There are many conditions in which the patient notices pain in the legs. In this article, we will explain why your legs hurt below the knees (legs and feet) and how these conditions can pose a serious threat to your health. In some cases, the problem can be solved at home, but if you have any questions or if the condition worsens, it is recommended to consult a doctor immediately. He will help identify the true cause of the disease and prescribe treatment.
Common causes of pain in the lower leg area are diseases of the musculoskeletal system:
Muscle spasms, as the cause of shin pain, are characterized by the appearance of a sharp, very strong compressive pain below the knee, in the calf muscles. A spasm can occur due to overexertion, after an intense workout, with a sudden change in temperature, or dehydration. The pain in this case occurs in the back of the lower leg.
This condition is typical for athletes, especially when the intensity of training increases. The main treatment consists of eliminating the cause of the deterioration of the condition - normalizing the load and gradually adapting to increased training intensity.
What to do about muscle spasms? It is usually enough to apply heat and gently massage the cramped muscle, improving blood flow. Shin pain due to overtraining can be prevented by stretching and warming up before exercise. This will also help avoid bone fractures.
Shin pain in this condition develops due to inflammation of the connective tissue and muscles located along the tibia. In this case, there is a burning pain that goes away with rest. Pain often occurs after running or jumping on a hard surface, especially during prolonged exercise. The typical location of the pain is along the front surface of the lower leg. The patient may also notice heaviness and tightness in the muscles along the front surface of the lower leg.
The pain associated with shin splints is usually not intense and goes away on its own. The feeling of heaviness may remain somewhat longer, even after the pain disappears. In some cases, taking painkillers may help. For prevention, it is necessary to strengthen muscles and spend more time stretching.
One of the first signs of tendinitis (inflammation of the tendons) of the lower leg is a constant burning pain in the lower leg, in the foot area, or in the popliteal area. Patients with inflammation may also complain that their legs constantly ache. In this case, the condition improves after the first use of anti-inflammatory drugs.
If the pain does not go away after taking painkillers, then you should suspect an Achilles tendon rupture. In this case, there is a high risk of developing circulatory disorders in the vessels of the foot. Therefore, you must immediately seek help from a doctor. The need for urgent intervention explains the severity of the condition - there is a risk of remaining disabled forever.
In addition to muscle disorders, pain in the leg below the knee can be caused by a broken bone or torn ligament. In this case, pain occurs immediately after a sharp bruise or any other load and does not subside over time, even after taking painkillers.
This is a very serious condition that requires immediate intervention to restore bone integrity. Any delay can cause severe complications, including amputation of the foot or the entire limb, therefore, if symptoms of a fracture are detected, you must immediately call an ambulance, immobilize the limb and apply ice to the injury site.
Ultrasound for varicose veins
The most common causes (among vascular diseases) for pain in the legs below the knees:
Typically, deep vein thrombosis causes pain in the lower leg. This occurs when blood stagnates due to a passive lifestyle. In addition, thrombosis can be caused by:
Pain with thrombosis of the veins of the leg has a pulling character. The patient complains that his leg “aches” or “pulls.” Also, some patients complain of “heaviness in the foot” when trying to straighten or bend the leg at the ankle joint.
If the clot resolves, the pain will go away. But you shouldn't wait for this to happen on your own. See your doctor because a blood clot that ruptures can cause very serious complications, including death.
Less dangerous complications of vein thrombosis include impaired blood flow in the bone area. For example, insufficient blood supply to the tibia will subsequently lead to its deformation and fracture. Therefore, it is recommended to seek professional help at the first symptoms of the disease.
Malfunction of the venous valves leads to circulatory disorders, with convoluted dark blue or purple veins appearing under the skin. This condition may be accompanied by a dull aching pain in the area of the affected vessels and a feeling of “heaviness” over the entire surface of the lower leg. A characteristic symptom is increased pain when standing in one position for a long time. You should also suspect varicose veins if your legs constantly ache.
What to do if, with varicose veins, your legs constantly “ache” and “buzz”? Treatment consists of wearing thick compression stockings. If pain still persists when using them, consult your doctor about starting to take venotonics and painkillers.
Vasculitis is an inflammation of the inner lining of blood vessels. Pain in the lower leg with vasculitis is very intense and has a constant burning character. Heaviness and pain intensify when changing the position of the limb. Inflammation can be distinguished from other conditions by the presence of swelling, redness of the skin in the affected area and general symptoms (weakness, fever).
What to do if your legs hurt due to vasculitis? Treatment consists of the use of anti-inflammatory and antibacterial drugs.
Atherosclerosis is characterized by damage and hardening of the inner wall of the arteries. Their lumen narrows or is completely blocked, as a result of which circulatory disorders develop. With the development of atherosclerosis in the vessels of the leg, pain and cramps may be observed in this area. They usually occur during long walks, climbing stairs and other activities, accompanied by increased heart rate and increased stress on the muscles.
In mild cases, the pain goes away with rest. But if the arteries are severely narrowed or blocked, it can become permanent and persist even at rest. Pain due to atherosclerosis may be accompanied by a feeling of “heaviness” and a change in skin color in the foot area. Poorly healing wounds can also indicate atherosclerosis.
If left untreated, this condition will cause tissue necrosis. If the skin of the lower legs becomes pale, takes on a blue or dark blue tint, or the feet turn black, consult a doctor immediately - you may need surgery to restore normal blood flow in the lower extremities.
Risk groups for atherosclerosis include people with diseases such as:
What needs to be done to improve the condition of atherosclerosis? The main treatment is the transition to a healthy lifestyle:
It is worth considering that vascular disorders not only cause pain, but also negatively affect the strength of the osteoarticular system. Untreated vascular disease can lead to frequent bone fractures and decreased muscle tone and elasticity.
Treat any of the conditions described in a timely manner, and you will forget about what pain in the lower leg is.
There are other causes of lower leg pain, such as diabetic neuropathy. In this condition, nerve damage occurs due to elevated levels of glucose in the blood. The disease is characterized by pain in both legs simultaneously with a feeling of numbness and loss of sensitivity in the skin of the feet and legs.
Treatment is carried out under the supervision of a doctor and consists of normalizing glucose levels and taking painkillers.
Shin pain is pain on the outside of the leg below the knee (tibia area). The affected area is 4-6 inches (10-15 cm) in length. Pain may appear during exercise and then decrease. The pain in the lower leg is often not severe. However, pain may occur in the athlete, causing the athlete to stop training.
- Dehydration or a decrease in the level of certain salts in the blood (soda, calcium, potassium, magnesium).
- Taking medications such as diuretics, which cause a sharp decrease in the amount of salts. Statins - by lowering cholesterol levels, can damage muscle tissue.
— Muscle spasm from physical overexertion or prolonged static load.
- Ligament torn due to muscle injury.
- Depressed fractures of the tibia.
- Inflammation of the calf tendons.
- Atherosclerosis of the vessels of the lower extremities (this disease is characterized by the appearance of pain in the lower leg when walking and their disappearance after rest).
— Blockage of blood vessels (deep vein thrombosis).
— Osteomyelitis is an infectious lesion of bone tissue.
— Inflammation of the joints – arthritis, arthrosis.
- Damage to nerve fibers - polyneuropathy in diabetes, smokers and alcohol abusers.
— Inflammation of the tendons and tendon sheaths of the posterior tibial and anterior tibial muscles of the lower leg (tendonitis/tenosynovitis).
— Damage and inflammation of the Achilles tendon — partial micro- and macro-tears (tendonitis, peretendinitis).
— “Trap” syndromes of the lower leg (squeeze-compression syndromes); anterior tibial tendon syndrome; syndromes of the anterior, posterior, lateral “compartments” of the lower leg muscles.
— Inflammation of the periosteum of the tibia (periostopathy).
— Stress fractures of the lower leg (“fatigue”, “march” fractures).
— Inflammation of the tendon-bone connection of the tendon extension “crow's foot” (tenoperiostitis - bursitis).
- Fatigue, discomfort, soreness of the lower leg muscles, cramps in the calf muscles.
- Persistent muscle contractures (“cloggedness”) of the lower leg muscles due to overload.
— Micro- and macrotears of the calf muscles of the leg.
— Lymphovenous insufficiency and dilation of the veins of the foot and leg.
— Microtears and inflammation of the patellar ligament (tendinitis, peritendinitis, tendoperiostopatiy).
— Inflammation of the tibial tuberosity: Osgood-Schlatter disease (adolescent “growth plate” tendoperiostopathy)
— Inflammation of the apex of the kneecap (tenoperiostopopathy, “jumper’s knee”).
— Sprains/ruptures of the ankle ligaments due to foot instability.
— An incipient tumor in the thigh or lower leg is osteoma.
- Drugs such as alapurinol and corticostyrol.
- Malignant bone tumors - osteosarcoma.
— Nerve root compression caused by disc herniation.
— Tissue compression syndrome.
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Do you have shin pain? It is necessary to take a very careful approach to your overall health. People do not pay enough attention to the symptoms of diseases and do not realize that these diseases can be life-threatening. There are many diseases that at first do not manifest themselves in our body, but in the end it turns out that, unfortunately, it is too late to treat them. Each disease has its own specific signs, characteristic external manifestations - the so-called symptoms of the disease . Identifying symptoms is the first step in diagnosing diseases in general. be examined by a doctor several times a year in order not only to prevent a terrible disease, but also to maintain a healthy spirit in the body and the organism as a whole.
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The lower leg is an anatomical region that occupies the space from the knee to the heel joint. It, like other areas of the body, is a multi-layered formation: the skin is on top, a little subcutaneous tissue is under it, and muscles and bones are below, between which blood vessels and nerves pass. The peculiarity of pain in the lower leg area is that it can be caused not only by inflammatory, tumor diseases or impaired blood supply to any of the structures that make it up. It is this area that will hurt in response to severe intoxication (for example, with leptospirosis or influenza); It is here that it is most difficult for blood to rise through the veins against gravity, which creates the preconditions for the formation of varicose veins.
Let's look at why the lower legs hurt in relation to the location and nature of the pain syndrome, but first, let's briefly cover the anatomy, so that later it will be clear what is called what.
The skin of the lower leg has nothing that distinguishes it from the skin of other areas. Its temperature, pain and tactile sensitivity is provided by nerves starting from the lower back and passing through the thigh.
The subcutaneous tissue of the lower leg is quite well defined. On the anterior surface it contains the saphenous veins - small and large, as well as the nerve going to the skin. Only their branches extend to the rear surface. Superficial veins communicate with deep veins lying between the muscle layers using special perforating (communicating) veins.
Under the fiber on the front surface there is fascia - a film covering the muscles, but here in its density it is more reminiscent of a tendon. Along the posterior surface, the fascia is not so dense, but is divided into 2 sheets, which divide the muscles into 2 layers - superficial and deep. Under the muscles there are 2 bones: the tibia - on the inside, the fibula - on the outside.
Calf muscles (crural muscles). They do not cover its entire anterior surface, leaving a “bare” section of the tibia along its outer surface (it can be easily felt). The muscles of the back of the lower leg form the so-called “second heart”. When walking, they push blood from the veins into the systemic circulation against gravity, and quite a large amount of blood can be deposited in these veins. Therefore, in situations involving blood loss or fluid loss, they try to raise the legs. When the bloodstream is overcrowded, which is accompanied by an increase in blood pressure, the legs are lowered, and even with thermal procedures they try to dilate the veins and remove a large amount of blood from them.
Bones. There are two of them: the wide and large tibia, as well as the small, cane-like fibula. There are sockets at the top and bottom of the tibia where the fibula is inserted. This connection is not very reliable, so the bones are additionally fixed with a membrane of dense connective tissue. Nerves and blood vessels pass through this membrane, piercing it through.
The lower leg may develop:
Let’s immediately make a reservation that the lower leg of the left leg has the same structures as the right one. Therefore, in further material we will consider pain depending on its location in the lower leg itself - both right and left.
Pain syndrome of this localization is typical for:
When the tissues of the lower leg hurt in the front, this can happen due to the following reasons.
A blow to the front, a fall on the knee while skateboarding, roller skating or cycling, which did not provoke a fracture, but only damage to the soft tissues, will be accompanied by pain in the lower leg in the front.
It could also be a sprain or rupture of a ligament that occurs due to injury or intense training.
If there is a fracture, the whole leg will hurt.
The front surface of the leg can be burned when cooking - with boiling water or boiling oil. A red hot spot or even a watery blister will appear in this area
Erysipelas can often occur in the anterior part. This is a red or pink spot of not very small diameter, looking like a painted flame.
Inflammation can be caused not only by streptococcus, as with erysipelas. Other microbes can also provoke an inflammatory process in local soft tissues. They can get there when injured by infected material, when there is poor blood supply, when trophic ulcers occur.
Inflammation does not have to be caused by microbes. This can be eczema or neurodermatitis, caused by various reasons, including diseases of the internal organs.
This is the name for inflammation and swelling of the muscles of the anterior crural zone, placed in a separate fascial sheath, which limits their further expansion.
The pain is severe, localized in the front, involves the foot, intensifies when bending the leg.
This disease most often develops in people 10-20 years old, whose bone tissue is actively growing, and at the same time they are actively involved in sports such as football, running or basketball, which are accompanied by increased stress on the legs. The essence of the disease: damage to the bone area (tuberosity) on the tibia, to which the tendon is attached.
The pain appears gradually, its first episode is after physical activity. At first she is weak, then she becomes strong. It intensifies when the leg is extended, and if the leg is left at rest, the pain will ease.
Occurs in athletes. It is characterized by severe pain in both the knee and lower leg, accompanied by limitation of motor activity of the limb and an increase in the volume of the joint.
This condition occurs in athletes who work with heavy loads on their legs, who put it on immediately, without good preparation.
The pain is aching, mild or moderate, occurs during exercise, and goes away with rest.
This appearance of local tissue death on the skin is associated with diabetes mellitus, thrombophlebitis, varicose veins or obliterating endarteritis. It is characterized by the appearance of not only a skin defect, but also pressing, bursting pain in this area.
Its cause is severe physical activity. It manifests itself as local pain in the inflamed muscle, which intensifies when it is compressed and certain movements. If myositis is not treated, the muscle weakens and atrophies. Read more about the symptoms and treatment of myositis.
Pain on the back of the lower leg is characteristic of the following diseases and conditions:
If the blow or fall occurred on the back and did not cause a fracture, the soft tissues in the damaged area will hurt.
If it hurts from the back and side (along the inner surface), it may be periostitis - inflammation of the periosteum. Its causes: prolonged physical activity in untrained people, bruises, fractures. Such pain most often develops in the lower leg of the right leg, which is usually the “pushing” leg and receives a greater load. They appear a short time after training or exercise. There may be a slight swelling at the site of the lesion, which, if touched, will be painful or unpleasant. The skin is not red or swollen.
Exactly the same processes that are described for the anterior surface can develop and cause pain in this location.
If the muscles underlying the triceps surae become infected, lose their normal blood supply, or become stretched, they become sore because they are encased in fascia and unable to expand.
Pain along the posterior crural surface. It is sharp, bursting. It intensifies when trying to straighten the leg. If the pathology is not treated, swelling will appear in the affected area, the skin will turn red or bluish, and the temperature will rise above it. Later, sensitivity is impaired, and the muscles begin to work worse.
If you jump unsuccessfully or try to run too fast, a calf muscle strain may occur. This is manifested by sharp pain in the posterior crural regions at the time of stretching. Over time, the tissues swell and the pain intensifies.
Strenuous physical activity can lead to inflammation of the tendon that attaches to the heel bone. In this case, aching pain appears in the lower parts of the back of the leg. It intensifies if you need to bend the foot, for example, when walking or running.
The muscle begins to ache, and this pain intensifies when the foot is extended, the muscle is compressed, or when the weather changes.
Some people may have a connective tissue capsule filled with fluid called a Baker's cyst in the dimple on the back of the knee joint. If it ruptures and fluid enters the intermuscular spaces, this is manifested by pain, soreness, and increased local temperature.
Pain in the lower leg on the inside can be caused by:
Pain on the outside appears when:
When pain is noted in the bones of the lower leg, this may indicate:
If the pain is in the lower leg muscles, it may be:
Pain in the skin of the lower leg is observed with:
The shin hurts a lot when:
Sharp pain is characteristic of osteomyelitis - purulent inflammation of the bones that contain red bone marrow. The pain is bursting, constant, exhausting. It is accompanied by deterioration of the condition (weakness, drowsiness, loss of appetite), increased temperature. It becomes painful to walk, and when you tap on the affected bone, the pain intensifies.
If the pain is aching , this may indicate:
Pain in the lower leg when running is a symptom that indicates a violation of the blood supply to the tissues. This is typical for two diseases: obliterating (that is, narrowing the lumen of blood vessels) atherosclerosis and obliterating endarteritis. In the initial stages of the disease, the entire lower leg will hurt only with prolonged walking or significant physical activity. When pain in the lower leg occurs when walking or even at rest, this means that the disease has gone far, and without taking appropriate measures, tissue death (gangrene) may occur.
A similar symptom can also be observed with tumors, when the newly formed tissue has compressed the vessels that feed all other tissues. It does not have to be a malignant tumor; a lipoma or chondroma may also well cause this clinical picture.
Also, pain when walking will occur when:
If your leg is swollen, it may be:
Pain in the lower leg in a child may occur due to the following:
Tumors develop extremely rarely in childhood, but if the above reasons are excluded, it is necessary to be examined for oncological pathologies, including.
What to do with such a symptom before consulting a doctor depends on the cause of the disease:
The shin bones are formed by the tibia and tibia, they are connected by a membrane of connective tissue. They are surrounded by muscles, and muscle endings - bundles of tendons - are attached to the upper parts of the bones. Pain receptors are distributed throughout all muscle tissues, periosteum, ligaments and tendons. Therefore, pain in the front of the lower leg when walking can cause damage to any of these structures.
Pain in the lower leg occurs when muscles are damaged by inflammatory processes.
With myositis, the pain intensifies during movements, bothers you at rest, and reacts sharply to changes in weather. Over time, muscle weakness appears due to atrophy of the calf muscles.
Over time, it becomes difficult to walk because the tendons simply wear out. Due to age-related changes or constant stress, they no longer withstand high loads. The pain spreads along the front surface of the leg and is localized at the site of attachment of the ligamentous bundles. They are dull or aching, often accompanied by swelling and stiffness in the knee.
In the early stages, pain occurs only after physical activity. As the pain progresses, it also appears without exercise, with normal physical activity.
The most dangerous condition is when purulent contents and the microbes themselves penetrate the bone marrow. With this pathology, severe pain is felt in the lower leg, the skin turns red, swells, and pustular fistulas appear on the surface of the skin. Osteomyelitis can lead to loss of joint mobility, shortening of the affected leg, and bending of the bones.
Ankle injuries of any kind cause severe pain in the muscles in the lower leg. Types of injuries:
The limb responds with pain to palpation. If swelling is added, it is difficult to palpate the muscle, then the extent of the damage can only be assessed on X-rays or MRI. With swelling, the lower leg increases significantly in size, then treatment sometimes has to begin with the removal of swelling in order to “get” to the affected muscle. And over these few days, the pain gradually subsides, especially if physiotherapeutic procedures are used.
fractures of the tibia and fibula, joint damage, stress fracture - injury due to constant monotonous overload. This usually concerns impact loads: running, jumping on hard surfaces, or wearing unsuitable shoes.
Traumatic fractures are divided into open and closed, and those complicated by painful shock and heavy bleeding.
Fractures cause severe pain not only in the ankle, but throughout the entire leg; with a closed fracture, it is sometimes difficult to quickly determine the point of injury. It is necessary to correctly fix the injured leg in order to deliver the injured person to the emergency room of the surgical department.
If the bone fracture does not affect the soft tissue, the connection of the fragments and subsequent healing will take place without complications.
When the edges of a broken bone literally cut through the muscle tissue, surgery will be required to align the edges and carefully stitch them up. After the operation, it will take time to recover; with active treatment, the pain will gradually subside. However, in this situation they say: “I got my own barometer,” because the damaged leg will react to changing weather, to the approach of rains, and strong winds.
Diseases can develop either independently or against the background of systemic pathologies.
If an artery suddenly becomes blocked, a painful attack begins abruptly, then the pain prevents normal palpating or feeling the lower leg. Chronic insufficiency of arterial blood supply is manifested by specific symptoms: the legs turn pale, are always cold, often go numb, the legs are covered with ulcers that take a long time to heal.
An unobvious cause of pain is spinal disease or pinched nerves. Even banal cervical osteochondrosis can cause pain in the leg.
Pain and heaviness in the legs occur throughout life for many people. Some people endure these symptoms for quite a long time. However, it is very important to diagnose the cause of the discomfort. After all, the well-known truth is that an incipient disease is much easier to cure than an advanced one.
Editorial “So Simple!” will tell you how to get rid of leg pain . The suggested tips and exercises will help relieve pain and also serve as a prevention of serious diseases.
This exercise is done standing. Raise your little finger to the height of your thumb. Then lower your thumb while raising your other finger. Repeat 5 times for each leg.
Sit comfortably on the floor, keeping your legs straight. Using a light scarf or piece of fabric, pull your feet towards you, slightly resisting with your fingers. You should feel tension in your feet. Do this exercise several times.
Take a tennis ball or a billiard ball. Step on the ball and make light circular movements, applying light pressure. This simple exercise is great for warming up your feet and relaxing you very well.
While standing barefoot, try to shift your weight to the outside of your leg. Now stand on your toes and stand for about 10 seconds. Repeat ten times. It is best to do this exercise while standing on the ground or sand.
To do this you will need a medicine ball, or medicine ball. Lying on the floor, place your feet on it and try to press with your feet so that your toes rest on the floor. Repeat 15 times.
Always wear shoes that are comfortable and comfortable for your feet. This will allow your feet to breathe properly and feel less tension. It’s a banal piece of advice, but women often ignore it.
Do yoga or Pilates. This will help keep the whole body in good shape and also has a beneficial effect on the joints.
Epsom (Epsom) salt is excellent for cleansing the body of toxins. You may not know it, but your feet are an ideal place to remove accumulated harmful substances.
It is very useful! Especially if you do this along a special path lined with stones.
Leg health is very important for the whole body. After all, the severity and pain in them over time negatively affect the spine and lower back. In addition, you will have to forget about beautiful shoes and short dresses, because from strong tension a venous network can appear, which does not look very aesthetically pleasing.
Trust our advice, and your feet will never suffer from illness! Don't forget to share the information with your friends.
2. Damage to the ligaments and tendons of the leg:
3. Damage to the bones and joints of the leg:
4. Damage to blood vessels and nerves of the leg:
5. Other conditions that lead to pain in the lower leg:
As the disease progresses, muscle weakness begins to increase, which ultimately leads to the development of partial or complete atrophy of the skeletal muscles of the lower limb.
This pathology occurs in physically active young people or professional athletes. In this case, the disease is called “jumper’s knee.” In addition, such a symptom can be observed not only in athletes, but also in ordinary people, mainly over the age of 45 years. After all, various changes and microtraumas accumulate in the tendon with age; the ligament ages and is no longer able to withstand physical stress as successfully as before.
This injury usually occurs in people over 45 years of age, or in younger people during sports training. The typical movement that precedes a rupture is a strong and rapid contraction of the quadriceps femoris muscle with the knee flexed. This can happen when landing after a jump or tripping while climbing stairs.
The most common symptom of Achilles tendon inflammation is pain under the calf or in the heel area. The pain increases sharply in the morning, when a person gets out of bed and loads the calf muscles with normal walking. At night, people usually stretch their feet, which eases the tension on the Achilles tendon and reduces pain. But when the calves again take on physical activity, especially sports, the pain can increase until it is completely impossible to take a single step.
This pathology is characterized by painful sensations in the back of the lower leg, often on both sides of the ankle. Sometimes there is severe pain in the calf, and difficulty lifting the toes or putting weight on the heel. When you move, you hear a clicking sound in your ankle. This is due to damage to the soft tissue sheaths that normally allow the tendon to glide easily over the bone.
Most often, heel tendon ruptures are complete. They occur during sudden sharp loads at the start of runners, when the foot lifts off the ground - during jumping or sudden dorsiflexion of the foot (for example, when falling from a height). Partial tendon damage occurs due to direct injuries from cutting objects. The patient complains of acute pain in the heel area and along the back of the lower leg. The immediate moment of injury is described as a sensation of a strong blow to the tendon. In addition, hemorrhage and swelling occurs on the back of the lower leg. In the area of the rupture, the gap between the muscle and the ligament is felt. There is no plantar flexion of the foot - the patient is not able to stand on his toes.
This pathology is characterized by:
The affected foot is in a slightly elevated position due to forced muscle contraction. Movements in it are severely limited and are accompanied by painful sensations.
The most common situation in which ankle sprains occur is when the foot rolls outward or inward. Often such injuries are observed in winter on slippery icy surfaces or steps. In addition, ankle sprains can occur when landing poorly after jumping even from a small height.
Sharp pain in the lower leg due to ruptured ankle ligaments
When a ligament ruptures, the patient often feels a cracking or crunching sensation in the ankle area. This pathology is characterized by the same symptoms as with sprains, but they are intense. In addition, there is extensive swelling in the area of injury, as well as significant hemorrhages and severe pain.
A stress fracture is a consequence of constant overload. A similar pathology is observed in cases where the lower leg and foot are subjected to repeated stressful physical impacts, and are no longer able to compensate for significant impact loads. Most often, such injuries occur in athletes when training in poor, unsuitable shoes, or when running for a long time on a hard surface.
Signs of a tibia fracture are divided into two groups:
Fractures of the lower leg bones are divided into three types, depending on the location of the injury:
Fractures of the lower leg bones in its upper part
Most often they occur during falls from height. The patient complains of pain and swelling in the injured area. The knee joint becomes enlarged due to the accumulation of blood (hemarthrosis). Pathological outward rotation of the lower leg or inward deviation may be observed. Movement in the knee joint is limited and severely painful. It is difficult or completely impossible to support the leg.
Fractures of the leg bones in the lower part
Ankle fractures develop as a result of direct (impact to the ankle) and indirect (rolling of the foot inward or outward, forced rotation) injuries. There is swelling and sharp pain in the ankle joint, deviation or pathological flexion of the foot in different directions, severe difficulty or impossibility of supporting the injured leg.
During the first two days, severe localized pain appears in the lower leg, the affected limb is in a forced position, and a painful contracture develops. There are no active movements in the leg, and passive ones are sharply limited, swelling of the soft tissues rapidly increases. The skin over the lesion is red, tense, and there is often a pronounced venous pattern and an increase in local temperature. In the future, arthritis of the adjacent joints often occurs.
This pathology is often observed with microtraumas of the knee joint, which are caused by too much flexion or extension.
The patient complains of severe pain and movement disorders in the knee joint. A meniscal rupture may be accompanied by hemorrhage into the knee joint and inflammation of its inner membrane. Patients keep the leg in a bent position, as the pain intensifies when the knee is extended. When palpated, there is pain, and sometimes there is an elastic roller, which seems to roll over the surface of the joint space when the knee is extended.
Panniculitis is also accompanied by weakness, malaise, loss of appetite, fever, nausea and vomiting.