Leg Pain

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.