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Other Names: Leg Aches, Leg Cramps
Leg Pain
On this page:
Leg pain is a common symptom and complaint for most people. Most commonly
leg pain is due to muscle cramps.
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- Muscle fatigue from overuse
- Muscle strain
- Excessive
exercise
- Standing for long periods of time.
- Tendinitis
- Shin splints
- Flatfeet
- Stress or hairline fracture of tibia or fibula
- Dehydration
- Imbalance or depletion of salts like potassium,
sodium, calcium or magnesium.
- Medications like diuretics, which can cause
you to lose too much fluid or salts.
- Cholesterol-lowering drugs
called statins.
- Deep vein thrombosis
- Varicose veins.
- Atherosclerosis of leg arteries.
- Gout
- Arthritis
- Neuropathy or nerve damage which is common in diabetics, smokers and
alcoholics.
- Osteomyelitis
- Cellulitis
- Bone tumors
- Benign bone tumors or cysts of the femur or tibia such as osteoid ostioma.
- Malignant bone tumors (osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma).
- Sciatic nerve
pain caused by a slipped disk in the back (vertebral column).
- Medications such as allopurinol and corticosteroids.
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- Medications
- Pain killers like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID's) like
tylenol, ibuprofen, aspirin
- Antibiotics for osteomyelitis
- General Measures
- Rest as much as possible.
- Elevate your leg.
- Apply ice for up to 15 minutes atleast 4 times a
day
- Gently stretch and massage your cramping muscles.
- Avoid ill fitting shoes.
- Specific Measures
- Varicose veins
- Leg elevation
- Compression elastic bandages or
support hose
- Neuropathy or claudication
- Control diabetes
- Eliminate the use of alcohol and tobacco
- Prevention
- If you are a smoker, quit smoking.
- Limit your alcohol intake.
- Keep your diabetes under good control.
- If you have high blood cholesterol, adopt measures to reduce blood
cholesterol.
- Control your high
blood
pressure.
- Stretch to warm up before physical activity and cool down afterward.
- Drink plenty of fluids throughout the day, especially before, during,
and after exercise and in hot and humid weather.
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