Diabetes mellitus and leg pain always go together, since the disease itself affects the functions of the entire body. Pain in the lower extremities can be considered as the first signal of the onset of the disease.
Unfortunately, the first signs are often ignored by patients; the appearance of pain is perceived as fatigue or injury, but not as a sign of the onset of diabetes.
Another difficulty lies in the fact that almost half of patients with diabetes mistakenly believe that they are not afraid of heart and vascular diseases and problems with kidney function.
However, diabetes mellitus often behaves unexpectedly, and only through complete diagnosis, control in the laboratory and self-discipline are complications that arise promptly identified, which, in relation to pain in the legs, can include the development of diabetic foot.
If timely treatment for diabetes is not carried out according to the rules, then amputation of the leg is possible, so the occurrence of pain must be treated with extreme caution.
The main factor in the occurrence of pain in the lower extremities in diabetes is high blood sugar, which leads to deterioration of blood supply to the legs.
Age also plays a role in the progression of this problem. In older people, the risk of developing leg diseases is higher, which makes their life very difficult, since the lower extremities sometimes hurt very badly, and if nothing is done, this leads to extremely negative consequences.
It should be taken into account : this complication in the form of pain cannot be treated with the help of traditional medicine, and even if the pain subsides somewhat, this will not mean getting rid of the problem, the pain will simply decrease.
Diabetes mellitus causes atherosclerosis, which causes narrowing of blood vessels, making it difficult for blood to flow to the legs. The legs do not receive nutrition and oxygen, they begin to hurt very much, which causes a lot of problems for a patient with diabetes.
With timely surgery to normalize blood circulation, subsequent progression of such deterioration in diabetes mellitus can be prevented.
In diabetes mellitus, leg pain occurs for two reasons:
In the first case, when sensitivity is lost, the patient does not feel pain, cold or heat. He also doesn't notice the damage to his legs because he doesn't feel anything. A small scratch can cause an ulcer that does not heal for a long time, from which the process of suppuration can cover an increasingly large part of the leg and lead to the development of gangrene.
Swelling of the legs in patients with diabetes mellitus can occur due to nephrotic pathology, due to which swelling develops. In addition, the presence of atherosclerosis can provoke swelling in the legs; when it clogs the blood vessels, the blood supply is disrupted, and the legs hurt, as we wrote above.
Then the patient is prescribed a strict diet, physical exercises prescribed by the doctor to help bring the physical condition back to normal, and therapy is also prescribed, the purpose of which is to relieve the patient of the disease that causes swelling - nephrotic syndrome or atherosclerosis.
Factors causing leg ulcers in diabetic patients:
Often the occurrence of trophic ulcers due to diabetes mellitus is associated with the following reasons:
The appearance of an ulcer is usually preceded by:
If you have diabetes, you should pay special attention to the level of glucose in the blood; you also need to monitor the entire body and the condition of the skin. As mentioned earlier, timely diagnosed diseases can be stopped and the development of complications can be stopped, while the legs hurt and ulcers continue to develop.
In a patient with diabetes mellitus, ulcers arise as a result of long-term development of complications that can slowly undermine the patient’s body and immunity over the years.
Basic principles of treatment of leg ulcers in patients with diabetes mellitus:
Surgical treatment of ulcers in patients with diabetes mellitus:
Worsening development of ulcers in diabetes:
Any disease that occurs due to diabetes can cause complications:
Based on the degree of the disease, three methods of therapy known to medicine are used:
In addition to trophic ulcers, which occur in patients with diabetes, the following serious ailments that develop in diabetics include diabetic foot syndrome, when the patient experiences the appearance of pathologies on the foot, and the legs are extremely painful. As a result of untimely initiation of therapy, amputation of the legs at various levels is possible.
These deteriorations are observed in 90% of cases with diabetes, if the onset of the disease - edema - was not noticed in a timely manner and the fact that the legs hurt a lot was missed.
Diabetic foot syndrome is a complex disease, in which different body functions are involved due to the development of diabetes mellitus.
Prolonged diabetic foot syndrome and regular fluctuations in the amount of glucose in the blood cause the body's blood vessels to gradually break down.
First, small capillaries are damaged, then the destruction of blood vessels begins, blood supply is disrupted, nerve endings die, metabolic functions are disrupted, and the skin is damaged.
When the skin of a healthy person is damaged, it quickly begins to heal, but in a diabetic patient with complete disruption of blood circulation, minor scratches can lead to complications in the form of diabetic foot, ulcers, and also to the development of purulent processes if nothing is done.
Signs of the disease may vary depending on the degree of disease present:
Today there are 2 methods of treating this disease - conservative and surgical.
Conservative method of therapy:
Surgical therapy for diabetic foot syndrome:
Diabetes mellitus often causes complications in the lower extremities. About a quarter of all people with this endocrine system disorder develop serious leg problems throughout their lives. It is important to pay close attention to the fact that the older the patient, the higher the likelihood of these complications of carbohydrate metabolism disorders occurring.
Pathologies of the lower extremities, in particular the feet, which develop in both types of diabetes, bring a lot of trouble not only to patients, but also to doctors. With subsequent progression of this disease of the endocrine system, you can completely lose your foot.
That is why you need to carefully monitor your health, follow a special diet and lead an active lifestyle. Sore legs with diabetes are not uncommon, so you need to do everything to avoid dangerous and sometimes even fatal complications.
It is important to note that diabetes mellitus is an unpleasant disease that is characterized by many frightening symptoms that not only cause discomfort, but also bring many problems to all organs and systems of the body.
The disease can manifest itself in completely different ways. But, nevertheless, there is a certain algorithm for the development of events.
Basically, it can all start with a sudden increase in blood sugar. In the absence of appropriate treatment, many endocrinologist patients may experience certain symptoms of complications in the body. Constantly elevated blood sugar levels have an extremely negative effect on all organs and systems.
As you know, the most terrible thing is the destructive way glucose affects the condition of our body. Small particles of this substance can instantly damage blood vessels and nerve endings, which, in fact, provokes painful sensations.
It is important to become more familiar with exactly how the lower extremities hurt when glucose absorption is impaired:
The older a person with diabetes is, the higher the risk of developing problems with the lower extremities . Against the background of carbohydrate metabolism disorders, atherosclerosis appears, which affects the circulatory system in a short time.
As a result, the tissue structures of the legs cannot receive sufficient blood and oxygen. That is why they send signals in the form of severe pain, which begins to plague a person with this disease.
As the disease progresses, new ailments appear that can further undermine a person’s health:
In order to confirm the guesses, it is necessary to conduct a complete examination of the blood vessels of the lower extremities.
The most effective examination methods include: angiography, Doppler ultrasound, duplex ultrasound scanning, and multispiral computed tomography.
If serious diseases of the lower extremities occur, immediate action must be taken.
After the attending doctor announces the final diagnosis, you need to begin eliminating the disease.
In this case, complex therapy using certain drugs, traditional medicine, massage, physiotherapy and surgery (if necessary) will help.
The first step is to lower your blood sugar levels. To reduce sugar levels, drugs such as Nateglinide, Repaglinide, Gliclazide, Liquidon, Glimepiride are used.
You also need to start taking medications that increase insulin sensitivity. These include Rosiglitazone, Ciglitazone.
For topical use, herbal products such as a mixture of freshly squeezed aloe juice and essential oils are perfect.
To prepare it, you need to take the extract of the main ingredient, menthol, cloves, eucalyptus, wintergreen and camphor.
All components are thoroughly mixed and rubbed into damaged areas approximately three times a day.
In advanced stages of diabetes mellitus, there is a possibility of necrosis of foot tissue, which can subsequently lead to complete amputation. This is why it is important to carefully monitor your own health.
To improve blood circulation in the legs, procedures such as water vibration massage and physiotherapy are perfect.
It is also very important to carry out a special contrast shower for the feet at least once a day.
This will help improve blood flow at the site of the lesion and also relieve pain.
It is important to note that if diabetes mellitus progresses, there is a high probability that all sorts of serious complications will appear that are associated with the health of the lower extremities.
Recommendations on what to do if your legs hurt due to diabetes:
Diabetes mellitus requires careful monitoring of diet and lifestyle. Only if you follow all the doctors’ recommendations can you save not only your health, but also your life. It is important to take all prescribed medications, as well as completely give up bad habits.
Leg problems are a serious complication of diabetes. If the correct treatment is not prescribed, this may result in amputation.
Diabetes mellitus is a common cause of pain and discomfort in the legs. The risk of complications from diabetes directly depends on the age of the person who suffers from it. The older the patient, the more trouble diabetes causes.
In this article we will look at why legs hurt with diabetes and what to do in such cases.
Diabetes mellitus is a complex systemic polyetiological disease. Among other body systems, it affects peripheral blood vessels.
Diabetes mellitus is of two types:
Type 2 diabetes is often accompanied by vascular atherosclerosis. This leads to a decrease in the lumen of the arteries, which cannot supply blood to the lower extremities. Due to a lack of blood supply, oxygen starvation of tissues and cells develops. The body begins to intensively produce special substances - mediators, and the patient experiences excruciating pain in the legs.
If normal blood flow is restored in the arteries of the lower extremities, then further progression of the pathological process will slow down or stop.
Two scenarios leading to pain in the legs in diabetes mellitus.
In the first scenario, the patient loses skin sensitivity and does not feel pain or temperature changes. Having injured a leg, a person may not notice anything. A wound or abrasion may not heal and eventually lead to ulcers.
To understand what to do if you have pain in your legs, you need to understand what diabetic foot is.
Diabetic foot syndrome is the second serious complication that develops against the background of diabetes mellitus. In this case, pathological changes occur in the foot. In the absence of proper therapy, the matter ends with amputation of the limb.
If the first signs of diabetes were not recognized in time and treatment was not prescribed, then the probability of developing diabetic foot is 90%.
The mechanism of development of this syndrome is complex and consists of a number of processes occurring in the body.
During the pathological process, the blood sugar level regularly jumps, which leads to the destruction of blood vessels supplying organs and systems. In the initial stage, capillaries are destroyed; over time, global damage to arteries and veins occurs, tissue nutrition is disrupted, nerve endings die and trophic ulcers develop.
In a healthy person, when the integrity of the skin is damaged, healing occurs quickly. In a patient with diabetes mellitus, regeneration is slow, infection quickly develops and purulent processes develop.
Symptoms of diabetic foot depend on the form of the disease.
An endocrinologist treats diabetes mellitus. If there are complications, a surgeon, vascular surgeon, or orthopedist gets involved in the case. To prescribe treatment, you need to undergo an examination that will help the doctor make the right conclusions about the patient’s condition.
The doctor collects a detailed medical history and assesses the condition of the body. Evaluates pulse, temperature, blood pressure. Then the local condition of the lower limb is examined - sensitivity, color and temperature of the skin, the presence of pigmentation and the nature of the pulse in the arteries of the feet. If there are ulcers or wounds, probing is done. Sometimes primary surgical treatment of the wound is required to determine the type and depth of the lesion.
The necessary examination method is a general clinical blood test and a blood sugar test. In some cases, it is necessary to study kidney function, hormone levels and pancreatic enzymes. In case of purulent inflammation, wound discharge is cultured for sensitivity to antibiotics.
An x-ray examination of the lower limb is prescribed to determine the condition of the bones and joints. The presence of gas in the soft tissues of the leg indicates the presence of a gangrenous process.
Another x-ray examination method that determines the patency of blood vessels is angiography - the study of blood vessels with the introduction of a contrast agent. Angiography is performed under local anesthesia.
To assess the state of blood circulation in the limb, Doppler ultrasound is prescribed.
Treatment of complications of diabetes mellitus can be either conservative or may include surgical intervention.
Fundamental points of conservative therapy:
Elevated sugar levels lead to a decrease in the body's resistance and slow down the rate of wound healing. Regular monitoring of blood sugar is necessary. Correction is carried out depending on the type of diabetes mellitus by prescribing a special diet, glucose-lowering tablets or insulin injections.
If a secondary infection occurs, the doctor prescribes antibiotics. The course of treatment in this case reaches 4-6 weeks. In mild cases, antibacterial drugs are prescribed orally, treatment is carried out on an outpatient basis. If severe purulent complications or gangrene develop, treatment is carried out inpatiently, antibiotics are administered intramuscularly or intravenously.
In case of severe pain, analgesics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed.
In order to normalize blood flow and enrich tissues with oxygen, special medications are prescribed. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is considered an effective non-drug treatment.
Careful wound care heals in a short time. It is necessary to regularly clean the wound surface and change dressings. Disinfectant solutions and ointments are used that have an antibacterial and wound-healing effect.
It is easier to prevent a disease than to treat it. Diabetic foot is no exception. You need to reduce the load on your feet, rest regularly, and wear special shoes that do not restrict your feet. Careful adherence to the rules of personal hygiene and foot care will avoid a lot of complications.
It is important to remember a healthy lifestyle, eat right, and give up cigarettes and alcohol.
Impaired blood supply and innervation of the lower limb in diabetes mellitus leads to the death of soft tissues. Removal of dead areas is carried out surgically. This is called debridement.
In order to restore normal blood flow, bypass surgery is performed.
If treatment is ineffective, part of the lower limb must be amputated to stop the spread.
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Patients with diabetes constantly complain that their legs hurt. The cause of these pains is damage to the peripheral nerves of the nervous system. This leads to poor circulation, as a result of which any leg wound will have difficulty healing. Large blood vessels (arteries) are also affected. Because of this, much less oxygen flows through them, carbon dioxide accumulates in the body, which leads to painful sensations.
Symptoms of leg pain in diabetes mellitus may include cramps, weakness, tingling, swelling of the legs, decreased sensitivity to pain, lack of knee reflexes, and others. Pain occurs not only during the day, but also at night; not only when walking, but also when at rest.
Pain in the legs with diabetes can occur not only due to the disease itself, but also due to complications that it can cause. For example, one of the complications may be foot fungus (mycosis). Mycosis leads to cracking of the skin, which can cause the leg to become filled with microbes that have passed through the cracks. In this case, it is necessary to use antifungal creams.
Another reason why feet hurt in diabetes is callus. The patient's shoes may place uneven pressure on the foot, resulting in hard patches of skin. The result is a condition known as diabetic foot. You need to be careful when choosing shoes to prevent this from happening, and purchase more spacious shoes or boots. You also need to use special emollients if your feet hurt.
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If wounds on the leg are not treated, an ulcer may develop over time. In this case, urgent consultation with a doctor is necessary. Self-medication can be dangerous, even if the ulcer has not yet developed significantly.
To treat leg pain due to diabetes, the patient should do the following things:
Treatment of pain in the legs should not be delayed, since complications from diabetes can greatly complicate the recovery of the foot - it is very important to act at an early stage of the disease.
I have suffered from diabetes for 31 years. I'm healthy now. But these capsules are not available to ordinary people, pharmacies do not want to sell them, it is not profitable for them.
I have type 2 diabetes - non-insulin dependent. A friend advised me to lower my blood sugar levels with DiabeNot. I ordered it online. Started the appointment. I follow a relaxed diet and started walking 2-3 kilometers every morning. Over the past two weeks, I have noticed a gradual decrease in sugar on the glucometer in the morning before breakfast from 9.3 to 7.1, and yesterday even to 6.1! I continue the preventive course. I'll write about my successes.
Margarita Pavlovna, I’m also on Diabenot now. DM 2. I really don’t have time for a diet and walks, but I don’t abuse sweets and carbohydrates, I think XE, but due to age, sugar is still elevated. The results are not as good as yours, but sugar hasn’t gone beyond 7.0 for a week now. What glucometer do you use to measure your sugar? Does it show you using plasma or whole blood? I would like to compare the results of taking the drug.
Yes, I also began to notice pain in my legs lately, I thought it was just with age, but apparently it was also related to diabetes. Well, I try, first of all, to monitor my sugar level, I bought a glucometer to monitor it, and of course I had to change my diet, I hope that my overall condition will improve and my legs will stop hurting.
Diabetes mellitus is a serious disease that can cause a large number of serious complications. Metabolic disorders lead to dysfunction of many systems, blood circulation is disrupted, and the sensitivity of nerve fibers decreases. As a result, patients often complain that their legs go numb and hurt due to diabetes. Such symptoms occur if diabetic neuropathy or angiopathy develops.
How does diabetes mellitus type 1 and 2 affect the legs, why do the limbs hurt a lot with diabetes, what needs to be done, what treatment is needed? If there is a constant increase in blood glucose, the body begins to look for alternative ways to eliminate its excess. This leads to a deterioration in the conduction of nerve impulses to peripheral tissues and destruction of the structure of neurons. The oxygen supply to tissues is disrupted, due to a decrease in the acid-base balance, the blood thickens, and blood clots can form.
According to WHO, every year 2 million people die from diabetes and its complications around the world. In the absence of qualified support for the body, diabetes leads to various kinds of complications, gradually destroying the human body.
The most common complications are: diabetic gangrene, nephropathy, retinopathy, trophic ulcers, hypoglycemia, ketoacidosis. Diabetes can also lead to the development of cancer. In almost all cases, a diabetic either dies fighting a painful disease or becomes a real disabled person.
What should people with diabetes do? The Endocrinological Research Center of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences managed to create a remedy that completely cures diabetes mellitus.
Currently, the Federal program “Healthy Nation” is underway, within the framework of which this drug is given to every resident of the Russian Federation and the CIS for FREE . For detailed information, see the official website of the Ministry of Health.
All this leads to oxygen starvation of tissues, decreased sensitivity of the limbs and damage to the legs by neuropathy, gangrene in diabetes mellitus. The photo shows a patient with diabetic foot disease.
In the initial stages, the pathology is practically asymptomatic; the disease is detected during examination by a doctor or at a later stage, when pain and non-healing ulcers appear. Sometimes loss of sensation helps identify whether a patient has diabetes.
The main initial symptoms of leg disease in diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus are manifested by a decrease in sensitivity to mechanical and temperature stimuli. In the extremities, mainly in the feet and fingers, a burning or tingling sensation occurs, pain occurs with vibration. Later, the discomfort intensifies, the limb hurts up to the knee. The pain intensifies at night, causes insomnia and decreases with physical activity and walking.
How and why do your legs hurt if the stage of the disease is advanced, what causes your fingers to ache with diabetes, what does the pathology look like in the photo? As the pathology progresses, muscle weakness, cramps appear, the lower extremities become red, and dark-colored areas may appear. Such spots later turn into wounds that do not heal, fester, and ulcerate. This occurs against the background of oxygen hypoxia. If problems are not treated promptly, neuropathy can lead to partial or complete amputation of a limb due to the development of gangrene. The photo shows gas gangrene of the foot in a patient with type 2 non-insulin-dependent diabetes.
I have been studying the problem of DIABETES for many years. It's scary when so many people die and even more become disabled due to diabetes.
I hasten to report good news - the Endocrinological Research Center of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences managed to develop a medicine that completely cures diabetes mellitus. At the moment, the effectiveness of this drug is approaching 100%.
Another good news: the Ministry of Health has achieved the adoption of a special program under which almost the entire cost of the drug is compensated. In Russia and the CIS countries, diabetics can receive the drug under a special program for FREE
What are the types of leg diseases with diagnosed diabetes mellitus type 1 and 2, why do they appear, how and with what should they be treated? Limb neuropathy is a progressive condition that can lead to osteoarthritis of the feet if left untreated. Atrophy of muscle fibers occurs, the foot becomes deformed, increases in width, flat feet develop, and destructive processes occur in the ankle joint. Such changes lead to difficulties during movement, the patient loses working capacity, and mobility is sharply limited. The photo shows dystrophic changes in the foot.
Due to loss of sensitivity and tissue hypoxia, non-healing ulcers appear on the fingers of the lower extremities and soles. They may not cause pain, so they are often found in an advanced form. Trophic damage leads to the development of gangrene, which causes amputation of the damaged area, foot or most of the limb. If surgical treatment is not performed, sepsis develops, which can be fatal. The photo shows a patient with diabetic foot syndrome with affected toes due to diabetes mellitus.
Can your legs hurt or go numb with diabetes mellitus types 1 and 2, what are the problems with the limbs? Damage to large arteries and smaller blood vessels leads to the development of angiopathy. Atherosclerosis progresses, the vessels are filled with cholesterol plaques, the lumen of the arteries decreases, blood clots can form and separate, leading to blockage of the bloodstream.
The blood supply to an organ or limb stops, the tissues do not receive nutrients and gradually die.
This causes pain, tingling, numbness in the legs, redness of the skin, darkening of some areas, and cramps. Hair falls out, toenails break, and the shape of the plates changes. Without treatment, necrosis causes the development of gangrene, which threatens limb amputation. The photo shows the limb of a patient suffering from angiopathy.
What to do if your legs hurt with diabetes, how to relieve pain in the limbs, what treatment should you take? First of all, patients' glycemic levels are stabilized. To do this, short-acting insulin or drugs that lower blood sugar are prescribed.
Stories from our readers
Conquered diabetes at home. It's been a month since I forgot about sugar spikes and taking insulin. Oh, how I used to suffer, constant fainting, calls to the ambulance. How many times have I gone to endocrinologists, but they only say one thing - “Take insulin.” And now it’s been 5 weeks and my blood sugar levels are normal, not a single injection of insulin, and all thanks to this article. A must read for anyone with diabetes!
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To reduce blood viscosity, treatment is prescribed with medications that help thin it. To eliminate the risk of blockage of blood vessels, vasodilators are prescribed. Diabetic patients should exclude animal fats from their diet, which contribute to the accumulation of bad cholesterol in the blood. You can't cancel a low-carb diet.
How can you get rid of pain due to diabetes? To normalize metabolic processes, the functioning of the cardiovascular system and replenish the deficiency of microelements, it is necessary to take a vitamin complex and eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Pain syndrome is relieved with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Alpha lipoic acid helps remove excess glucose from nerve tissue.
Ulcers and wounds are treated with antiseptics, anti-inflammatory ointments, and antibiotic treatment is additionally prescribed if a purulent process is present. Regular physical activity, physical therapy, and limb massage are indicated.
The pathology cannot be completely cured; treatment measures are aimed at improving the patient’s well-being, relieving acute symptoms, preventing disability and loss of limb.
How to treat sore legs with diabetes at home? Patients should wear comfortable shoes that do not rub their toes. It is necessary to regularly check the condition of the limbs, fingers, and feet, since the appearance of wounds can be painless due to loss of sensitivity. It is useful to take daily walks and massage your limbs. You should take a bath carefully; you should test the temperature of the water with your hand to prevent burns.
It is useful to take warm foot baths with the addition of medicinal herbs, this promotes blood flow and improves its circulation. After this, you need to wear warm socks. Such procedures are contraindicated in the presence of purulent ulcers or an inflammatory process.
Diet therapy allows you to control the level of glycemia, which significantly reduces the possibility of developing complications affecting the lower extremities. You should not violate your nutritional regimen, skip medications or insulin injections.
To prevent leg problems and the development of neuropathy or angiopathy, you should regularly visit a doctor and carry out supportive treatment. Diet, giving up bad habits, and a healthy lifestyle will help prevent diabetic complications.
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Treatment of diabetic feet should begin as early as possible. A consistently high concentration of sugar in the blood causes disruption of all types of metabolism - carbohydrate, fat, mineral, protein and water-salt. Hormonal and metabolic changes negatively affect the functioning of the entire body and lead to the development of serious diabetic complications. The cardiovascular system is primarily affected. As the disease progresses, tissue nutrition, especially peripheral tissue, deteriorates. Due to the intense load on the lower extremities, pathological processes in them develop especially quickly.
One of the reasons why legs hurt in patients with diabetes is diabetic angiopathy. It develops as a result of damage to small (microangiopathy) and large (macroangiopathy) blood vessels. The complication occurs against the background of incorrectly selected treatment or its absence. High levels of glucose in the blood, as well as sudden and repeated changes during the day, have a destructive effect on capillaries and large arteries.
As a result, glucose begins to intensively seep into the thickness of the walls of the blood vessels of the legs. It disrupts their structure and reduces permeability. The pathological process is accompanied by the accumulation in the walls of blood vessels of glucose metabolic products (fructose and sorbitol), which have the ability to accumulate fluid. The vascular walls filled with moisture swell, swell and thicken. Their lumen narrows sharply.
High glucose levels activate the process of thrombus formation. Blood clots forming on the walls of blood vessels further narrow the lumen and impair blood circulation.
Destroyed by glucose, the endothelium (the layer of cells lining the inner surface of blood vessels) loses the ability to produce a substance that regulates the width of blood vessels. Their narrowing can be so strong that blood circulation in the capillaries can completely stop. Blood vessels are more likely to break down in the lower extremities, which is why people with diabetes have leg pain.
Vasoconstriction is promoted by the atherosclerotic process, which occurs due to lipid metabolism disorders. Cholesterol deposits formed on their walls increase due to the proliferation of connective tissue. Due to a critical deterioration in blood circulation, tissues suffer from hypoxia (acute lack of oxygen).
Diabetic angiopathy is characterized by a feeling of numbness, coldness and “crawling goosebumps” in the legs. With severe narrowing of the lumen of blood vessels in the lower extremities, cramps and pain appear.
Pain in the legs in diabetes is so severe that it causes a person to limp. Pain syndrome usually occurs during movement, when tissues need additional portions of oxygen.
Legs hurt in diabetes when diabetic neuropathy develops. The complication is characterized by damage to the nervous system. The nervous system consists of nerve fibers collected in bundles, which are held together by a sheath of connective tissue (perineurium). The perineurium contains blood vessels that supply nerve fibers.
In diabetes mellitus, sharp fluctuations in blood sugar concentration are observed:
High levels of glucose in the bloodstream cause fructose and sorbitol to accumulate in nerve fibers, causing swelling. As a result, the nerve bundles partially lose their functions. Along with diabetic changes, the myelin sheaths that insulate the nerve fibers are destroyed. Because of this, nerve impulses are scattered and do not reach their final goal. Over time, the fibers atrophy and stop transmitting nerve signals. If diabetes mellitus is accompanied by high blood pressure, nerve cells may die as a result of spasm of small capillaries.
Leg pain in diabetes mellitus occurs in response to any minor skin irritation. Sometimes the patient may wake up at night from the pain caused by the touch of the blanket. Damage to nerve fibers usually occurs symmetrically on both lower extremities. Unpleasant sensations appear on the skin in the form of tingling, burning, and “goosebumps.”
Sometimes a sharp dagger pain pierces the legs. They reduce sensitivity. This condition is called sock syndrome. A person feels objects touched by his foot indistinctly, as if he were wearing socks. His lower limbs are constantly cold. Due to decreased sensitivity in the legs, the patient's coordination of movements is impaired. The lower limbs do not obey him. Restricted movement and poor blood circulation cause muscle atrophy. They lose strength and decrease in size.
Decreased sensitivity does not allow a person to feel pain in the legs when injured, or to feel a sharp or hot object. He may not notice an ulcer on his leg for a long time. This condition is dangerous to the patient's health.
Diabetic arthropathy develops against the background of neuropathy. Due to decreased sensitivity in the legs, a person is often injured. But bruises, sprains, micro-tears of ligaments and muscle fibers go unnoticed by them.
Due to lack of treatment, foci of inflammation occur in injured tissues. The small joints of the feet are predominantly affected. Pathological processes cause an increase in blood flow in bone tissue. Its consequence is the leaching of minerals from the bones. The pathology also progresses due to deterioration in the nutrition of the cartilage tissue of the joints, which occurs against the background of a decrease in the lumen of blood vessels.
Such leg diseases develop less frequently in type 2 diabetes than in type 1 diabetes. Features of the disease:
At the initial stage of the disease, swelling of the extremities in the joint area appears. The skin in this area turns red and becomes hot. Slight pain may be observed if the pathological process has not caused serious damage to the nerve fibers. With diabetic arthropathy, foot deformity is clearly visible. The patient suffers from frequent dislocations and fractures of the leg bones. Diabetic changes usually appear in both legs with little time difference.
Inflammatory processes are often complicated by the addition of a secondary infection, which provokes phlegmon and abscesses.
Metabolic disorders cause the development of dermatological diseases. Patients often develop brown spots on their legs due to diabetes. They are a sign of diabetic dermopathy. Round or oval lesions are covered with small flaky scales and do not cause discomfort to a person. For dermopathy, no treatment is prescribed.
Due to a violation of carbohydrate metabolism, spots with a coating may appear on the skin of the legs, the color of which varies from yellow to red or bluish. This disease is called necrobiosis lipoidica. The skin becomes very thin and vulnerable. As the disease progresses, painful sores may develop. Over time, they disappear on their own. A brownish stain remains in their place. Necrobiosis lipoidica is found mainly in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Peeling skin on the legs is a sign of diabetic atherosclerosis. They are covered with painful and difficult to heal wounds. Diabetic atherosclerosis can cause pain in the leg muscles.
Diabetic blisters are subcutaneous nodules. They resemble a regular burn. The disease goes away on its own without treatment after a few weeks.
With diabetes mellitus, yellow formations (plaques) may appear on the skin of the legs. They are a sign of xanthamatosis. Xanthomas can reach 2–3 cm in diameter. They appear as a result of lipid metabolism disorders and are lipid deposits.
Darkening of the skin around the joints of the legs may indicate acanthosis nigricans. It develops in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus against the background of increased insulin resistance. In the affected areas, the skin thickens, itches and emits an unpleasant odor.
If signs of diabetes complications appear, you should consult a doctor. He will diagnose the disease, determine the stage of its development and tell you what to do in this case. If necessary, treatment will be prescribed.
Therapy is aimed at lowering blood sugar levels and preventing sudden spikes. Patients are prescribed meglitinides (Nateglinide, Repaglinide) or sulfonylurea derivatives (Gliclazide, Liquidon, Glimepiride).
Treatment of legs for type 2 diabetes mellitus is carried out with the help of drugs that increase tissue sensitivity to insulin. These include thiazolidinediones (Rosiglitazone, Ciglitazone, Troglitazone, Englitazone). To reduce the absorption of carbohydrates in the intestine, alpha-glucosidase inhibitors (Acarbose, Miglitol) are used.
To reduce pain, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Nimesulide, Indamethacin) are prescribed. Local anesthetics are also used (Versatis with lidocaine, Ketoprofen gel). For severe pain, tricyclic antidepressants (Amitriptyline) are used. To eliminate painful convulsions, anticonvulsants (Gabalentin, Pregabalin) are prescribed.
Neurotropic drugs (Milgamma, vitamins B1, B6 and B12) help treat diabetic legs. They relieve inflammation, help restore nerve fibers and improve the conduction of nerve impulses.
Simvastatin, Lovastatin or Atorvastatin are used to lower cholesterol levels. Lowering blood pressure is achieved by taking Veralamil, Nifediline, Lisinopril. To strengthen blood vessels, the attending physician will prescribe Pentoxifylline, Bilobil or Rutoside. In addition, diuretics (Furosemide, Spironolactone) are indicated. To prevent blood clots, take Aspirin or Sulodexide.
To improve metabolic processes, injections of Solcoseryl or Trifosadenine are prescribed.
Sometimes, after treatment, the symptoms of leg diseases may worsen. This reaction indicates the restoration of nerve fibers. A decrease in pain and discomfort occurs after two months.
People with diabetes need to examine their feet daily, including the toes and the areas between them. They must be washed regularly with warm water (not hotter than 37°C). After using the toilet, the skin should be carefully dried.
It is not allowed to warm your feet, walk barefoot or wear shoes without socks. Treatment of calluses and other skin diseases can only be carried out after consultation with a doctor and under his supervision.
Avoid wearing tight shoes with rough edges, inseams or unevenness. Socks with seams should not be used. They need to be changed daily. Nails should be cut with blunt-tipped scissors. In this case, you should not round the corners of the nail plate. If unusual sensations appear, the patient should consult a doctor.
Diabetes mellitus is a disease that brings with it many problems. All of them are associated with increased sugar levels in the blood and all tissues of the body. They lead to the fact that the blood vessels become thinner, and the overall defenses of the body are weakened.
As a result, many complications arise - difficulties with the eyes may begin, failures in the functioning of the kidneys and heart may occur. Moreover, there are a number of conditions caused by diabetes that can even be fatal.
The legs are one of the main targets of the disease. Due to high sugar, blood supply to the vessels, including the lower extremities, is disrupted.
It is worth paying maximum attention to them if you have been diagnosed with diabetes - after all, the syndrome called “diabetic foot” can lead to the slightest scratch or cut developing into gangrene.
When your legs hurt due to diabetes, what to do is the main question for the patient. True, before you start dealing with this problem, you need to understand what exactly caused it.
Let's try to figure out what causes pain:
The pain can be especially excruciating at night: it often prevents a person from living a normal life.
Any lesion, due to a decrease in the patient’s sensitivity, can lead to gangrene, and this can lead to amputation of the limb. Such terrible consequences cause:
The legs may swell so much that it becomes difficult for a person to walk, even to the point of complete inability to move. Therefore, when your legs hurt due to diabetes, what to do is the first question of interest to both the patient and the doctor.
It's definitely worth doing. The first and main method of diagnosis is to independently examine your legs and feet - if you have diabetes, doctors have probably already told you about possible complications, including those in the lower extremities.
Other studies are also being carried out:
When examining yourself, it is important to pay attention to cuts or other wounds, as any of them can turn into a serious problem.
Leg pain due to diabetes can be treated. It has three directions:
In the process, you may have to decide on an operation, the purpose of which will be to restore blood flow in the vessels.
You should not take painkillers or other medications. Their effect is temporary, and they do not cure, but only eliminate pain. Moreover, they may cause side effects.
The more attentive you are to your health, the fewer problems you will have with it. Diabetics should examine their feet regularly and carefully to identify any defects early.
There are other care rules:
If you spend proper time on your lower extremities, you will probably avoid problems with ulcers, abscesses and gangrene.
Follow these tips for caring for your feet if you have diabetes:
Do not forget to regularly see your doctor and inform him about changes in your condition. Carry out self-diagnosis regularly and thoroughly.
The administration of the portal categorically does not recommend self-medication and advises consulting a doctor at the first symptoms of the disease. The best medical specialists are presented on our portal. which you can make an appointment online or by phone. You can choose a suitable doctor yourself or we will select one for you absolutely free . Also, only when you make an appointment through us, the price for a consultation will be lower than in the clinic itself. This is our little gift for our visitors. Be healthy!
Sources: http://nashdiabet.ru/oslozhneniya/chto-delat-esli-pri-saxarnom-diabete-bolyat-nogi.html, http://saharvnorme.ru/raznoe/kak-lechit-nogi-pri-saxarnom- diabete.html, http://medportal.net/bolyat-nogi-pri-diabete/
If you are reading these lines, we can conclude that you or your loved ones have diabetes.
We conducted an investigation, studied a bunch of materials and, most importantly, tested most of the methods and medications for diabetes. The verdict is:
If all the drugs were given, it was only a temporary result; as soon as the use was stopped, the disease sharply intensified.
The only drug that has given significant results is Diawell.
At the moment, this is the only drug that can completely cure diabetes. Diawell showed a particularly strong effect in the early stages of the development of diabetes mellitus.
We made a request to the Ministry of Health:
And for readers of our site there is now an opportunity
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Attention! Cases of sales of counterfeit drug Diawell have become more frequent.
By placing an order using the links above, you are guaranteed to receive a quality product from the official manufacturer. In addition, when ordering on the official website, you receive a money-back guarantee (including transportation costs) if the drug does not have a therapeutic effect.