Leg Pain - Causes And Symptoms Of Leg Pain, Diagnosis, Prevention And Treatment

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

Leg pain

Causes, symptoms and prevention of leg pain

Leg pain is caused by a combination of symptoms arising from various diseases of the lower extremities. They manifest themselves in the form of painful sensations of an acute or pulling character. It usually accompanies diseases of the joints, muscular or vascular systems, and is also a consequence of injuries or neurological abnormalities.

Causes of leg pain

Disorders in the vascular system of the lower extremities are considered the most common cause of pain in the legs. This can be caused by atherosclerotic changes, leading to a narrowing of the vascular lumen and a decrease in blood flow to muscle tissue. As a rule, phlebitis and varicose veins subsequently develop, which is also accompanied by painful sensations.

The risk of impaired blood supply in smokers, hypertensive patients, diabetes mellitus, stroke, heart attack significantly increases. Lack of oxygen causes blockages in the arteries, most often in the form of sudden cramps when walking.

Leg pain is also present in neurological disorders due to inflammation and irritation of the nerve fibers that innervate the legs. Pain is often caused by gout and arthritis, which cause joint inflammation. The cause of leg pain can be associated with diseases of the lower spine, for example, with a spinal hernia, pulling pains in the leg are often noted.

Disruption of the venous system is characterized by a decrease in painful sensations when lifting the leg; for problems with arteries, the pain subsides a little if the leg is lowered. Numbness and tingling in the lower extremities indicates the presence of diseases of the spine.

Leg pain symptoms

With the development of venous stasis, pulling dull pains in the legs appear, a feeling of tension and heaviness is created. If the process has a protracted course, then most often it ends with varicose veins of the lower extremities. The pain is pronounced and manifests itself most often in the lower part of the limb, while patients may feel a feeling of numbness, tingling. As a rule, it occurs in the late afternoon, after prolonged exertion in a standing or even sitting position.

Pain can also occur when exposed to heat in a sauna, steam bath, or while taking a hot bath. In women, it is provoked by a change in hormonal levels, which is associated with the menstrual cycle. Externally, varicose veins are manifested by protrusion of venous nodes and the appearance of spider veins.

Thrombophlebitis (vascular disease) is characterized by acute pain, burning sensation, and throbbing. The pains last for a long time, are persistent and localized in the calf muscles. The intensity of manifestation depends on the length and location of the thrombus, the number of veins involved in the process.

Atherosclerotic disease affecting the arteries leads to a thickening of the walls of blood vessels, patients complain of contracting pain in the muscles of the calves, fingers, lower leg, aggravated by walking for short distances (up to 500 meters). Sometimes pain occurs at night, forcing the patient to hang their legs down, which brings some relief. A specific symptom for this disease is considered a "cold foot" - a phantom sensation not related to the ambient temperature.

Diseases of the spine, usually of the lower spine, are also the cause of radiating (radiating, shooting) pain in the legs. More often this happens when the intervertebral discs are displaced. Inflammation of the sciatic nerve - sciatica, in this case, the pain descends from the sciatic nerve downward.

In old age, as well as due to systemic diseases, a person develops various pathologies of the joints, which also cause pain in the legs.

Patients have the impression that their legs begin to twist, as it were, and many note a connection with changes in weather conditions. If the process is started, then the pains become constant and unbearable.

Flat feet can cause dull pain in the legs, which is accompanied by a pronounced heaviness of the lower extremities, rapid fatigue when walking, and constant fatigue. Neuralgias (disorders of the peripheral nervous system) are accompanied by sharp wave-like pains that occur along the nerve endings. Neuralgic attacks usually alternate with a state of complete absence of painful manifestations, and in time this can last for several seconds, minutes and even hours. The most severe pain occurs during acute inflammation of muscle tissue, especially with myositis.

Infectious diseases, such as osteomyelitis, are very dangerous and have extremely serious consequences, which cause acute, prolonged pain in the bones of the lower extremities.

Injuries and bruises of the lower extremities, alone or in combination with other injuries, often cause pain in the legs. Most often, bruises of the legs occur, swelling and hematoma form in their place. The nature of the pain is determined by the location of the injury, the degree of its intensity and the area of damage.

Pain accompanies fractures of the bones of the lower extremities. The severity of pain manifestations depends on the specifics of the fracture, location. With a probable fracture of the lower limb, increased pain with any movement, swelling and swelling in the injured area is characteristic. Movement in the injured leg is usually limited, with subcutaneous hemorrhages.

With an obvious fracture, the limb takes an unnatural position or pathological mobility in a place where there are no joints. There is a characteristic crepitus of bone fragments, with open fractures, the fragments are determined visually, bleeding and traumatic shock join. If the injury has affected the neurovascular bundle, then signs of impaired blood supply to the lower leg and foot, neurological disorders will develop.

Diagnosis of leg pain

Pain in the legs is not a primary symptom, in order to determine which disease it is caused by, it is necessary to conduct certain clinical and instrumental studies. The primary role is played by the exclusion of conditions that threaten the patient's life, such as thrombophlebitis, thrombosis, impaired blood vessels, oncology.

As diagnostic methods, X-ray of the pelvis and lower extremities, magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography are recommended.

Treating leg pain

Constant, unbearable leg pain can be controlled by anesthetic blockade performed only by a physician. In addition, according to the indications, the administration of analgesics in the form of tablets or injections can be prescribed. Symptomatic therapy involves the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in a specific dosage. It is possible to use special ointments with these agents or gels that have a warming and distracting effect.

Strictly in a hospital setting and under the supervision of a specialist, muscle relaxants are prescribed to relieve reflex muscle spasm. Treatment with vitamin and mineral complexes with an emphasis on vitamins of group B is mandatory. In order to improve blood circulation in the affected area, drugs are prescribed that increase peripheral blood supply.

Manual therapy, therapeutic exercises and physiotherapy are often used to relieve pain in the legs.

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Prevention of leg pain

Preventing leg pain involves several factors. First, the lifestyle should be aimed at preventing the development of cardiovascular diseases. Regular physical activity helps to normalize blood supply to the lower extremities. Strengthening the abdominal muscles can reduce leg pain associated with spinal diseases.

Try not to sit on a hard one so as not to irritate the sciatic nerve, you can use special soft pads and pads. For the same reasons, it is not recommended to tie a belt tightly or wear tight trousers.

Author of the article: Kaplan Alexander Sergeevich | Orthopedist

Education: diploma in the specialty "General Medicine" received in 2009 at the Medical Academy. I. M. Sechenov. In 2012 completed postgraduate studies in Traumatology and Orthopedics at the City Clinical Hospital named after Botkin at the Department of Traumatology, Orthopedics and Disaster Surgery.