Leg pain • Recognize and treat causes

In most cases, leg pain occurs at night or at rest. The symptom has different manifestations and causes: muscle soreness, varicose veins or osteoarthritis can be behind it. What alleviates the pain in individual cases.

Leg pain often occurs at night or at rest.
© Getty Images / Cavan Images

Leg pain is a multifaceted symptom. Because as different as the manifestations of leg pain are, the possible triggers are just as numerous. The spectrum ranges from sore muscles to varicose veins, pain when lying down, especially at night, to underlying diseases such as restless legs syndrome or diabetes mellitus. Acute injuries such as a broken bone in the leg area are also associated with leg pain.

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What is leg pain?

The symptom leg pain includes all acute, sudden pain in one or both legs, pain along the veins, cramp-like pain and leg pain when resting or lying down.

Leg pain is often associated with:

Depending on the cause, other symptoms such as swelling, heaviness, tightness or reddening of the leg can occur in addition to pain.

What are the causes behind leg pain?

Leg pain or discomfort in the leg area can be associated with different triggers. Depending on the cause, the type and severity of the pain and possibly the accompanying symptoms also differ.

Often the causes of leg pain and characteristic symptoms cannot be clearly assigned to individual, specific diseases. Accordingly, in the case of complaints in the leg area, if in doubt, always seek medical help in order to be able to track down and treat the exact cause.

The most common causes and triggers of leg pain:

  • aching: Leg pain occurs after (excessive) exercise and usually goes away after a short period of rest.

  • Broken bone: The pain in the leg occurs after a previous accident when moving, visible swelling, and movement restrictions

  • Injuries to ligaments and tendons: Mostly stabbing pain, restricted mobility, possibly swelling

  • Joint injuries: Sprains, dislocations or dislocations of the ankle, hip or knee joint are associated with restricted mobility

  • disc prolapse and nerve irritation in the spine caused by blocked vertebrae or sciatica problems (sciatica) cause burning, stabbing pain that radiates to the thighs and sometimes to the foot. You may also feel numb or tingling.

  • Deep vein thrombosis: Symptoms comparable to sore muscles, but a sudden feeling of tension and heaviness in one leg, often also moderate fever and overheating of the leg as well as blue discoloration

  • Phlebitis: Leg pain characteristically occurs along a vein. Only one leg is affected, the pain is described as sudden onset and pulling, the vein is hardened, and the affected skin is warm and reddened.

  • Intermittent claudication (Peripheral arterial occlusive disease, PAD): Arterial circulatory disorder in which pain in one leg – depending on the stage – occurs while walking and improves if you stand for a few minutes.

  • Varicose veins: Typical is the visible expansion of the veins as well as a feeling of tension and heaviness, especially in the lower leg area. The symptoms usually subside when lying down or when moving.

  • Muscle cramps: Leg cramps often occur at night in the form of a violent, sudden attack of pain. Leg cramps can also be related to underlying diseases.

  • Restless legs syndrome: Typical are pain or abnormal sensations in both legs, which occur mainly when resting and lying down – especially at night. The symptoms usually subside with movement, the urge to move is great. Restless legs syndrome is probably due to a disorder in the messenger metabolism.

  • Arthrosis: In the case of osteoarthritis of the knee, for example, the so-called start-up pain, i.e. pain especially in the morning or after a long period of rest, is characteristic.

It is up to the doctor to clarify the cause of pain in the legs. In case of doubt, persistent complaints or accompanying symptoms, it is important to seek medical help.

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Leg pain: how the diagnosis works

The way to diagnose leg pain is very individual. Because the complaints have a variety of causes and can have their origin in the muscles and joints, as well as the blood vessels or the nervous system.

Accordingly, the diagnostic methods are of course dependent on the prevailing symptoms, accompanying complaints and other factors.

Medical history and physical examination

As a rule, a detailed discussion with those affected takes place first. Among other things, the following points are clarified:

  • What are the complaints? Where are the complaints located exactly?
  • Has there been a previous injury?
  • Do the complaints keep recurring in certain situations?
  • Do the symptoms persist or do they subside in certain situations?
  • What other symptoms are there, for example varicose veins, swelling or a feeling of heaviness?

Based on this anamnesis, a physical examination (e.g. pressure pain test), physical function tests and a visual diagnosis (are there varicose veins?) Are usually carried out by the doctor.

Imaging techniques for making a diagnosis

In addition, other diagnostic methods can be used. For example:

Treat leg pain

If you want to relieve pain in your legs, you should always take the cause. Because depending on which trigger is behind the leg complaints, different therapeutic measures are used. While in some cases simple measures such as exercise or massages help, medication or special interventions are indicated for certain underlying diseases.

The treatment of leg pain differs from case to case and should be discussed with the attending physician.

  • help with aching: In the case of sore muscles, gentle rest, massage and warmth have proven effective. Pain relieving and blood circulation-promoting ointments can also be used.

  • at Broken bone: Plaster cast, immobilization

  • Relief from pain at Calf cramps: Administration of magnesium or quinine sulfate, massage of the calf muscles, alternating showers

  • at Varicose veins: Compression therapy, obliteration of varicose veins, if necessary surgical removal of varicose veins (stripping)

  • Leg pain as a result of Restless Legs Syndrome: Exercise, brush massages, Kneipp treatments, possibly dopamine tablets

  • Intermittent claudication (PAD): stage-dependent treatment, for example quitting smoking, walking training, special medication to increase the flow properties of the blood.

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