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Leg Pain

This is a symptom or a condition affecting the leg and the nearby areas. The pain may manifest alone or may be accompanied by other symptoms, depending on the underlying cause.

 Leg pain is not necessarily serious. It may be acute, sudden and short term. However, it may also be chronic and persistent, gradually worsening when left unattended and untreated. The pain may be sharp, numbing, dull, burning, aching, radiating or tingling, mild or severe.

Symptoms of Leg Pain

The pain itself is a symptom. It can be mild to severe, depending on the cause and severity of the condition. However, the pain may be accompanied by other symptoms in some cases. The most common symptoms of leg pain aside from the pain itself are as follows: fatigue, tingling, numbness and weakness. The person may also feel a cramping or burning sensation in the leg when sitting or standing.

Causes of Leg Pain

There are a wide range of possible causes of leg pain. The most common include the following:

  • Muscle Cramp or Spasm

    This is considered as the most common cause of leg pain. Cramps or spasms cause the muscles to contract, which triggers a sudden and sharp pain the leg. Aside from the pain, the person may also feel tightening, swelling or swelling in the area. The most common causes of leg cramp is muscle fatigue and dehydration.

  • Injuries

    The leg is prone to various injuries. This is why injury is considered as another common cause of leg pain. The primary leg injuries are muscle strain, tendinitis and shin splints.

    Muscle strain happens when there is a tear in the muscle fibers of the legs. The strain may also affect larger muscles in the area. This is usually caused by overstretching. On the other hand, tendinitis occurs when the tendons become inflamed. This results to pain and difficulty moving the affected area. Moreover, shin splints are commonly a result of overuse and tear in the muscles around the shinbone. This can cause pain the leg, particularly along the edge of the shinbone.

  • Medication Conditions

    There are medication conditions that lead to leg pain. The common possible causes are arthritis, gout, varicose veins, deep vein thrombosis, atherosclerosis, nerve damage and infection.

    Arthritis inflames the joints. If the joints affected are those in the hips or knees, the pain may radiate to the legs. Aside from the pain, there may be swelling and redness in the affected area. A specific form of arthritis is gout, which is caused by too much uric acid in the system. This usually affects the feet, which may radiate to the lower part of the legs.

    Varicose veins may cause pain the legs, as it commonly occurs in the ankles and calves. It is a condition characterized by the knotting and enlargement of the veins. A blood clot in the vein may also cause pain. A type of blood clot that typically forms in and affects the lower leg is deep vein thrombosis (DVT). This causes pain, cramping and swelling in the area.

    Atherosclerosis is a condition resulting from the hardening and narrowing of the artertieis due to fat and cholesterol buildup. This causes blockage and reduction of blood flow. When this happens, the tissues in the legs do not receive enough oxygen, which results to pain.

    Other less common causes of leg pain include the following: slipped herniated disc, Osgood-Schlatter disease, Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, slipped capital femoral epiphysis, tumor in the shinbone or thighbone.

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If the leg pain is due to a minor injury or muscle cramp, you can follow home treatments. Resting your leg and elevating it help provide relief. This also allows your leg to recover and regain its strength and flexibility. You can also take over-the-counter pain relievers to ease the pain and the discomfort in your legs. Wearing compression stockings or socks also provide support and release the stress off your legs.

Aside from pain medications, there are also pain therapy, injection and invasive procedure to treat severe and chronic leg pain. Proper diagnosis helps determine the right treatment for a particular patient.

Why You Should Reach Out to AZ Pain and Spine

When it comes to pain, the best professionals to go to are the pain specialists. Here at AZ Pain and Spine, we have a team of experts who specialize in pain conditions and pain management solutions. With the help of our innovative and state-of-the art facilities and technology, we can best diagnose the cause of your leg pain and provide safe and effective treatment program.

Make an appointment with us to get started.

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