What causes leg pain
Pain in the legs can have multiple origins.
It can be muscular, bony, nervous, circulatory, and vascular.
It can also be the beginning of a more serious illness.
For this reason, persistent pain should alert you and urge you to see a physician.
If you are looking for some clues to explain this ailment that bothers you, we will try to detail here the most common leg pains and their possible remedies.
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Leg pain after walking too much
Possible causes of leg pain when walking are:
- arteritis or obliterating arterial disease of the lower limbs
Most of the time, it is caused by a deposit of cholesterol in the arteries.
It manifests as pain when walking that goes away at rest and resumes when the person moves again.
This is called intermittent claudication.
- a muscle, tendon, or ligament problem
Except for waking up from a previous injury, it is possible that your walking pace was too brisk and triggered temporary muscle fatigue.
Leg pain after running
When pain occurs during exertion, the causes are most often related to a muscle problem.
- an elongation
It causes sharp pain when exercising or just after.
It results in increased pain when stretching the calf and a contracted muscle that is hard to touch.
- a muscle tear
It manifests itself in the full effort by a sharp pain like a stab.
Within hours, edema or hematoma may form in the affected area.
- a cramp
It results in a contraction of a muscle causing sharp pain.
Again, the affected muscle feels stiff to the touch.
- body aches
They result in diffuse muscle pain.
They bear witness to your past efforts and are the marks of intense muscle fatigue.
- a stress fracture
It causes moderate pain that does not give way.
It is the result of intense sports activity and requires medical consultation.
My legs hurt when I wake up
Morning pains remain somewhat of a mystery.
– they are often attributed to overworked people or, on the contrary, too sedentary individuals.
– if you experience a feeling of heavy legs, this is a circulatory problem.
Take the time to get up so that the venous return occurs normally.
– if you have varicose veins, your veins are struggling to back up the blood to the top of the legs.
Pain and heaviness follow that will subside after a few minutes of walking.
– if your nights are too short or your sleep is poor, you feel tired when you wake up due to a lack of recovery.
Make sure you get enough hours of sleep so that you don’t feel pain when you wake up.
– What if you suffer from sleep apnea?
A lack of oxygen in the legs is often attributed to a respiratory disorder such as apnea or allergy, a respiratory tract infection, or a sinus problem.
It can also be caused by iron deficiency.
– A deficiency in magnesium, calcium, and vitamin D triggers almost permanent leg pain.
All of these nutrients are essential for proper muscle function.
Pain in legs at night
Leg pain at night often has specific causes:
– bad posture while sleeping, legs bent, or too contracted can cause pain.
You should then be sure to relax enough and adopt a comfortable position for sleep.
– a room temperature too high or a duvet too hot awakens pain associated with varicose veins.
Be sure to adopt a moderate temperature so as not to aggravate the circulation problems.
– restless legs result in tension and an irrepressible need for movement.
This nervous system disorder occurs at night and seriously affects the quality of sleep.
– body aches of the day can also disturb sleep.
This is a transient disorder since they usually go away in 3 to 4 days depending on their intensity.
Pain in the legs causes
Leg pain is very debilitating.
They can affect only one leg or both.
The major causes of leg pain can be categorized into separate categories.
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The limp
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It is more precisely intermittent claudication.
The pain tends to come and go and is more like the aches felt on exertion.
Say you go up a flight of stairs and over the stairs, your legs get heavier and more painful.
The cause is some kind of vascular obstruction.
The best solution is to eat a low-carb diet and exercise moderately but regularly.
The physical exercise program to be implemented must be daily but progressive to increase blood circulation in the legs throughout the sessions.
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Sciatica
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The sciatic nerve is the longest in the human body.
Starting from a lumbar vertebra, it descends towards the buttocks and runs down the back of the leg to the foot.
You may feel either a pinch in the lower back or a pinch in the middle of the buttock.
If it’s spasms, each contraction pinches the nerve and you feel a sharp pain in the back of your leg.
Note that the pain is located at the back of the leg and especially in its lower part, and not on the side.
To cure sciatica, you have to work on the lumbar curvature to create more space between the nerve roots.
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Restless legs
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There are different causes for this problem.
One potential impact is the buildup of lactic acid in the muscles due to vitamin B1 deficiency.
If this deficiency is caused by excessive carbohydrate consumption, it is difficult for you to evacuate lactic acid.
You then suffer from lactic acidosis.
The muscles are very restless and nothing relieves them, they do not relax.
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Epstein Bar virus infections
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The peculiarity of an Epstein Bar or Herpes 4 virus is that it is lodged in the lymph nodes for life and evolves into flares and remissions depending on the stress, overwork, fatigue.
Its activation triggers tremendous muscle pain and swelling of the lymph nodes.
In this family of viruses, we find herpes, shingles, infectious mononucleosis, chickenpox…
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Vitamin D deficiency
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Vitamin D is a potent anti-inflammatory.
An insufficient level, therefore, generates increased inflammation, especially in the lumbar region.
But the pain can also be diffuse, in the legs, in the arms, and in the form of sharp stings.
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A pinched nerve
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A pinched nerve in the lumbar region can diffuse pain in the legs.
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Electrolyte imbalance
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A deficiency in potassium, magnesium, calcium, or sodium can lead not only to leg cramps but also pain in the calves or feet.
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An injury
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An old wound can leave significant damage.
Say you fell on your tailbone, broke a knee, or sprained an ankle.
Every accident causes an imbalance in walking.
Years later, abnormal wear and tear on the affected joints, especially the knee, manifests itself.
Muscles have atrophied, strength has diminished, and can even create asymmetry.
Pain begins and most often turns into arthritis.
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Venous thrombosis
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Venous thrombosis is a clot forming in the deep veins of the legs that obstructs blood flow.
A thrombus in a vein creates very sharp pain with swelling.
The leg is warmer to the touch and color alteration may occur.
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Varicose veins
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The varicose veins affect the superficial veins of the leg and trigger compressive pain.
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Diabetes
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High sugar in the blood depletes vitamin B1 and causes oxidation in the arteries and capillaries that supply the nerves.
Muscle weakness manifests itself through a lack of oxygen and the neurological damage inherent in diabetes.
What to take when your legs hurt
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Heavy legs, varicose veins
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They usually reflect a circulatory disorder and are relieved by compression.
Adopt compression socks or stockings during the day to promote venous return and reduce pain.
In summer, to escape these too-hot compression stockings (#ad), you can opt for a Daflon-style venotonic treatment for two to three months.
The use of certain vein tonic plants such as red vine, horsetail, or cypress is also an alternative.
Also, remember to elevate the legs of your bed (10 to 15 centimeters) to help venous return to the heart.
Use cold water foot baths to relieve pain and avoid any heat source.
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Magnesium, vitamin D
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Magnesium deficiency has a direct impact on muscle tension.
Consider a magnesium cure (#ad) to rebalance the body and obtain optimal muscle relaxation.
Likewise, vitamin D deficiency primarily results in muscle weakness and pain.
Consider a vitamin D supplement (#ad) to restore normal levels or take advantage of the mild season to be in the sun for at least 20 minutes a day.
How to relieve pain in the legs
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Exercise
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Of course, physical activity is highly recommended to improve venous circulation.
On the other hand, certain sports are not recommended when they cause too much jerk and pressure such as tennis, squash, etc.
Favor endurance and especially the exercise bike, the elliptical trainer (#ad), road biking, fitness walking, yoga, gym, and swimming.
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The electrostimulator
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This is not foot massage but muscle electrostimulation (#ad) whose goal is to activate blood circulation and relieve pain and heaviness in the legs, feet, and ankles.
This device does not vibrate, it emits waves that stimulate the muscles of the legs to restart blood flow.
An essential medical device for varicose veins and even for treating restless legs.
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The leg massager
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Cordless and rechargeable, this massager adapts to the diameter of the leg with a Velcro fastener.
Its action is the principle of a pressure massage but without a kneading effect and without vibrations.
20 minutes of use per day of this portable massager (#ad) allows you to eliminate heaviness in the legs, reduce muscle fatigue and boost blood circulation.
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Acupressure mat
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A few minutes lying on an acupressure mat (#ad) offers absolute relaxation while activating blood circulation.
Heat invades all areas of the body in contact and relieves pain.
It only takes 3 sessions of 30 minutes per week to reap all the benefits, find light legs and enjoy all your energy.
Acupressure for heavy legs
This acupressure point in the middle of the calf provides quick relief from painful tension in the legs.
You only need to apply pressure for two to three minutes on each leg for a beneficial effect.
Stand up to attention, your hands on your thighs, and massage the exact spot under your middle finger.
Apply gentle pressure on each side for 2-3 minutes, you will feel a feeling of relief from tension.
Leg pain all the time
Heavy legs, varicose veins, restless legs, body aches, strains, tears, cramps…
There are so many reasons for suffering from leg pain.
But for every ailment, there is a cause and a solution to relieve heaviness, tension, and pressure.
Leg pain is common but easily treatable when you stop for a moment to take care of your body.
They are often alert for a venous, muscle, or neurological problem.
Listen to them when they are sore.
They will tell you what to do to find energy and lightness.
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