The pulling feeling in the evenings in the area of the feet or knees is familiar to many of us. During the day, you have to walk a few kilometers only in office premises. It is especially hard for people who work as sellers, consultants, hairdressers - they are forced to stand for six to seven hours in a row and in the evening they experience not just heaviness, but real pain in the muscles, ligaments, and cartilage of the legs. Effective tips on how to get rid of leg pain are presented in this article.
Common Causes of Discomfort
The state of the legs is equally badly affected by both a constant vertical position and sedentary office work. Optimal - once an hour to get up or sit down for five to ten minutes, perform light stretching and simple exercises. Constant heaviness in the ankles, sweating feet, spasms of calves, atrophy of quadriceps - all these symptoms signal the development of chronic foot diseases. The sooner you start the prevention of foot diseases, the greater the chances that you will not have to deal with treatment later. The further the pathology goes, the more expensive the treatment will be, and the matter is not limited to simple exercises.
The most common causes of pain in the legs (feet, ankles, knees, quadriceps, joints, veins):
- excessive physical activity;
- phlebeurysm;
- myalgia;
- osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral spine;
- neuropathies of various etiologies;
- a variety of vascular pathologies;
- pain caused by psychosomatic causes.
Also , leg pain can be triggered by bone diseases and neoplasms. This is a rather serious pathology that must be excluded immediately if cancer is suspected. To do this, you should be tested for tumor markers and consult with an experienced doctor.
The relationship of physical activity and leg pain
People in the following professions often have to stand or walk without being able to sit down for many hours in a row:
- hairdressers;
- consultants;
- Street marketers
- posters of announcements;
- sales managers;
- sellers;
- pharmacists.
Most employers care about the health status of their subordinates and do not tighten working conditions. Alas, in some large retail chains, cashiers and sellers still have to stand on their feet the entire shift, without the opportunity to sit down. As a result of such physical exertion, the foot and fingers are deformed, varicose veins, problems with vessels and capillaries, valgus, myalgia of various etiologies develop. The patient is forced to endure pain constantly, but the lack of other jobs does not allow him to change his job. As a result, a person spends eight to ten hours on a daily basis without sitting down, "earning" himself chronic diseases of the lower extremities. Tips for getting rid of leg pain will be useless. Without changing the place of work and reducing the load, everything will be useless.
In diseases of the lower extremities, the following physical activities are prohibited:
- running at any speed over a distance of more than two hundred meters;
- any athletics loads;
- squats with a barbell on the shoulders;
- deadlift with a bar in any style;
- any weightlifting exercises that involve axial load on the spine ;
- extreme sport.
With such a load, any advice on how to get rid of pain in the joints of the legs will be useless. The load will not allow the ligaments and muscles to recover in time, as a result - the pain and discomfort in the feet and knees will not leave the patient.
Ways to get rid of pain after an injury
Depending on the damaged area of the leg, the symptoms and treatment methods will differ:
- Knee injuries, which were accompanied by a click and a sharp pain, are the most dangerous. There is a chance that the meniscus is damaged. It is necessary to visit a traumatologist and take a picture, even if the patient is not particularly worried about severe and sharp pain after an injury. If it is pulling and painful in nature - any warming compresses are forbidden. The most common cause of knee pain is meniscus damage.
- If during the walk the ankle was damaged (for example, the patient twisted his leg), then ligaments and cartilage could be damaged. This is accompanied by ankle swelling and a sharp pain in which it is impossible to step on the foot. It is imperative that the traumatologist comes across and takes a picture of the bone and ligaments. How to get rid of foot pain if it appeared after an injury? It is forbidden to apply warm and hot compresses to the ankle, warm the bruise in any way. On the contrary, applying ice or cold is a great idea, it will help alleviate pain, relieve swelling and quickly restore gait.
- In case of injury to the quadriceps or biceps of the thigh, the ligaments or bone are most often not damaged, since they are protected by dense muscles. Such injuries and bruises most often lead to hematomas, which sometimes cause quite severe discomfort. How to get rid of pain in the muscles of the legs, if it is provoked by a blow or injury? A medicinal ointment based on a badyaga should be applied. Heparin ointment is also good, as it has the ability to absorb subcutaneous hematomas. These ointments are very cheap - about thirty rubles, and you can purchase them at any pharmacy.
How to alleviate discomfort with myalgia
If the patient is bothered by aching pain in the thighs, less often - knees, then it may be myalgia. To determine the exact diagnosis, you should visit an orthopedic surgeon and undergo the necessary studies. In order to alleviate pain in myalgia, the following rules should be observed:
- Quit smoking. Nicotine and resins have a killer effect on the state of blood vessels; as a result, pain may appear not only in the legs and spine, but also the development of many chronic diseases of the internal organs.
- To remove the swelling of the legs with myalgia, you can use various drugs - these are muscle relaxants, and normotimics (with a tendency to seizures), diuretics. One of the most popular is Diakarb. This diuretic has proved itself perfectly in the Soviet years. The rather cheap price makes this drug one of the most preferred for swelling for many patients.
- If myalgia is accompanied by chills, fever, fever, prescribe paracetamol-based drugs or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. If the temperature rises above 38 degrees, you should contact an ambulance.
Leg pain in osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral spine
A common symptom of osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral region is pain that radiates to both or one of the legs. This may be the area of the thigh or pelvis, in some cases, along the nerves the pain reaches the knees and below. Here's how to get rid of aching pain in the legs if it is provoked by osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral spine:
- Take a hot bath. Osteochondrosis is one of the few bone diseases in which hot water and warmth bring relief. You can add essential oils to the bath - this will help to relax and forget about the pain.
- Use warming ointments for rubbing the lower back, tailbone and sacrum. Oddly enough, this technique will help with pain in the quadriceps and knees.
- How to get rid of muscle pain in the legs, if it is provoked by osteochondrosis? If on the eve the patient did not experience physical overwork, then muscle pain, indeed, can be triggered by this disease. You should drink a course of B vitamins (pyridoxine, thiamine, cyanocobalamin, riboflavin). They contribute to the normalization of blood circulation, which will lead to a relief of the symptoms of osteochondrosis.
- If the patient was diagnosed with osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral region, while he experiences pain and cramps in the calf area, then a course of magnesium should be taken. How to get rid of pain in the calves of the legs, if it is accompanied by cramps? The drug "Magne B 6 " or another vitamin complex with this mineral will help. After a couple of weeks of regular use, the pain and cramps will pass.
Leg pain triggered by neuropathies
Chronic neuropathic pain is accompanied by swelling of the feet and ankles, aching pain. The peculiarity of discomfort is that far from any pain medication will help. Often, even non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are powerless against neuropathic pain. How to get rid of pain in the joints of the legs in this case?
For effective treatment, the cause of discomfort should be determined. Until it is eliminated, the patient will suffer. Most often this is latent diabetes mellitus, but other deviations in metabolism and endocrine pathologies can be diagnosed.
For diagnosis, a blood test, urine test, biochemistry should be taken. After that, the clinical picture will clear up. Then it will be possible to think how to get rid of pain in the soles of the feet and calves. If the cause is diabetes, you will have to completely reconsider your usual diet and take carbohydrate blockers. As a result, pain, swelling and discomfort in the feet and calves will leave the patient.
How to get rid of discomfort in vascular diseases of the extremities
Varicose veins are a common cause of pain, swelling, and itching in the legs. The exact location is located behind the knees and calves. At the same time, the veins begin to bulge, and in the later stages of the disease, blood clots form, which visually spoils the appearance of the legs.
Symptoms of varicose veins:
- constant heaviness in the legs;
- feeling as if legs were numb;
- weakness and fatigue;
- the appearance of spider veins, and then veins on the surface of the skin of the legs;
- pain in the area of crawled out vessels and veins.
Varicose veins are always easier to prevent than to treat. Tips for getting rid of leg pain with varicose veins:
- never sit cross-legged;
- a course to drink blood thinners;
- prevent the formation of excess weight;
- wear comfortable and high-quality shoes, exclude stilettos and high heels;
- drink as much clean drinking water as possible;
- take vitamin-mineral complexes with magnesium, selenium, cyanocobalamin.
It is very important to ensure that the blood is not thick. Tips on how to get rid of leg pain with varicose veins will help those people who are prone to this disease along the hereditary line.
Psychosomatic causes of pain in the limbs
What does it mean? Very often the cause of pain in the feet, calves and knees is hypochondria. Often the patient turns to the orthopedist, they undergo an expensive examination, and as a result, all diagnoses are excluded. The vessels and veins are in order, the muscle tissue is developed, the lumbosacral spine is normal. In this case, the patient should not consult a surgeon, but a neuropathologist.
Vegetovascular dystonia can cause leg pain that is not caused by pathologies of the spine, veins, etc. What should I do? How to get rid of phantom pains of the leg, the reasons for which, at first glance, are not? Simple tips to help the patient put their nervous condition in order:
- completely abandon the use of alcoholic beverages, as they undermine the nervous system and thereby contribute to the appearance of phantom pains;
- sleep at least eight hours a day, if you want - you should take time to sleep and in the afternoon;
- avoid stressful conditions at work and with loved ones, if it does not work out otherwise, refuse such neurotic communication;
- you should not starve yourself with diets - anorexia has long been out of fashion, and a lack of proteins, fats and carbohydrates has an extremely negative effect on the nervous state (as a result of hunger strikes, phantom pains in the legs can only intensify).
How to get rid of pain caused by foot pathologies
Flat feet is the most common foot pathology. It occurs in both children and adults. Often leads to clubfoot, pain in the foot, valgus. Practically not amenable to therapy in adulthood. Here's how to get rid of bone pain on a leg if discomfort is triggered by flat feet:
- Orthopedic shoes should be worn. Women should discard stilettos and anatomically incorrect heels.
- Daily perform the simplest exercises of physiotherapy exercises.
- Refuse from long walks and physical activity, which implies axial load on the spine. Weightlifting and powerlifting are prohibited. This will only exacerbate foot problems.
- You should abandon the work, which implies a constant stay on your feet.
How to get rid of toe pain if discomfort is caused by flat feet? Observe the above rules. In addition, each finger should be massaged every evening. You can resort to the help of a specialist, or you can master the technique of therapeutic massage yourself. If the patient spends eight to ten hours on his feet daily without the possibility of sitting down, then he risks earning flat feet, even if he was not there before. Do not allow excessive physical exertion with a tendency to leg diseases.
Tips of phlebologists and orthopedists: preventive measures
How to get rid of pain in the muscles of the legs, calves, feet? Which doctor should I go to? The first step is to establish an accurate diagnosis, which is the cause of discomfort. To do this, you first need to take a ticket for examination by a therapist. Standard tests will be carried out - biochemical, for sugar, for inflammation of the internal organs and infection. If the result confuses the doctor, the patient will be referred to an orthopedist. One will have to undergo another X-ray of the limbs or lumbar spine, MRI, sometimes computed tomography may be needed to monitor the condition of the soft tissues.
If no pathologies are detected, the patient will be referred to a neurologist. There, most likely, they will be asked to answer a number of questions and a standard neurological examination will be performed. As a result, such diagnoses as vegetovascular dystonia or neuropathy can be made. It is difficult to prescribe the exact treatment for such ailments, the patient can only lead a healthy lifestyle and carefully monitor his health.
Simple tips to prevent leg pain:
- women should abandon stilettos and anatomically incorrect heels;
- do not stand on feet continuously for longer than two hours;
- Do not sit in one position for longer than two hours;
- give up bad habits - smoking and alcohol abuse;
- when passionate about weightlifting, do not work with extremely high weights;
- during pregnancy, women should wear orthopedic shoes;
- drink a course of blood thinners once a year.