Leg pain

The feeling of pain in the legs, from the pelvis to the heel of the foot, is common, as the man consists of many joints, muscles and bones, and also contains blood, lymph and nerve vessels, and these parts may be exposed to various injuries; Such as a wound, disease, or infection, which would cause a feeling of pain, and it is also possible for the pain arising from another area in the body to be felt by the patient in the legs; Such as what happens when the back is damaged, accompanied by pain and numbness in the legs, or as occurs in the case of swelling of the aorta in the abdomen, in what is medically called an aneurysm. The patient with a clot in the large veins of the abdomen or pelvis may also feel pain in the legs.
The description of the pain in the legs varies according to the cause; It is described as sharp, heavy or similar to burning, and the patient may feel it continuously or intermittently, and it may come suddenly or gradually, and that pain may ease or exacerbate when taking a certain sitting position, standing or walking, and the intensity may vary. the pain. This information is necessary because it gives the doctor an indication of the cause of the pain.


Most cases of leg pain result from excessive pressure or injuries to the legs. Many causes of pain are not serious, temporary, and can be easily treated and controlled. The main causes of pain in the legs are as follows:

• Muscle spasms: It is one of the most common causes, and it causes sharp and sudden pain with contraction of the muscles of the foot. The affected muscle appears as a hard lump under the skin, and the area around it may be swollen or red. Muscle cramps arise from muscle fatigue or dehydration. Some patients who take certain types of medications, such as diuretics, or used to treat high blood fats, may develop cramps in the muscles of the legs from time to time.
• Exposing the legs to injuries: The most common of these injuries is the so-called muscle rupture, which results from excessive stretching of muscle fibers, and this often happens to large muscle groups, such as the calf or quadriceps. Tendinitis is also a frequent injury. They are the small fibrous cords that connect muscles to bones, and moving the affected joint becomes difficult when this occurs. There is also inflammation of the knee joint; It is the fluid-filled sac surrounding the joint. Leg pain may arise when so-called stress fractures occur; They are small fractures in the bone of the foot that result from frequent heavy use, such as jumping a lot, or running for long distances.
• Infection with diseases: Certain diseases cause pain in the legs, and these diseases include:
  - Atherosclerosis: This is caused by the accumulation of fats and cholesterol in them, which leads to their narrowing as well, reducing the flow of blood and oxygen to the various parts of the body. If this happens in the legs, it leads to pain in the legs, especially in the calf muscle.
  - Deep vein thrombosis: This happens when a clot forms in the deep veins inside the body, and this usually occurs in the lower part of the legs after a long period of rest, which leads to the appearance of swelling in the legs, in addition to feeling cramp-like pain in them.
  - Suffering from arthritis: This causes the affected joint to swell, in addition to redness and pain in the skin over it. It often affects the knee and hip joint.
  - Gout: This is caused by the accumulation of uric acid in the body in large quantities. It causes pain, swelling and redness in the foot and the lower leg.
  - Suffering from varicose veins disease: or the so-called varicose veins, which occurs when blood collects in large quantities as a result of a defect in the valves in the veins, and these veins appear open and raised from the surface of the skin, as they may be painful. They usually occur in the calf muscle or at the ankle.
  - Infection in the bone or tissues in the leg that may cause pain in them, in addition to redness and swelling of the affected area.
  - Damage to the nerves in the legs: This causes pain and numbness in them. It usually occurs in the feet or lower legs as a result of diabetes.
  - Suffering from herniated disc: This occurs when the cartilage between the vertebrae of the spine slips and puts pressure on the spinal cord. It causes back pain that may extend to the arms or legs.
  - Tumors: benign or malignant. They often appear in large bones, such as the thigh bone, or the bones that make up the leg.

Leg pain may result from many reasons, some of which are clear to the patient, such as doing muscular effort or exposure to injuries, including what requires going to the doctor to determine this and treat it. As for these cases, they are as follows:

• If the patient suffers an injury to the leg, such as a cut, or if that injury leads to the appearance of bone or tendons.
• If the patient cannot walk or even stand on his feet.
• If the patient feels pain in the calf, in addition to its swelling, redness, and high temperature.
• If the patient hears the sound of crackling or grinding in the foot at the moment of injury.
• If both legs swell, the patient suffers from difficulty breathing.
• If the patient feels sharp pain in the legs without an apparent cause.
• The patient must make an appointment with the doctor, but not as an emergency, if he feels pain in the legs during or after walking, or if the pain worsens, or if he does not respond to home treatment, or if the patient suffers from varicose veins and became painful.