Leg pain is a common complaint, especially among senior citizens. Seniors tend to have more complaints of lower back pain than any other age group. Pain in the legs can stem from a variety of conditions including arthritis, tendonitis, nerve inflammation, herniated discs, spondylosis, and sprains. Causes of leg pain can also be neurological, musculoskeletal, vascular, or spinal, or all these can overlap significantly. Nerve pain is often caused by neurogenic disorders such as stroke or a traumatic brain injury.
Nerve pain due to overuse injuries is very difficult to treat. Careful treatment is required to relieve the symptoms. Resting for a few days with medication may help, but returning to your sporting activity may worsen the condition. If leg cramps prolong beyond a few weeks or become chronic, visit your physician to rule out any conditions such as meningitis, which could be causes for leg pain due to overuse. In most instances, muscular soreness and/or pain originating in the hip or lower back are the most likely culprits.
Muscular and ligament injuries are also common causes for leg pain. Commonly these injuries occur in the lumbar region, pelvis, and shoulders. Injuries to the spine can result in severe pain. In some cases, diseases such as Parkinson’s, Lou Gehrig’s disease (a progressive nerve disease causing loss of mobility of the mid-brain and several limbs), or multiple sclerosis (a disease affecting the central nervous system) can cause leg Lower Back Pain.
Other factors that can contribute to leg pain are diabetes and hypothyroidism. Individuals suffering from diabetes may suffer from leg numbness, weakness, increased leg pain sensitivity to cold temperatures, and difficulty getting up after sitting for a long time. Similarly, hypothyroidism can lead to painful legs. Similarly, individuals who have multiple sclerosis can experience leg pain, fatigue, numbness, and tingling.
Many people also use splints or specially made shoes to help relieve leg pain, when joints are experiencing swelling due to injury or stress. Splints are made of a hard foam that is placed over the bones and springs back into place when they are compressed. Proper use of splints helps prevent damage to the tendons and muscles that surround the joints, which could lead to further complications.
Other conditions that can cause leg pain include lymphedema, compartment syndrome (frozen shoulder), meniscal tears, tendonitis (injuries to tendons and muscles), and bursitis (inflammation of the bursa that is present at the joint). In the case of lymphedema, fluid buildup in the leg often causes leg discomfort. This is due to the vessels leaking fluids due to the swelling that occurs with lymphedema. Meniscal tears happen when there is a break in the surface of the bone; this leads to a painful partial separation.
If your legs do not feel normal, you should seek immediate medical attention. It is important to seek immediate medical attention because some conditions, if left untreated, can lead to a more serious condition. Examples of these conditions are compartment syndrome and lymphedema. While symptoms can occur in any part of the body, most commonly the legs, it is important to seek medical attention when there are symptoms of redness, warmth, swelling, and pain. If you experience redness or warmth in your calves, you should call your doctor right away.
If you experience persistent leg pain, it is imperative that you seek medical attention. The symptoms may be caused by one of the above conditions. They can also be caused by an underlying medical condition or disorder such as cancer or diabetes. Because leg pain is one of the most common causes of lower limb disability and is more common in older adults, you should visit your doctor as soon as possible. By not paying attention to the symptoms of leg pain, you could end up with permanent disabilities.