, requiring immediate referral for evaluation.

This is another reason why patients need personal access to their doctor – preferably without long waiting times.