How often do you wake up with a sharp cramp in your leg during the night's rest? True, it’s an unpleasant feeling that you want to get rid of as quickly as possible. In this article, we will look at the causes of numbness in the calves, and also look at possible treatment options for this pathology.
The first thing you need to do the moment your leg cramps is to calm down and stop panicking. You need to lie down and stretch your leg in a horizontal position. If the numbness does not go away, then do a little self-massage. After these manipulations, within 5 minutes (maximum) the numbness of the calves should go away. If sensitivity is not restored, then you need to look for the cause of this phenomenon. In particular, it is necessary to pay attention to your well-being if numbness in the calves occurs quite often (several times a week).
If numbness in your calves bothers you 2-3 times a week, then this is a good reason to see a doctor.
Of course, on the Internet you can find a long list of reasons that can cause numbness in the calves. But, as always, if you compare your physiological state and all these reasons, you will find little in common. Therefore, in such a clinical phenomenon as numbness of the calves, it is necessary to understand point by point.
Doctors say that spontaneous cramps in the calves may be a kind of protective mechanism. What does it mean? Let's try to figure it out.
So, let's give a fairly simple example that will be understandable to everyone.
You are going to the gym with the clear intention that you will now run 20 kilometers on the track and then move on to other exercise machines. But it was not there. Your brain does not understand such a sudden load on the spine and lower limbs. Naturally, the body will begin to defend itself in this case. How can the body protect itself?
The brain will begin to send a signal to nerve impulses so that they stop your feat with the help of numbness in the legs and cramps. Therefore, if you decide to engage in increased physical activity and after it you experience numbness in your legs, it is strongly recommended to take a break from training for a while. After the cramps have passed, sports activities should increase. Under no circumstances overload your body.
For a full and comfortable existence, our body needs vitamins and microelements, which we can get through proper nutrition or from pharmacy vitamin-mineral complexes. You ask: - How is numbness in the calves related to nutrition?
If there is a deficiency of magnesium, sodium, potassium, or vitamin D in a person’s blood, this will result in the conduction of nerve impulses being zero. Without these essential substances, neither the blood vessels nor the central nervous system will be able to fully function. Therefore, there are two options for getting out of this clinical situation:
Every second pregnant woman in the world suffers from numbness in her calves.
Numbness in the calves can occur due to poor circulation in the leg muscles. What does this mean and how do you understand that your blood circulation is impaired? Normally, blood flows to the lower extremities through the arteries. The blood makes a large circle and then rises up - to the heart - through the veins.
In order for blood to circulate normally through the veins, it is necessary that a person’s muscles contract fully. Violation of muscle contraction occurs under the influence of such negative factors as:
As a result, blood circulation is disrupted, blood in the lower extremities stagnates and all this leads to such an unpleasant phenomenon as numbness in the calves, or popularly called cramps.
When should you go to the doctor? This question also plagues quite a large number of people. Let's look at what most experts say about this.
If you experience leg cramps at least 2 times a week, then this is a reason to contact a specialist. Of course, you can still wait a while, attributing the numbness of the lower extremities to simple fatigue or physical overexertion. But, if this is not the reason at all, then you will simply waste time in treating a real and more serious problem.
Which doctor should I see? First, make an appointment with a general practitioner. Then, you should visit a specialist surgeon. Your doctor may refer you for a complete blood test.
Professional fitness club trainers affirmatively state that almost every gym goer may experience numbness in their legs on the 2nd, 3rd, 5th or even 10th visit to the gym.
In this case, it is recommended to do simple stretching exercises. Of course, it is advisable to do them before training, and not at the moment when you are faced with such an unpleasant phenomenon as numbness of the lower extremities.
For those who are going to engage in intense physical activity, it is recommended to start taking mineral supplements and complexes containing potassium and magnesium.
People have a huge number of ways to eliminate seizures. Some people relieve cramps with massage; others always carry a pin with them, which they stick into the muscle to eliminate cramps.
Representatives of the fairer sex recommend that if leg cramps occur, lift them onto the wall. And, by the way, there is some common sense in this. Since when you raise your legs up, the resulting stagnation of blood in the legs begins to go away. It is advisable to stay in this position for at least 15-20 minutes.
Numbness of the legs - loss of sensitivity or paresthesia of the skin of the lower extremities, also accompanied by tingling, goosebumps, burning, and a feeling of tightness. Numbness of the legs often accompanies other symptoms of various disorders, but sometimes this symptom is not much ahead of the main manifestations of the pathology.
Vertebroneurologists at the Doctor Ignatiev Clinic in Kyiv consider numbness in the legs to be one of the signs of osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral spine. In this case, numbness occurs only on one side, less often on both legs, which indicates the presence of protrusion or intervertebral hernia. The initial stages of osteochondrosis are accompanied by numbness of the legs to a lesser extent. In any case, this symptom characterizes the presence of serious problems that require visiting a specialist. Experienced vertebrologists at the clinic provide consultations daily, after prior appointment.
All causes of numbness in the legs, one way or another, come down to disturbances in the innervation and blood supply of the lower extremities. In the vast majority of cases, this is due to degenerative changes in the spine in its lower part - the lumbar and sacrum areas. In this case, compression occurs on the roots of the spinal nerves emanating from the spinal canal.
Intervertebral hernia can cause numbness in the limbs
Compression is carried out by osteophytes - bone growths of the vertebral bodies or protrusion of the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc - this can be either a protrusion or a hernia. In addition, innervation disorders can come from the spinal cord when a disc prolapses into the cavity of the spinal canal. Irritation of the membranes of the spinal cord and the nervous tissue itself can lead to a variety of neurological symptoms, including paresthesia of the legs.
Other causes of numbness in the legs include:
When examining a patient, it is important to first exclude life-threatening conditions that may occur when the central nervous system is damaged and the patency of the main arterial channels is impaired, as well as cases with vascular thrombosis and thromboembolism. For diagnostic purposes, classical and advanced hardware studies are used - radiography of the spine, Dopplerography of blood vessels, computed tomography, nuclear magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalography, electromyography and others.
Numbness in the legs can be eliminated by taking therapeutic measures against the causative factors of the disease, the diagnosis of which has already been established. Thus, spinal tuberculosis requires the use of specific antibacterial and chemotherapy drugs aimed at destroying the pathogen. Oncological diseases require long-term radiation and chemotherapy, elimination of the consequences of exhaustion of the body, and surgical intervention.
Probably, each pathology should include part of the measures that are always justified for osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine and its complications. These include:
The doctors of the Kyiv “Clinic of Doctor Ignatiev” make full use of all their experience and knowledge, as well as the material and technical base of the clinic to provide the most effective care to patients with numbness of the toes and other manifestations of pathology. But only through timely treatment can recovery be achieved as soon as possible.
A cramp is manifested by involuntary contractions or excessive tension of one or more muscles. It happens in the calves, stomach, arms. Often my legs cramp at night. The cause of cramps is muscle fatigue, nervous tension, monotonous sedentary work, prolonged walking or swimming, dehydration, and various diseases.
With the clonic type of cramps, the muscles quickly contract and relax. The tonic variety is characterized by prolonged muscle tension.
Both varieties are accompanied by some infectious diseases, intoxication, poisoning, traumatic brain injury, neurosis, metabolic disorders, heart disease, blood disease, deficiency of vitamins and microelements.
If a cramp occurs quite often over a long period, you should consult a doctor to determine the cause.
Although the exact reasons why calf muscle cramps occur at night have not yet been clarified. They happen even in the absence of serious illness.
One of the possible reasons is considered to be dehydration . Moisture is lost in the summer heat, in a hot steam room, or during intense sports training. Sweating increases, the body loses a lot of fluid.
In the treatment of hypertension and heart failure, diuretics . They can also cause calf cramps at night, as the body loses the trace elements potassium, magnesium, sodium, necessary for proper contraction and relaxation of muscles and transmission of nerve impulses.
Another reason why leg cramps are considered to be an imbalance of excitatory and inhibitory signals entering the calf muscle, as well as an increased reflex to its contraction.
This happens when the formation of adenosine triphosphoric acid ( ATP ) decreases, causing metabolic processes within the slow muscles of the lower extremities to worsen and their ability to relax to decrease.
Metabolic processes slow down with changes in blood viscosity, vascular pathology, muscle fatigue, which increases the reflex to contraction, one of the causes of leg cramps. This happens when performing quite ordinary work in a state of fatigue.
Involuntary muscle contractions are provoked by various factors: increased body temperature, stress, calcium deficiency.
Febrile convulsions occur when the temperature rises to high values of +38..+39C, as a rule, with infectious diseases. The cause is poisoning of the body with waste products of microbes.
The cause of affective-respiratory convulsions is severe stress. Under the influence of adrenaline, breathing quickens, which leads to a decrease in carbon dioxide levels and convulsive muscle contractions.
A common cause of cramping of the muscles in the calves is clubfoot , when the heel tilts inward and causes curvature in the ankle joint. The defect is especially noticeable in high-heeled shoes.
Over time, the legs begin to quickly get tired, they feel heaviness, the calves and knees hurt, and the veins of the feet and legs become dilated. At night, my legs go numb, cold, and cramps occur. “Spurs” may form and posture may worsen.
With polyneuritis the nerves are affected. The cause is viral diseases, intoxication, hypovitaminosis, metabolic disorders in diabetes mellitus.
The disease is accompanied by nighttime leg cramps, tingling, goosebumps, and sometimes numbness are felt on the skin.
The head hurts or feels dizzy, hearing decreases, discomfort is felt in the cardiac region, and irritability increases.
With varicose veins, veins expand, reaching a significant diameter. The disease occurs when the venous valves weaken, causing the blood to stagnate excessively and stretch the walls of the veins.
A common cause is a sedentary lifestyle, hereditary predisposition, slagging of the body, causing weakening of the walls, reduced fluid circulation due to excess weight or pregnancy, a consequence of hormonal changes, taking birth control pills, prolonged daily standing.
The calves swell, causing night cramps. The skin may peel off from your legs, they hurt, itch, and you constantly feel tired.
To stimulate circulation and prevent night cramps, it is worth giving your legs physical activity and taking walks. Special elastic stockings shown. It is worth giving up a tight belt or belt, getting rid of the habit of sitting cross-legged, since in this position the outflow of venous blood worsens.
Stagnation of blood with varicose veins can cause thrombophlebitis , inflammation of the vein wall and its complete blockage. Often this complication of varicose veins, causing destruction of the venous valves, occurs during pregnancy.
The body is rebuilt, the outflow of blood is disrupted due to compression of the venous plexuses by the uterus. Under the influence of hormones, the walls of the veins soften and are damaged by sudden changes in pressure inside the vessels during labor.
The cause of leg cramps during pregnancy is venous insufficiency. In the evening, the feet and legs swell, the calf muscles feel heaviness, and convulsive contractions occur at night. If the veins are accidentally injured, a bruise will form. In the later stages, the veins of the lower legs, thighs, and perineum expand, which can cause heavy bleeding during childbirth.
The parathyroid glands are located near the neck in close proximity to the thyroid gland. They regulate phosphoric acid metabolism in the body. Sometimes the lack of function is caused by their damage during surgery on the thyroid gland.
Signs of hypoparathyroidism are manifested by muscle spasms, including respiratory muscles, cramps of the feet, and fingers. The stomach hurts, the stool is loose, and sometimes allergies appear. Everything around you begins to irritate you for no reason, nervous breakdowns occur, and sleep deteriorates.
The cause of painful, repeated cramps in the calf muscles is a lack of calcium caused by hypoparathyroidism.
Calcium is found in milk powder, cheese, soy, nuts, cabbage, parsley, cream, yogurt, beans, and cottage cheese. The daily requirement is 1000-1500 mcg. Deficiency is manifested by brittle nails, decreased resistance to disease, deterioration of memory, and blood clotting.
Calcium is especially necessary for dieters, during pregnancy, and during teenage development.
If the cause of seizures is associated with hypoparathyroidism, treatment requires vitamin D, which promotes the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, regulating the exchange of these elements.
Vitamin D is rich in fish oil, cod liver, herring, tuna, cheese, cottage cheese.
With a sedentary lifestyle, constipation, and heavy lifting, the veins of the rectum expand and become pinched. The disease develops when there is a deficiency in the diet of magnesium, vitamins C, K, and P.
If pain or bleeding occurs during bowel movements, leg cramps, or bruises on the body, it is necessary to eliminate magnesium deficiency.
Magnesium is found in wheat bran, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, nuts, soybeans, and lentils.
Fresh vegetables and fruits, tomatoes, sweet peppers, dill, sorrel, lemons, oranges, black currants are rich in vitamin C.
Vitamin K is found in green plants, liver, walnuts, and cabbage. In addition, it is produced by intestinal microflora. If enough dietary fiber is supplied through the diet, the walls are not contaminated and the balance is not disturbed, the body receives a sufficient amount of vitamin K.
Vitamin P is found in rose hips, red capsicums, oranges, grapes, and black currants.
With insufficient intake of vitamin B1 ( thiamine ), depression becomes more frequent, fatigue increases, memory deteriorates, and leg cramps occur. The cause of deficiency is diet abuse and diabetes.
Cereals, legumes, and potatoes help eliminate the lack of vitamin B1.
Vitamin B6 ( pyridoxine deficiency causes leg cramps, loss of appetite, and muscular dystrophy. Contained in cereals, legumes, bran, wholemeal flour, milk, meat, fish, brewer's yeast.
To treat nighttime leg cramps, you should take vitamin E (tocopherol) . The recommended daily intake is 10-20IU; for medicinal purposes it is increased.
Taking vitamin E eliminates circulatory problems in the lower extremities - the cause of cramps, helps in the fight against fungal diseases, is good for the eyes, adds energy and attractiveness.
To prevent cramps in your legs at night, regardless of the causes of convulsive contractions of the lower extremities, it is useful to do simple exercises before going to bed.
To stretch the lower leg muscles, place the front of your feet on a small ledge (a low stack of magazines) and hold onto a table or chair:
When a cramp approaches, pull your socks toward you to stretch and relax your calves.
What to do if your leg still cramps? Stand up, move your flattened leg back, place your toes on the floor and gently apply pressure with your body weight to relax your calf.
If your calves are cramped, formulations based on Potentilla anserinosa :
Author: admin · Published 05/29/2017 · Updated 01/18/2018
Pain in the calves and thigh when touched and flexed can occur for a number of reasons. This includes sciatica, which causes pain along the path of your sciatic nerve, which may be tender to the touch. Muscle cramps, sprains and tears can also cause pain in the thigh and calves. Treatments and prevention options such as cold packs, hot packs and stretching exercises can help relieve and prevent this leg discomfort. Check with your doctor about the specific nature of your pain. Pain in the hip and groin area.
Sciatica occurs due to compression of the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back to the calves. This painful symptom usually occurs due to a tear in the outer covering of a disc in the back and subsequent leakage of its contents, which puts pressure on the nerve root. Sciatica can cause a dull ache in the lower back, hip, buttocks, calves, ankle, foot, or toes. There is also a shooting pain that runs from the lower back down the leg. This nerve pain ranges from mild to severe and can occur after prolonged sitting, physical exertion, or bending the back. Additionally, the affected area may be tender and sore to the touch. Contact your doctor if you experience severe or progressive pain that lasts longer than a week or if your pain is due to numbness or muscle weakness in your legs. Treatment of radiculitis with exercises.
Muscle cramps are forced, involuntary muscle contractions that can cause mild to severe pain in the thigh and calves, lasting 15 minutes or longer. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, muscle cramps most often occur in the gastrocnemius muscles at the back of the calves, the hamstrings at the back of the thigh, and the quadriceps muscle at the front of the thigh. However, cramps can also occur in your arms, legs, and other parts of your body. During a cramp, you may feel a heavy, painful piece of muscle tissue. Cramps may occur during exercise. Such as raising the knee to the chest, as well as during sitting, walking and sleeping. An increased risk of muscle spasms is seen in highly trained athletes, as well as infants, young children, older adults and overweight people. If you experience frequent, severe pain that is not associated with an obvious cause, such as exercise, see your doctor.
Your hamstrings, the muscles that run from your pelvis, through your knees and stop at the top of your calves, help you bend your knees. Pulling, straining, or tearing these muscles can also cause pain in your calves and thighs. Severe injuries usually occur due to overuse or overexertion through participation in activities such as football, basketball, sprinting and running. A hamstring strain can cause sudden, sharp pain in the back of the thigh, accompanied by swelling and tenderness. You may also experience a popping or tearing sensation. A direct blow to the muscle as it contracts can cause a hamstring tear. A severe tear can cause a knot of tissue in the thigh and pain when you bend the knee or touch the affected area. Minor pain may gradually worsen each time you repeat the activity that caused the injury. Depending on the severity of your injury, full recovery may take up to three months. Damage to the medial collateral ligament.
Blood disaster.
Pain in the thigh and calves that occurs when walking or exercising may be the result of a limp or decreased blood supply to the legs. This condition is most often a symptom of peripheral arterial disease, a narrowing of the arteries that carry blood to your extremities, usually caused by the accumulation of plaque or fatty deposits. Smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and obesity are the main risk factors.
Leg pain from peripheral arterial disease tends to occur when you are active. Muscles need more blood. The lack of normal amounts of blood causes pain, which is known as intermittent claudication. When you stop moving, the pain usually goes away.
Deep vein thrombosis.
Deep vein thrombosis can be a very serious cause of calf pain. This is the formation of a blood clot in the deep veins, usually in the calf or thigh. Deep vein thrombosis requires immediate medical attention as it reduces blood flow to the leg and there is a risk that the clot can break off and travel through the bloodstream to the heart or lungs, which can cause a heart attack or pulmonary embolism.
Common signs of deep vein thrombosis are pain, redness, warmth and swelling in the calf area, and the pain often gets worse if you bend your leg backward (pull your toes up towards you). Often thrombosis develops after surgery or a period of inactivity such as air travel, and there may also be a genetic link.
Weakness and tight muscles are a common cause of calf muscle pain. Weak muscles will tire quickly if you are on your feet for long periods of time. Therefore it is important to work on strength and endurance. If your calves are tight, they are prone to damage from increased tension, making stretching exercises vital. What is muscle atrophy?
For some people, hip and calf (and sometimes arm) pain can be the result of neuropathy, a disorder of the peripheral motor system, the sensory and autonomic nerves that connect the spinal cord to our muscles, skin and internal organs. Neuropathy can cause numbness, tingling, and a feeling of heaviness. In some cases, people may lose the ability to feel sensation in their legs, which can put them at risk for injury and infection.
Neuropathy can be caused by many factors, including infection, toxins, and the effects of alcoholism, but diabetes is the most common cause. According to the Neuropathy Association, approximately 60 to 70% of people with diabetes will develop peripheral neuropathy at some point. It may also affect people who have prediabetes and may not experience any other diabetic symptoms.
Healthy muscle function depends on the nerves maintaining a well-balanced mixture of electrolytes—minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium that have an electrical charge. Electrolytes transmit signals that support nerve, heart and muscle function, and also affect the amount of water in your body.
But some medications; dehydration; and conditions such as diarrhea and kidney disease can affect your electrolyte balance. When electrolyte levels become too low, it can cause leg pain. For example, when sodium, which attracts water to cells, is depleted, cells straining to compensate for the lack of fluid can lead to painful cramps. By reducing blood flow, dehydration can cause electrolyte imbalances and seizures. Likewise, if you drink too much water, you may flush out too many electrolytes.
There are many types of arthritis. Osteoarthritis, the most common form, destroys the cartilage in your joints, causing painful bone spurs to develop, cartilage loss, inflammation, or tenderness. Rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease, attacks the lining of joints, also causing inflammation and pain. Treatment of post-traumatic arthritis.
Although arthritis is a joint disease, the pain it causes can be felt in the surrounding leg muscles. Any joint under stress can cause pain. But the muscles around it try to protect it, and may go into spasms and get secondary muscle pain.
Whether your leg pain is due to sciatica, a muscle strain, or other causes, several home remedies can help relieve discomfort and prevent further injury. For example, applying an ice pack for up to 20 minutes several times a day can reduce inflammation. You can also apply a hot compress or alternate hot and cold compress treatments. Additionally, over-the-counter medications, gentle stretching, and massage can help relieve hip and calf pain.
The Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons recommends doing regular stretching exercises before and after exercise. Exercises that stretch the muscles in your calves and thighs can help the muscles contract more efficiently and reduce your chances of muscle injury or cramping. A variation of the calf stretch involves leaning forward with your hands against a wall, one leg in front of the other, and one leg straight. Additionally, riding an exercise bike before bed can also help reduce muscle and nerve pain. Consult your doctor before attempting to treat your feet at home.
In an ordinary person, during the course of a day, the leg muscles experience up to a thousand contractions, and the joints bend and extend up to several hundred times. Such stress often provokes various inflammations, one of the symptoms of which is a burning sensation in the legs. This phenomenon also often signals the development of various internal pathologies. Treatment of this condition is possible only after correct diagnosis. What does it mean if a tingle runs down your lower limb? Which therapy is best to use? Read below.
Such an unpleasant symptom as burning in the legs can occur for various reasons. Its appearance does not always mean any disease. If pain and burning in the legs occurs suddenly, this may be a consequence of fatigue due to prolonged walking, standing, carrying heavy objects, or hypothermia of the legs. Also, the legs may become numb, the ankle may swell if the lower limbs are in an uncomfortable position for a long time, and when changing position, the numbness is immediately replaced by an unpleasant burning sensation, tingling, trembling, as if large goosebumps are running down the leg.
Uncomfortable shoes can put pressure on the foot, high heels cause tired legs and a burning sensation in the calves and ankles, the feet often bake, and there is pain in the toes.
Physiologically, burning in the leg muscles is considered natural during pregnancy, when the fetus in the second and third trimester puts strong pressure on the woman’s internal organs and can compress the nerve roots, as a result of which the woman feels that her legs are “baking” and “burning.”
A burning sensation in the legs can also be caused by serious diseases of the body, for example, such a symptom often accompanies the development of diabetes or gout, when the nerve endings and blood vessels of the lower extremities are damaged, which causes pain in the legs.
Other causes that may cause burning in the arms and legs:
Burning sensations in the extremities can occur when blood clots occur.
After chemotherapy, patients experience a number of complications as a result of massive death of normal cells. The patient experiences severe nausea, headaches, hair loss, and itching and burning on the legs. However, these symptoms disappear quickly after chemotherapy in most cases, and the person feels well again. Although slight weakness may accompany him for two weeks after chemotherapy.
Neuropathologists very often associate burning in the leg muscles with the development of polyneuropathy, which is rarely an independent disease; most often it accompanies various internal pathologies, such as tuberculosis, syphilis, malignant tumors, AIDS. Also, polyneuropathy, which is characterized not only by pain and a burning sensation in the leg muscles, but also by swelling of the arms and legs, redness of the skin, sensory disturbances, convulsions and even paralysis, can be triggered by allergies, mechanical damage, low levels of thyroid hormones, and Lyme disease.
A person may also feel a burning sensation in the soles of their feet when the legs and nail plates are affected by a fungus.
The legs also burn, itch and ache at the fracture site due to damage to the nerve fibers.
Coxarthrosis - arthrosis affects the hip joint, the disease is characterized by pain and burning along the inner and front upper surface of the legs, radiating to the thigh, often unpleasant sensations are transmitted to the groin (between the legs), buttocks and slightly above the knee. Moreover, the pain is not felt at rest, but occurs when standing up and while walking. Coxarthrosis seriously worsens the quality of life, many joys - playing sports, long walks in the air, swimming, full-fledged sex - become inaccessible.
A burning sensation in the legs may occur due to a fungal infection.
To properly and successfully treat burning sensation in the legs and arms, you must first diagnose the true cause. This can be difficult to do. Since these symptoms accompany a number of diseases, the doctor must conduct a full examination of the patient and, after making a diagnosis, determine how to treat the disease that caused a burning sensation in the legs, feet, knees, ankles and muscles. Testing may include:
If the doctor suspects that pain and burning in the legs is caused by polyneuropathy, then a lumbar puncture may be performed to test the cerebrospinal fluid in a laboratory. X-ray examination or ultrasound of internal organs sometimes helps to make a diagnosis.
Since the most likely cause of a person's burning feet is a fungal infection, a doctor may take a skin scraping to make a diagnosis.
How to cure leg pain? The causes of this pathology can be different, and the course of treatment depends on them. If the trigger factor was banal tired legs or uncomfortable shoes, then treatment comes down to just a few points: you need to wear comfortable shoes and boots, folk methods will also help - in the evening, do a 15-minute herbal bath for both legs simultaneously from a warm decoction of calendula, St. John's wort, celandine or medicinal chamomile, after a long walk, try to raise your legs above your chest (on a pillow or bolster) for 5-10 minutes to restore blood circulation. Such techniques, as a rule, immediately relieve leg fatigue, soothe pain in the leg muscles, and prevent the development of varicose veins. It is very good to lubricate your feet at night with gel for vascular health - Veniton, Lyoton, Troxevasin. The gel should be applied lightly, applying gentle pressure to the inflamed and reddened area.
If leg pain occurs due to fatigue, it is recommended to take foot baths.
Treatment of burning in the legs should be comprehensive:
If the cause of burning in the legs, vascular pattern, protrusion of veins under the knee, in the shin area, which disfigures the lower limb, is varicose veins, then conservative treatment methods may not help, and surgical intervention will be required. By the way, according to statistics, a woman suffers from varicose veins 2 times more often than a man, which is due to physiological and anatomical differences between representatives of the fair and strong half of humanity.
If the lower leg begins to itch very much, which is accompanied by irritation and redness of the skin, peeling and severe itching of the feet and between the toes, burning of the soles of the feet, this signals a fungal infection of the feet. The only way to get rid of painful symptoms is to cure the fungus using special ointments. Unfortunately, fungal infections often recur, as indicated by renewed burning of the toes and severe itching. In this case, treatment is repeated with stronger drugs.
After chemotherapy, analgesics will help soothe burning and muscle pain. They should be taken only after consultation with the attending physician, since the body after chemotherapy is very weak and susceptible to infection and may react in an unexpected way to any medication.
Why else can a burning sensation in the legs below the knee be tormented? The reasons may lie in a lack of B vitamins. The daily requirement for these vitamins for adults averages from 1.3 to 2.6 mg, which depends on gender, age and lifestyle. A decrease in consumption leads to a deficiency of B vitamins and various disorders in the body, including muscle pain, cramps, and numbness in the legs. It’s easy to correct the situation: you just need to balance your diet, include in your diet foods rich in B vitamins: cranberries, raisins, green vegetables, cereals and legumes, liver, beef and fish, chicken eggs, nuts and sunflower seeds. In advanced cases, treatment is reduced to taking multivitamin preparations.
Numbness in a person's limbs can be a sign of a serious illness. However, on the other hand, paresthesia of the legs and arms does not always indicate some terrible diagnoses. Today we’ll figure out which situations you shouldn’t worry about, and in which situations you should immediately seek help from a specialist in order to get rid of such unpleasant symptoms and, of course, cure the disease itself.
Such unpleasant sensations as tingling and numbness of the fingers and toes, burning and “pins and needles” in the extremities are called paresthesia in medicine. Often, such symptoms occur as a result of short-term compression of the nerves due to an uncomfortable posture. In this case, paresthesia is most often one-sided, that is, numbness and tingling occurs in the right arm or, for example, the left leg.
For example, a person sits for a long time with his lower limbs bent, or sleeps in an uncomfortable position. As a result, the legs begin to tingle and “goosebumps” appear. Another case: in a crowded transport, a person is forced to hold on to the handrail for a long time with his right or left hand. As a result, numbness of the upper limbs occurs. In this case, numbness and tingling of the left hand, as well as the right, can be eliminated as follows: straighten the hand, change the position of the body and wait a little until the condition returns to normal.
That is, special treatment for paresthesia in this case is not required. But there are situations when such a symptom appears frequently and does not depend on the position of the limbs. Then consultation with a specialist is required. Based on the examination, the doctor prescribes additional research methods, and then adequate treatment.
Numbness and tingling of the fingers can indicate serious problems such as osteochondrosis or intervertebral hernia.
In the first disease, the cause of paresthesia is growths on the vertebrae that appear as a result of degenerative changes. And these layers can compress the nerve endings, which leads to such consequences.
If a person has an intervertebral hernia, then the cause of discomfort is compression of the nerve. Most often, strangulation occurs on one side, for example, on the left, which is why numbness and tingling of the left hand is observed.
Paresthesia may be one of the first signs of a stroke or vascular problems. These unhealthy conditions are caused mostly by hypertension or atherosclerosis. Tingling in the hands and numbness in the limbs can also be caused by stress or mental stress. In any case, if a person regularly observes such negative manifestations in himself, he should immediately go to the doctor, since the causes of such ailment may be too serious.
The etiology of paresthesia of the lower extremities of a person can be both diseases of the body and an incorrect lifestyle.
Most often, tingling and numbness in the legs occurs with the following health problems:
A very common cause of paresthesia of the limbs is a deficiency of certain substances that are very important for the normal functioning of the body. A lack of vitamin B12, which is responsible for the metabolic processes of the nervous system, can lead to impaired sensitivity of the lower extremities.
Treatment in this case is simple: you need to compensate for the lack of this element and in the future monitor the required content of it in the body.
Pregnant women often experience tingling and numbness in their legs. However, you should not be scared and look for possible diseases accompanied by such a symptom. This is a normal phenomenon, which is associated with changes occurring in the body of a pregnant woman: excess fluid occurs, as a result of which the limbs may swell. In addition, the heart also works for the baby, blood volume increases, which leads to hemodynamic disturbances. In this case, a pregnant woman experiences tingling and numbness in her legs at night or after sleep. In such cases, no treatment is required, because everything will go away after childbirth.
Once the cause of the numbness has been identified and an accurate diagnosis has been made, the patient should follow all the doctor’s recommendations. In addition, there is a whole range of measures that relieve leg fatigue, tension in the spine, and eliminate numbness of the limbs. You should remember or even write down these simple techniques that will help overcome paresthesia:
1. Playing sports. Cycling, swimming, regular walking and other types of similar exercise will help get rid of numbness and tingling in the legs and arms, as well as develop the spine.
2. A healthy lifestyle, which includes quitting smoking and alcohol. If a person drinks alcohol or smokes, a spasm of blood vessels occurs in the body. As a result, tingling and numbness in the legs and arms, cramps and other undesirable symptoms appear.
3. Proper nutrition. The main component of the diet should be warm porridges - oatmeal, buckwheat, pearl barley. Also don't forget about fresh vegetables and fruits.
4. Hypothermia of the body should not be allowed during the cold season.
5. Contrast baths. Daily treatments with hot and cold water will ease the physical condition of your feet. To do this, you need to alternately lower your limbs for half a minute in a container with the heated liquid as much as possible, and then with an ice-cold liquid. The procedure should be carried out in the morning and evening, and after such a bath you should lubricate your feet with turpentine ointment and put on warm socks so as not to get sick.
Now you know that the causes of such unpleasant sensations as tingling and numbness in the legs and arms can be very different. And such symptoms should not always be considered as a sign of some terrible illness. Indeed, often an incorrect posture can be the reason for the appearance of “goosebumps”, and then no treatment is required. However, if tingling and numbness occurs frequently, then a person needs to consult a doctor to find out the cause of such symptoms and overcome the disease in time.
Summary: Pain in the calves is a very common symptom that can be caused by either ordinary muscle strain or very serious reasons. If the pain does not go away within 24 hours, it is better to consult a doctor.
The calf is made up of two muscles: the gastrocnemius and the soleus. The gastrocnemius and soleus muscles intersect at the Achilles tendon, which attaches directly to the heel. These muscles are used in any movement of the leg and foot.
The severity and nature of pain in the calves varies from person to person, but typically it is felt as an aching, dull or sharp pain along the back of the leg, sometimes accompanied by stiffness. Symptoms that may indicate a more serious condition include:
If you have at least one of the above symptoms, you need to consult a doctor.
8 causes of pain in the calves
Calf pain can result from a number of causes, including muscle strain, cramping, and foot problems. Although, in most cases, calf pain can be treated at home, some situations may require immediate medical attention.
Muscle spasms are sudden, painful muscle contractions. The spasm may pass quickly or last several minutes. Cramping is common and is usually caused by exercising too hard or adding new exercises to your workout routine. Cramps can also be a result of dehydration, muscle injury, or lack of minerals in the body. More severe causes of muscle spasms include:
In some severe cases, restricted blood flow to parts of the body and other serious conditions and diseases can also cause muscle spasms.
Muscle strains are usually the result of muscle fatigue and excessive or improper stress on the muscles. For example, starting a new workout program or adding exercises that heavily use your leg muscles, such as running, swimming, cycling, or powerlifting, can lead to a calf strain. As a rule, a person immediately realizes that he has strained a muscle due to severe pain and limited mobility. Mild to moderate sprains can be successfully treated at home with cold and heat therapy and anti-inflammatory medications. Severe muscle sprains and ruptures require seeking qualified help.
Inflammation of the Achilles tendon can be the result of excessive stress on the tendon, stretching or overexertion. Common symptoms include inflammation of the tendon, pain down the back of the leg, swelling, and limited range of motion when flexing the foot. Simple methods such as cold and heat therapy, elastic bandaging, bed rest, and over-the-counter pain relievers and anti-inflammatory medications usually help with Achilles tendon inflammation. However, if home treatment does not work or the pain gets worse, it is important to see a doctor quickly.
Sciatica is a set of symptoms that result from problems with the sciatic nerve, the nerve that controls the muscles of the leg and foot. Sciatica can cause pain, numbness and tingling in the lower back, which can spread to the thigh, buttock and down the back of the leg, also affecting the calf, ankle and foot. Sometimes, with serious damage to the sciatic nerve, weakness of the leg and foot muscles can occur. In severe cases of sciatica, surgery is performed.
Sciatica can be caused by a number of conditions and diseases that involve the spine and can affect the spinal nerves. In addition, sciatica can be caused by injury, such as a fall, or by a tumor in the spine. The most common spinal problems that can cause sciatica are:
Our vertebrae are separated from each other by small cartilages. These cartilages are filled with a gel-like substance, providing mobility to the spine and shock absorption during movement. A herniated disc occurs when the outer hard lining of a disc ruptures. Part of the internal substance of the disc is thus squeezed out and can compress the sciatic nerve root, leading to pain and numbness in the lower limb. Most often, pain in the calves is combined with pain in the lower back, buttock, thigh and foot, but in our practice we have seen cases of isolated pain in the calf; MRI confirmed the presence of a large intervertebral hernia. Also, in the case of pain in the calf associated with the presence of an intervertebral hernia, the rule applies: “The lower the pain in the leg, the larger the size of the intervertebral hernia,” so usually pain in the calf on one side or in the shins on both sides is caused by a large disc herniation , which dictates the need for early diagnosis. Get an MRI of the lumbar spine if the pain in the lower leg bothers you on one side and is combined or previously there were symptoms such as pain or numbness in the lower back, buttock, thigh and foot to the toes. All these symptoms indicate a pinched sciatic nerve.
Spinal stenosis is an abnormal narrowing of the spinal canal (the hollow vertical tube in the center of the spine where the spinal cord and spinal nerve roots extend from it are located). Due to the narrowing of the spinal canal, compression of the spinal cord and sciatic nerve roots occurs.
Spondylolisthesis is one of the conditions associated with intervertebral disc degeneration. When one of the vertebrae moves forward in relation to the adjacent lower one, the first one can compress the sciatic nerve root.
Piriformis syndrome is a rare neuromuscular disorder in which the piriformis muscle inadvertently contracts or contracts, causing sciatica. The piriformis muscle is a muscle that connects the lower spine and hip bones. When the muscle becomes tight and tight, it can put pressure on the sciatic nerve, leading to sciatica. Piriformis syndrome can be worsened by sitting for long periods of time or after a fall or car accident. However, this syndrome exists only in theory and is most likely associated with insufficient diagnosis of the patient. Throughout our entire practice (more than 20 years of work), pain in the piriformis muscle has always been associated with an intervertebral hernia of the lumbar spine and completely disappeared during treatment of the disc herniation.
In rare cases, a herniated disc can put so much pressure on nerves that it causes a person to lose bladder and/or bowel control. This condition is called cauda equina syndrome. Cauda equina syndrome can also cause numbness and tingling in the groin area, decreased sensation in erogenous zones, and even paralysis if left untreated.
Cauda equina syndrome usually develops gradually. It is important to seek medical attention immediately if you experience the following symptoms:
Diagnosis of the cause of sciatica begins with a medical examination. Subsequently, the doctor refers the patient for examination. The most common options for such examination are radiographic methods such as MRI and CT.
X-rays cannot show damage to the sciatic nerve. MRI uses powerful magnets and radio waves to create detailed images of spinal structures and is the main method for diagnosing sciatica. CT is used in situations where MRI is difficult or impossible. Most likely, in this case, the patient will be prescribed a CT myelogram, which involves injecting a special dye into the spine to get clearer pictures of the spinal cord and nerves.
Treatment of sciatica is directly related to the causes of this condition. If sciatica is caused by a tumor in the lumen of the spinal canal, then immediate consultation with a neurosurgeon and oncologist is required, if necessary. If sciatica is caused by complications of osteochondrosis - intervertebral disc herniation, spondylosis, spondyloarthrosis, spondylolisthesis or secondary spinal stenosis, then complex conservative treatment is required, which includes methods of spinal traction (we recommend non-load traction, as the most effective and safe type of spinal traction), anti-inflammatory treatment ( we recommend hirudotherapy), various massage methods, physical therapy, kinesio taping and so on.
Surgery may be required for severe pain or in situations where loss of urinary and/or bowel control occurs. Surgery is also necessary if the patient has developed weakness in certain muscle groups in the leg. The two most popular surgical options are discectomy, which removes the part of the disc that is putting pressure on the nerve, and microdiscectomy, which removes part of the disc through a small incision while the surgeon uses a microscope. Surgical treatment does not lead to recovery; it only allows one to avoid complications of a disc herniation, but can cause even more serious complications.
A bruise is the result of an injury such as a fall or blow. As a result of the injury, capillaries under the skin burst, causing a change in skin color (bruising). Bruises usually go away on their own. However, it is necessary to see a doctor if you have bruises just like that, without trauma, or if bruises appear repeatedly in the same place, again, without any external influence.
Diabetic peripheral nerve neuropathy is nerve damage that affects the legs, feet, arms, and hands. This condition is a common complication of diabetes and is caused by high blood sugar, genetic factors and nerve inflammation. Other symptoms of neuropathy include:
Deep vein thrombosis occurs when a blood clot forms in the deep veins of an arm or leg, including the calf. There are a number of factors and conditions that can cause deep vein thrombosis, including prolonged sitting, side effects from certain medications, and smoking. Symptoms of deep vein thrombosis include:
If you develop symptoms of deep vein thrombosis, you should contact your doctor immediately.
Compartment syndrome is a serious condition that occurs when pressure increases within the myofascial space. The myofascial space is a group of muscle tissue, blood vessels and nerves in the arms and legs, surrounded by a very dense membrane called fascia. Fascia does not stretch, so inflammation and swelling in the myofascial space can lead to a significant increase in pressure, which leads to damage to the muscles, blood vessels and nerves located in the myofascial space.
Increased pressure can also block blood flow to the myofascial space. This leads to oxygen starvation of tissues and cells and subsequently their death. If compartment syndrome is left untreated, amputation may result.
The article was added to Yandex Webmaster 2018-03-30, 12:31.