WHAT’S CAUSING YOUR LEG PAIN?
12-Oct-2018
By Dr. Parmod Chander Hasteer,
MBBS; MD (Medicine) (AIIMS, N. Delhi)
Sr CONSULTANT PHYSICIAN - Specialist in DM & Cardio-Pulmonary Diseases
DISCLAIMER:
DEAR FB READERS: This post has been written for educating the general public. All my such ARTICLES are meant to spread knowledge & please do not follow them without CONSULTING your own doctor. The information is based on available literature which can never be 100% correct. THIS HAS BEEN WRITTEN WITHOUT ANY FINANCIAL OR MATERIAL GAINS. There is no financial or any other gain involved in it. I am not advocating any specific treatment or measure & the readers are at liberty to follow or not follow it.
PERIPHERAL ARTERY DISEASE (PAD) - 1
• With this condition, your limbs – typically your legs – don’t get ENOUGH BLOOD.
• It usually happens because your ARTERIES have NARROWED.
• Your legs may feel weak or numb or cramp when you walk.
• They might feel cold and be an odd color.
• Some people can manage PAD with habit changes, like QUITTING SMOKING.
• If that doesn’t work, your doctor might give you medicine to treat the problem or help with pain.
• But some people need surgery.
DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS (DVT) - 2
• This is a blood clot in a vein, usually in your THIGH or LOWER LEG.
• It doesn’t always cause symptoms, but you might have pain, swelling in your leg, and it might be warm and red.
• Call your doctor right away if you notice any of these.
• DVT can lead to a serious condition called a PULMONARY EMBOLISM – when the clot breaks off and goes to your lungs.
• Your doctor can give you medicine to keep clots from forming, growing, or breaking off.
PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY - 3
• This happens when there’s damage to the nerves in your body that relay messages to and from your brain.
• The most common cause is DIABETES, but other health conditions, medicines, injuries, or infections can cause it.
• If it affects the nerves in your legs, they might feel PRICKLY OR TINGLY, OR THEY MIGHT BE NUMB OR WEAK.
• Your doctor will treat the condition that’s causing it and give you medicine for pain if you need it.
ELECTROLYTE IMBALANCE - 4
• Electrolytes are MINERALS like SODIUM, POTASSIUM, & CALCIUM that help your muscles work the way they should.
• You lose some through sweat when you exercise, and if you lose too much, your legs can cramp or feel weak or numb.
• It can happen when you get some medical treatments, like chemotherapy, too.
• Sports drinks with electrolytes – or water along with foods that have those minerals – can help.
• See your doctor if you cramp up often.
SPINAL STENOSIS - 5
• This condition happens when the spaces within the bones in your spine get narrow.
• That puts pressure on the nerves in the area and can cause PAIN, TINGLING, NUMBNESS, or WEAKNESS in your legs.
• You also might have trouble with balance.
• See your doctor right away if you have any of these symptoms.
• Medication can ease the pain, and PHYSICAL THERAPY can help, too.
• If these don’t work, you might need surgery.
SCIATICA - 6
• This is leg pain that comes from a PINCHED NERVE in your lower spine.
• It can range from a bad cramp to a STRONG SHOOTING PAIN that makes it hard to stand or even sit.
• You might feel it because of a SLIPPED or HERNIATED DISK, a SLIPPED VERTEBRA, A SPASM of your BUTT MUSCLES, or SPINAL STENOSIS.
• Your doctor might recommend over-the-counter pain meds or physical therapy. If you have a more serious case, you might need surgery.
ARTHRITIS - 7
• This is a common condition that affects your joints and causes PAIN, SWELLING, & STIFFNESS.
• When it happens in your HIPS, KNEES, or ANKLES, it can be hard to walk or do other everyday activities.
• There’s no cure, but it can help to EXERCISE and stay at a healthy weight.
• HEATING PADS or ICE PACKS on the aching joints can ease pain and swelling.
• So can over-the-counter pain relievers.
PULLED MUSCLE - 8
• This is when a muscle gets STRETCHED TOO FAR. It happens a lot to people who play sports.
• The pain IS INTENSE AND STARTS RIGHT AWAY, and the AREA IS TENDER to the touch.
• The best treatment is to ICE IT WITH COLD PACKS FOR 20 MINUTES at a time, SEVERAL TIMES a day.
• Outside of that, WRAP THE AREA LIGHTLY, KEEP IT RAISED if you can, and rest it.
• Over-the-counter pain relievers can ease the ache.
SPRAIN - 9
• This injury happens when the tissue that connects a muscle to a bone, called a LIGAMENT, is stretched or torn.
• Ankle sprains are common.
• The injured area SWELLS and HURTS, and you can’t put weight on it.
• The best way to treat it is the R.I.C.E. method – rest, ice (about 20 minutes a few times a day), compression (wrap it in a bandage), and elevation (prop it up).
• See your doctor so she can take an X-ray and check for broken bones.
MUSCLE CRAMP - 10
• This is when a muscle, usually in your calf, SUDDENLY GETS TIGHT.
• It can bring on a SHARP PAIN, and you may feel a HARD LUMP OF MUSCLE under your skin.
• Cramps tend to HAPPEN MORE AS YOU AGE, and you’re also likely to have them if you’re OUT IN HOT WEATHER AND DON’T DRINK ENOUGH WATER.
• Cramps usually go away on their own and aren’t a sign of any health issue, but talk with your doctor if you have them often.
SHIN SPLINTS - 11
• These happen when the muscles and tissues around your shinbone get inflamed, making the inner edge of the bone hurt.
• They’re COMMON AMONG PEOPLE who RUN a lot. FLAT FEET, RIGID ARCHES, or the WRONG SHOES can lead to them, too.
• The best treatment is to REST your legs, put COLD PACKS on them for 20 minutes several times a day, and take PAIN RELIEVERS if you need them.
• But see your doctor so she can make sure it’s nothing more serious.
STRESS FRACTURE - 12
• If pain that feels like shin splints doesn’t get better, you may have a small crack in your shinbone.
• It happens when the MUSCLES AROUND THE BONE ARE OVERUSED AND DON’T CUSHION THE IMPACT OF MOVEMENT THE WAY THEY SHOULD. Rest is the best treatment for a stress fracture, but it can take about 6 to 8 weeks to heal. Make sure it’s healed completely before you start exercising again so you don’t make the bone injury worse.
TENDINITIS - 13
• Tendons are the flexible cords that connect muscles to bones.
• It can hurt a lot if they get INFLAMED, especially when YOU MOVE THAT JOINT.
• This is called tendinitis, and it’s a WEAR-AND-TEAR INJURY that can affect your HIP, KNEE, OR ANKLE.
• As with a sprain, the best way to treat it is the R.I.C.E. method.
• And see your doctor so she can rule out other issues.
• She also may suggest anti-inflammatory pain meds like ibuprofen or naproxen.
VARICOSE VEINS - 14
• When veins have to work extra hard to get blood back to your heart, they BULGE & LOOK TWISTED, BLUE, or DARK PURPLE.
• They can make your legs FEEL HEAVY, BURN, THROB, or CRAMP.
• You’re more likely to have them as you age, or if you’re OVERWEIGHT, PREGNANT, or STAND or SIT FOR LONG STRETCHES.
• Losing weight, exercising, or wearing compression stockings may help.
• If they don’t, talk with your doctor about other treatment options.
BURNING THIGH PAIN - 15
• MERALGIA PARESTHETICA is a nerve problem that causes painful burning, numbing, or tingling in your upper thigh.
• Your chances of having it are higher if you’re PREGNANT, OVERWEIGHT, WEAR TIGHT CLOTHES, or HAVE SURGICAL SCAR TISSUE IN YOUR GROIN AREA.
• You can ease the symptoms with over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
• If the pain lasts more than 2 months, your doctor might recommend stronger prescription medicine.