Need advice - chronic pain in calf continues years after injury

Hi.

When I was in my twenties I had an immune problem such that many of my joints were inflamed - the worst was my right Achilles tendon which was inflamed and painful for about a decade, which prevented me even from walking. The pain went up from the Achilles tendon into the calf muscle. Eventually my immune system recovered and the inflammation in my joints disappeared.

Now I'm approaching 50 and am still limited by a residual chronic pain in that calf. The pain will be completely gone for months or years, but then I will overdo it on some exercise and the pain will return. Once it returns, it is very hard to get under control - I pretty much have to return to zero exercise and slowly work my way back up which usually takes about 6 months.

As well, I have RLS (restless leg) which can be in both legs, but it is worst in that same place where I have the chronic pain.

I'm posting here now because I was on a good roll with my exercises and thought that the problem was behind me, but then overdid it again - ever so slightly - and have been knocked back to zero again.

Any suggestions? I'd prefer to avoid drugs as I've taken too many of those. I have consulted with doctors and therapists, but mostly they just prescribe exercises.

i'm not sure if this will help.but i too was in a very bad car accident had both my legs and feet crushed,not many broken bones but i ended up with calcium deposits in my calves ,huge ones .i have pain everyday from them.i also have osteomalacia which contributes to it.i have almost no vit d in my body and can't take vit d i get deathly sick from it.but i was told that also contributes.see if you can get a dr. to check your vit d.my sissy also can't take vit d and she has the precirsor to osteaomalacia which is osteiporosis.O also had my tailbone messed up in that car accident and have chronic pain there that is even worse do to ibs.i am on tramadol now cause not much else i can take .i also have hepc with stage 1 cirrihos.I am suggeted this because it might help with knowing why.please don't start vit d without checking first ,i almost died from it.