Leg pain: causes and treatment options
Do your legs hurt and you don't know what the cause is or what you can do about it? Leg pain is not uncommon in most GP surgeries. Many patients are immediately worried about tingling or aching legs and fear an unpleasant circulatory disorder. Anyone who has leg painrarely has to reckon with a serious illness. So that you are better informed in future, we explain leg pain in detail in this article. We explain the causes of leg pain and present various treatment options that relieve pain and symptoms.
Summary: What you can expect in this article
1. Symptoms of leg pain
2. General causes of leg pain
3. Leg pain at night, in the evening and during the day - possible causes and solutions
4. Causes and solutions for pain in the legs when lying down
5. Neurologically triggered leg pain
6. What helps against leg pain? Acupressure as a way to relieve pain
7. 5 popular home remedies for leg pain
Leg pain symptoms
Pain in the legs can be attributed to various places. First, we would like to show you general symptoms of leg pain, so that you can classify the complaints more precisely. Then, step by step, we will explain the causes and possible diseases that can be behind leg pain. As a rule, those affected complain about the following symptoms:
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Indistinct pain in the legs that cannot be assigned,
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tingling in the legs,
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Pain sensation due to swelling and
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Pain radiating from the lower back into the legs.
Doctors must distinguish between such symptoms and simple muscle soreness after sport or serious leg vein thrombosis. Between these two diagnoses, there are many other reasons and pain conditions. For many complaints, you can take action yourself to relieve pain.
Common causes of leg pain
The symptoms of leg pain are very diverse. The causes responsible for leg pain are just as varied. Leg pain can originate from the muscles, bones, nerves or vessels.
Muscle-related: Muscle-related leg pain usually results after abrupt or repeated exertion. It is usually cramps, tension, strains, overstretching or muscle fiber tears that occur after too much sport or generally too much strain.
Bone-related: Such leg pain often occurs in connection with physical activity and trauma. It is usually associated with bone fractures, bone cracks or bone tumors.
Nerve-related: Nerve-related leg pain is generally long-lasting and can radiate into the thighs and lower legs. This is often directly related to pinched nerves in the back.
Vascular-related: Vascular-related pain usually only affects one leg and is generally due to severe circulatory disorders. Venous inflammation, thrombosis and venous insufficiency are examples of such diseases.
Of course, leg pain is also a result of general common diseases such as diabetes. Increased drug or alcohol consumption can also cause leg pain.
Leg pain at night, in the evening and during the day - possible causes
Tingling, swelling or a feeling of heaviness in the leg, can be due to various causes. As a rule, it is tension in the muscles and fascia that builds up too much pressure on joints and thus causes pain.
Thigh pain
Do you suffer from thigh pain? If so, you are probably very familiar with leg pain when lying down and pulling pain in the legs. Thigh pain can occur both at night and during the day. At this point, we would like to reassure you: Even if the pain comes from deep inside the leg, there is usually nothing wrong with the bone. Such pain is probably due to one-sided movements that put too much tension on the muscles and fasciae. Thigh pain is mainly caused by incorrect posture. The excessive tension causes numbness or tingling in the legs.
Sciatica pain
Do you have problems with your sciatic nerve? Then you are severe leg pain that stabs from your back into your legs, are probably very familiar to you. Just getting up from a chair can cause sciatic pain can be a painful experience. Even if the actual problem is not in the leg, severe pain there is very likely. In most cases, there is a bulging disc that is pressing directly on the sciatic nerve. Acute sciatic pain can often be relieved with intensive bed rest. Heating pads or hot water bottles are also good home remedies to get the pain under control.
Herniated disc
In the case of a slipped disc, the patient is more likely to have the feeling that the leg pain is coming from the back. The slipped disc is a symptomatic back pain that can radiate to the lower extremities. The most frequently reported symptoms include back pain, which increases particularly with exertion and can cause pain in the legs when walking. Sneezing and coughing also usually cause severe pain with a herniated disc. If the herniated disc is in the lumbar vertebrae, this usually results in radiating pain in the buttocks or leg, which can also cause tingling or numbness in the leg.
Do you also have leg pain when walking and persistent back pain at the same time? In rare cases, spinal canal stenosis is responsible. It is possible that ligaments, intervertebral discs or bony processes are pressing on the spinal canal and pinching nerves. The treatment of spinal canal stenosis focuses on reducing the pressure on the nerves.
Leg pain during pregnancy
Many women complain of leg pain during pregnancy. This is usually due to the changing hormone balance. The blood vessels dilate and the increased blood flow causes more blood to flow through the vessels. This is accompanied by vein dilatation and congestion, which is mainly responsible for the pain in the legs. Especially in leg pain is not uncommon in early pregnancy, because the body has to cope with a number of changes within a short period of time. If you suffer from leg pain during pregnancy, you should legs up and avoid standing and sitting for long periods. However, exercise can also help against leg pain during pregnancy.
Leg gets hot inside - what to do?
Are your legs burning like fire? Often the "restless legs syndrome" or arthritis, multiple sclerosis and inflamed blood vessels are often the cause of burning legs. First check which cause is responsible for the unpleasant pain. The feeling of heat in the legs is often caused by blood vessels under pressure. This is caused, for example, by clothing that is too tight or elastic bands that cut into the skin. Another harmless cause can be the crossing of the legs because the outflow of blood in the veins is impeded. Vitamin B12 ensures that the red blood cells work efficiently and supply the body with sufficient oxygen. If there is a vitamin B deficiency, this can also be responsible for a feeling of heat in the legs.
Causes and solutions for pain in the legs when lying down
Relaxing in a deckchair or on the couch is a pleasant activity and is intended to give the body and especially the legs a rest. But why is it that you experience severe leg pain when resting? This may be due to circulatory problems on the one hand and a lying position that is too low on the other. You can check the following points to find out why you suffer from leg pain at rest:
1. The height of the reclining chair is crucial. The chair should be high enough for the feet to rest comfortably on the floor when seated.
2. If lying down causes swelling and numbness, this is probably due to a circulatory disorder.
3. To avoid leg pain when lying down, you can use a Pillow or footrest. These provide comfortable support for the upper body.
4. If the leg pain persists when lying down despite the tips and tricks mentioned, it could be due to another condition that needs to be examined by a doctor.
Neurological causes of leg pain
Leg pain due to neurological causes usually manifests itself as pulsating, stabbing, shooting and electrifying. Such nerve pain in the legs is caused by a dysfunction of the nervous system. In most cases, diabetes and excessive or regular alcohol consumption are triggers for nerve-related pain in the leg. Impaired stimulus transmission causes the affected leg to tingle or burn. In the case of neurological leg pain, in addition to medication, a healthy diet and healthy diet and beneficial exercise therapy are of fundamental importance. Support your body with important vitamins and minerals if you have persistent neurological leg pain.
What helps against leg pain? Relieve leg pain with acupressure
Leg pain is often caused by temporary or permanent circulatory disorders. Circulatory disorders can be treated with both medication and natural remedies. An increase in circulation ensures that the relevant areas are warmed up. This stimulates metabolic processes that relieve tension and cramps. Take your ShaktiMat Yantra mat and use acupressure as a practical and natural support to relieve your leg pain. You are free to decide how much pressure you apply to the small points with your legs. If you have patience and can work with the ShaktiMat exercises will combat leg pain and alleviate the associated symptoms. The small spikes ensure that your blood circulation and nutrient transport improve.
What to do against leg pain? Using the ShaktiMat correctly against leg pain
Roll up a blanket or towel and place it under your ShaktiMat. The acupressure mat now lies on a small mound on which you can rest your legs. Lay the entire length of your legs down, lean back slightly and tense the back of your thighs for a few seconds. You can do this for a few minutes.
In the next step you can slowly lift your lower legs and feet. Now notice how your lower legs feel more pressure. Stay in this position as long as you feel comfortable. After about five minutes, the sensation of pain will subside - so it's worth holding on for a long time.
For the lower legs, move your body a little further back so that you can rest your lower legs on the mat. Start with one side and bend the opposite leg. Now tighten the toes and stay in this position for a few minutes or as long as you feel comfortable. If you want to stimulate the inner or outer side of the lower leg, you can turn the upper body to the side. If you have more experience with the ShaktiMat, you can do this exercise with both legs.
To stimulate the front of the thighs, you must first kneel in front of the acupressure mat. Then place your hands on the other side of the mat so that you are in a quadruped position. Then slowly walk forward with your hands, tighten your abdomen and slowly lower yourself down. If you tighten your thighs in this position, the pressure will be a little more intense.
In this video we will show you how to properly use the ShaktiMat for leg and foot pain.
5 popular home remedies for leg pain
Leg pain is unpleasant and annoying and also restricts the freedom of movement in everyday life. Most of the time, leg pain is a temporary symptom that subsides after a few days. If you experience leg pain, you don't need to see a doctor or take medication right away. There are some methods of treatment that you can easily do at home.
Massages
A massage can help the muscles to recover quickly. Just 10 minutes of massage therapy reduces inflammatory signals and weakens muscle damage. A massage also promotes blood circulation and can help to reduce stress and anxiety. To avoid having to rely on other people, you can use massagers or a tennis ball and apply pressure to the sore muscles.
Apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar can be especially beneficial for arthritis and gout. The alkalizing effect helps dissolve uric acid crystals in the blood. In addition, apple cider vinegar removes toxins from the joints and connective tissues. In addition, apple cider vinegar provides important minerals such as potassium and calcium, which are needed to relieve pain and reduce inflammation.
Epsom salt bath
Epsom salt contains a lot of magnesium. The mineral is important to regulate nerve signals in the body. Besides the Epsom salt bath, foods such as bananas, tofu, soy milk, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, green leafy vegetables and whole grains also contain a lot of magnesium.
Ginger
Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and therefore helps to relieve pain. Ginger can also improve blood circulation and blood flow. To do this, rub the affected areas with ginger oil two to three times a day. You can also drink ginger tea two to three times a day. Note: Limit yourself to the prescribed dosage without consulting a doctor. Ginger can thin the blood and should therefore not be taken at will.
Yantramat
The Yantra mat can be used in many different ways. The small white tips exert pressure on the muscles and thus promote blood circulation. This provides a relaxing feeling and can make a very positive contribution to pain relief. With the ShaktiMat, you are free to decide how much pressure you want to exert. Use the ShaktiMat as an additional or complementary aid for persistent leg pain. If you combine the use of the Yantra mat with various breathing exercises, you can give your body and mind a relaxing break.