My legs hurt, what should I do? Pain in left leg. Leg pain in children and young people

When your legs hurt, it can be very difficult to find the root cause. The fact is that pain in the legs is the main symptom of a number of diseases. Pain in lower limbs represents painful sensations of varying intensity.

Pain in the legs can occur due to diseases not only of the limbs themselves. Very often, in people who have turned to a doctor for advice, the causes of pain are unexpectedly found in other systems and organs. Therefore, if any painful symptoms occur in the limbs, swelling, swelling, burning, redness of the skin and cramps, you should immediately undergo a comprehensive examination.

After all the results of the study are ready, the doctor will determine accurate diagnosis and will appoint the most suitable treatment, taking everything into account individual characteristics person and the nature of the disease. To understand why your legs hurt, you need to take into account many factors, frequency, intensity, location of pain and other associated symptoms.

  • a job where you have to long time stand or walk;
  • wearing uncomfortable shoes and high heels;
  • wearing synthetic, tight-fitting clothing, which impairs blood circulation in the legs;
  • excess body weight;
  • muscle atrophy due to insufficient physical activity on your feet;
  • increased physical activity;
  • hypothermia and overheating of leg joints;
  • flat feet.

If there is pain in the leg, the reasons may include: hypertension, coronary disease hearts. Legs can hurt with varicose veins, atherosclerosis of the arteries, endarteritis, thrombophlebitis, arthritis, arthrosis, diabetes, osteoporosis, heel spurs, erysipelas legs Legs often hurt after suffering injuries or fractures.

Symptoms of leg pain

Legs may hurt when venous stagnation. In this case, dull, severe pain occurs in the lower extremities. Sometimes it feels like the legs are tense and their weight is increased. In the absence of timely treatment, it may develop varicose veins veins Symptoms of pain are severe; a person may feel numbness and tingling. The main symptoms appear mainly in the evening. Painful symptoms in the legs may occur when thermal effects in the sauna, steam bath, after taking hot bath. Women may suffer from discomfort in their legs during menstruation.

The legs hurt constantly due to thrombophlebitis (vascular disease), while a burning and pulsating feeling appears in the limb. Symptoms can be observed for a long time, and they are characterized by regularity and constancy. The pain is felt most in the lower extremities - in calf muscles. The intensity of pain depends on the location of the blood clot, as well as the number of damaged veins.

If there is a lack of any microelements in the body, pain in the legs may occur. There may be various reasons for this. Sometimes there is a lack of calcium. In this case, a person experiences cramps in the calf muscles, which most often occur in the morning and at night. Often, due to these attacks, a person cannot sleep normally. The attacks can last 2-3 minutes, after which they go away on their own. When you massage the affected area, the cramps go away. This symptom often observed in pregnant women.

Legs hurt due to illness peripheral nerves. This disease causes attacks of pain along the nerve fibers. During the periods between attacks there may be no pain. Attacks usually last from 20-30 seconds to 4-5 minutes.

Wandering pain in the leg can occur when obliterating atherosclerosis lower extremities. With this disease, the left leg may be colder than right leg, or vice versa. In this case, the patient should definitely contact a vascular surgeon.

If the leg is red and sore, this may indicate phlebitis - inflammation of the vein. This disease is often accompanied by swelling and a feeling of heat in the legs. Reasons for the development of phlebitis: complications after a blood transfusion, taking certain medications, infections.

Preventing leg pain

To prevent pain in the lower extremities, you need to limit the intake fatty foods, take control of your own weight, exclude prolonged sitting and standing.

It is necessary to treat diseases that affect the legs in a timely manner, and constantly conduct massage sessions. Shoes should be loose, comfortable, on a low platform. To strengthen the walls of blood vessels, you need to consume vitamin C, take it every morning cold and hot shower or carry out pouring feet cold water.

So that the legs do not hurt, you need to monitor the condition of the spine. After all, the problems with this important body immediately reflected on the legs. If you have to sit or walk for a long time at work, try to at least change your body position regularly. During breaks between work, you need to perform physical exercise for legs and back.

Treatment of leg pain after overwork

To eliminate painful symptoms, you first need to determine why your legs hurt. Based on the characteristics and nature of the disease, the doctor prescribes necessary treatment. For example, with phlebitis, hot and cold compresses, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed. If the causes of pain in the legs are overwork or increased physical exertion, then the treatment can be carried out independently, without consulting a doctor.

The use of ice is good method to reduce pain and swelling of the legs. Put a few pieces of crushed ice in a bag and massage the painful areas with it in a circular motion. The ice pack can be replaced with a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a thin towel. When ice is applied to the painful area, a temporary numbness of the nerve endings occurs, after which the pain recedes and the swelling decreases. Do not use ice for more than 10 minutes at a time, otherwise the skin and nerves on the limbs may be damaged.

Chestnut tincture will help eliminate pain. For its preparation, take 100 g of chestnut fruit, grind well and pour 1 liter of vodka. Infuse the mixture for a month in a dark place. The resulting tincture is used to wipe sore feet every day. Among other things, if there are no contraindications, you can take 40 drops of tincture, mixed half and half with water, for 2 weeks.

When legs are overtired, mint baths and linden color. To relieve fatigue, prepare the following composition: brew 3-4 tbsp in 1 liter of boiling water. l. mint and lime blossom. Let it brew for 30 minutes, and then pour it into a basin with warm water. You need to hold your feet for at least 20 minutes.

If you feel severe pain in the lower limbs and heaviness, then baths made from infusions of nettle, coltsfoot and plantain will help. To prepare the bath, mix all the herb and 4 tbsp. l. Pour 3 liters of boiling water into this mixture, let it brew and filter. Useful for heavy legs when taking horizontal position place them above body level.

The most innocent pain in the legs arises from simple fatigue. It passes without a trace by itself, and we will not take it into account. Let's talk about more serious things.

Endarteritis

This is an inflammation of the inner lining of the arteries.

Symptoms Acute pain and numbness in the legs occurs when walking after the first 50–100 steps. A short rest - and the symptoms disappear, only to return again after two dozen steps. Therefore, a person is forced to periodically make stops along the way. Pain in the foot or calf may bother you even when you are lying down, but if you lower your leg down, then discomfort are decreasing.

What to do. Quit smoking (nicotine is the main risk factor for vascular ischemia) and consult a vascular surgeon. The doctor will prescribe a set of tests: MRI, angiography, vascular ultrasound, various studies blood (including non-specific factors inflammation). If there is severe sudden pain, it is better to call an ambulance - this may be a sign of blockage major artery. In this case, there are only a few hours during which the leg can be saved. The disease is treated conservatively and surgically(vascular plastic surgery is used).

Arteriosclerosis

Symptoms Calf-squeezing pain and cramps intensify when walking, running, climbing stairs and can disturb you at night. Cold feet both in winter and summer. Absence of clear pulsation on the big toe. In men, loss of hair on the toes and problems with potency.

What to do. Quit smoking and see a vascular surgeon. Ultrasound and magnetic resonance contrast angiography are used for diagnosis. Timely treatment will protect against gangrene and amputation.

Arthrosis, arthritis

Symptoms Acute “twisting” pain in the joint area when walking or standing for a long time; the joints themselves become deformed and begin to “click.” The pain intensifies when the weather changes. Pain, swelling, redness in the joint area.

What to do. Visit a rheumatologist as soon as possible, take x-rays of the joints and take a general clinical analysis blood. Diagnostic, and at the same time also healing method- arthroscopy. Treatment is only comprehensive, so in addition to taking medications, you will need special orthopedic devices, physiotherapy, diet, exercise therapy, etc.

Genitourinary diseases

Symptoms Pain in the thighs.

What to do. Ultrasound of the pelvic organs.

Thrombophlebitis

Symptoms In the calf muscles there is a constant throbbing pain, often turning into a burning sensation. Redness and swelling, painful compactions along the veins.

What to do. Immediately go to a vascular surgeon. Do an angioscan to evaluate the veins along their entire length, determine the degree of their “blockage,” and identify the threat of a blood clot. Take a blood test for nonspecific inflammatory factors. Most patients can be treated on an outpatient basis under the supervision of a physician.

Consequences of fractures

Symptoms Severe pain when walking.

What to do. Wear special orthopedic devices - orthoses. They allow the injured limb to move and the muscles to remain toned, but at the same time they take on part of the load.

Heel spur

Symptoms Sharp sudden pain in the heel, usually happens while walking or running. Often the only cure for heel pain is time, and while you wait for relief, try swimming and cycling.

What to do. Waiting is exactly the case when time heals. Lose weight: excess weight– risk factor. Contact an orthopedist and get an x-ray. For treatment, anti-inflammatory drugs, special transverse massage and laser therapy, orthopedic insoles and heel pads are used.

Diabetes

Symptoms Cramps occur in the legs (especially at night), swelling, weakness and pain, the skin on the legs becomes dry, peeling and itching appear. Often the legs become “numb”, they experience crawling and tingling sensations.

What to do. Donate blood for sugar.

Osteoporosis

Symptoms Leg cramps and severe pain in the calves are some of the manifestations of calcium deficiency. The problem is more typical for women over 40 years of age. Blue-eyed blondes are at particular risk.

What to do. Perform a painless study - densitometry (measurement of the level and density bone tissue in organism). If its deficiency is detected, the doctor will prescribe special drugs calcium.

Myalgia

Symptoms Pain in the thigh muscles is jerking, pulling or cutting in nature. It can intensify during physical overload, in damp or cold weather.

What to do. See a neurologist. Anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as pain-relieving ointments and gels are used for treatment.

Gout

Symptoms Sharp throbbing pain in the big toe at any time of the day or night, regardless of the load. Thumb swollen, red, hot and very tender.

What to do. To make a diagnosis, a simple examination by a rheumatologist and a blood test from a vein is sufficient. Gout is treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and drugs that inhibit the formation of uric acid. On initial stage disease, simply change your diet: limit alcohol, meat and fish dishes, rich broths, savory snacks and seasonings, mushrooms, legumes, tomatoes, spinach, coffee, cocoa, chocolate.

Varicose veins

Symptoms Pulling unpleasant pain intensify towards the end of the working day. My legs “hum” so much that I want to lie down and throw them higher.

What to do. Wear compression stockings. It will relieve pain and temporarily slow down the progression of the disease. But this does not solve the problem. Therefore, at the very first alarming symptoms you need to go to a vascular surgeon and do an ultrasound scan of the veins (dopplerography). Further treatment the doctor will prescribe. On early stages The disease is treated conservatively: injection method sclerotherapy.

Lumbosacral osteochondrosis

Symptoms"Shooting" pain in the legs can disturb even at rest, but increases with increasing load and sudden movements. However, rest does not lead to relief. Pain on the back or side of the leg from the heel to the buttock is a sign of inflammation sciatic nerve(sciatica).

What to do. See a neurologist or spine surgeon (specialist in spine treatment). An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) will help detect a strangulated intervertebral hernia. Which treatment to choose - conservative or surgical - the doctor decides after analyzing the data.

Flat feet

SymptomsIt's a dull pain in the feet and legs, which increases in the evening. Fast fatiguability when walking.

What to do. Contact an orthopedist. You'll have to forget about high heels and shoes with narrow toes. Do foot baths With sea ​​salt. Fulfill special exercises, wear arch supports prescribed by a doctor, and not purchased at the nearest market.

The cause of pain can be very different. It may appear due to swelling, for example, in the hot season or from large quantity drinking liquid, also from severe overexertion, high stress, radiculitis and kidney disease. How to treat leg pain folk remedies and traditional, read further in the article.

Possible causes of pain and their relief

How to treat pain due to swelling in the legs?

The most common cause of leg pain is swelling and its consequences. In this case, dry dried apricots will help you. To do this, take 50 grams of dried apricots and pour this amount with one glass of boiling water. After this, you need to set the resulting drink aside to infuse for four hours. When the tincture is ready, you need to take half a glass a day. This folk remedy helps quick withdrawal swelling and pain in the legs.

Dried apricots are also a storehouse of substances such as calcium, iron, phosphorus and carotene, which in turn have a good effect on the functioning of the stomach and intestines. But it should be remembered that swelling and pain in the legs can appear not only due to the presence of a large amount of fluid in the body, but also in connection with the disease of cardio-vascular system, liver and malfunction kidney

How to reduce leg pain if the cause is fatigue?

Also, when your legs hurt, treatment with folk remedies offers two more effective methods such as compresses and baths.

Honey compresses are mainly used to treat leg pain. It is very simple, you need to lubricate the painful places with honey, while not sparing and smearing more and then wrap the leg with a bandage on top. You will have to wear this bandage for a day and then wash it off with warm water. This compress should be applied six times.

If you have fatigue and pain in your legs, you can use contrast baths. For this you will need two basins. You should pour into one hot water, in the second – cold. Next, dip your foot first into a basin of hot water, then with cold. The process should be completed only in a basin of cold water. In such a contrast bath you can add linden flowers and a spoon table salt. After such baths, fatigue disappears from your legs in a matter of minutes.

All of the above traditional methods for leg pain will be an excellent alternative when leg pain interferes with your life and does not intend to go away, and you do not want to take medications.

How to cope with pain in the joints of the legs?

For joint pain, prepare burdock leaves and wash them. Let the leaves dry. Pass the dried leaves through a meat grinder or chop them very finely. Release the juice from the leaves. Mix the prepared juice with moonshine, vodka, alcohol or any other strong alcoholic drink. When mixing, maintain the same proportion of burdock and alcohol. Pour the resulting mass into a glass jar. Let it brew. The resulting tincture is rubbed into the problem areas places. After thorough rubbing, you need to wrap the sore spot with a warm scarf. Be sure to shake the tincture before use.

Remedy for knee pain.

It is necessary to smear sore knees with honey and wrap toilet paper in several rows. Next, prepare the mustard plasters and place them on top of the paper. Place cling film or cellophane on top and wrap with a warm scarf. To treat leg pain, it is recommended to do this operation for the night. We warn you that it will burn strongly at first. You must be patient and do not remove the product for several hours. After 2 hours you can remove it, but do not wash off the honey. With this procedure, redness of the skin is possible, but this is only due to heat. The redness will be completely gone in the morning, so no need to worry. When high sensitivity skin, it is recommended to lubricate the leg with oil before this “compress”. Although this method is quite simple, it is very effective for sore legs.

How to treat pain due to cause heel spurs?

Spurs - common reason bolt in the legs. Prepare about 2 kilos of fish scraps or not very expensive fish. The specified fish must be cleaned of bones and ridge. Divide all the pulp into ten pieces. Spread by plastic bags and put it in the refrigerator. The procedure is done in the evening. Get the fish and let it melt, then divide it in half, attach to the unhealthy place. Put a warm sock on top and go to bed. In the morning, wash your feet from fish. The specified prescription for pain in the legs should be enough for the entire course of your treatment.

How to treat bruise pain?

Bruise - another one possible reason pain. If you have bruised your leg, a mixture of egg yolk and salt. Soak gauze in this mixture and apply to the bruise overnight. The next morning you will feel significant relief.

What exercises will help with leg pain?

If our legs start to hurt, we find it difficult to walk. Pain in the legs can bother you even at night and lead to sedentary lifestyle life, which contributes to the appearance of excess weight, salt deposits and other troubles. The lack of walks and active recreation weakens and cardiovascular system organism. Strength, lightness and elasticity in the legs can be restored by following a diet prescribed by a doctor, but exercises will help most of all with pain in the legs.

Take good care of your feet by washing and massaging them daily. It is advisable to do the suggested exercises for leg pain twice a day, morning and evening. Repeat them while taking a bath.

Starting position - lying down.

With your legs extended, cross them and rub one another, bending your knees slightly. Raise your legs and spread them apart and return them to the starting position. Relax. Repeat the exercise 10 times.

Bend your knees with your feet flat on the mat, and then slowly straighten your legs, gathering the sheet with your toes.

With your knees bent wide apart, bring your feet together and press one on the other. Stretch your legs, elastically pulling your feet towards you, spread your knees to the sides, trying to touch them to the mat. Breathe deeply and freely. Relax. Repeat the exercise 10 times.

Sit down, bend your legs. Stroke your thighs in a circular motion. Then rub your feet as described in the exercises to improve salt metabolism in organism. After performing the exercise, if you have pain in your legs, breathe freely and relax.

Get on your knees, leaning on your hands. Bend and straighten your feet. Standing on all fours, move your knees back and forth. Straighten up, look up and get down on all fours again. Breathe.

From the starting position standing, rise onto your toes. Shift from foot to foot with a spring. Spread your legs, moving your heels and then your toes. Then connect them in the same way. Stand on the edge of one foot, gathering the foot of the other leg into a fist, for 5-10 seconds. Switch legs.

The set of exercises is completed by walking in place. Breathing is voluntary.

Shoes can help treat foot pain

In addition to exercises for leg pain, great importance has shoes. It should be comfortable and with a 2-4 cm heel. If you suffer from flat feet or have heavy weight, put in shoes bought half a size larger, an arch support that will ease the load on the foot and prevent its flattening.

In order not to experience discomfort, first insert the arch support for 20-30 minutes, then for an hour or more. And when the foot becomes more flexible, you will no longer notice it. When removing the instep support from the shoe, try to keep correct position feet.

Radiculitis as a source of leg pain

Pain in the leg when walking occurs when various diseases, but now we’ll talk about radiculitis, which very often accompanies osteochondrosis. Radiculitis is a disease of the nerve root. True, now doctors have begun to use another, more capacious term to designate it - radiculopathy. But still, in order not to confuse you, we will use the previous name - radiculitis.

The appearance of pain in the leg due to radiculitis is caused by impaired blood circulation of the nerve fiber, that is, its oxygen starvation. This happens when the root itself or the vessels supplying it with blood are compressed by a herniated disc or bone growths coming from vertebral joint. Or nerve fiber deformed by adhesions remaining after inflammation.

Imagine for a moment how you will feel if there is insufficient oxygen in the air, as happens, for example, on mountain peaks. Most likely not very good. So, in our case, the nerve fibers also feel something similar: they do not have enough “air” for normal “breathing”. Scientifically, this is called hypoxia or oxygen starvation.

It is for this reason – due to chronic lack of oxygen – nerve cells become especially sensitive to all kinds of adverse effects. Here is the answer to the question about the cause of pain in the legs with radiculitis. Even the most insignificant external or internal circumstances can worsen the condition of dysfunctional tissue. And this manifests itself as pain in the legs. But you should know that the sensation of pain in the leg comes from a root that carries information from the limb, that is, one that warns a person about danger. If you touch something hot, acute hypoxia of the nerve tissue occurs at the site of contact. If it persists, it risks damaging them. How does a heart attack damage the heart muscle from prolonged oxygen starvation. We are designed in such a way that our brain immediately recognizes hypoxia and tells us about it in its own language. We perceive the signal as pain in the leg.

But the motor root, which carries the command to the muscles, cannot warn us of its troubles with pain. There are no fibers in it that carry such information. We notice his illness by the loss of weight of a muscle or a decrease in its strength. Upon exiting the spine, the sensory and motor roots go together to form a nerve. Therefore, when a person feels pain in the leg, indicating trouble in the sensory root, we can also think about trouble in the motor root.

Why is it important to treat radiculitis pain in a timely manner?

Why did the author make an excursion into anatomy? And in order to make it clear why the legs hurt when walking, and that the “silent” motor root is also subject to the same adverse effects. So that “lovers” of suffering from pain in their legs before submitting the annual report were warned about possible “surprises”.

Otherwise it might turn out like this. You got ready for the theater, put on Evening Dress. And suddenly the husband, having stopped tying his tie, asks in surprise: “What is it about you, dear, one leg is thinner than the other?” Consider the evening ruined.

How to reduce leg pain due to radiculitis?

With regard to the “hernia-sciatica” ligament, it is not entirely correct to assume that a small lump of flesh, called a disc herniation, in itself is capable of providing such harmful influence on the blood supply in the nerve fiber. His role often turns out to be very modest. While the edema of nearby soft tissues that accompanies the birth of a hernia can become the main factor leading to squeezing of the vessels that supply the fiber in the problem area of ​​the spine. This is confirmed by the fact that there was no pain in the legs in people who were successfully treated for complications of disc herniation without surgical removal of it.

To make what has been said more understandable, imagine that many vessels enter and exit the nerve fiber along its entire course. So, if a hernia compresses only those vessels that are located in the area of ​​its contact with nerve root, then swelling - along the entire circumference of the nerve fiber within its extent. It follows that conservative treatment Radiculitis comes down primarily to decongestant (synonymous with anti-inflammatory) drugs and improving the pumping function of the muscles on which the blood supply to the nerve depends. And to treat pain in the leg, the appearance of which is associated with a herniated disc, actively stretch the lumbar and gluteal muscles according to the previously proposed scheme. Stretching the muscles of the lower leg and foot will be very useful for pain in the legs. The number of repetitions of the exercises should depend on the appearance or intensification of pain.

Once it occurs, sciatica often does not go away for years, manifesting itself with periodic exacerbations. Even eliminating the original cause of the disease, for example, inflammation in the spine, and even removing a hernia does not necessarily lead to the disappearance of radiculitis and pain in the legs. The disease can take on independent features, independent of the factor that gave rise to it, which is due to changes that have occurred in the nerve fiber itself.

Treatment of pain during exacerbation of radiculitis

An exacerbation can be caused by new disc damage, hypothermia, or injury. Sometimes pain in the leg does not involve the entire limb, but only outer surface lower leg or buttock. The more pronounced the radiculitis, the less resistance of the nervous tissue to hypoxia and the sooner pain in the leg appears in response to the most common action. During an exacerbation, it also bothers you in a lying position, worsening with coughing and sneezing. Short-term tension in the muscles of the leg can increase the pain in it, since, by contracting, they compress the vessels that supply blood to the damaged nerve fiber. An incorrectly chosen position, which has changed the spatial relationship “hernia-root” for the worse, can also cause increased pain in the leg and a desire to change the position of the body or limb. Mild hypothermia legs and even changes in atmospheric pressure can cause increased pain in the legs.

Passes acute period. Recovery processes V nerve tissues They proceed slowly, so the treatment of radiculitis is long-term. Aching pain in the leg often persists for several months.

How to treat legs with radiculitis with home remedies?

You ask: how to deal with the remaining pain? Maybe we should be patient? Or continue taking anti-inflammatory drugs? Of course, there is no need to endure it. But you shouldn’t get carried away with pills. Basic treatment for leg pain may include following the following: simple recommendations.

First of all, do not allow pain in your legs to appear or worsen. This should be the main rule. Find body positions where there is no or minimal pain. If pain in the leg resumes after some time in the newly chosen position, change it immediately.

Calculate the time of your stay in vertical position so that the sick nerve endings did not experience any additional difficulties.

To prevent pain in your legs, learn to walk correctly: control the stride width of your sore leg, deliberately limping on it. In case of a forced stop, do not use your sore leg as the supporting leg. A cane will not be superfluous when walking.

To treat leg pain, use orthopedic products that help improve blood flow from the radicular vessels. For the same reason, make sure you have regular bowel movements.

In cold weather, dress warmer to prevent leg pain. This means not only warm shoes, but also warm trousers and stockings.

That's all the recommendations. Try to remember them. And not only remember, but strictly observe, no matter what you do. Otherwise, radiculitis may take protracted course and cause you a lot of trouble, despite the ongoing a wide variety of treatments pain in the legs. Take care of your nerves, literally and figuratively.

Kidneys as a cause of pain in the limbs

The kidneys in the human body are located in such a way that they are maximally protected from adverse external influence environment. But, if a person suffers from a sore throat and ARVI on the legs, does not follow the rules of personal hygiene and violates the diet, all this can cause inflammation genitourinary system and kidneys. Kidneys: pain in the legs and back - symptoms of kidney disease here are 2 topics that will be covered today

IN Lately People's complaints that kidney problems are causing pain in the legs and back area have become more frequent. What to do if you feel pain in the lumbar region and legs? How to diagnose this disease? The most important thing is that you should not make a diagnosis yourself. It is imperative to consult a doctor: a neurologist or urologist. Based on the ultrasound diagnosis and test results, he will prescribe the correct treatment.

How to relieve leg pain due to kidney disease?

Symptoms of kidney disease:

swelling. The legs and face swell very much with kidney disease. Leg pain and swelling are more noticeable in the morning, and in the evening the intensity subsides;

kidney pain. Pain when chronic disease monotonous. If the kidneys hurt very badly and the pain is sharp and almost unbearable, this means a blockage of the duct;

fever, sometimes weight loss and changes in skin color;

problems with urination. This frequent urination, pain and pain;

when lightly tapping on the ribs from the back, unbearable severe pain occurs in the kidneys;

after physical activity, pain in the legs and back intensifies;

All these symptoms clearly indicate that it is the kidneys that are hurting, and it is they that provoke pain in the legs and back.

We have already said what to do in such a situation: consult a doctor immediately.

Leg pain - unpleasant symptom, because this is our gift from nature, which allows us to feel free - to move around. With age, it is this part of the body that often suffers, in addition to the cardiovascular system: they develop various diseases joints, muscles, veins and others.

Causes of leg pain

To know what to do if your legs hurt a lot, you need to understand the cause of the pain. Pain in the legs can be caused by:

  • joint diseases;
  • diseases of the spine;
  • peripheral nerve diseases;
  • vascular diseases of the legs;
  • muscle disease or injury.

Vascular diseases leading to leg pain

If the functioning of blood vessels is disrupted, this means that the outflow venous blood malfunctioned, and the pressure in the vessels increased. Stagnation of blood irritates the nerve endings, and the person feels pain. This pain is characterized by “dull” pain and along with it there is a feeling of heaviness in the legs. This leads to varicose veins.

The reason may be - then there is a pulsating pain with a burning sensation, which is especially felt in the area of ​​​​the calf muscles.

With atherosclerosis of the arteries, symptoms are also expressed in the calf muscles - during the disease, the walls of the vessels become denser and the patient feels a compressive pain, which intensifies when walking.

Spinal diseases leading to leg pain

Pain radiating to the legs may occur due to disturbances in intervertebral discs– for example, with sciatica.

Joint diseases leading to leg pain

If the cause is in the joints, then the pain has a “twisting” character. This is especially felt when the weather changes.

With gout, the pain becomes very severe and constant.

Pain in knee joint may indicate that the cartilage is being destroyed.

Flat feet are another possible cause of leg pain. It is permanent and is accompanied by a feeling of heaviness in the legs.

Peripheral nerve diseases leading to leg pain

If there is neuralgia, the pain is sudden, paroxysmal in nature, lasting no more than 2 minutes.

With sciatica, pain occurs along the entire back of the leg.

Muscle diseases leading to leg pain

If the cause is muscle inflammation (myositis), then the pain is most pronounced.

Acute and prolonged pain may occur with infectious disease osteomyelitis.

Pain can also occur with a bruise.

What to do if your feet hurt?

This question is asked by many people after a long day at work or strenuous walking. This question is not an easy one if the medical history is unknown and general predisposition, and the only correct answer is to drink a painkiller. If the feet hurt not due to pathology, but due to excessive walking, then a massage with a cooling gel will help. It will also help with sprains.

If the feet hurt due to joint disease, then you need to start a complex treatment of the disease, and as a local temporary therapy, use baths that relieve inflammation - chamomile, horsetail, peppermint, yarrow. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - Imet, Nimesil will help temporarily relieve pain.

What to do if your leg muscles hurt?

The first thing to do if your calves hurt is to determine what caused it. When muscles are stretched or overstrained, they must be lubricated with a gel that restores tissues.

If thrombophlebitis is the cause, then anticoagulants are used, and if it has infectious cause, then antibiotics.

If urgent hospitalization and intensive care are required antibacterial therapy, and if the cause is myositis, it will help physiotherapy and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory ointments - Diclofenac or Ketoprofen.

What to do if your leg joints hurt?

The first thing to do if your toes or other parts hurt due to joint diseases is to take an NSAID. At severe pain use tablets - for example, Ibuprofen. If the pain is moderate or there are contraindications to the use of NSAIDs orally, you can apply a cream or gel - Ibuprofen, Nurofen, etc. Having received support NSAIDs, you need to go for physiotherapeutic procedures, which are very effective for joint diseases.

At the end of a hard day at work, we often have to complain about the heaviness in our legs. In some cases, the cause of leg pain can be not only fatigue, but also the presence of certain diseases. Let's look at the main factors (diseases) that result in leg pain, and also touch a little on the treatment of our precious legs.

We will not consider the options of sprains or fractures, since in most cases the issue is pain in the legs without any damage.

9 reasons why your feet hurt

1. Atherosclerosis of the arteries. Signs of this disease There may be pain in the calf muscles, as well as systematic cramps. The pain is especially worse when walking, lifting heavy objects, or climbing stairs (even in people who do not walk). active image life and prefer to sit or lie down than to be on the move). There are very interesting symptom: regardless of the time of year, a person suffering from atherosclerosis of the arteries always has cold feet. In men, against the background of this disease, impotence develops and the hair on the toes completely or partially stops growing. In addition, in people suffering from atherosclerosis, the pulse on the thumb is difficult to feel.

How can such a disease be treated? First of all, you need to contact a specialist doctor (usually a surgeon). He will direct you to ultrasonography leg vessels. Patients who smoke only make their situation worse by smoking. The disease can lead to gangrene.

2. Arthrosis and arthritis. With these diseases, patients also complain of pain. It especially intensifies when changing weather conditions. If a patient with arthrosis has to stand for a long time, swelling and swelling appear at the site of the lesions. The skin around it may be red.

At the first signs of arthrosis, you should consult a rheumatologist. He will refer you for an x-ray of the joints and give you a referral for general analysis blood. The treatment will be comprehensive. The course of treatment includes diets, medications, and physical therapy, since only in this way can positive changes be seen.

3. Endarteritis. This disease is associated with inflammation of arterial tissue. The patient usually complains of acute pain when walking in the calf and foot area. Pain occurs after the first fifty to one hundred steps. There may be numbness in the legs. If you take a short break, the pain will go away. But after a while it appears again. If pain is observed exclusively after a day of work, then these are not symptoms of endarteritis.

What to do in this case - the treatment is mostly conservative and only in some cases does treatment occur surgically. Patients with endarteritis are referred for vascular ultrasound and MRI. It is important to get tested for the presence inflammatory processes in organism. It must be remembered that if acute pain, you must call an ambulance immediately. Endarteritis can lead to blockage of a large artery.

4. Osteoporosis. This disease is associated with calcium deficiency in the human body. Human bones become very fragile and prone to rapid breakage. Those at risk are people with fair hair and blue eyes (so beauty is not always good).

Patients with osteoporosis are prescribed medications with high content calcium. In addition, they may be sent for densitometry to determine bone density.

5. Thrombophlebitis. This disease is characterized by the formation of throbbing pain in the legs. There may be skin redness and swelling. The patient complains of a burning sensation. The veins in the legs are condensed - a blood clot forms. Touching them causes severe pain.

Treatment is prescribed by a vascular surgeon. He must assess the degree of danger of the blood clot and the risk of its rupture. He directs the patient to undergo a general blood test and angioscanning of the blood vessels of the legs. Treatment is usually outpatient. Site specialists are not recommended to self-medicate using traditional methods.

6. Diabetes. With diabetes, patients complain of cramps, swelling, weakness in the legs and sometimes numbness. All symptoms usually worsen in the evening and peak at night. The skin of the lower leg becomes itchy and peeling. It becomes dry.

sick diabetes mellitus first they send you for tests ( biochemical analysis blood and urine). Treatment is conservative, accompanied by a strict diet.

7. Osteochondrosis lumbosacral. This disease is characterized by pain in the legs. Breaks and rest don't help. As a rule, you should seek help from a neurologist or spine surgeon. Treatment begins with an MRI, after which the doctor determines whether the patient should be treated conservatively or sent for surgery.

8. Gout. A characteristic feature Gout is a throbbing pain in the big toe. The thumb becomes sensitive. The skin on it seems to become inflamed, redness appears.

Treatment of gout consists of following a diet, limiting alcohol, meat and fish dishes, mushrooms, tomatoes. The doctor prescribes anti-inflammatory drugs.

9. Flat feet. Today, flat feet are a fairly common disease. People with flat feet complain of tired legs after a long walk. This pain is transmitted to the spine, and in the evening the pain only intensifies.

Flat feet are among the diseases that need to be prevented with early age, then treatment will be more difficult and problematic in every sense. This is why it is so important for children to dress orthopedic shoes, refusing “Czech girls” in kindergartens. If you have flat feet, it is not recommended to wear shoes high heels. When purchasing, it is important to ensure that the shoes are comfortable and not tight. For people with flat feet, an orthopedic doctor prescribes special physical exercises and prescribes arch supports.