Human musculoskeletal system bears the weight of the whole body. The main load falls on the legs and pelvis, because of which their bones and joints quickly weaken and wear out.

Localized pain in the legs can be caused by a variety of reasons.

Causes

If you are often worried about discomfort in the lower extremities, it is necessary to identify the causes: your legs hurt due to trauma to the bones and joints, impaired blood circulation, or due to overstrain of muscles and ligaments.

Depends on the final diagnosis which specialist will deal with his therapy.

Ask your question to a neurologist for free

Irina Martynova. Graduated from the Voronezh State medical University them. N.N. Burdenko. Clinical intern and neurologist of BUZ VO \"Moscow Polyclinic\".

Pain in the hip

The hip can get sick due to pathological processes in the joints or due to damage to the sciatic nerve. The nature of the discomfort in these ailments can be easily distinguished from each other.

Overweight, heavy physical exercise and other factors lead to excessive stress on the legs, which is why the hips and knees hurt. The cartilage of the hip joint begins to thin and deform, which leads to limited mobility of the limbs, the appearance of clicking and crunching, and the occurrence of dull or aching pain in the hip.

With a sharp pain in the legs, the causes can be caused by pinching of the sciatic nerve.

Pathology is caused by compression of the nerve fiber by bone or tumor structures in the lumbar or sacral spine. Pinching is accompanied by a piercing, sharp pain in the leg, upper third of the thigh and buttock. Often, the patient may complain of a feeling of throbbing and burning, which intensifies when trying to bend over or sit down.

During pregnancy, pain in the hips and lower back develops due to tension in the supporting ligaments of the uterus, pelvic and lower back muscles. Normally, a woman experiences mild discomfort, which decreases after taking a bath, massage or sleep.

It is also not uncommon for pain to radiate to the thigh due to dysfunction. internal organs. The most common problem is renal colic. In this case, the symptoms depend on which kidney was affected: if the calculus is in the left, then it hurts left leg, if on the right, then, respectively, . Initially, when the stone moves, discomfort appears in the lower back, then increases over several hours and spreads to the pelvic area, buttocks and thighs.

A characteristic sign of renal colic is the inability to choose a position in which the pain syndrome will decrease.

It will certainly be useful to watch the following video

Pain in calves

Discomfort in the calves can be caused by impaired functioning of the vessels of the legs or muscle strain. Diagnosis in this case is difficult due to similar symptoms: discomfort while walking, pulling or pain, swelling, feeling of heaviness or fatigue of the legs.

Muscle pain can occur as a result of excessive exercise. It develops, as a rule, 7-9 hours after physical labor or sports and lasts about 1-2 days. With myositis, that is, acute inflammatory processes in the calf muscles, their tension and soreness are noted during palpation, discomfort increases sharply during movement.

The cause may be varicose veins, thrombosis or atherosclerosis. The diseases have a different etiology, but similar symptoms:

  1. swelling;
  2. Drawing pain in calves, aggravated by exertion;
  3. "Glossiness", dryness and thinning of the skin due to a lack of blood supply to the tissues;
  4. Decreased muscle tone;
  5. In some cases, especially with thrombosis, pain can be localized in a specific part of the lower leg or spread along the vein.

Foot pain

The foot may hurt due to flat feet, osteoporosis, fasciitis, or injury:

  1. . Discomfort appears when walking, while it can hurt both very strongly and barely noticeable. Patients complain of unpleasant pulling sensations in the foot, which decrease after rest or massage;
  2. - degenerative processes in the joints. The cartilage layer of the joint becomes thinner, because of which the bones begin to rub against each other and collapse. at the same time, they increase during movement, load, and an attempt to bend the foot;
  3. Fasciitis is a stretch or inflammation of the plantar fascia caused by misalignment or dislocation of the foot. The pain syndrome is especially noticeable when trying to exercise after long-term condition rest;
  4. Injuries: dislocations, fractures, fractures of joints and bones. It is most easily diagnosed with X-ray. Pathology is accompanied by severe pain in the foot, rapidly developing swelling, inability to stand on the foot.

Pain in the toes


Pain in the toes appear in arthritis, which most often affects small joints, gout, arthrosis, wearing uncomfortable shoes. Symptoms are approximately the same for all diseases:

  1. puffiness;
  2. Inability to wear tight shoes or high-heeled shoes;
  3. Increased discomfort during exercise;
  4. Feeling of pulsation in the fingers after a long walk.

Pain from knee to foot

Pain in the legs from the knee joint to the foot can develop both as a result of the vascular lesions already described, and due to bone pathologies. The cause may be tumor processes or osteomyelitis:

  1. In the event of a fracture, the legs hurt a lot, it is impossible to make a movement on your own, a strong one develops, the injured area becomes hot and reddened;
  2. Osteomyelitis is a purulent process in the bone cavity caused by an infection-causative agent. Accompanied by long-lasting debilitating pain, fever, headache, fever.

Pain in the groin

Discomfort in the groin, radiating to the leg, may be caused by renal colic or inflammatory processes of the genitourinary system. Accompanied by a delay or increase in urination, shooting or aching pain, deterioration in general well-being.

For infections excretory system curdled sediment or mucus is found in urine.

Pain in the abdomen radiating to the leg

If the pain is localized in the lower abdomen and radiates to the groin and thigh, then it may be caused by the following reasons:

  1. Inflammatory or tumor processes in the uterus and appendages. Manifested, as a rule, by a sharp paroxysmal pain, nausea, in some cases - bleeding;
  2. Inflammation of the appendix. With appendicitis, abdominal discomfort initially develops, accompanied by a violation of the stool, increased gas formation and nausea. Then the pain syndrome increases, covering the lower back, groin area and right thigh.

Pain in the morning after sleep

Uncomfortable sensations in the legs in the morning can be caused by circulatory disorders, excessive stress on the muscles of the thighs and calves, or arthritis.

A characteristic symptom of arthritis is soreness in the joints and impaired mobility in the morning, which are significantly reduced 30-50 minutes after waking up.

Pain at night

If patients complain of discomfort in the legs at night, then possible reason similar feelings - inflammatory processes of connective tissue, which are accompanied by the deposition of urate crystals in the tissues. In this case, the pain is pulling or bursting in nature.

In women during pregnancy, leg pain during sleep occurs due to insufficient blood supply and increased stress on the muscles.

Pain in the popliteal fossa

The main causes of pain in the popliteal fossa - sprains of muscles and ligaments, or. All these diseases are accompanied by a pulling or aching discomfort in the leg, aggravated by walking.

However, if the knee structure is directly affected, a crunch or clicking occurs during movement.

Pain accompanied by swelling

The cause of swelling of the legs can be diseases of cardio-vascular system and disturbances in the flow of lymph. In the first case, the patient is also concerned about chest pain, difficulty breathing, skin cyanosis.
With lymphatic edema, the affected limb swells strongly, increasing in volume several times. The disease develops gradually and, in the absence of therapy, leads to elephantiasis - a painful growth of subcutaneous tissue.

The child has

In children, pain in the legs can develop not only due to pathological conditions, but also due to the rapid growth of muscles, ligaments and bones. Normally, discomfort appears rarely, is not intense and short-lived.

If a child regularly complains of pain in the legs, you should definitely consult a doctor.


Numbness in the legs occurs for two reasons: a sharp violation of the blood supply to the tissues or pinching of the nerve roots in any part of the spine. Both of these conditions are in most cases accompanied by general weakness, muscle dystonia, changes in the structure and color of the skin of the legs.

Pain in right side radiating to leg

A disease in which severe pain appears in the right thigh is retrocecal appendicitis. This is a pathological process, as a result of which the appendix, located behind the caecum, becomes inflamed. Because of this localization of the appendix, the patient has pain in the right leg and lower back. Often the disease is mistaken for renal colic or infringement.

Ultrasound is necessary for a correct diagnosis.

Therapy

Depending on the disease, the specialist prescribes treatment aimed at treating both the underlying disease and its symptomatic manifestations.

  1. Gels and ointments:
    • Drugs aimed at relieving inflammation in the joints and muscles;
    • Painkillers. To relieve pain in arthritis, gels with a cooling effect are prescribed; in the treatment of arthrosis or muscle inflammation, warming ointments are recommended;
    • Creams to stimulate blood circulation;
    • Ointments with an anticoagulant effect for the prevention and treatment of thrombosis;
    • Venotonics to strengthen the walls of blood vessels.
  2. Injections for intramuscular and intravenous administration:
    • Anti-inflammatory drugs, for example, or Aflutop. Allows you to eliminate swelling in the joints;
    • With osteomyelitis, courses of antibacterial drugs are indicated;
    • Analgesics. With severe pain in the legs, treatment includes intra-articular, in which the drug is injected directly into the cavity of the affected joint. In some cases, anti-inflammatory drugs are also used.
  3. Tablets for oral use:
    • Preparations with

Therapy is selected individually for each patient.

What to do if your leg hurts, but you can’t get to the doctor immediately? Apply an analgesic gel to the affected area and make an appointment to see a specialist as soon as possible. Independent application any pharmacological preparations can lead to the development of complications.

When is a doctor's appointment necessary?

Seek immediate medical attention when the following symptoms appear:

  1. Intense pain in the abdomen or lower back, radiating to the leg;
  2. Severe swelling of the leg, accompanied by pain;
  3. Sudden numbness of a limb. Often, with such a symptom, the skin becomes white or yellowish, which indicates an acute circulatory disorder;
  4. Any injury to the leg, accompanied by severe pain;
  5. Burning, inability to bend the leg.

All these conditions pose a threat to health and, if not promptly medical care, for the life of the patient. If you experience these symptoms, be sure to go to the hospital.

Reference

  1. Depending on the localization of pain, various causes of its occurrence are distinguished.
  2. Hip. Pregnancy, pinching of the sciatic nerve, irradiation of pain in renal colic, osteoporosis, osteochondrosis.
  3. Caviar. Varicose veins, atherosclerosis, overexertion, myositis, convulsions, pregnancy, thrombophlebitis, osteochondrosis.
  4. Foot. Osteoporosis, flat feet, fasciitis, trauma.
  5. Toes. Injuries, arthritis, arthrosis, gout, psoriasis, wearing uncomfortable shoes.
  6. Shin. Trauma, osteomyelitis, pathology of the vessels or bones of the lower leg.
  7. Groin. Inflammatory diseases of the urinary system, renal colic.
  8. Pain radiating to the leg. Appendicitis, inflammatory pathologies of the pelvic organs, osteochondrosis.
  9. Pain in the morning. Arthritis, circulatory disorders.
  10. Pain in legs at night. Connective tissue diseases, gout, arthritis and arthrosis.
  11. Popliteal fossa. Sprains, arthrosis or arthritis.
  12. Pain with swelling. Diseases of the cardiovascular or lymphatic system.
  13. Pain with numbness of the legs. Osteochondrosis, hernia, neuropathy, vascular disease.
  14. Pain in right side, radiating to leg. Retrocecal appendicitis. Pain in right leg and lower back.
  15. Therapy depending on the pathology: injections, ointments, gels, tablets, exercise therapy, physiotherapy.

Many women complain of leg fatigue. What to do if in the evening they whine a lot, and literally reduces the calves? Is it possible to cope with this nightly discomfort?

There are several reasons that cause leg fatigue: the most common are sore veins, flat feet, overweight, overstrain of the leg muscles. Many women whose legs get tired by the end of the day spend most of the day standing up. These are people of those professions whom the legs "feed". Those women who have to spend 7-8 hours standing at work. Waiters, salesmen, hairdressers, couriers and even teachers.

Our conversation is not about the reasons, but about how to help yourself in the evening after a working day to get rid of the feeling of fatigue in the calf muscles. First of all, make sure that you do not have varicose veins, which can be cured on initial stage or eliminated operationally when the form is running. But advice for varicose veins in each case can only be given by a specialist - an orthopedist or surgeon. When you return home after a day of work with tired legs, you need to help yourself get rid of this painful sensation.

I offer you some tips, the implementation of which will not require more than 20-30 minutes and will bring noticeable relief. Take off your shoes, free your legs from tights or stockings. Take a comfortable horizontal position, raising your legs and leaning them against the wall at the largest possible angle. This ten-minute rest will cause the blood to drain. As a result, fatigue in the legs will partially pass and you will feel a surge of vigor and strength. The next procedure - foot contrast baths - will also take you no more than ten minutes.

Prepare two basins: with hot (temperature 38-40 ° C) and cold water(28-30оС). Dip your feet in hot water for 1.5-2 minutes, then - in the cold - for 15-20 seconds. Repeat this procedure 3-4 times. Then dry your feet with a cotton towel and put on soft socks. A warm herbal bath relieves fatigue of the legs. For example, coniferous. Add 15 mg of pine extract and two tablespoons of sea or ocean salt to a deep basin of water (temperature 38-40°C). Lower your legs for 5-10 minutes.

Maybe you like one of the herbal baths more: sage, lavender, chamomile, or dried herb. They are prepared as follows: 2 tbsp. spoons of water, pour 1 liter of boiling water, leave for at least thirty minutes, strain and add to warm water. You can insist herbs in the morning, and take a bath in the evening. The solution can be stored in the refrigerator for several days in a glass jar tightly closed with a plastic lid. Otherwise, a refreshing bath of calamus roots is prepared. 2 tbsp. spoon root pour 1 liter of cold water and bring to a boil over low heat. Without defending, strain. The infusion is ready. It is also stored in the refrigerator without losing its medicinal properties.

After the bath, rub the soles with a coarse cloth or a dry "prickly" washcloth. You can massage your feet as follows: wet your hands vegetable oil or lotion and rub the legs with strong movements on both sides, moving up from the ankle to the knee, then down - with light tapping of the fingers. The following exercises relieve tension in the legs: rise on your toes so that the heels of your legs come off the floor by 1 cm, and sharply lower your heels to the floor.

After 20 such “concussions”, take a break for 10 seconds and repeat the exercise. It is rational to perform the exercise three times. Sitting on a chair, raise your legs and make circular motions with your feet. Repeat 10 - 15 times. This will improve blood circulation, and the legs will feel better. Another exercise: first bend your toes down, and then sharply straighten them up. These exercises are effective to perform several times during the day, for example, at lunchtime. Rubbing the calf muscles with homeopathic ointment "Arnica" well "pulls off" fatigue in the legs. Not a superfluous thing in the house are massagers for the soles of the feet, which are sold in sports stores.

Just do not forget to carefully read the instructions, as each massager has its own characteristics and recommended mode of use. And the last thing: with frequent fatigue in the legs, wear stockings or socks made from natural fibers - cotton, linen, wool, silk. Try to give up nylon and nylon. Make sure that there is no rough seam from the inside. Wear only soft, comfortable and spacious shoes made of genuine leather or a quality substitute. Forget flip flops, strappy sandals, tight shoes and high heels. Do not forget to take care of your feet every day - and fatigue will recede.

Seven exercises for varicose veins

About 30 percent of women suffer from varicose veins. If you are diagnosed with such a diagnosis, then these simple exercises will help improve venous circulation. Therapeutic exercises are performed lying down, with the legs elevated, at a slow pace, without holding the breath.

1. Lying on your back, stretch your arms along the body, put your straight legs on a chair. Alternately bend and unbend the right and left foot 5 times each. Repeat the exercise simultaneously with both feet 5 times.

2. Lying on your back, stretch your arms along the body. Raise up and spread your legs, pulling your socks, perform rotations in the ankle joints to the right and left. Repeat 5-7 times on each side.

3. The starting position is the same. Bend your knees and perform circular movements in the knee joints to the right and left, 5-8 times in each direction.

4. Make a rack on the shoulder blades ("birch"). Spread your legs. Mahami change the position of the legs ("scissors"). Repeat 4-7 times.

5. The starting position is the same. Bend your legs at the knee joints and "pedal". Repeat the exercise 5-7 times.

6. Lying on your back, stretch your arms along the body. Bent at the knees, place your feet on the wall. "Step" up and then down the wall 5 times.

7. Lying on your back, raise your straight legs and place your feet on the wall or place your feet on a high stand. Lie down like this for 5-10 minutes.

You should focus on your feelings and level of physical fitness. Remember that the load should be increased gradually. The complex can be performed at any time convenient for you, but regularly. Exercises 1 and 7 try to do two or three times a day. If you experience any discomfort, consult your doctor.

There is hardly a single person who has never had pain in his legs in his life. Just what does this pain mean? Ordinary fatigue? Dislocation? Varicose veins? Which doctor should I contact?

About the causes of pain in the legs, as well as what to do with sore legs, we talked with traumatologist-orthopedist Vasily Aleksandrovich Shurov.

- Tell me, why do people hurt their legs more often than, for example, their hands?

There is nothing surprising. When we walk or stand, the load of the whole body is on the legs. Previously, when a person moved much more, the leg muscles were in good shape, so there were fewer problems. Now the vast majority of urban residents lead a sedentary lifestyle, from which the muscles become weak and lethargic. Accordingly, when the body is faced with more serious loads than those to which it is accustomed, the muscles begin to hurt.

- What are these loads? If you carried bags of cement all day long?

Not necessary. Problems can arise even after classes in gym if before that a person has not been involved in sports for a long time. It is spring now, and many people (especially girls) are beginning to actively prepare for beach season. In order, as they say, to “return to their former shape,” they go to the fitness center and there they begin to train to exhaustion, trying to quickly lose weight. Usually nothing good comes of it. If you have been sitting in the office all winter, then you need to start exercising gradually. Muscle pain from overwork is the most harmless type of pain, they pass without a trace after a few days. But there is a great risk of getting injured out of habit.

- That is, in order for the legs not to hurt, it is necessary that they be trained?

If we are talking about a healthy person who has pain only after intense exercise, then yes. By the way, I would also recommend watching your weight. If there are problems with being overweight, then an additional burden falls on the legs.

However, as I said, if the legs hurt after heavy exertion, this is the most harmless option. Hippocrates once said that pain is the watchdog of health. As a rule, pain is a symptom of a serious illness. And depending on where and how it hurts, you can understand what problem we are dealing with.

- What is the worst option for pain in the legs?

One of the most difficult diseases for both doctors and patients is an intervertebral hernia in the lumbar region. When a deformed spinal disc is displaced, it often begins to put pressure on the nerve root where it exits the spinal canal. The pinched root sends signals to the brain that are perceived as pain in the leg. That is, the patient comes to the doctor with complaints that something is wrong with his leg, while it is not the leg that needs to be treated, but a hernia in the lumbar region.

How to recognize such pain?

With this kind of hernia, the patient feels that the pain seems to “shoot through” in the leg. Often the pain goes along the outer surface of the leg and intensifies with sudden movements. When such symptoms appear, you should urgently contact a surgeon who deals with diseases of the spine. No ointments, supinators and massages will help here. To stop hurting the leg, you need to solve the problem with a hernia.

The only thing I can recommend is an orthopedic lumbar brace. It greatly alleviates the condition of patients with intervertebral hernias, so that it can be used as a kind of test: if after you started wearing it, your legs began to hurt less, then it really is a hernia. But, in general, of course, the final diagnosis should be made by a doctor.

— What other foot problems can arise?

Pain in the legs can be associated with vessels: both venous and arterial. Much more often problems arise with veins - with varicose veins. When a person has varicose veins, the outflow of venous blood is disturbed, which also affects the flow of arterial blood. As a result, tissues (especially peripheral nerves and muscles) do not receive enough oxygen, but toxic metabolic products begin to accumulate in them. All this irritates the nerve endings - and pain occurs.

How can these pains be recognized?

Usually these are pulling unpleasant pains that intensify by the end of the working day. A person feels severe discomfort, his legs “buzz”, so you want to lie down and throw them higher.

With varicose veins, treatment should be comprehensive, but I would give a special place to therapeutic compression stockings. A patient whose legs are very sore due to varicose veins, literally the next day after putting on compression stockings, feels great relief.

- It's clear. What are the problems with arteries?

If a person has a narrowing of the arteries due to illness, the reaction to the load occurs very quickly. When the muscles begin to work, they almost immediately begin to experience oxygen starvation, since blood circulation in the arteries is disturbed. A person feels a sharp pain that forces him to stop. As a result, the patient develops the so-called "intermittent claudication": while moving, he must constantly make stops in order to wait until the pain passes. With narrowing of arterial vessels, compression stockings will not help, but only harm. Such patients should consult a doctor as soon as possible.

— Is it possible that leg pain is a consequence of an old injury?

Yes, this happens very often. For example, it is not uncommon for a person who has broken his leg to have a severe pain in his leg after he removes the cast. The fact is that in the cast the leg was at rest, the muscles were unaccustomed to movement, and when they again began to experience strong loads, they were not ready for them.

- Does this only happen after fractures?

No, after any injury. It can be not only bone fractures, but also ligament injuries. By the way, there are usually a lot of problems with ligaments, as they do not heal well.

In the case of injuries, you do not need to be an expert to determine the cause of the pain. There are two main rules: firstly, with any at least some serious injury, you need to see a doctor, otherwise you can earn complications; secondly, if the injury is serious, you should actively use special orthopedic devices, which for a number of reasons are more useful than ordinary gypsum. They allow the damaged limb to move, but along strictly defined axes. That is, on the one hand, the muscles remain in good shape, on the other hand, the load is removed from the area of ​​injury.

- Can the legs hurt due to flat feet?

Yes, this is a fairly common cause of foot pain. In general, now almost every second person has flat feet in one form or another. In city dwellers, this disease is even more common, as they constantly walk on hard asphalt. If the deformity of the foot has gone far enough, then the patient gradually begins to experience pain in the anterior muscle group. This unsharp aching pain, which increases in the evening.

- And what to do?

Take care of your feet. Buy yourself comfortable loose shoes, women should not abuse heels. It is clear that beauty requires sacrifice, but if you do not know the measure, then over time you will have to make surgical sacrifices. And, of course, I would recommend that everyone use arch supports as a preventive measure - orthopedic insoles. Those who have sore feet due to flat feet will immediately feel relief, and healthy people will be insured against problems in the future. But, of course, the arch supports must be of high quality, Chinese insoles bought on the market for 20 rubles per pair will not help you, but harm you.

What should I do if my joints start to hurt?

Joint pain is one of the main symptoms of arthritis and arthrosis. Usually these diseases occur in older people, they bring them a lot of problems. When the joints become inflamed, a person begins to feel acute pain during vertical loads, while the joints themselves deform and begin to “click”.

In age-related joint diseases, treatment must be comprehensive, it is important to remember that pain is only one of the symptoms of the disease. And to reduce its intensity, say, with the help of orthopedic bandages that unload the diseased joint - this is only half the battle. It happens that the patient with great difficulty reaches the clinic, and after he puts on the bandage, he immediately feels relieved and goes home literally inspired. This is all very cool, but you should not rely only on bondage. You must follow all the instructions given by the doctor.

Are joint problems only for older people?

In rare cases, the joints begin to hurt in young people. However, if a young man feels that something is wrong with his joints, he needs to rush not to an arthrologist, but to a venereologist. In 90% of cases, the cause of such problems in young people is neglected chlamydia.

- Thanks for detailed explanations. It turns out that by how and where your legs hurt, you can quite accurately diagnose you ...

In fact, the doctor should make the diagnosis, not the patient. Both self-treatment and self-diagnosis do not lead to good. The main thing that the patient himself must do is to take care of his feet. Prevention is always better treatment, so I advise everyone to take care of their health, and if there is pain, you should not try to endure it, but go to the doctor.

After a hard and eventful working day, it occurs quite often. It would seem that it's okay, but for tired limbs it is difficult to even find a comfortable position. In this article, we will consider what to do to avoid this, we will talk about diseases that may be accompanied by such sensations.

Symptoms and causes of pain in the legs

In most cases, we do not pay attention to pain in the lower extremities, hoping that an invigorating shower will do its job and relieve us of unpleasant feelings. And indeed, if your legs hurt a lot, then ordinary rest sometimes helps. Frequent walking, running, unusual physical activity - these are the main causes of malaise. And if the day went as usual, but what to do in such a situation? Should be concerned if pain are repeated daily. Such a reaction of the body can be caused by a violation of blood circulation, which, in turn, indicates the risk of varicose veins and other venous diseases. Oddly enough, but most often this disease affects the female half of humanity. This is explained by an increased load on the vessels of the small pelvis and legs, wearing heels, pregnancy or childbirth. Men are also present and they need to be attentive and alert, especially if the pain is regular. The most common symptoms are: "humming" and "burning" of the lower extremities, convulsions, swelling, sometimes so severe that it is impossible to put on shoes. As mentioned earlier, all this can be caused by ordinary overwork. Pain that radiates to the leg can also indicate the presence of diseases such as:


If you find yourself with other symptoms of these diseases, and at the same time your legs hurt, what should you do? See a doctor right away, don't hesitate!

Prevention of pain in the legs

What needs to be done to avoid discomfort in the lower extremities, if they are not caused by any diseases and ailments? Here are some tips to help you get rid of foot pain:


In this article, we told you what to do if your legs hurt, what to do to avoid it. We hope that this material will be useful to you.

If a person has leg pain, what should I do? This question is often asked by patients. Pain in the legs is an unpleasant symptom that signals a malfunction in the body. There can be many reasons.

If your legs hurt, it is important to consult a doctor in time and find out why this is happening.

As we age, various health problems may appear. The lower extremities are often affected. Diseases of the veins, muscles, joints, etc. may appear.

If a person has pain in his legs, what to do, the cause of pain in the leg or both legs will tell:

  • diseases in which muscle tissue is affected, traumatic effects on muscles;
  • pathology of the vessels of the legs;
  • spine diseases;
  • diseases affecting the peripheral nerves;
  • joint damage.

Pain in the legs can cause vascular lesions. If there have been changes in the vessels, their work has worsened, this is a sign of a violation of the outflow of venous blood, a change in pressure in the vessels, which is manifested by an increase in the indicator. Stagnation of blood leads to an irritating effect on the nerve endings. The consequence of such exposure is pain in the legs, which is characterized as "dull". A person has heaviness in the legs, all negative changes lead to the development of varicose veins.

Another reason is thrombophlebitis. In this case, the pain sensations have a pulsating character. Of the other symptoms, burning is noted, it is most actively manifested in the calf muscles.
Atherosclerosis of the arteries can also be accompanied by pain in the lower extremities. With this disease, the symptoms are expressed mainly in the calf muscles. The walls of the vessels acquire a denser structure, in the legs a person feels pain of a compressive nature, while walking and exerting these sensations intensify.

Diseases of the spine. Pain in the legs may be present with disorders that are accompanied by changes in the intervertebral discs. In this case, another area is affected, and the pain simply radiates to the leg.

Diseases in which lesions are noted in the joints. If the joint is inflamed, a symptom of this condition is pain of a “twisting” nature. Most often, the disease makes itself felt when the weather changes. In people with gout, the pain takes on a permanent character, becomes more pronounced.

When struck knee-joint cartilage destruction may occur. Being in this state, a person feels one of the signs of damage to the knee joint - pain.

Flat feet can also cause leg pain. With flat feet, pain and heaviness in the legs may occur. Pathology manifests itself differently in everyone. For some, the pain occurs intermittently, while for others it becomes permanent.

Peripheral nerve damage. Pain in the legs is one of the signs of such diseases. Neuralgia is accompanied by sudden attacks of pain; each attack lasts approximately 2 minutes. Sciatica is characterized by pain that radiates down the back of the leg.

Diseases in which muscle tissue is affected. If the cause of pain is myositis, in which inflammatory processes in the muscles occur, they are pronounced.

Pain that comes on sharply and doesn't go away for a long time, may indicate the development of a disease of infectious etiology - osteomyelitis.

Steps to take if pain is detected

It is the causes of pain that determine how to treat the disease.

If pain is felt in the feet, this does not necessarily indicate a disease. This happens after a long day at work, a long walk. It is difficult to establish the cause, because you need to know the general state of a person’s health, determine his predisposition to various diseases. The first step is to take painkillers.

Treatment is not always required. If there is no pathology and the pain appeared due to a prolonged load, massage will help. When using a gel with a cooling effect, pain should disappear.

Feet can hurt due to damage to the joints. In this case, complex treatment is necessary, which can be performed at home. The doctor prescribes suitable drugs for therapy, such as an ointment or gel.

For local therapy, folk remedies can be used. As such means are baths, the action of which is aimed at eliminating inflammatory processes. Folk remedies for treatment are prepared on the basis of yarrow, peppermint, horsetail and chamomile. From medicines specialists prescribe non-steroidal drugs with anti-inflammatory properties. Nimesil and Imet belong to such pain relievers.

With pain in the calves of the legs, the cause can be determined by identifying lesions in muscle tissue. This symptom is accompanied by overstrain of the muscles, their stretching. Treatment is based on the use of special medicines (ointment, gel) that restore the affected areas.

With thrombophlebitis, anticoagulants are needed, with a disease of infectious etiology - antibiotics. eliminate osteomyelitis folk remedies impossible. The only correct solution when this disease is detected is urgent hospitalization followed by antibiotic therapy.

Myositis requires regular application of ointments with an anti-inflammatory effect, the implementation of physiotherapeutic methods, and the use of nonsteroidal drugs. Ointment Ketoprofen or Diclofenac is suitable.