One of the symptoms of many diseases is leg ache, which is manifested by pain sensations of varying intensity, location and character that occur both during physical exertion and at rest. Pain in the lower extremities is currently a problem for many people. Patients complain to doctors that this condition occurs at night and begins unexpectedly. This can be associated not only with muscle and joint problems, but is often a sign of the presence of other diseases in the body. So, pain in the legs, aches can be accompanied by cramps, swelling, redness or burning of the limb. If this phenomenon does not go away after three days, you should contact a specialist.
Description
Aches are unpleasant sensations that are localized in the bones, joints and muscles. A person is in constant discomfort, which affects the quality of his life. Yes, leg painis one of the types of pain that the human body perceives in a slightly different way. In this case, there are sensations of squeezing, stretching and twisting of the tissues. This phenomenon is usually associated with a cold or intoxication, but the temperature should rise. But depending on the location and time of manifestation of the disease, the causes may be different.
Causes of illness
Aches in the legs can have various causes, with additional symptoms observed:
- Lack of trace elements in the body as a result of diet or disruption of the gastrointestinal tract. Legs get tired quickly, they twist and turn.
- Physical fatigue, staying in one position for a long time, playing sports.
- Prolonged use of glucocorticoids, diuretics, and cholesterol-lowering drugs.
- Injury to limbs.
- The presence of an inflammatory process in the muscles of the lower extremities, in which not only aching legs appear (we consider the causes and treatment in this material), but also redness, rash and age spots.
- Pathologies of the vessels of the legs: the development of atherosclerosis, thrombosis, varicose veins, osteoporosis, vasculitis or periarteritis nodosa, lymphostasis. In this case, a rash, redness of the skin, bruises, vascular networks, age spots, burning sensation can be observed.
- The occurrence of osteomyelitis in children, arthrosis or arthritis in adults.
- Pathologies of nerve fibers in diabetes mellitus (polyneuropathy), osteochondrosis or intervertebral hernia, as well as in smokers and alcoholics. In this case, there is an ache in the arms and legs, redness of the skin, the formation of dents, etc.
- Rheumatic tissue lesions, constriction or convulsions.
- Presence of benign or malignant tumors, Paget's disease.
- The appearance of allergic reactions, accompanied by a rash, burning and redness.
Lower limb ache at night
At night, aching limbs can be the cause of restless legs syndrome, strong physical exertion throughout the day. Uncomfortable shoes or the same posture for a long time provokes the appearance of pain in the legs at night. The pathological cause may be the presence of fibromyalgia, flat feet or lymphostasis.
Walking ache
Some people seem to "twist" their legs when walking. The syndrome is especially aggravated when there is a change in weather conditions. At serious stages, the disease can become permanent, in which the aches will seem simply painful for a person. This is especially true for attacks of gout pain.
Warning: Danger
Doctors identify several dangerous diseases in which there is a strong ache in the legs. Therefore, it is necessary to immediately consult a doctor for an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment, as the consequences can be very serious, up to amputation of limbs. These diseases include:
- Varicosis, which manifests itself in the form of varicose veins, swelling of the legs, heaviness, monotonouspain, seizures. If the disease is started, then bruises appear on the skin, burning, and so on.
- Thrombosis of vessels (venous or arterial), which tends to develop rapidly. In this case, it is recommended to immediately contact a specialist, since after four days necrosis and gangrene may begin. The disease is accompanied by swelling and redness of the extremities, the appearance of age spots, and aching in the legs. Arterial thrombosis develops over several hours and is characterized by pain, pallor and numbness of the legs, gangrene may develop after four hours.
- Atherosclerosis, which is characterized by the appearance of constant pain, dents and bruises on the skin of the extremities, a rash forms. If the disease is not treated in time, necrosis and gangrene will form, which will lead to amputation of the legs.
Diagnosis
If aches appear regardless of physical exertion, a specialist consultation is necessary. To do this, first of all, you need to contact your family doctor, who, after conducting research, will give a referral to a narrow specialist (endocrinologist, surgeon, neuropathologist or traumatologist).
When patients complain of aches and pains in the lower extremities, the doctor should analyze the clinical data, the results of which will determine the action plan for establishing a diagnosis and prescribing treatment. For this, laboratory diagnostic methods are used. The patient must take blood tests (general, biochemical,water-electrolyte, for glucose). Then microbiological examination, serological analysis and fluoroscopy are carried out. If cancer, tuberculosis, or osteomyelitis is suspected, tumor markers, needle biopsy, or bone biopsy are used. Also, the doctor may prescribe ultrasound, MRI and CT, vascular angiography and rheovasography of the arteries of the legs, LID and skeletal scintigraphy. Thus, if a person is worried about aching legs at night, accompanied by various additional symptoms, it is necessary to undergo a medical examination to make an accurate diagnosis and only then proceed to the treatment that the specialist will prescribe.
Treatment
Methods of treatment depend on the causes that caused the ache in the limbs. Therapy is based on the results of the examination and diagnosis. If a person has vascular pathologies, physical exercises (walking, swimming, etc.) are recommended to prevent the appearance of varicose veins, fatty foods, alcohol should be excluded from the diet, prolonged stress on the lower limbs, overwork, hypothermia should be avoided. In case of pathologies of the spine and joints, it is recommended to treat the underlying diseases. Often, doctors prescribe antidepressants to relieve tension, anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids. It helps to remove discomfort massage, gymnastics, acupuncture, etc. Thus, the treatment of aching legs is carried out in accordance with the underlying ailment. As a separate symptom, it is not treated, the main therapy is reduced to three parameters:
- Medications that are aimed at eliminating the cause of the disease. The patient is prescribed the necessary medications, as well as vitamins, trace elements and anti-inflammatory drugs. It can be, for example, "Actovegin", "Cavinton", "Ibuprofen" and others.
- Physiotherapy, which also includes massage, therapeutic exercises, weight control.
- Surgical intervention. It is carried out in emergency and advanced cases of the disease.
Traditional medicine
Of course, as mentioned above, the treatment should be handled by an experienced specialist. At home, you can use folk methods if the ache in the legs occurs from physical exertion. So, when the legs get tired, traditional medicine recommends cutting seven large onions into a large container (basin) and trampling on them for about twenty minutes, after which rinse the legs with water and rub with vegetable oil, massaging. Such procedures should be carried out twice a week.
Some advise making dandelion compresses. It is pounded and the resulting slurry is applied to the limbs, rewound with a bandage or gauze bandage. You can instead rub your feet with castor oil at night. It is also effective to use a mixture of herbs such as St. John's wort, bearberry, immortelle, carrot seeds, cherry stalks, birch leaves for aches. One spoonful of the composition is poured with boiling water and insisted for one night in a thermos. Use an infusion of one tablespoon of the dining room three times a day.
Complications
If you do not diagnose the disease in a timely manner and do not undergo appropriate treatment, the disease may progress and negative consequences may appear. One of the dangerous complications is gangrene in the pathology of veins and arteries, which threatens with amputation of the limb. If thrombosis is observed, it must be treated without fail, as there is a risk of developing thromboembolism of the pulmonary artery.
Prevention
Methods of prevention should be different for aching limbs. First of all, it is recommended to lead a correct lifestyle in order to avoid the appearance of cardiovascular pathologies. To normalize blood circulation in the legs, physical activity is needed. In diseases of the spine, it is recommended to strengthen the abdominal muscles with the help of physiotherapy exercises.
You need to eat right, monitor the condition of the legs, do not overload the body, control weight. The main thing is not to miss the moment when you need to seek help from a doctor so that there are no he alth complications. The correct diagnosis is important here, on which the method of treatment and further prognosis depend. Doctors advise you to take care of your he alth. If you have aching legs, the causes and treatment of which are described in this material, you must undergo an examination.
