What is causing my leg pain?

Here is My Question:
Having bad leg pain, left more than right, which starts in my quads/inner thighs and goes to my inner calves and now more recently into my feet. Feels like an aching/throbbing. In last month, it was worsened and the muscles twitch a bit and I feel it even in the morning after waking and now also after work in the evenings. Moving or walking doesn't help. I don't feel the need to move my legs at all. The only thing that helps is if the dog sits all his weight on my leg. The pains has been there for decades (I'm 38) and significantly worsened after both my pregnancies yet were completely abolished during both pregnancies.

Answer:
The cause of your leg pain is difficult to determine without an examination, although the history you provide is excellent. I assume you have MS. This type of discomfort is often related to demyelination of the central part of the spinal cord from MS or NMO.. This could also explain the improvement during pregnancy. I would expect someone with cramps/fasciculation syndrome to experience worsening symptoms during pregnancy, and I would expect someone with lumbar canal stenosis to experience worsening pain with walking or exercise

The discomfort could be caused by a metabolic disorder (e.g. thyroid ), but I suspect this would have been discovered by now. There are other muscle disorders that can create symptoms such as yours that last for decades and a neurologist should be able to help. Lastly, a condition caused neuromyotonia can cause similar symptoms. This causes difficult relaxing muscles often in the cold or with exercise with cramping, discomfort and visible muscle twitching

Good luck. A good neurologist should be able to sort it out for you

Revere (Rip) Kinkel MD
Professor of Clinical Neurosciences
Director of the Multiple Sclerosis Program
Clinical Neurosciences Director
University of California San Diego