Diabetes is a formidable disease associated with disruption of the endocrine system. The main symptom of pathology is high blood sugar levels. Also, patients have metabolic disorders, there are a large number of concomitant diseases and complications, the appearance of which provokes diabetes mellitus.
Approximately 30% of diabetic patients develop foot problems, and the likelihood of such complications increases with age. It is regrettable to admit, but there is no single recipe for the treatment of pain in the legs with diabetes. The main thing is not to delay the problem, but urgently contact a medical facility for professional help.
Causes of complications
Why do my legs hurt with diabetes? Doctors today identify three main reasons why diabetes causes such problems:
- Neuropathy. This is a nerve damage that occurs precisely against the background of diabetes. High levels of sugar in the blood adversely affect the nerve endings, which leads to a loss of sensation in the feet. Many patients cease to feel pain and temperature changes, pressure exerted on the feet. But pain is a determining factor in the prevention of disease. If a person does not feel pain, then he may not notice the appearance of ulcers and wounds, respectively, it is too late to see a doctor.
- Angiopathy. This type of pathology is associated with vascular damage. High blood sugar negatively affects all the vessels of the body, including the smallest capillaries. Due to the fact that the vessels of the legs are far enough away from the heart muscle, they are subjected to double pressure. As a result, not only dryness of the skin on the lower extremities appears, which is almost impossible to cope with, but also microcracks. Bacteria enter these cracks, creating wounds that are very difficult to heal.
- Arthropathy. This lesion is related to the joints. Due to the fact that in diabetes the metabolism of glucose and proteins is disturbed, changes occur in the cartilage tissue, which is the cause of the development of hyperostosis. For this reason, with diabetes, the feet hurt, swell. In the chronic form, deformation of the fingers occurs, often there are dislocations, fractures. The foot itself becomes shorter and widens.
diabetic foot syndrome
Diabetic foot syndrome may develop against the background of neuropathy. Most often this happens afterfractures and dislocations. The main symptoms of the development of the syndrome include:
- loss of sensitivity to hot and cold;
- loss of sensitivity to pressure and touch;
- constant pain.
The danger of the syndrome is that many patients do not follow the recommendations of the doctor, do not follow the wounds that have appeared, as a result - the active reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms, gangrene and amputation.
The most characteristic signs of complications
If your legs hurt a lot with diabetes, then you should pay attention to other symptoms:
- appears peeling of the skin, dryness;
- swelling and pallor of the lower extremities;
- weak pulse in peripheral arteries;
- appearance of pigmentation in certain areas of the skin;
- bluish skin color;
- feet cold to the touch.
Of course, these are not the only symptoms that can accompany the development of complications in diabetes. Therefore, all patients who suffer from this disease are advised to examine their limbs daily, especially in old age.
Diagnostic measures
To determine the degree of damage to the lower extremities, a comprehensive and complete examination of the patient is required. In addition to collecting an anamnesis, in order to determine the clinical form of the disease, an examination of the legs is carried out, an assessment of the neurological status, that is, temperature, vibration and tactilesensitivity.
With the help of vascular dopplerography, the state of arterial blood flow is assessed. If necessary, the examination can be supplemented with functional tests to determine the condition of the distal bed, and so on. Rheovasography, angiography and other methods for studying the blood flow of the lower extremities are also often used, which are selected depending on the degree of complications and the alleged causes of their development.
What to do: legs hurt with diabetes?
The main tactic in therapy is the stabilization of blood glucose levels. If sugar is within the normal range, then there is no negative effect on the vessels. Depending on the type of disease, different methods are used:
- 1 type 1 diabetes involves lifelong use of insulin;
- 2 type 2 diabetes, or "sweet sickness", involves eating low-sugar foods.
Other rules that will facilitate the process of treating pain in the legs with diabetes, doctors include:
- Control of body weight. The more a person weighs, the worse the vessels “feel”, the endurance threshold decreases.
- You should give preference to comfortable shoes, do not chase fashion. According to statistics, most of the injuries of the lower extremities occur precisely because of wearing uncomfortable shoes.
- Sports must be included. To improve blood circulation in the lower extremities, it is not necessary to run, even the loads from daily walking for distances of 3 kilometers will suffice.
- Continuous monitoring and prevention of comorbidities.
Be sure to immediately seek medical help at the first appearance of signs of vascular dysfunction.
How to deal with swelling?
Treatment of pain in the legs with diabetes should begin with the removal of swelling, since this symptom most often accompanies complications in diabetes.
Swelling can occur not only against the background of vascular damage, but also due to problems with the kidneys, peripheral nervous system and joints. It is very important at this stage to give preference only to comfortable shoes so that the liquid does not accumulate in certain areas of the lower leg and does not increase the swelling.
The doctor will definitely advise you to review the diet, regulate the amount of fluid and s alt consumed. It is better to exclude saccharides and lipids from the diet, which are quickly absorbed by the body. And, of course, smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol is strictly prohibited.
In some cases, the use of antihypertensive and vasodilator medications is considered justified, these can be:
- calcium channel blockers, such as Nifedipine;
- phosphodiesterase inhibitors – Papaverine;
- ACE and prostaglandin inhibitors.
How to relieve pain?
How do legs hurt with diabetes? If, in addition to pain, night cramps often torment, thenanticonvulsants, for example, "Carbamazepine". To remove "bad" cholesterol, drugs with thioctic acid derivatives are prescribed. They reduce the toxic effects of cholesterol. These drugs include: "Thiogamma", "Berlition" and others.
Some patients are prescribed antidepressants, which are initially taken at a minimum dose, gradually increasing it. The most commonly used is Amitriptyline.
To resume the transmission of nerve impulses, use B vitamins, which help restore the nervous system as a whole. By the way, some of the best reviews about this particular treatment method.
Anesthetic applications are used as local treatment.
But you should always remember that you cannot prescribe pharmaceuticals yourself, since absolutely all of them have many side effects.
How to treat trophic ulcers and wounds?
Legs hurt with diabetes, how to treat if wounds have already appeared? Therapy in this case already involves local treatment with antiseptics and antibacterial agents. In fairly advanced cases, excision of corns, trophic ulcers and necrotic zones may be indicated. In the future, wounds are regularly treated with drugs with sterile dressing.
Processing and washing is carried out with Miramistin, Chlorhexidine or saline. In no case does not allow the use of iodine, manganese or alcohol solutions. Good results are given by antimicrobial agents in the treatment of wounds:Curiosin, Betadine, Levomekol.
Surgery
Treatment for foot pain in diabetic patients may involve surgery. Most often, the operation is performed if it is necessary to restore blood circulation against the background of atherosclerotic vascular lesions.
In particular, a bypass procedure may be recommended. The operation involves sewing in a synthetic prosthesis in the area of blockage of the artery. Balloon angioplasty is also often performed. In this case, a special balloon is inserted into the damaged vessel, which is then inflated and, accordingly, a gap appears.
In the most advanced cases, an operation is performed to amputate a limb when gangrene has already begun.
Unconventional Therapy
Is it possible to treat pain in the legs, feet with diabetes at home? Yes, you can, some medicinal herbs and mixtures stop pain quite well.
Flax seeds (2 tablespoons) pour half a liter of boiling water and boil over low heat for 15 minutes. After the decoction, it is necessary to infuse for 2 hours, strain and consume 2 times a day, a quarter cup. The course of treatment is 5 days.
Good reviews for comfrey tincture. The crushed root (1 tablespoon) is poured with 1 liter of vodka and insisted for 21 days. After that, the tincture is consumed three times a day, 1 tablespoon each (after eating).
Topical treatment at home
First of all, a contrast shower for the lower extremities is recommended. It is necessary to keep your feet under hot water for 10 minutes and under cold water for 3 minutes. This simple procedure improves local blood circulation and relieves pain. You can use special water vibrating massagers, which are sold in pharmacies and specialized stores.
You can make a tincture of Kalanchoe. As diabetics respond, such a remedy relieves pain well. To prepare the tincture, one leaf of the plant is finely crushed and placed in half a liter of vodka (alcohol). The mixture is infused for 14 days. After this period, rubbing is done or lotions are made.
If your toes hurt with diabetes, you can use a mixture of essential oils and aloe juice. Aloe extract can be purchased at the pharmacy. From the oils you need to take: menthol, eucalyptus, cloves. All components are mixed and the resulting mixture is rubbed on the fingers and feet.
