Experiencing pain in the legs is a symptom that can have various underlying causes. The majority of leg pain is a result of overuse or wear and tear. Injuries or health conditions affecting joints, bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves, or other soft tissues can also lead to leg pain.
In certain cases, issues with the lower spine can cause leg pain. Leg pain can also result from blood clots, varicose veins, or inadequate blood flow.
Causes of lower leg pain
Lower leg pain is a common problem that can be caused by a variety of things, including:
- Muscle strain: This is a stretching or tearing of the muscle fibers. It can occur due to overuse, sudden exertion, or trauma.
- Shin splints: This condition, known as shin splints, is characterized by inflammation of the muscles and tendons located in the front of the lower leg. Runners and athletes frequently experience it.
- Achilles tendonitis: Achilles tendonitis is an inflammation of the Achilles tendon, which connects the calf muscle to the heel bone. This condition is prevalent among runners and athletes.
- Stress fracture: This is a common injury called a stress fracture, which often affects athletes who engage in activities that strain their lower legs excessively, such as running and jumping.
- Peripheral artery disease (PAD): This condition involves the narrowing of arteries in the legs, leading to reduced blood flow, pain, cramping, and numbness.
- Deep vein thrombosis (DVT): A blood clot, known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), commonly forms in the leg, causing pain, swelling, and redness.
- Varicose veins: These are enlarged veins that can appear on the legs. They can cause pain, swelling, and fatigue.
- Arthritis: This is a condition that causes inflammation of the joints. It can affect any joint in the body, including the joints in the lower legs. Arthritis can cause pain, stiffness, and swelling in the joints.
- Nerve damage: Lower leg pain, numbness, and tingling can result from injury, surgery, or medical conditions like diabetes.
Symptoms of lower leg pain
The symptoms of lower leg pain can vary depending on the underlying cause. However, some common symptoms include:
- Pain in the lower leg, especially when walking or running
- Swelling or redness in the lower leg
- Numbness or tingling in the lower leg
- Cramping in the lower leg
- Weakness in the lower leg
Home Remedies and Treatment for Lower Leg Pain
Lower leg pain is a common complaint that, in most cases, can be managed at home. Your doctor will likely ask you to keep a diary of your feelings and change your lifestyle if he thinks it may be stress- or exercise-related. It's best to seek medical attention when the pain suddenly intensifies and doesn't go away.
Once that's done, there are various home remedies that you can use to treat the pain. Cold therapy packs and ibuprofen are effective in reducing inflammation and easing discomfort. Additionally, maintaining a healthy weight and performing exercises like stretching can also help alleviate lower leg pain. Here are some great home remedies that you can try to relieve lower leg pain.
Cold Therapy
There's a reason why so many people reach for a cold therapy pack after exercising! When you place the cold pack on a specific leg area, it numbs that area. It also constricts the blood vessels, reducing blood flow. You can use cold therapy packs for 20-minute intervals several times throughout the day. Avoid skin injury by sleeping with a cold pack on your lower leg.
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Heat Therapy
If you suffer from lower leg cramps, Heat therapy is a good option to soothe your muscles, allowing them to relax. Heat therapy with Sacksythyme's Microwavable heating pad will work best at night as many people experience cramping while trying to rest. You can also alternate Hot & cold therapy.
SACKSY THYME Microwavable Heating pad for Lower Leg Pain Pain:
Rest and Time Off Activities
As a runner in training, you will most likely experience an injury at some point because the strain on your lower leg muscles is constant. One way to help avoid this problem is to consult a podiatrist. The diagnosis of your injury could be tendonitis, bone stress fracture, or insertional Achilles tendinopathy.
If this happens, you should not lift anything heavy and try as much as possible to rest to allow your injured leg time to heal. Avoid walking up and down stairs as much as possible while you heal to prevent re-injury from occurring again. Your friends will be there for you!
Elevate Your Leg
Ice, rest, and compression will help decrease swelling and encourage healing. If you have an injury such as a lower limb injury, swelling of the foot, or pain in your ankle, for example, try elevating your injured leg on pillows when you lie down to ensure it stays above the level of your heart to discourage venous congestion and help with better circulation towards the heart.
It helps fluids go away from your legs and back towards the heart, where they work best!
Massage Relief
Lower leg pain can be difficult to manage and often requires several treatment modalities. A great way to complement the other treatments that your doctor or physical therapist recommends is by incorporating a self-massage into your regimen to help reduce stiffness and muscle soreness while encouraging better blood flow to the area.
Use a massage roller ball or foam roller for larger coverage, but wait at least 72 hours (three days) before using it to allow some tissue healing and improved flexibility!
Compression
Using compression wraps is a good way to stabilize your ankle, relieve swelling, and rejuvenate the way you walk. If you suffer from shin splints, varicose veins, or muscle pain, it can relieve that pain because it's applied around the problem areas.
Some people may experience a burning sensation when using them for the first time. It's important not to wrap the compression too tight because you could restrict the blood flow, causing your skin to discolor until broken capillaries heal.Compression sleeves are a great alternative if you don't like wrapping, but they tend to be less effective than traditional wraps, which is why many wear both types.
Stretches & Exercises for Lower Leg Muscles
Arthritis and bursitis in the lower leg muscles can make exercising hard and keep your range of motion from returning. But it's important not to let pain stand in the way. Start with a set of basic exercises and gradually increase their complexity over time as you get stronger, increasing your range of movement where possible.
Talk to a doctor before starting any new exercise routine or if you're unsure which movements are safe for you. Physical Therapists are professionally trained to help people recover from injuries like this by guiding them through exercises and stretches!
OTC Medications
Over-the-counter pain relievers are an economical and effective way to reduce inflammation and provide pain relief, especially when ibuprofen is combined with acetaminophen.
However, the side effects of some anti-inflammatory drugs are not well known due to a lack of testing for these properties. Still, you should always check with your doctor or pharmacist before starting new medications to avoid unintended side effects.
Hydration
Dehydration can be one of the causes of body pain. Keeping yourself well-hydrated will positively impact different parts of your body, including your leg muscles. When dehydrated, your body lacks important electrolytes like calcium, potassium, and magnesium.
Your calf muscles may feel shaky and weak because of this - that's when you're most susceptible to getting Charley horses, too! So, ensure you drink enough water regularly throughout the day to keep your body hydrated.
Preventing Lower Leg Pain
Here are some tips on how to prevent lower leg pain:
- Warm up properly. A good warm-up will help to increase blood flow to your lower legs and prepare them for activity. A warm-up should include dynamic stretches, such as leg swings, marching, and light cardio.
- Wear proper shoes. Shoes of the wrong size or type can stress your lower legs. Make sure to get fitted for shoes by a running expert.
- Increase your mileage gradually. Try to increase your mileage slowly, as this can increase your risk of injury. Start with a few short runs each week and gradually increase the distance and frequency of your runs.
- Run on soft surfaces. Running on hard surfaces, such as concrete, can put more stress on your lower legs. Try to run on softer surfaces, such as grass or trails.
- Strengthen your lower legs. Exercises like calf raises, squats, and lunges can strengthen your lower legs and help prevent injuries.
- Stretch after your run. Stretching after your run can help to reduce muscle soreness and improve flexibility. Stretch your calves, shins, and hamstrings.
- Take rest days. Don't run every day. Give your body time to rest and recover.
- Listen to your body. If you feel pain, stop running and rest. Don't push through the pain, as this could worsen the injury.
Here are some additional tips that may help:
- Avoid running on hills. Hills can put more stress on your lower legs.
- Cross-train. Cross-training with other activities, such as swimming or biking, can help reduce stress on your lower legs.
- Stay hydrated. Dehydration can contribute to muscle cramps, leading to lower leg pain. Drink plenty of fluids before, during, and after your run.
- Eat a healthy diet. Eating a healthy diet will help to give your body the nutrients it needs to recover from running and prevent injuries.
Following these tips can help prevent lower leg pain, and enjoy running for many years.
When to See Your Doctor
Working closely with your healthcare provider before beginning any treatment plan for your lower leg pain is important. After a full assessment, they will determine whether you have a serious condition like peripheral artery disease, deep venous thrombosis (DVT), or compartment syndrome.
Once your physician clears you, you can begin home therapies like rest and ice combined with compression clothing, which may help decrease swelling and alleviate painful symptoms temporarily.
Slowly add exercise and stretching into your treatment regimen so long as it does not induce discomfort, and in no time, you'll be well on your way to returning to all the activities you love.