One of the symptoms of many diseases is pain in the legs, which is manifested by painful sensations of different intensity, location and nature, which occur both during physical exertion and at rest. Lower limb aches are currently a problem for many people. Patients complain to doctors that such a condition is observed at night and begins unexpectedly. This may be associated not only with problems of muscles and joints, but also is often a sign of the presence of other diseases in the body. So, pain in the legs, aches can be accompanied by convulsions, swelling, redness or burning of the limb. If this phenomenon does not disappear after three days, you must consult a specialist.
Description
An ache is an unpleasant sensation that is localized in the bones, joints, and muscles. A person is in constant discomfort, which affects the quality of his life. So, pain in the legs is a type of pain that the human body perceives somewhat differently. In this case, there are sensations of squeezing, stretching and twisting of tissues. This phenomenon is usually associated with a cold or intoxication, but the temperature should rise. But depending on the location and time of the manifestation of the ailment, the causes may be different.
The causes of the disease
The aches in the legs may have various causes, while additional symptoms are observed:
- Lack of trace elements in the body as a result of a diet or a violation of the gastrointestinal tract. Legs get tired quickly, twists and brings them together.
- Physical overwork, prolonged stay in one position, playing sports.
- Prolonged use of glucocorticoids, diuretics, as well as those that lower cholesterol.
- Injury to limbs.
- The presence of an inflammatory process in the muscles of the lower extremities, in which not only aches in the legs appear (we consider the causes and treatment in this material), but also redness, rash and age spots.
- Pathology 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. At the same time, aches in the arms and legs, redness of the skin, the formation of dents, etc. are observed.
- Rheumatic tissue lesions, contraction or cramps.
- The presence of benign or malignant tumors, Paget's disease.
- The appearance of allergic reactions, accompanied by a rash, burning and redness.
Night aches in the lower limbs
At night, aches in the limbs can be the cause of restless legs syndrome, strong physical exertion throughout the day. Inconvenient shoes or the same pose 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.
Ache when walking
Some people seem to “twist” their legs when walking. Especially the syndrome worsens when a change in weather conditions occurs. At serious stages, the ailment can become permanent, in which the ache will seem just painful for a person. This especially applies to bouts of pain with gout.
Caution - danger!
Doctors distinguish several dangerous diseases in which there is a strong pain in the legs. Therefore, it is necessary to immediately consult a doctor to make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe effective treatment, since the consequences can be very serious, up to amputation of the limbs. These diseases include:
- Varicose veins, which manifests itself in the form of expansion of veins, swelling of the legs, severity, monotonous pain, convulsions. If the ailment is started, then bruises appear on the skin, burning and so on.
- Vascular thrombosis (venous or arterial), which tends to develop rapidly. In this case, it is recommended to immediately consult a specialist, since in four days necrosis and gangrene can begin. The disease is accompanied by swelling and redness of the limbs, the appearance of age spots, there is an ache in the legs. Arterial thrombosis develops over several hours and is characterized by pain, paleness and numbness of the legs, gangrene can develop after four hours.
- Atherosclerosis, which is characterized by the appearance of constant pain, dents and bruises on the skin of the limbs, a rash forms. If the disease is not treated on time, necrosis and gangrene are formed, which will lead to amputation of the legs.
Diagnostics
If the aches appear regardless of physical activity, specialist advice is required. To do this, first of all, you need to contact a family doctor, who after conducting research will give a referral to a specialist of a narrow profile (endocrinologist, surgeon, neurologist or traumatologist).
If patients complain of aches and pain in the lower extremities, the doctor should analyze the clinical data, the action plan for establishing the diagnosis and prescribing treatment will depend on the results of this. For this, laboratory diagnostic methods are used. The patient must have blood tests (general, biochemical, water-electrolyte, glucose). Then a microbiological examination, serological analysis and fluoroscopy are performed. If cancer, tuberculosis, or osteomyelitis is suspected, tumor markers, puncture biopsy, or bone biopsy are used. Also, the doctor can prescribe ultrasound scan, MRI and CT, angiography of the vessels and rheovasography of the arteries of the legs, LID and scintigraphy of the skeleton. Thus, if a person is bothered by leg aches at night, accompanied by various additional symptoms, it is necessary to undergo a medical examination to make an accurate diagnosis and only then proceed with the treatment prescribed by a specialist.
Treatment
The methods of treatment depend on the causes that caused aches in the limbs. Therapy is based on the results of the examination and diagnosis. If a person has vascular pathologies, he is recommended to exercise (walking, swimming, etc.) to prevent the occurrence of varicose veins, fatty foods, alcohol should be excluded from the diet, long loads on the lower limbs, overwork, hypothermia should be avoided. With pathologies of the spine and joints, it is recommended to treat the underlying diseases. Doctors often prescribe antidepressants to relieve tension, anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids. It helps to remove unpleasant sensations from massage, gymnastics, acupuncture, etc. Thus, the treatment of aches in the legs is carried out in accordance with the main ailment. As a separate symptom, it is not treated, the main therapy is reduced to three parameters:
- Taking medications, which is 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.
- Physical therapy, which also includes massage, therapeutic exercises, weight control.
- Surgical intervention. It is carried out in emergency and advanced cases of the disease.
ethnoscience
Of course, as mentioned above, the treatment should be carried out by an experienced specialist. At home, alternative methods can be used if leg aches arise from physical exertion. So, when the legs get tired, traditional medicine recommends cutting seven large bulbs into a large bowl (basin) and trampling on them for about twenty minutes, then rinse the legs with water and rub with vegetable oil, massaging. Such procedures must be carried out twice a week.
Some advise making compresses from dandelion. They push it and apply the resulting slurry to the limbs, rewinding them with a bandage or gauze bandage. Instead, rub your feet with castor oil overnight. It is also effective to use mixtures of herbs such as St. John's wort, bearberry, immortelle, carrot seeds, stalks of cherries, and birch leaves. One spoonful of the composition is poured with boiling water and insisted one night in a thermos. Use an infusion of one tablespoon three times a day.
Complications
If you do not diagnose the disease in a timely manner and do not undergo the appropriate treatment, the progression of the disease and the appearance of negative consequences are possible. One of the dangerous complications is gangrene in the pathology of veins and arteries, which threatens to amputate the limb. If thrombosis is observed, it must be treated, since there is a risk of developing thromboembolism of the pulmonary artery.
Prevention
Methods of prevention should be different for limb aches. 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. With diseases of the spine, it is recommended to strengthen the abdominal muscles with the help of physiotherapy exercises.
It is necessary to eat properly, 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 health complications. The important thing here is the correct diagnosis, on which the method of treatment and the further prognosis depend. Doctors recommend monitoring your health. If there is pain in the legs, the causes and treatment of which are described in this material, it is necessary to undergo an examination.