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Pain in the joints or muscles of the legs can be constant, appear periodically, or bother you just once. But in any case, pain is a symptom that cannot be ignored. What could be the cause of leg pain?
Severe muscle spasm causes pain that occurs suddenly, often during movement. Sometimes a leg cramp can create a life-threatening situation: when you are swimming in deep water, crossing a road, or driving a car. This is often how the calf muscle reacts. The cramp goes away on its own after some time. If you massage the muscle or try to straighten your leg, the cramp may get worse.
Peripheral obliterating endarteritis
Peripheral artery disease most often occurs in those who smoke or have smoked. The inner lining of the arteries is affected, it is more difficult for blood to pass inside the vessels, as a result of which the tissues suffer from oxygen starvation. This causes constant pain in the muscles, in the feet, trophic ulcers and gangrene develop. The last stage is obliteration, adhesion and complete overgrowth of the lumen of the artery, after which it cannot conduct blood.
Patients with arteritis obliterans periodically experience lameness on one or the other leg.
Deep vein thrombosis
Venous insufficiency without treatment leads to varicose veins, valve damage, and poor circulation in the veins. Blood clots form, some of which can completely block the lumen of the vessel. This condition is accompanied by swelling and severe pain.
Sports muscle injury
Intense exercise can lead to microtrauma to muscles and tendons, which will require long-term recovery.
Bone fracture or crack
Not every fracture will be visible to the naked eye. Often, fractures do not lead to deformation of the limb, and can only be diagnosed by X-ray examination.
Knee ligament injury
Inflammation of the popliteal ligament causes sharp pain with every step. The cause may be injury as a result of a sudden movement, impact, or unsuccessful landing on the feet. Knee ligament injuries are common in athletes, but can also occur due to inherited connective tissue weaknesses during increased stress in non-athletes.
Knee pain may be caused by a tear in the meniscus, the small cartilage that acts as a shock absorber in the joint. Depending on the change in the position of the meniscus fragments inside the knee capsule, the pain may disappear or suddenly appear again.
Compression syndrome
When the vessels are compressed, the inflow and outflow of blood is disrupted, which causes severe swelling and pain. If this condition lasts longer than half an hour, the limb may die. This is always an emergency situation when it is impossible to free the leg and restore blood flow.
Sciatic nerve damage
Most often, compression of the sciatic nerve occurs at the exit from the spine. This is facilitated by injuries to the intervertebral disc, vertebra, and muscle spasms. The pain is constant, periodically subsides and intensifies, radiates throughout the entire leg, and is strongly expressed in the area of the calf muscle.
Chronic joint inflammation
Chronic joint diseases can occur not only with age, but also after injuries and infections. The pain is constant, often worsens after exercise and in the weather. With knee arthrosis, the pain is worse in the morning and after a long walk. Sometimes the joints can become locked and the leg does not bend or cannot straighten.
Why do your legs hurt: 10 types of leg pain and their causes, 3.8 out of 5 based on 10 ratings
Leg exercises after standing work
When your legs hurt after work, your usual quality of life deteriorates. Physical exercises, pharmaceutical drugs and traditional medicine techniques help solve the problem.
Causes of leg pain
This symptom can be provoked by various groups of factors:
- Sedentary lifestyle: at work, in transport, at home. The load on the legs decreases significantly, and muscle tone decreases. But as soon as you have to walk longer than usual, your legs begin to “hum.”
- Standing work places unnecessary stress on the legs, leading to pain and swelling in the ankles.
- Excess weight also has a negative impact not only on the condition of the body, but also on the legs. The percentage of fat exceeds the amount of muscle, and the frame of the limbs cannot withstand the overload.
- Constantly wearing socks, stockings or tights. They compress the veins, which leads to blood stagnation and lack of nutrients. The solution in this case can be special therapeutic socks that restore proper blood circulation.
- Chronic diseases usually develop due to insufficient care, but if a person already suffers from varicose veins or a problem with the joints and spine, then the legs will hurt more often.
- Disorders in the vascular system: blood vessels narrow and blood flow to muscle tissue decreases, which causes phlebitis - inflammation of the vein walls. Many factors lead to such disorders, but they are more often observed in smokers, hypertensive patients and people who have had a heart attack or stroke.
- Inflammatory processes in the joints and tissues of the legs, injuries.
In what cases should you consult a doctor?
Daily leg pain that is not caused by a sedentary lifestyle, or, conversely, excessive workload, requires treatment from the following specialists:
- Surgeon. A fracture, crack, or dislocation can make itself felt for a long time, so if a person has suffered an injury, contacting a surgeon is necessary.
- Orthopedist. Corrects various defects of the lower limbs and feet (flat feet, arthritis, osteoarthritis), which are a common cause of pain.
- Phlebologist. Deals with disorders of the vascular system.
To determine the need for a visit to the doctor, you need to measure the diameter of your ankle in the morning, without getting out of bed, and in the evening, when you come home from work. If the difference in volume exceeds 1 cm and the ankles are very swollen, then a visit to the doctor is necessary.
Basic ways to quickly relieve tired legs
The following techniques can increase tone and relieve discomfort and swelling:
- Regular exercises and short gymnastics - rolling a ball with your feet, taking off your shoes to rest - during breaks between work will help improve blood flow. It is necessary to temporarily give your legs an elevated position. The outflow of blood will ease the discomfort.
- Choosing the right shoes. You need breathable, natural material and a comfortable insole. You will also have to give up heels, but a completely flat sole will not relieve the tension. It is recommended to wear orthopedic shoes with low heels or wedges.
- Increasing activity and walking.
- Application of ointments:
- Warming agents increase blood flow to the muscles. Suitable for athletes and people with heavy physical activity on the lower limbs. The ointment is applied before training or work to prevent pain and sprains.
Do not use warming ointments immediately after a sprain!
- Cooling. With their help, the tone of blood vessels and veins is restored and increased, which prevents the development of varicose veins and accelerates tissue regeneration.
- Wearing compression stockings. Recommended for people with venous insufficiency or varicose veins. The elastic on your socks should not be too tight.
- Baths:
- Warm. The feet are immersed in warm water with the addition of a decoction of herbs (chamomile, nettle, lavender). The procedure is perfect for relieving fatigue.
- Contrasting. The legs are lowered one by one into water of different temperatures.
Alternating hot and cold baths is equal to the effect of a contrast shower: it improves blood circulation, overall skin tone, and strengthens muscles.
You should not start taking pills without a doctor’s instructions and do not self-medicate. The chemical composition of medications has side effects.
Medicines for relieving leg pain are not recommended for people with kidney and heart failure, gastrointestinal problems, pregnant women, and children under 14 years of age. There are several groups of medications depending on the causes of pain:
- Analgesics.
- without narcotic substances – Paracetamol, Katadolon. You can take it for a long time, but there are side effects (indicated in the instructions for each specific product). They have an analgesic effect for joint inflammation.
- with narcotic substances – Promedol, Codeine, Fentanyl. They act on opioid receptors in the pain center of the brain. They can be addictive, so their use is prescribed if no other remedy copes with the problem.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They affect enzymes in the body that cause pain in the legs, thereby reducing inflammation. Among the most effective are Diflofenac (Diklak, Voltaren, Ortofen), Naklof, Nimesil, Ketanov.
- Ointments:
- Heparin ointment. It has a dilating effect on vascular walls, stops inflammation, and promotes the dissolution of blood clots. Prescribed for varicose veins or thrombophlebitis.
- Traumeel. Recommended for inflammation of tissues and joints.
- Vishnevsky ointment. Used in cases of pathologies of the lower extremities and in cases of impaired blood circulation. Is a pain reliever.
Exercises to relieve fatigue
Regularly performing simple movements helps relieve discomfort:
- Transferring weight from one leg to the other.
- Dance elements and heel-to-toe rolls.
- Fast walk.
- Lifting your legs onto the wall at a right angle.
- Pose with big toe grip. If stretching does not allow, you need to grab your toes with an elastic band and pull them towards you with gentle movements.
- Mountain pose or downward facing dog.
- Rolling the ball with your feet.
- Bike.
Not only cycling, but also the “bicycle” exercise will be beneficial for capillaries and relieve fatigue.
Being on your feet all day helps to activate sensitive points. Giving yourself a massage is an effective method, especially after a relaxing bath.
- Apply any oil (coconut, jojoba or special massage oil) to your feet. Massage the soles of your feet in a circular motion from heels to toes.
- Spend at least 10 minutes on each foot.
- After warming up, you can alternately roll from heels to toes.
- For warming up, you can use a wooden roller.
- Massage the shin. It may be a little painful at first, but massaging this part of the leg is healing.
- Ayurvedic techniques recommend applying pepper balls to the active points of the feet and sealing them tightly. You need to walk with this compress for 20 minutes.
Alternative medicine also offers its own recipes for relieving fatigue and pain in the legs after a hard day at work.
- Herbal ice. Brew sage leaves, yarrow, mountain arnica or chamomile in advance, then cool the infusion, pour into ice trays and place in the freezer. Wipe your feet with the resulting product when you come home from work. Herbal ice tightens the skin and reduces swelling. It can also be used on the face and under-eye circles.
- Cold alcohol. The product helps quite quickly. After actively rubbing it into your legs, you need to raise them above head level.
- Walking on the grass barefoot. Nerve endings are activated by walking on sand, meadows and stones. If your place of residence does not allow for regular activities, you can purchase pebbles from a pet supply store, place them in a small box and move around them for 20 minutes. Many water parks create artificial beaches with good sand.
- Massage mats. The concepts of sitting on needles and walking on coals were combined to create a specialized massage mat for pain in the legs.
It is necessary to carefully distribute the weight, do not overdo it, gradually increasing the massage time.
- Foot masks:
with blue clay: dilute with water to the consistency of sour cream and apply for 30 minutes;
banana: puree the fruit with kefir and corn flour or starch, spread on the drumsticks and leave for 20 minutes.
- Cabbage leaf and garlic. Roll cabbage leaves with a rolling pin to release juice. Place garlic pulp on a sheet. Apply the resulting compress to the affected leg for 40 minutes.
Paying attention to the problem of discomfort in the limbs, patients ask the question: “What to do to prevent tingling in the legs after work?” Prevention of pathology consists of the following components:
- Proper nutrition. A good diet to neutralize leg pain after work limits the intake of salt and fat. High cholesterol levels have a negative impact on your overall health. Be sure to have a full breakfast before work.
- Comfortable shoes without stilettos.
- Avoiding drafts.
- Exercise stress. Walking 10,000 steps a day, swimming, moderate jogging and yoga have many benefits: they will help you lose weight, strengthen your muscles, and improve blood circulation.
- Orthopedic insoles. Promotes correct distribution of weight on the legs.
When working as a salesperson, you can sit on a mat to try on shoes while you wait for customers - this will reduce swelling and pressure on your limbs.
The problem of pain in the legs after work is not critical and unsolvable. Correcting your diet, regular exercise and paying attention to your own health will eliminate discomfort.