Patient's question:
Recently, my calf has been in pain. The pain intensifies when walking. At night, the pain sometimes becomes severe. When lightly pressing on the calf, I feel stiffness and swelling. Could this be a symptom of periostitis of the tibia?Doctor's answer:
Symptoms of Periostitis of the Tibia and Fibula: Intense pain in the lower leg tibia and fibula, which worsens after strenuous exercise, with some patients experiencing pain at night. The pain point can be felt on the surface of the bone, and it is often more pronounced. Local soft tissue swelling accompanied by mild concave edema. In the early stage, the pain in the calf bone often reappears during or after activity, and it usually disappears after rest, only to return during subsequent activities. In the acute phase, concave edema is often present, particularly in the lower part of the calf. There may be tenderness on the inner side of the tibia, the inner posterior margin, or the lower end of the fibula, but the points of tenderness are generally not clearly related to the attachment of muscles. For patients whose symptoms do not improve over time and have significant localized tenderness, an X-ray should be taken to rule out stress fractures. If the pain is severe, in addition to rest, treatment options such as physical therapy, topical medications, traditional Chinese medicine, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be considered.