Author: admin · Published 04/26/2017 · Updated 01/17/2018
Many reasons can cause leg pain above the knee. Leg pain, including above the knee or hip pain, is a common health complaint. Hip pain can be caused by tissues in the hip, or it can be transmitted from another part of the body, such as the lower back. Upper leg pain ranges from mild and annoying to severe and debilitating, depending on the cause. Contact your doctor if your pain bothers you, persists, gets worse, or is accompanied by warning symptoms such as swelling, redness, or fever. In this article we will look at the causes of pain in the leg above the knee.
Numerous conditions or injuries can cause pain in the leg above the knee. Upper leg pain can be caused by abuse, traumatic injuries including blunt force trauma, and a wide range of acute or chronic conditions. Leg pain above the knee can also be caused by bone cancer, femur fractures, hip bursa, fibromyalgia, muscle strains, hip dislocations, muscle cramps, arthrosis or degenerative joint disease, tendonitis, and certain blood vessel disorders such as peripheral arterial disease.
Quadriceps strain.
As the quadriceps muscle tightens, the muscle fibers become stretched or torn. Injuries are most often the result of activities that require explosive leg movements, such as running, jumping, kicking, or performing intense leg presses.
Grade I is a mild sprain in which the muscle fibers are stretched, resulting in soreness and pain; Grade II causes some fiber tearing, loss of strength and mobility, and mild swelling. With grade III, the muscle is torn, causing severe pain, swelling, and discoloration.
Minor sprains can be treated by: resting, icing your foot for 20 minutes every few hours; compression with an elastic bandage; and raising the leg above the heart. If you have severe pain or swelling, discoloration, or difficulty walking, you should consult your doctor.
Quadriceps tendonitis.
Quadriceps tendonitis is an inflammation of the tendon that connects the quadriceps muscles to the knee and is common among active people. Symptoms include pain or burning pain—especially when you move your knee—swelling around the knee where the muscle attaches, and stiffness. Tendonitis can be treated by resting and applying ice to the affected area. Treatment methods for tendinitis.
You can take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs to treat pain unless you have conditions that preclude their use. Although mild cases of tendinitis can be treated at home, consult a doctor if the pain interferes with daily activities for more than a few days despite self-medication.
Peripheral arterial diseases.
Causes of leg pain above the knee is often a symptom of peripheral artery disease, a painful circulatory disorder. Usually noticeable during exercise, when the condition progresses it may affect you while you are at rest. The main symptom is aching or burning pain in the legs or arms.
Severe forms may cause toes to appear bluish and cold to the touch; you may also develop ulcers. Your doctor can diagnose the condition by checking blood pressure in your ankles and arms; Ultrasound and MRI are sometimes used. The cellular form is treated with aspirin, statins and anticoagulants. Sometimes surgery is required.
Muscle cramps are a common condition, especially in the legs. Because muscle cramps are sometimes caused by dehydration (loss of water) and low potassium levels, they often strike in hot weather when your body loses water, salt and minerals through sweating. Drinking plenty of water and eating potassium-rich foods such as bananas can help prevent cramps.
You may also get a cramp during exercise, especially if you overexert yourself. (This is why athletes are more prone to muscle cramps early in training, before their bodies are in peak condition.) Cramps can even occur while you're sleeping.
Caused by pressure on the lateral cutaneous nerve of the femur, Roth disease can cause tingling, numbness and burning pain in the outer part of your thigh. It usually occurs on one side of the body and is caused by compression of a nerve. Pain in the hip and groin area.
Common causes of Roth's disease above the knee leg pain include:
Treatment involves identifying the underlying cause and then taking steps, such as wearing looser clothing or losing weight to relieve the pressure. Exercises that reduce muscle tension and improve flexibility and strength can also help relieve pain. In some cases, prescribed medications and surgeries are recommended.
Blood clot or deep vein thrombosis.
While many blood clots are not harmful, some travel to one of your main veins, a serious condition known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT). While deep vein clots appear more often in the lower extremities, they can also form in one or both thighs. Sometimes there are no symptoms, but sometimes they may include:
As a result of DVT, some people develop a life-threatening condition known as pulmonary embolism, in which a blood clot travels to the lungs. Symptoms include:
A complication of diabetes, diabetic neuropathy occurs as a result of uncontrolled high blood sugar levels. It usually starts in the arms or legs, but can also spread to other parts of the body, including the thighs. Symptoms include:
Although there is no cure for diabetic neuropathy, treatment for pain and other symptoms may include lifestyle changes and measures to maintain healthy blood sugar levels, as well as medications to treat pain. Fluid in the hip joint.
Greater trochanteric pain syndrome.
It can cause pain beyond the upper thighs. It is usually caused by injury, pressure or repetitive motion, and is common in runners and women.
Symptoms may include:
Treatment may include lifestyle changes such as weight loss, ice therapy, physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, and steroid injections. This is another cause of pain in the leg above the knee.
Hip flexor deformity.
Flexible flexor muscles can become tight with overuse and can also cause pain or muscle spasms in your hips. Other symptoms may include:
Most hip flexor strains can be treated at home with ice, over-the-counter pain relievers, heat, rest and exercise. In some serious cases, physical therapy and surgery may be recommended.
The upper leg is the area between the hip joint and the knee joint. The upper part of the leg is made up of muscles, ligaments, nerves, blood vessels and connective tissue. Leg pain above the knee can be caused by any of these tissues. The femur or femur is the only bone in the upper part of the leg and can also cause pain due to a fracture, infection, hematoma or tumor. The upper leg contains several different muscle compartments, including the thigh muscles, hamstring muscles, and groin muscles. Causes of pain in the hip and buttocks.
Symptoms associated with pain depend on the cause of leg pain above the knee, the extent of the damage or injury, and the specific tissue types. Common signs and symptoms associated with upper leg pain or above the knee pain include deep pain, burning, sharp or stabbing pain in the upper extremity, bruising or swelling in the affected part, limping, inability to bear weight on the affected side, and decreased active range movements in the hip or knee.
Certain risk factors can increase your chance of developing leg pain above the knee, including regular participation in contact sports such as football or hockey, not warming up enough before physical activity, previous upper leg injuries, dehydration or electrolyte and muscle imbalances. Lifestyle factors may also contribute to upper leg pain. Some blood vessel diseases that can cause pain above the knee may be the result of insufficient physical activity and poor nutrition, such as atherosclerosis and blood clots.
Many conditions of leg pain above the knee—especially pain caused by repeated strains or overuse injuries—can be treated using conservative care methods. Basic techniques include rest, ice, bracing and elevation, mobilization of injured tissue and body segment, stretching and strengthening exercises, activity modification, sports massage, and some physical therapies such as laser and ultrasound. If leg pain cannot be relieved with these measures, consult a doctor. See above for the causes of pain in the leg above the knee. Pain in the thigh and calves.
Pain in the left leg can occur due to many reasons. Often, painful sensations in the leg are associated with diseases of the joints, leg vessels, muscles, and spine.
The most common cause of pain in the left leg is problems with blood vessels. Impaired outflow of venous blood provokes an increase in intravascular pressure. As a result, venous blood stagnates, the nerve endings become irritated and, as a result, pain occurs in the leg. The patient experiences unpleasant heaviness in the leg, “dull” pain. An advanced disease ultimately ends in varicose veins.
Thrombophlebitis is a serious vascular disease that causes throbbing, often accompanied by burning and other unpleasant sensations in the leg. The pain syndrome is constant, the calf muscles are most susceptible to it.
Pain in the left leg can also be caused by atherosclerosis of the arteries. Due to the thickening of the vascular walls, the patient feels compressive pain in the calf muscles that intensifies while walking. The main symptom of atherosclerosis is cold feet at any time of the year.
Spinal diseases are accompanied by radiating pain in the left leg. The patient may not be aware of this relationship, because the spine is not always painful. The most common cause of pain is inflammation of the sciatic nerve, or simply sciatica. Passing along the sciatic nerve, the pain is transmitted to the leg, causing an unpleasant, pulling sensation in the hip area or the entire back surface of the left leg.
Pain in the left leg can be a consequence of a diseased femoral nerve, found in osteochondrosis, spinal tumors, spondylitis (more often in children). The pain spreads to the entire anterior inner surface of the thigh.
Another common source of pain in the left leg is joint diseases. An exacerbation of pain is observed when weather conditions change; the leg seems to be “twisted”. Patients with gout especially suffer at this time. If pain in the knee is recorded, then destruction of the knee cartilage can be assumed.
Peripheral nerve problems can also be a source of pain in the left leg. With neuralgia, pain occurs in periods, and the attack may disappear, but the pain will continue to be present for some time.
Myositis - muscle inflammation - is a serious disease that causes pain in the left leg. The patient should immediately consult a doctor.
Pain in the left leg, prolonged and acute, can be caused by a bone disease such as osteomyelitis.
Often, various injuries (bruises, sprains or torn ligaments, fractures, etc.), heavy physical work, wearing uncomfortable shoes can cause pain in the left leg.
If a person feels sharp pain attacks in the lower leg of the left leg, as well as an increase in temperature and sudden redness of the skin, then erysipelas can be diagnosed (more simply, erysipelas). In the presence of swelling of the tissues, pulsating and as if tearing the leg pain can be a sign of thrombosis, phlegmon, lymphatic edema. The pain intensifies when you press on the sore spot. Consultation with a doctor is extremely necessary if suddenly the pain in the left leg does not go away, there is numbness, cooling, swelling or cyanosis of the skin.
Pain in the left leg may not appear if you follow a few simple rules, for example, do not sit on a chair for a long time (this especially applies to office workers), but periodically get up and walk around the office. If you have vascular diseases, it is recommended to exclude fatty, cholesterol-rich foods from your diet; perform special physical exercises that effectively help in the fight against varicose veins; you should lose excess weight, if any. Spinal diseases can and should be treated only under the strict supervision of a doctor. The most common treatment method is massage, included in the overall treatment package.
If pain in your left leg continues for more than 3 days, you should urgently contact a medical center for help!
Osteochondrosis. According to statistics, this disease occurs in every second person in the world. The lumbosacral spine experiences the heaviest load. The vulnerability of this area leads to the formation of pathology.
Osteochondrosis is a destructive disorder of the vertebrae. That is, cartilage tissue is converted into bone. Next, the nerves and blood vessels are pinched. This leads to lower tissues and organs going numb, developing paresis and even paralysis of the lower extremities (if left untreated). Influencing factors in this case: increased load on the spinal region, excess weight, inflammation, water-salt imbalance, etc.
Osteochondrosis leads to pinching of the sciatic nerve and the formation of a hernia between the vertebrae. The terrible consequences are scoliosis and distortion of the pelvic area.
Treatment of the disease is carried out comprehensively; the use of antispasmodics alone will not help.
Disturbances in the blood vessels of the legs. Vascular pathologies include: arterial insufficiency, varicose veins, thrombosis and lymphostasis. If the arteries are affected, painful claudication occurs. The reason is the accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles due to a malfunction of the valves. Venous pain reveals itself if movement in the ankle is limited.
The consequence of varicose veins is thrombosis or thrombophlebitis. Symptoms of such pain are acuteness, increased temperature, and blue discoloration of the skin in the affected area. The danger lies in the detachment of a blood clot and clogging of the vessel. In this case, the risk of death is high.
Lymphostasis is a pathology of lymphatic vessels. Symptom: swelling on one or both sides of the leg. In children, this is most often a congenital defect; in others, it is the consequences of an infection or injury.
Inflammation. Inflammatory processes can occur as a result of injuries to muscles and ligaments. Their localization may be as follows:
Identification of the affected area is possible by the presence of a tumor, redness of the skin and pain.
Myositis, a type of inflammation in the muscles, is not uncommon. They are caused by past infectious diseases, their complications, severe and frequent hypothermia, metabolic disorders and excessive physical activity.
There are many more reasons for the appearance of nagging pain from the hip to the ankle. Any pain is a signal from the body that there is a pathology.
If the pain is periodic, then it is worth immediately determining its cause.
The specialist will conduct a comprehensive examination and prescribe an effective treatment regimen.
In addition to all of the above, pain in the legs can be caused by:
There are many reasons for the appearance of pain, and therefore it is very difficult to determine the true one while at home. Contacting a clinic is the most appropriate solution to the problem. There they will take an x-ray to identify the vertebrogenic nature of the pain.
When going to the hospital, a person gets an appointment with a therapist, who already issues a referral to the right specialist: a surgeon, a vascular surgeon, an orthopedic traumatologist.
Every disease has its own symptoms. Therefore, it is better to consult a specialist after the initial symptom of leg pain. This will allow you not to aggravate the situation and quickly establish the cause, as well as prescribe the right treatment.
Many people do not attach importance to sluggish pain, which is not true. Cases when you should listen to pain in the legs:
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If at least one point occurs, then you should pay attention to this, be wary and immediately go to the doctor.
Recommendations from orthopedic doctors for pain relief at home:
Orthopedic doctors strongly recommend that you take more care of your feet.
There is a certain set of rules for preventing the appearance of painful sensations in the legs:
Pulling and other types of pain in the legs can have different etiologies. It is extremely dangerous to try to find the cause on your own or with the help of friends and family. Only a specialist will be able to determine the exact cause of the pain and prescribe effective treatment.
Symptoms of varicose veins may include:
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The strongest joint in the human body is the hip joint. It is able to withstand heavy loads, it maintains balance, and ensures human movement. Therefore, it is imperative to take care of the health of the hip joint. At the slightest sign of hip pain, you should seek qualified help. Remember that any discomfort can cause many problems, so treatment for hip pain must begin immediately. In our article we will talk about the causes of hip pain, as well as how to treat pain in the hip area.
The manifestation of pain in the hip when walking or standing still can be either constant or periodic. For example, a person may experience aching pain in the hip after exercise. Any pain in the hip area is accompanied by instability and limited movement.
The occurrence of pain in the femoral part of the leg can be influenced by a huge number of factors. And the first stage of treatment and relief of hip pain is diagnosis and identification of the cause. Possible causes of pain in the thigh muscles:
Nagging or sharp pain in the hip can appear due to various diseases. In approximately 35% of cases this is arthrosis or coxarthrosis of the hip joint. These diseases most often occur in women after 40 years of age. In this case, patients also complain of pain in the groin, radiating to the thigh, buttock or knee, as well as pain when walking and limited mobility.
Unilateral hip pain is a symptom of piriformis syndrome. In this case, the lower back suffers first, then the buttocks, hips, and in some cases patients also feel pain in the heel.
Another common cause of hip pain is inflammation of the hip tendons. A person may experience pain on the outer surface of the right or left thigh, or pain in the tendons of the thigh in both legs.
All these reasons, to one degree or another, can affect the health of the muscles and bones of the hip, however, only a doctor can make an accurate diagnosis after conducting a comprehensive diagnosis.
An accurate determination of the nature, location and intensity of pain helps to determine the cause of pain in the femoral part of the night in order to understand how to treat it. It is also important to find out what factors influence the improvement or deterioration of the patient’s condition.
For example, if the cause of hip pain is arthritis, the discomfort decreases with activity and returns if you do not move the leg.
In case of overexertion, pain in the hip area appears gradually after some time. This occurs due to inflammation of the articular surface and spasm of the inflamed muscles surrounding the hip joint.
With diseases of the lumbosacral spine, pain occurs in the front of the thigh. But pain in the back of the hip joint indicates diseases of the hip joint, gluteal muscles, and the ischial bursa of the gluteus maximus muscle. They can also be a reflection of unpleasant sensations due to inflammation of the pelvic organs or sciatic nerve.
Pain in the thigh at night is a sign of neurological diseases, the development of a malignant tumor is possible. Deforming arthrosis is the cause of pain in the hip area, which subsides at rest.
How to relieve hip pain?
If you experience periodic pain in the hip joint of various types, then, of course, you can take a painkiller and forget about it. We recommend taking Tylenol or a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug such as Motrin or Aleve.
If you are diagnosed with arthritis, you may take corticosteroids or DMARDs, such as methotrexate and sulfasalazine.
Also, use a cold or warm compress to relieve hip pain. Apply it 2-3 times a day for 10-15 minutes to the thigh. Do not forget to give your leg a rest, reduce physical activity to a minimum until the pain disappears.
If after taking a painkiller the pain returns again, then you need to consult a doctor to determine the cause of the pain. Remember that earlier contact with a doctor can speed up treatment and make it more successful, without complications.
Depending on the diagnosis, your treatment may be handled by a neurologist, traumatologist, surgeon, rheumatologist, orthopedist or oncologist. To treat pain in the joints and muscles of the hip, doctors can use massage, physiotherapeutic procedures, the use of various medications, etc.
If the onset of pain was preceded by an injury (fall, blow, awkward movement while running or walking, jumping)
Fractures of the bones of the lower limb occur when there is a blow to the leg, falls, running, walking, or jumping.
Manifestations : sharp, severe pain at the site of injury. The pain intensifies when trying to move the leg or when pressing on the site of injury. The deformation of the leg is visible externally. At the site of injury, soft tissue swelling appears and quickly increases. As a rule, with injuries, damage to blood vessels occurs with hemorrhage and the formation of a hematoma, which gives the skin a purplish-bluish tint. Sometimes bone fragments are visible through the damaged skin, which indicates the presence of an open fracture.
Treatment is carried out by a surgeon and traumatologist. Before this, you can carefully apply a splint from available materials, give the victim painkillers and take him to a medical facility.
If pain in the leg suddenly appears and the skin becomes pale and cold to the touch
Acute arterial thrombosis . Occurs when the movement of blood in the arteries is disrupted when their lumen is closed by particles of blood clots or atherosclerotic plaques that have come off the vascular wall.
Manifestations : sudden strong, sharp, turning into constant pain in the leg. After 2-4 hours, the intensity of the pain decreases slightly. In this case, a feeling of numbness occurs, the skin of the leg turns pale and becomes cold to the touch. Movement in the leg is impaired, muscle weakness appears. The pain first appears in the toes and gradually rises higher.
Treatment: immediate hospitalization in a surgical hospital. Untimely treatment or attempts at self-medication are fraught with serious complications, including gangrene and subsequent amputation!
If pain appears suddenly and is accompanied by increasing swelling of the tissues of the lower leg, while the skin acquires a bluish tint
Acute venous thrombosis . Occurs in diseases that lead to disruption of the walls of the venous vessels of the leg, slowing down the blood flow in them, and increasing blood viscosity. As a result, a blood clot forms in the lumen of the vein, completely or partially blocking its lumen and leading to disruption of the outflow of blood from the limb.
Manifestations : as a rule, it is expressed by acute, sharp pain in the lower leg, which intensifies when walking or in a standing position. The pain is bursting in nature, accompanied by a feeling of heat and numbness. Soft tissue swelling quickly appears and increases in the lower legs and feet. The skin takes on a bluish tint. Pressing the calf muscle leads to increased pain, and the pain also increases with dorsiflexion of the foot.
Treatment is carried out in a surgical hospital.
If pain occurs when walking, which forces you to stop because of this
Obliterating atherosclerosis . A disease of large and medium-sized arteries, in which atherosclerotic plaques form on their inner walls, reducing the lumen of the vessel and leading to disruption of the blood supply to the soft tissues of the leg.
Manifestations : in the initial stages, pain in the leg appears only after a long walk, which forces the patient to stop to rest (intermittent claudication). In addition, there are complaints of fatigue, tiredness, chilliness in the legs, numbness and tingling in the fingertips, and leg muscle cramps. Over time, the severity of symptoms increases, lameness intensifies. The skin on the legs becomes dry, flaky, and the growth of hair and nails is disrupted.
Treatment : selection of treatment is carried out by a surgeon, a vascular surgeon.
If pain in the leg is accompanied by pain in the lumbosacral spine and intensifies with movement
Lumbosacral radiculitis. The cause of the disease is most often osteochondrosis of the spine with changes in the vertebrae and intervertebral discs, as a result of which the roots of the spinal nerves are involved in the process.
Manifestations : acute and intense pain in the lumbar region and leg. Occurs after hypothermia, during physical exertion, during awkward or sudden movement in the lumbar spine, during sneezing, coughing. The pain radiates to the leg along the sciatic nerve: from the gluteal fold along the back of the thigh to the popliteal fossa, then to the lower leg, foot and fingers. Pressing on the lumbar region, on the exit point of the sciatic nerve (in the middle of the gluteal fold), is sharply painful. The pain intensifies with movement. In order to reduce pain, the sufferer tilts the body to the painful side. An attempt to straighten a leg bent at the knee and hip joints causes a sharp increase in pain. The pain intensifies with coughing and sneezing.
Treatment : selection of treatment is carried out by a neurologist. Before this, you can take painkillers and apply anti-inflammatory ointments.
If the appearance of joint pain was preceded by an exacerbation of chronic tonsillitis or tonsillitis
Rheumatic polyarthritis . One of the manifestations of rheumatism is a general disease of the body. Preceded by infectious diseases of the nasopharynx (usually tonsillitis, chronic tonsillitis).
Manifestations : acute, violent onset. Body temperature rises to 38-40°C. Soon pain appears in the joints, most often in large ones, in those that are subject to the greatest load (ankle, knee). The pain is intense and increases significantly when trying to move the joints. Swelling of the tissues in the joint area quickly increases, their contours are smoothed out. The skin over the joint is hot, pressing on it is sharply painful. The joints on both legs are most often affected symmetrically. The pain is “flying” - it appears and intensifies in a short period of time, then within 2-3 days it decreases in some joints, but appears in others, which indicates their involvement in the inflammatory process.
Treatment : selection of treatment is carried out by a general practitioner, rheumatologist.
If you cannot make a diagnosis using this chart, consult your doctor
Fatigue, heaviness, aching pain , tingling and numbness in the tips of the toes , swelling and protruding blood vessels - all this can really be the result of the fact that you spent the whole day on your feet and are very tired, or maybe these are the body’s first signals about a problem and it’s time see a doctor? If pain in the legs is constant, accompanied by numbness, difficulty in movement, forcedly tense gait and posture, this indicates a pathological process.
Pain in the leg can be: strong and weak, frequent and periodic, pulsating and aching, constant and paroxysmal.
Pain syndrome can appear due to the fact that various structures of the leg are affected: muscles, ligaments, tendons, bones, nerves and blood vessels. The distribution can be different: hip pain, hip pain, knee pain, shin pain, ankle or ankle pain, heel pain .
Legs are our support, and in the modern world they have a hard time. There are two options: either they have to endure our sedentary lifestyle, or suffer from constant overload. Both options lead to disastrous results, and if you add unhealthy diet, alcohol, smoking and constant stress, the situation worsens significantly.
Thus, if you are constantly tormented by pain in your legs , you should contact one of the following doctors: therapist or general practitioner, orthopedist, traumatologist, osteopath, rehabilitation specialist, neurologist, podiatrist, phlebologist.
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