Pain in the upper part of the leg can be of various shapes and etiologies. Discomfort in the femur occurs mainly suddenly and very acutely. It appears in the upper part of the leg and in the groin, and also sometimes severely hurts under the knee.
In women and men, the hip area hurts equally. For each person, the causes of discomfort can be different, and they always have physiological or anatomical features. It is very important to make a timely diagnosis and treatment, as this can be a sign of various diseases.
Primary localization
The areas in which upper leg pain appears include:
- groin;
- back area;
- front of the thigh.
Discomfort in the leg can provoke various pathologies of the hip joint. Perhaps the source of pain includes intervertebral discs, lumbar vertebrae, inguinal lymph nodes, muscles, joints, pelvic organs, and femoral artery.
The front of the thigh hurts due to pathologies of the lumbar spine. Sometimes discomfort covers the buttock and is most pronounced when walking. The causes of its occurrence are associated with changes in the sciatic nerve, gluteus muscle.
A person may experience unpleasant symptoms not only in the hip, but also below. Often discomfort extends to the lower back. Quite often, a similar sharp pain syndrome occurs during menstruation.
When the nerve is pinched or dislocated, acute pain appears that spreads from the hip to the foot. Discomfort is greatly enhanced by movement. Far from always unpleasant sensations in the thigh arise during exercise. Some people talk about increased discomfort at rest. Often there is additional symptomatology, in particular, numbness in the muscles and a feeling of heat. At the same time, a person can easily perform the simplest movements.
Kinds
Leg pain in the upper part can be different in their sensations. These include such as:
- persistent pain syndrome;
- discomfort associated with the load;
- discomfort of a neurological nature.
Constant soreness is characteristic of neurological ailments or inflammatory processes. In addition, its cause may be hidden in malignant tumors.
The pain associated with the load mainly occurs when walking and subsides at rest. As the main reason, many doctors consider osteoarthrosis resulting from mechanical friction.
Pain, having a neurological cause, is mainly associated with the loss of a normal perception of a feeling of cold and heat. In addition, it is characterized by the occurrence of tingling sensations, numbness, crawling ants.
Depending on the intensity, the pain may be:
Acute occurs suddenly, in case of soft tissue injury. In this case, a person accurately feels the area of localization of discomfort and can show this place to the doctor.
Aching is characterized by a more extensive localization, and in some cases appears along with acute pain syndrome. Basically, it increases with the progression of the underlying ailment, against which it arose. A peculiarity of aching pain is the difficulty in diagnosing and determining the causes that provoked its occurrence.
Chronic pain syndrome appears after some time. It can torment a person for a long time. This often indicates the occurrence of extensive inflammation of various localization.
In addition, pain in the upper leg may be:
Somatic occurs when injured tendons, ligaments, joints and bone tissue. At the same time, a person experiences constant aching pain mainly in the thigh area, which can be sharp and dull. It is often impossible to pinpoint the area of discomfort.
Neuralgic appears against the background of pinched nerve endings. It seems to the victim that it is the hip itself that hurts, despite the fact that no obvious pathology is found in this area.
The most common type of pain is cutaneous. It occurs as a result of pinching of nerve endings located very close to the surface of the skin. This type of pain quickly disappears as soon as the provoking factor ceases to exert its effect.
Main reasons
Many people wonder why the leg hurts on the upper thigh and what to do about it. Among the main reasons you need to highlight such as:
- injury to the hip or hip;
- strong physical activity;
- pathology or anatomical structure of muscles, ligaments, joints;
- systemic ailments;
- spinal diseases.
Strong physical activity can lead to abrasion of the cartilage tissue and the occurrence of acute discomfort in the thigh. Soreness also appears due to inflammation of the muscles, which leads to irritation of the sciatic nerve. Therefore, in the buttock and thigh there is a pulling pain throughout the leg, which reaches the foot. It is very difficult for a person to stand and sit for a long time.
Drawing pain in the upper leg occurs due to various pathologies, in particular such as arthrosis, osteoporosis, inguinal hernia, arthrosis, neuralgia. In addition, the cause may be endocrine diseases, vascular pathologies, varicose veins, infectious ailments.
Causes of groin discomfort
Similar symptoms can occur in various pathological conditions, in particular such as:
- coxarthrosis;
- arthritis;
- bone head necrosis.
Coxarthrosis occurs with a feeling of inconvenience in the groin and hips. Discomfort gradually increases over the course of a month and does not release. Constant aches make it difficult to feel confident. Great soreness occurs in the inguinal region when walking. Discomfort passes in a state of complete rest, but when moving again appears.
Aseptic necrosis in its symptoms is similar to coxarthrosis, but the pain increases with a vengeance in just a couple of days. If arthritis is not treated in a timely manner, then it can manifest itself with various painful impulses that give out to different parts of the body, in particular, to the inguinal region. Discomfort can appear at any time, regardless of stress and physical activity.
If there are quite intense pains in the upper leg in front, then you should immediately consult a doctor. If there is severe discomfort in the inguinal region, which is permanent and becomes simply unbearable, then a comprehensive diagnosis is needed. This can be a sign of other ailments that are very dangerous to health.
Discomfort when walking
The most severe pains in the upper leg appear when walking or even lying in bed, when a person tries to roll over from one side to another. Modern man lives in a very intense rhythm, and when discomfort occurs that prevents one from moving, it becomes a real problem. Unpleasant sensations when walking arise for reasons such as:
- hip fracture;
- arthrosis and arthritis;
- bruises, sprains, and other injuries.
With a fracture, very severe pain in the upper leg is felt. In this case, the person needs urgent hospitalization and treatment under the supervision of a qualified specialist.
Bruising, sprains, and other types of injury often provoke severe discomfort. When moving, a sensation of pulsation appears, which gradually increases.
Arthritis and arthrosis initially appear only in the form of discomfort during movement. After staying on the legs for a long time, fatigue appears, as well as an unpleasant aching pain. Bursitis at the very beginning of its development manifests itself much stronger with motor activity. After prolonged activity, soreness can become more severe, unpleasant and burning.
In any case, you need to urgently visit a doctor for diagnosis. If the pain in the upper leg in front is simply unbearable, then you need to immediately call an ambulance. Timely hospitalization and treatment help to cope with the disease and avoid the development of complications.
Pregnancy discomfort
Aching pain in the upper leg often appears during pregnancy, and it is provoked by an increase in weight and the position of the child. It can cause certain difficulties during movements. Discomfort can intensify in a standing position, when lifting and on steps or even movements in a prone position. No matter what triggered the pain, there are some exercises that help relieve it. For this, a physiotherapist can recommend kegel bandage and exercises.
The causes of pain in the upper leg in front of the anterior during pregnancy may be due to sprains. It can be caused by overstrain or rupture of muscle tissue in the inner thigh.
During the bearing of a child, a lot of different changes occur in a woman’s body, as the child grows all the time and puts significant pressure on her legs and hips. This can cause certain difficulties when walking and soreness. A similar trauma can be caused by sudden muscle contraction.
During the third trimester, pain on the side of the upper leg, extending to the groin, is considered a symptom of problems with the pubic joint. Joint stiffness has many unpleasant symptoms. This condition does not pose any danger to the child, but provokes severe discomfort near the pelvic area, which greatly complicates the movement.
The delivery process can be very painful and causes a lot of discomfort. During childbirth, sharp pain in the upper leg can be caused by exposure to the nerve endings in the inguinal region. The cause of this may be a tumor, muscle tension, back surgery. This condition is very difficult to diagnose, but usually it occurs with a thigh or groin injury.
What ailments can a symptom be associated with
Only the attending doctor can accurately answer the question why the upper part of the leg hurts. It is worth noting that discomfort can be triggered by various ailments, in particular such as:
- arthrosis;
- systemic arthritis;
- rheumatism;
- osteochondrosis;
- intervertebral hernia;
- infectious ailments;
- neuropathy
- thrombosis;
- tendonitis;
- malignant neoplasms.
Arthrosis is a rather complex and dangerous disease that provokes a pulling or acute pain in the upper leg on the side. Against the background of joint pathologies, the condition of which worsens over time. As a result of this, intense bone strikes against each other occur and severe pain in the femoral region appears. Mostly people over 50 years old suffer from this ailment, however, there are cases when the pathology begins to bother even very young patients.
The pain in this case can be of very different localization, to give to different parts of the legs and the whole body. Often, a characteristic sign is an increase in soreness in certain areas of the thigh, especially when the weather changes.
With systemic arthritis, damage to several sufficiently large joints is observed at once, which provokes severe pain in the affected area.
Piriformis syndrome is found in about half of patients who consulted a doctor about hip discomfort. Almost always discomfort occurs in only one limb. In this case, pain is felt in the upper part of the foot of the left leg, as well as in the buttock and thigh area.
Many people consider rheumatism not a very dangerous pathology, as it often becomes the main cause of chronic pain. Discomfort appears along with the spread of rheumatic processes that occur in the connective tissue.
An intervertebral hernia manifests itself in the form of pain in the upper leg from the back or front. With this diagnosis, additional symptoms are also observed. Basically, discomfort covers the lower back, femoral region and reaches the foot.
A rather rare pathology that provokes soreness is malignant neoplasms. Primary tumors in the femoral region and adjacent tissues are very rare. The most common phenomena are bone metastases.
Among infectious diseases, osteomyelitis and bone tuberculosis are most common. As a result of serious pathologies, a lesion of a separate part of the femur occurs. If a person has a sharp, burning pain in the thigh, fever, lameness has arisen, then pathologies caused by pathogens must be excluded. A sufficient part of the discomfort occurs due to the occurrence of infectious ailments of the genitourinary system, as well as an abscess.
Stenosis or narrowing of the vessels manifests itself in the form of a drawing pain in the upper part of the legs, which intensifies even with minor loads. In addition, lameness may appear, which can greatly complicate the diagnosis.
Tendonitis is an inflammation of the tendon connecting the quadriceps to the knee. This ailment is quite common in active people. Symptoms include a burning leg pain in the upper thigh, swelling around the knee.
Deep vein thrombosis often appears in the lower extremities, and can also form in one or both thighs. Sometimes the disease can be asymptomatic, but in some cases, symptoms such as:
- pain;
- swelling;
- feeling of warmth;
- pallor or cyanosis.
As a result of the course of the disease, a life-threatening condition develops, in particular such as a pulmonary embolism, in which blood clots move to the lungs.
One of the causes of pain can be kidney stones. In addition, there are symptoms such as discomfort during urination, urine is cloudy with an unpleasant odor, as well as its allocation in small quantities.
The main symptoms
It is often difficult to describe muscle pain in the upper legs. The nature, localization, intensity of soreness largely depends on the exact cause of the injury or inflammation. Among the main symptoms, it is necessary to highlight such as:
- burning;
- severe discomfort;
- bruising and swelling;
- lameness.
In addition, there is an inability to carry weight on the affected side, as well as a decrease in active movements in the knee or thigh.
How to facilitate
To relieve pain in the upper part of the left leg, you can apply ice or a cold compress immediately after the damage. This will stop internal bleeding and eliminate puffiness. In addition, such a procedure accelerates the relief of painful manifestations.
When tearing the muscles and stretching them, it is important to keep your legs at rest, which will help prevent swelling and further tissue injury. If you really need to walk, then you can use crutches for this to avoid strong pressure of your own weight on the damaged thigh.
If pain is felt in the upper part of the foot of the left leg, then tight tightening of the surrounding tissues is required, which helps to suspend inflammatory processes and prevent severe swelling of the joint, as well as reduce pain. To do this, use a compression bandage or elastic bandage. Raising the affected leg helps prevent severe swelling and further muscle damage.
If discomfort appears after physical work, then you need to stop activity and lie down to rest, so that the muscles relax. If after rest the pain subsided, and after the resumption of activity appeared again, then you need to see a doctor.
A gentle massage in the thigh area will help eliminate discomfort during an injury. However, it is worth remembering that such manipulations are not effective enough for damage to blood vessels and nerves. Massaging the affected area is not too active, as this can only do much harm.
Which doctor to contact
Initially, you need to contact a therapist, who will then refer to a specialist. He can also direct on the delivery of tests to draw up an initial picture of a possible ailment.
An orthopedist is involved in the treatment of pathologies associated with bones and joints. If soreness is observed due to vascular damage, consultation with a phlebologist is required. In addition, consultation with other specialists may be required.
Diagnostics
Since there are various causes of pain in the upper leg, it is imperative to conduct a comprehensive diagnosis. An individual comprehensive examination program should be developed for each patient, depending on the location, nature of the pain, age of the patient, and associated symptoms. The most informative diagnostic methods are considered such as:
- MRI
- vascular examination;
- electromyography;
- biochemistry and general blood count.
If it is established that discomfort is not provoked by trauma or damage and is combined with painful manifestations in the lumbar region, then the patient is first of all assigned to an MRI of the spine, as well as to the hip region.
Often, a dopplerographic study of the vessels of the lower extremities is prescribed, which allows you to assess the condition of the vascular system and determine the existing pathologies, including such common diseases as thrombophlebitis and varicose veins. Electromyography involves a special research technique that helps to evaluate the activity of muscles and ligaments.
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Treatment features
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- anti-inflammatory drugs;
- muscle relaxants;
- chondroprotectors;
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A sufficient amount of the required macro- and microelements, as well as vitamins of all groups helps to improve the general well-being of the body, reduces the severity of inflammation, preventing the occurrence of pathologies, and also helps to recover much faster after an injury. Vitamin complexes are the main component of the treatment of diseases that provoke pain in the hip joint.
Diuretics help get rid of puffiness in the area of the occurrence of pathology.
In case of pinching of the sciatic nerve or other pathologies of the spine, a course of manual therapy is required. A special set of therapeutic exercises allows you to improve blood circulation in the affected area, develop muscles after an injury, increase joint mobility, strengthen the required muscle groups.
Physiotherapeutic treatment can normalize well-being, increase the effectiveness of the main treatment. Additionally, treatment with leeches and acupuncture are used.
Folk remedies
If the upper part of the leg, thigh or foot hurts, treatment with traditional medicine methods can be carried out. They help enhance the effects of medications.
It helps to eliminate fat discomfort. To do this, apply a small strip of this product to the affected joint and wrap a tight bandage around it. After 5-8 hours, the fat will thin out a little. As soon as this happens, you need to replace the old piece of fat with a new one. Treatment procedures should be carried out until the discomfort in the thigh area disappears completely.
With aching pain, a pepper patch is used. To do this, pass through a meat grinder a couple of pods of hot pepper, add 100 g of freshly squeezed onion juice, 20 ml of plantain juice. Mix everything well, add a little interior fat and mix again. Warm the finished mixture a little, and then rub it with the affected area and carefully wrap the thigh with a warm cloth.
Mustard ointment is considered a good remedy. Mix 1 tbsp. salt, 0.5 tbsp. mustard and some kerosene. Prepare an ointment that, in consistency, resembles thick sour cream. Apply before bedtime to rub into sore joints.