Could my leg pain be down to too much compression?

[River83]

I have been wearing a class 3 stocking all day every day and my leg is now as close to normal size as it can get. The problem is I have recently changed jobs and I now spend much more time at a desk throughout the day. Since starting the job I have noticed that my leg is aching a lot more and that if I tense the muscles it feels as if they are spasming slightly and cramps up. My LE is secondary due to a sarcoma in my thigh and I have a large scar from the surgery which took away around 50% of my inner thigh muscle.

I am wondering if now that my LE is under control, I could reduce the compression level and still maintain the size, whilst getting rid of the pain which I can only put down to the compression being too much whilst I'm spending a large amount of time at a desk?!

Has anyone had any similar experience?

I'm due to see both my surgeon and LE nurse over the next month for routine check ups, so will ask them but if anyone can offer any advice it would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Lynora]

Is there any chance you could move away from the desk at regular intervals? Set your phone to alarm every 20/25 minutes, then get up and walk around (if there isn't one already, campaign for a water-cooler!) Has your sitting position been checked? Support from the small of your back to your knee? Does the height of your chair seat enable you to keep your feet flat on the floor, rather than dangling, making you lean into the balls of your feet? Do you find that your feet slip slightly 'under' your seat (I wish I could draw diagrams!!). All these things are worth evaluating, since you say that your leg has been 'stable' until the job change.

[River83]

Thanks for the quick reply..

All really good points and I think that I do need to get up and move around more frequently, there is a water-cooler and I am pretty good with the desk set up as used to asses work stations for others.

The stockings tend to bunch up around the back of the knee and at the very top of the thigh which causes indentations in my leg, I was thinking that a lower level of compression (class2) would maybe not do this as much, but am concerned in case it allows the swelling to build up again.

I'll make sure I'm moving around a lot more tomorrow and see if there is a difference.

[Lruk]

Moving around regularly and getting your desk and chair position correct are vital. As for the compression of your stockings, it may be that you could go down a level but I find my class 2 stockings also bunch badly at the back of my knee and they are petite length. I think it is more to do with sitting regularly than the compression level. I hope you get it sorted though.

[norberte]

hi river & lruk

dunno if you can get this with stockings, but with sleeves you can get them with a little silk patch in the inner elbow, cos us arm lymphies get the same bunching problem - i end up with huge creases in the skin that no lymph could get past

& apparently i'm by no means the only one who finds standard length sleeves too long, which just adds to the problem (don't tell anyone, but i cut the cuffs down on mine - compression doesn't match my forearm shape anyway, but obviously i'm not advocating that at all, oh no no no)

worth asking your nurse when you see her / him, river - i've also got into the habit of smoothing the material upwards regularly .... but then it ends up bunching more at the shoulder!

i'm off to made-to-measure-land soon, but i hope there's an off the peg stocking that's kinder to knees

[morganite]

i wear activa class 2 stockings BK, not bad but tried the JOBST ones and they were much softer i found.

[jinger]

I also work in an office and used to find when my feet are flat to the floor or even if I use a foot rest my legs ached and got sore more than usual. I had a workstation assessment and found I required a chair with a deeper seat that came to the back of my knees and I was advised by the assessor and my lymphoedema nurse that I needed a leg rest as a foot rest isn't sufficient. I also have a cockpit style desk (like a corner desk with a cut out at the front so I have plenty of room to get the leg rest under so I'm not miles away from the desk. The leg rest I have is just like the ones you see in hospitals. I had my workstation assessment done for free via Access To Work. Here is a link for more info gov.uk/access-to-work/overview

Someone came to my office, looked at what equipment I used and the sort of work I did, asked about my medical conditions and then sent me and my manager a report detailing what adjustments and/or equipment was advised/needed. They made suggestions as to where you can get the equipment from but it's worth shopping around for what is required - I slashed the total cost by half doing that! Depending on the size of the company, it may depend if or how much of a contribution from your employer is required towards what you need. As I work for a large Local Authority, my employer had to pay for everything but I know of several people whose employers had to contribute very small amounts or nothing at all.

I wouldn't be without my leg rest and decent chair now, it's a Godsend! I have the leg rest at the same height as my chair and it does really make a difference.

[River83]

Thanks for all the suggestions.. I have made a point of getting up and moving around more often over the last few days and it has definitely helped! I have also been making an effort to sit correctly and have rearranged my desk. Much better so far and I'll be speaking to my LE nurse next week to see about some lower compression stockings for work.