Vice grip on both legs with both feet feeling stiff on bottoms.

Wow -- sounds like you are going through a lot. How discouraging to have been to so many docs too -- and still no answers. I have idiopathic peripheral neuropathy which causes the bottom of my feet to sometimes feel stiff or like cardboard.

I'm new to Mayo Connect, I can only offer Empathy to @darj. then state my situation as well. @darj's description of feet like dried glue and tightness in legs, is similar to what I've been experiencing,, and am seeking answers. My contributing history is nerve damage with weakness in my left leg & drop foot from a tethered spinal cord. Also have unexplained neuropathy in my feet for 4-5 years (non-diabetic),no pain, thank God. 15 months ago, I had a TKR, both knees. Had all the usual discomforts of recovery, and all were resolved: Except, horrible vice-like tightening and wierd sensations,around my knees, and now, down the front of my legs. Makes walking quite difficult, and it throw's off my balance. Many falls, including a fall in August,with a fractured humerus. My Ortho Dr.has.said this would go away. hmmm... I've had increasing doses of Lyrica, which sometimes takes the edge off, but not enough. Anyone have a clue why this is happening, or treatment? Thanks

Thanks Lisa, for the welcome, and, hoping that your son's tether release was a success, and that he is doing well!
As I describe my experience, I want you to keep in mind that his experience is, and will be completely different than mine. Early diagnosis, treatment and ongoing observation from skilled clinicians means everything..It was quite different 67 years ago, and I knew Nothing about my diagnosis until I was 27 yrs old. Most doctors then had never heard of tethered cord.

The doctor that did my delivery noticed a closed "fat pad" over the base of my spine, and commented to my mother,"I just don't know about this.", but let it go. I grew up with no feeling on the outside of my left leg & thought everyone was like that. Everything else was typical kid stuff. I was walking at my 6 month pediatric visit. I took tumbling, tap, on pointe, played sports, etc. I remember having temporary weakness below the waist if I hyper extended my back or legs, but I never mentioned it
At 22, I became an RN, married at 23 & had my first child at 27, By then, I knew the leg numbness wasn't normal, but I was too busy to figure out why. I finally saw a specialist who had me waste a year doing low back exercises.
One day, I tried to toe up with my left foot, and couldn't. I also noticed my leg was cold, and felt a bit smaller. I kind of panicked, and so did my doctor. My entire leg was 2" in diameter smaller than my other leg. He ordered a myelogram which clearly showed the tethered cord, benign tumors and spina bifida occulta. I was then referred to one of 3 neurosurgeons in the country that had experience with this. My neurosurgeon actually practiced at the hospital where I had trained, He did the most complex head and spinal surgeries there. He was rumored to be on call for President Kennedy when he visited the midwest.
We (students) were all intimidated, and afraid to make rounds with him! I became his patient, and I was still afraid of him!
He did my surgery when I was 28. I was the first adult he'd ever done. He excised the tumors and released the cord. I think he saved my future as a wife, mother, and as a nurse. I had another child at age 30, and worked another 35 years.
I recently had an MRI at Northwestern Hospital in Chicago, and found that my original surgery remains stable! As a senior citizen, I do have some problems associated with my cord, but these are also things that could happen to anyone as they age. We're retired, and both love to travel, do estate sales, and enjoy grandkids. I know this is more than you asked for, but I wanted you to know that I led a normal life.

I'm new to Mayo Connect, I can only offer Empathy to @darj. then state my situation as well. @darj's description of feet like dried glue and tightness in legs, is similar to what I've been experiencing,, and am seeking answers. My contributing history is nerve damage with weakness in my left leg & drop foot from a tethered spinal cord. Also have unexplained neuropathy in my feet for 4-5 years (non-diabetic),no pain, thank God. 15 months ago, I had a TKR, both knees. Had all the usual discomforts of recovery, and all were resolved: Except, horrible vice-like tightening and wierd sensations,around my knees, and now, down the front of my legs. Makes walking quite difficult, and it throw's off my balance. Many falls, including a fall in August,with a fractured humerus. My Ortho Dr.has.said this would go away. hmmm... I've had increasing doses of Lyrica, which sometimes takes the edge off, but not enough. Anyone have a clue why this is happening, or treatment? Thanks

I can definitely relate I've been to multiple PCP, Foot and ankle specialists, and Neurologists trying to find out what's causing my feet conditions every doctor wants to diagnose me with neuropathy in my feet because it's the easiest and it doesn't take much time to diganose but when I read the discription of neuropathy it don't fit to me at all... It doesn't sound like I feel at all... they keep just pushing all these different medications on me that don't hit the underlining issue and I still continue to be in agonizing pain some days worse then others. All depends on how active I am that day..The number one feeling I have and they all seem to dismiss it is the compression I feel, the tight grip squeezing feeling I get around my feet as if there in a vise they keep saying I just need to get better fitting shoes... You shouldn't feel like something is squeezing your feet when you've sat with your feet up all day not wearing any shoes all day... Then I get burning, achiness pain, with like an electrical shock wave just shooting up and down my leg into my feet and toes my arch the outside of my foot with numbness.. I even had a doctor tell me it's in my head.. it's not in my head I've given them 2 ideas of what I thought it might be because of my medical schooling researching and diganoseing from symptoms and facts only given by the way I use to get straight A's in my classes all my diagnosis were dead on, but since I'm not a license professional they were dismissed before they even looked them up and was told to stay off of Google... so I totally get your frustrations it's been 10 years now for me in agonizing pain... Hope you get someone to listen to you...

I can definitely relate I've been to multiple PCP, Foot and ankle specialists, and Neurologists trying to find out what's causing my feet conditions every doctor wants to diagnose me with neuropathy in my feet because it's the easiest and it doesn't take much time to diganose but when I read the discription of neuropathy it don't fit to me at all... It doesn't sound like I feel at all... they keep just pushing all these different medications on me that don't hit the underlining issue and I still continue to be in agonizing pain some days worse then others. All depends on how active I am that day..The number one feeling I have and they all seem to dismiss it is the compression I feel, the tight grip squeezing feeling I get around my feet as if there in a vise they keep saying I just need to get better fitting shoes... You shouldn't feel like something is squeezing your feet when you've sat with your feet up all day not wearing any shoes all day... Then I get burning, achiness pain, with like an electrical shock wave just shooting up and down my leg into my feet and toes my arch the outside of my foot with numbness.. I even had a doctor tell me it's in my head.. it's not in my head I've given them 2 ideas of what I thought it might be because of my medical schooling researching and diganoseing from symptoms and facts only given by the way I use to get straight A's in my classes all my diagnosis were dead on, but since I'm not a license professional they were dismissed before they even looked them up and was told to stay off of Google... so I totally get your frustrations it's been 10 years now for me in agonizing pain... Hope you get someone to listen to you...

This is exactly the compression and squeezing of my muscles in both feet that I haven’t been able to get a diagnosis for in over 2 years. Thankfully I don’t have the pains you feel, just the constant feeling that my feet are in a vise, and it’s getting progressively tighter. I have gotten bigger shoes and the suggested orthotics, which change nothing. I very seldom wear shoes, but the feeling never changes. I don’t think it’s neuropathy either, though 2 doctors diagnosed that, and I’ve tried the supposed supplements for it with no effect. A chiropractor said it might be an “entrapped nerve,” but adjustments brought no improvement. A functional doctor from a blood test thinks it is folate drficiency, and I’m taking that, but it’s not helping either. I don’t know where to try next.

I'm new to Mayo Connect and offer my empathy to @darj and @pammiesue51. I thank you for your posts because it is the most accurate description I can think of to describe my feet. Early 2018 I noticed when laying on my back in bed that my feet felt strange, tight and it was as if they were up against something hard. I saw my GP who referred me to a Neurologist who did tests for idiopathic peripheral neuropathy (non diabetic). All OK. I do have osteoarthritis arthritis in my feet, shoulders hips and back. Plus nerve damage and disc issues in my back. I was having balance issues but have taken up walking and this seems to have helped a lot. However I still have the feeling in my feet like having stepped in glue and it's dried. I can walk up stairs easily but coming down is harder, not impossible just takes longer. I wish I just knew what is causing this. Thanks