The calf muscle belongs to the group of the biceps and is located on the front of the leg. Thanks to her, a person is able to stand, walk, run, climb socks, perform squats. Let's learn in detail about why the calf of the left leg hurts and what signs appear in this case.
The calf muscles often respond with painful sensations. This happens for a number of completely different factors: illness, leg fatigue, malnutrition. In each case, the cause of the occurrence of unpleasant sensations constantly requires attention and effective treatment. If the caviar of the left leg is swollen and sore, the causes and treatment can be very different.
Why?
The reasons may be hiding in overwork of the muscles, but often such a medical manifestation can talk about pathologies of the veins and blood vessels surrounding the muscles and spine. If you regularly have pain in the left leg calf or leg cramps constantly appear, you must resort to medical care, as the consequences can be unpredictable.
Vein diseases
Pain manifestation in diseases of the veins is considered a significant signal, since with such unpleasant sensations significant pathologies can be found that require immediate medical attention:
- Phlebeurysm. It manifests itself as ongoing pain, which is felt in the afternoon and is accompanied by swelling of the ankles. This disease can also be established visually, since noticeable extensions appear on the lower extremities. The reason that the caviar of the left leg hurts is the formation of leg swelling, as a result of which the nerve endings are crushed.
- Acute vein thrombosis. It will require immediate treatment, since the blood clots that are created in the deep veins have every chance of penetrating the arteries of the pulmonary circulation and clogging them, leading to thromboembolism, which often leads to death. Pain in the affected calf covers the inner surface of the lower leg and spreads up to the thigh and down to the foot. They are accompanied by swelling of the leg, a feeling of heaviness in the legs and increased pain when trying to bend the foot.
Arterial disease
Arterial diseases are considered a factor in the insufficient supply of tissues with oxygen and other elements, which leads to their destruction. Pain in this case is due to ischemia, and with various diseases they have a different look:
- The acute stage is characterized by sharp acute pain with a burning sensation, which is accompanied by swelling of the affected leg and its numbness.
- The chronic stage is characterized by two types of pain: seizures in acute ischemia and stable pain due to chronic lack of blood supply. Two types of pain can be accompanied by convulsions, atrophy of muscle tissue, the occurrence of ulcers and gangrene.
Muscle disease
Lesions of muscle tissue of various etiologies can also cause pain in the calves of the legs:
- Inflammatory processes of the calf muscles (myositis) - are characterized by pulling or aching painful feelings that do not interrupt or appear paroxysmal and are more pronounced during movements.
- Parasitic diseases (in particular - trichinosis) - is characterized by muscle pain, which is accompanied by swelling of the face, fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.
Pathology of nerve fibers
One of the signs of neuritis and polyneuritis is a strong pulling pain that appears in seizures and can manifest itself along the affected nerve. This condition may be due to compression of the nerve roots. Often his companions are:
- trophic pathologies in the innervated area;
- constant numbness, tingling or goosebumps;
- motor pathologies in the innervated area;
- decreased sensitivity.
Other pathology factors
Pain can occur due to damage to adjacent tissues.
Reflected pain is considered one of the signs of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine.
After playing sports
Almost every person noticed that severe muscle pain is felt after playing sports. The same applies to the calf muscles. This often happens with athletes and people who tend to play sports, but cannot give the necessary load to the legs. It is worth mentioning why, after training, the calf of the left leg hurts. The causes and methods for treating such a problem can be different.
Typical muscle pain occurs most one to two days after the session itself. The reason is considered to be a partial defect of muscle cells during a period of tension and their further renewal over time.
The strength and intensity of the resulting pain depends on the degree to which the training was strong. Take into account that the more you will provide a load of muscles, the less often you will have unpleasant feelings. It should also be noted that muscle pain becomes less noticeable and not so strong during muscle growth. It is for this reason that numerous bodybuilders have completely forgotten what it is.
Pain at night
The most common cramp is the one that appears during the night. A variety of reasons can be factors of such an unpleasant sensation: from the simplest (lack of vitamins in the body) to the presence of a serious illness in the body. If swelling of the calf and an increase occurs, the calf of the left leg hurts, the causes and treatment of this condition are interrelated.
The most common cramp can last from a few seconds and can last up to a full fifteen minutes. Such pain occurs completely unexpectedly. During a cramp, the muscles are in a hard and even “stone” state, which causes even greater discomfort.
Seizures during the night can occur due to various circumstances:
- There is a neurological disease, which can manifest as convulsions at night and in the daytime.
- The body lacks mineral elements, in particular calcium and phosphorus.
- During the sleep period, the blood circulation procedure is disturbed and inhibited, and directly for this reason, the receipt of the necessary components is difficult.
- Difficult hemodynamics throughout the day, especially in older people. This is the reason for constant convulsions in a dream.
- Another factor is the adoption of pharmaceutical substances that adversely affect the blood circulation.
- Metabolism is impaired.
- Diuretic drugs.
- Too significant load before bedtime.
- The period of expectation of the baby.
When the calf of the left leg hurts after sleep, the causes will be the same as with a cramp.
The condition during pregnancy. Is it dangerous?
Swelling and pain in the calf muscles is a common sign during pregnancy, especially if delivery is just around the corner.
There are a number of factors according to which girls often feel this unpleasant feeling, being in the position:
- The growing fetus and, together with it, the expanding body, which grows in volume and weight, provide a double load on the legs. And these changes occur in a short period of time, which negatively affects the lower extremities, causes swelling and pain.
- Due to the fact that the girl’s mass increases, the center of gravity changes, swelling and excessive load on the legs appear.
- The natural elasticity of the ligaments is reduced, which leads to pain in the calves.
- Often, pregnancy causes varicose veins on the legs, which also causes pain.
- The fetus exerts pressure on the inferior vena cava and causes pain on the lower extremities.
- Pinched sciatic nerve also causes pain.
- During pregnancy, the body breaks the usual water-salt metabolism, after which it lacks calcium and phosphorus.
- A significant change in the hormonal background is being made, thus the whole organism is being restructured and there is a lack of necessary elements.
Adequate consumption of foods with a significant content of calcium and phosphorus will help get rid of night convulsions during pregnancy.
Diagnostics
The very first doctor to resort to is a therapist. Most likely, he will prescribe a number of laboratory tests:
- A clinical blood test, which makes it possible to discern inflammatory changes, a decrease in the number of red blood cells (anemia), and to determine the general condition.
- A blood test for sugar - in order to exclude diabetes.
- Urinalysis, namely, general and according to Nechiporenko, to determine pathologies of kidney function - an organ that stabilizes the water-electrolyte balance.
- Laboratory blood test, which allows to assess the degree of functioning of the liver and kidneys.
- Ultrasound of the veins (in other words, Doppler ultrasound) - to assess blood flow and diagnose probable venous insufficiency.
Perhaps, according to the anamnesis and examination, some other examinations will be required, this will be decided by the doctor.
Treatment
Very often people complain that the calf of the left leg hurts when you sit and get up. How to treat? The reasons for this condition have already been mentioned above. According to the results of the examination, the doctor will redirect the patient to a specialist, who will prescribe treatment. For example, with varicose veins in the initial stages, the following may be recommended.
Phleboprotectors
Preparations are a category of biologically active elements (mostly flavonoids) obtained by processing plant materials or chemical synthesis. They can increase venous tone, as well as reduce the explicitness of venospecific signs and syndromes.
The use of venotonics is especially effective in the early stages, they show an excellent therapeutic result, for this reason they are considered to be the means of basic pharmacotherapy of chronic vein diseases. According to its formula, vasoactive substances can be monocomponent, that is, containing only one type of angioprotector, as well as multicomponent, including a number of active angioprotectors. As an example of a synthetic pharmaceutical agent, calcium dobesilate may be mentioned.
Creams, ointments and gels to relieve symptoms
Needed to temporarily relieve symptoms of varicose veins. They have a quick, however, unfortunately, short-term result in the area of application, helping to slightly reduce pain, cramps, and reduce swelling of the lower extremities.
Compression Knitwear
They call it an orthosis for the venous wall, warning its growth. If you regularly wear well-chosen compression hosiery, you can not only reduce pain in the legs, but also slow down the progression of the disease.
There is no need to joke with this pathology. At the slightest suspicion, you should consult a doctor to establish an accurate diagnosis. This is the only way to protect yourself from the development of serious diseases.