Many people are familiar with the unpleasant situation when in the morning after sleeping in the legs there is pain. At the same time, a person will feel well-rested and full of energy.
When this kind of pain appears after a tiring day at work, long walks - it's natural. And what are the causes of pain in the legs after sleep and whether it is necessary to do something about it, only the doctor knows.
Causes of the phenomenon
Why not everyone knows why my legs hurt after sleep. Unpleasant sensations after waking up are associated with external or internal causes. The former include injuries, poor sleeping posture, excessive physical exertion, uncomfortable shoes, or standing for long periods of time.
Internal causes include poor circulation, overweight, pinched nerves, infectious diseases and tissue inflammation.
The appearance of unpleasant pain may also be associated with diseases of internal organs or systems. In such a situation, it is necessary to seek medical help as soon as possible.
Pain in the calves,feet may be harbingers:
- rheumatism;
- arthrosis;
- arthritis;
- osteoporosis;
- varicose veins;
- fasciita.
Such diseases during the waking period may not show any signs. But after a long rest, when the body relaxes as much as possible, the pain worsens. Other signs of disease, such as swelling, may also be present.
If pain is felt in the calf muscles, then this may indicate pathologies of the cardiovascular system, blood stasis. As the blood flow becomes more active in the morning, the pain intensifies, signaling the presence of a problem.
Stagnation of blood is most often associated with physical inactivity. If a person spends a long time in a sitting position, the body does not have enough oxygen. Because of this, a lot of harmful substances are concentrated in the blood, which leads not only to the appearance of pain, but also to other unpleasant symptoms.
Why your legs hurt after sleep, everyone needs to know. Unpleasant sensations in the calf area may indicate the presence of such diseases:
- hernia;
- scoliosis;
- Displaced vertebral discs.
Burning in the area of the toes can signal problems associated with blood vessels. For women, pain in this area is often caused by wearing uncomfortable shoes.
If the discomfort occurs only in the foot, then this may be a sign of poor circulation, nerve damage or gout. Pain inheel often occur with flat feet. In addition, it will signal the presence of an inflammatory process in the muscles - plantar fasciitis. Pain in the feet may be associated with osteoporosis. In this way, the body can signal that the host is overweight.
Such symptoms manifest themselves in a variety of ways and it is difficult to determine the disease that caused them only by sensations. It is the doctor's prerogative.
Signs of various diseases
Since the discomfort in the legs after waking up can be the harbingers of many diseases, it is necessary to consider the main ones.
If your legs hurt after sleeping, the reasons may be as follows.
Varicose
This disease is most susceptible to women and pathology is manifested by severe pain in the legs after sleep. Seizures are possible at night.
Veins will be visible on the skin, transforming into painful bands of a purple hue. The greatest danger is varicose veins of deep veins, since in the initial stages it is difficult to diagnose. In addition to leg muscles aching after sleep, burning in the limbs and other unpleasant sensations may occur.
If the disease is detected at the beginning of development, then, as a rule, conservative treatment will be sufficient. More advanced stages will most likely require surgery.
Arthritis
The reason your feet hurt after sleeping may be due to arthritis. With this disease, both large joints (thigh, ankle, knee),and small feet and toes. Pain most often appears in the morning or after a heavy load. Even after rest, these unpleasant symptoms do not go away.
Fever may also rise as the joints are inflamed. Possible redness of the skin. In a severe or advanced case, deformation of the joints will begin. If after sleep your legs hurt, but you need to disperse in order for the unpleasant symptoms to go away, then this just indicates the onset of arthritis.
Treatment must be carried out in a timely manner at the beginning of the development of the disease. So it will be possible to get rid of the disease using conservative methods: painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs. In an advanced stage, it may be necessary to replace the joint with a prosthesis.
Rheumatism
This disease is also the reason why the legs may feel uncomfortable in the form of pain in the legs. It is considered quite dangerous, as it affects not only the joints, but also the internal organs.
The greatest burden falls on the heart. The disease develops against the background of a streptococcal infection - transferred angina.
Rheumatism is a severe inflammation of the joints. In addition to pain, there is swelling, pain on palpation. The change occurs on the ECG, which indicates that there are malfunctions in the work of the heart muscle.
The danger of rheumatism is associated with its complications. He is difficult to treat. Treatment should be started as early as possible in the hospital.
Osteoporosis
It's a diseaseIt is also the reason that the heels of the feet hurt in the legs after sleep. Pathology most often develops in women during menopause. Since the body lacks hormones, changes occur in the structure of bone tissue, its density decreases.
The danger of the disease is frequent fractures that heal with difficulty. X-rays can help diagnose the disease. And to determine how much tissue density has decreased, it is recommended to perform densitometry.
Tendinitis
With this disease, the calves of the legs hurt after sleep. Tendinitis is an inflammation of the tendons. It develops with injuries, infections, disorders of the immune system, local inflammatory processes.
Symptoms will be:
- redness;
- puffiness;
- pain;
- degenerative tissue damage;
- crunching, crackling when you try to move your leg.
If the disease is detected in a timely manner and its treatment is started on time, then using only conservative methods, a complete restoration of the tendons is possible. If the form is advanced, surgery will be required.
Heel spur
It can also cause discomfort in the legs after sleep. The problem most often occurs in older people. The main causes of occurrence: flat feet, excessive load on the feet, traumatic injury. Symptoms: unbearable pain in the heel. They can appear at any time of the day.
X-rays are used to diagnose the disease. In the treatment, surgical methods are used, since with the help ofconservative therapy cannot get rid of the growth.
Fasciitis
Pain will bother in the heel area. There are usually two reasons for discomfort: being overweight and wearing uncomfortable shoes.
Injuries
They also cause discomfort in the limbs, the feet also hurt after sleep. This is true not only for adults, but also for children. Injuries can be different: bruises, sprains, tears. Seek medical attention if you suspect a joint or tendon injury.
Injury first aid: apply ice to the affected area and take pain medication. Treatment is usually carried out at home using conservative methods. Only in exceptional cases is surgery necessary.
Why does a child's legs hurt after sleeping
The main cause of pain is associated with the so-called growth syndrome, which occurs at the age of 4-7 years. During this period, the bones and ligaments of children grow unevenly, not keeping up with each other.
They put pressure on the joint capsules and cause discomfort. If the pain is associated with this symptom, then they most often appear in the lower leg, calf and ankle joints. There will be no fever and lethargy.
If the disturbing joint turns red, it hurts the baby to move his leg, a rash occurs and symptoms of intoxication of the body are noticeable, it is urgent to show the baby to the doctor. If there are no noticeable signs of the disease, the baby feels good, then not only parents should calm down,but also the baby. You can stroke the sore leg, make a light massage. Give your child a warm bath with sea s alt or relaxing scented foam if they are not allergic.
If the pain is very disturbing and the child cannot calm down, it is recommended to use ibuprofen-based ointments.
A child in a period of intensive growth can be helped using the following recommendations:
- Reconsider the routine of the day. Good rest is important.
- Be outdoors more often.
- Moderate physical activity.
- Increase the amount of fresh fruits, vegetables and dairy products in your diet.
- Maintaining a friendly atmosphere in the family.
Also, the situation when a child’s leg hurts in the morning after sleep can also occur for other reasons:
- Orthopedic pathologies. Violation of posture, scoliosis, flat feet, congenital pathologies of the hip joints. Since there is a shift in the center of gravity, the maximum pressure is on the legs.
- Chronic foci of infection: caries, adenoiditis, tonsillitis.
- Rheumatoid arthritis.
- Endocrine pathologies: diabetes mellitus, adrenal disease.
- Blood diseases:.
- Tuberculosis.
- Neurocirculatory dystonia. In this case, there will also be headaches, discomfort in the heart area, a feeling of lack of air.
- Congenital pathology of the cardiovascular system.
- Abnormal connective tissue. Children with such anomalies may develop varicose veins.veins, scoliosis, flat feet, curvature of posture.
- Injuries, bruises.
- Leukemia.
- Still's disease.
When a baby's legs hurt in the morning, the child should be shown to a pediatrician, hematologist, neurologist and orthopedic traumatologist.
Which doctor to contact
First of all, it must be determined what caused the appearance of unpleasant pain in the legs after sleep. Based on this, it will be clear which specialist can help in this situation and refer you for the necessary examination.
If there is a problem, and there is no answer to the question why the legs hurt in the morning after sleep, then the situation may be related to rheumatism. You should contact a rheumatologist, family doctor, vertibrologist, cardiologist.
Arthritis, arthrosis, osteoporosis are treated by orthopedic traumatologists and rheumatologists. The first specialists also treat fasciitis.
Problems associated with varicose veins are helped by phlebologists or surgeons.
Folk treatments
If pain in the legs occurs repeatedly after, you can use traditional medicine recipes:
- Rubbing legs with chestnut tincture. The course of treatment is 2 weeks. It's easy to prepare. You need to take 50 g of chopped chestnut and pour 500 ml of vodka into it. Infuse for 2-3 weeks in a dark place and then start using it for its intended purpose.
- Decoction of linden and mint. Can be added to foot bath. For a liter of hot water, you will need 15-20 g of linden and a few mint leaves. This procedure is effective forvaricose veins. It can be done daily.
- Ice compress relieves puffiness. Pieces of ice should be wrapped in a towel and applied to the affected area for a few minutes.
- Home Balm. To prepare it, you will need 30 ml of vegetable oil, 10 drops of mint, eucalyptus, lemon or tea tree oil. All components should be thoroughly mixed. Apply the product to the affected area 2 times a day with light massaging movements.
- Honey compress. For him, you need to melt the honey in a water bath. The resulting liquid is smeared on the legs and wrapped tightly. It is advisable not to remove such a compress all day long.
Prevention
Sports that include leg exercises will help prevent such unpleasant symptoms. Such varieties include swimming, skating, skiing, cycling, long walks. Such physical activity will help keep the muscles of the legs in good shape and, accordingly, will prevent the appearance of pain in the legs after sleep.
To prepare the joints and muscles for an active day, it is enough to do 15-minute leg exercises after waking up.
Massage is an excellent preventive method. It is convenient to do it in the evening, which will relieve fatigue in the legs and relax. Baths with the addition of essential oils will also be useful and effective.
Sea s alt baths are effective for relaxing the legs. At the bottom of the container, you can lay a layer of river pebbles and with massaging movements, as it were, roll the pebbles with your feet. Thisa simple way to normalize blood circulation.
Conclusion
If you experience pain in the legs after sleep, you should consult a doctor, as such sensations may indicate serious diseases, especially if the pain syndrome manifests itself repeatedly. You should not expect the pain to go away on its own, however, like self-medication is also unacceptable.
Only a qualified specialist will be able to determine the true cause of the ailment, make the necessary appointments. If a child appears in the legs after sleep, it is important to monitor the condition of the baby and consult a doctor with the slightest doubt. Under no circumstances should such a state be ignored.
