Lim Vladimir Grigorievich Head of the reflexology department - reflexologist, neurologist
✓ Article verified by a medical expert
The legs perform the most important motor function and are subjected to intense physical activity every day. The anatomical structure of the leg includes three main parts - the foot, lower leg and thigh, and each of these parts of the leg can cause severe pain.
Many people are unable to perform normal activities when their feet hurt too much. Pain can be of varying intensity, location and nature, occur during movement or appear at rest. The reasons why legs hurt are varied and depend on the location of the pain.
Pain in the legs is often not an alarming symptom and indicates physical fatigue resulting from prolonged standing, sitting or intense sports activity.
“However, in some cases you need to see a doctor immediately.”
Causes of leg pain, their types and treatment
Most often, pain in the legs appears when the blood circulation in them is impaired, and this can occur with diseases of the vascular system. Also, the causes of pain in the legs may be associated with neurological disorders, injuries, flat feet or problems in the spine. It is believed that the syndrome in question is not an independent disease, but one of the signs of some pathology. Such pain sensations can be different - depending on the disorders that provoked their appearance.
Your legs hurt a lot - it's time to see a doctor
Below we will describe cases when pain in the legs cannot be tolerated, because... the negative consequences of inaction, folk treatment or waiting for a miracle or may be irreversible.
- your legs hurt a lot and don’t go away for more than 3 days;
- limbs begin to go numb and swell sharply;
- at the same time my legs and arms hurt a lot;
- blue color of the skin, ulcers or swellings under the skin appear;
- suspected injury.
- after a minor injury, my legs hurt very much for more than 2 days.
Legs hurt: reasons why they hurt
The reasons why legs hurt can be caused by a number of diseases:
- vascular pathologies (varicose veins, thrombophlebitis, atherosclerosis of the arteries);
- radiculitis of the lower back with pain radiating to the legs (sciatica, pinched sciatic nerve);
- joint diseases (arthritis, gout);
- flat feet;
- neurological diseases (peripheral nerve disease, lumbosacral osteochondrosis, Raynaud's disease);
- damage to the femoral nerve;
- inflammation of the iliopsoas muscle (psoitis);
- myositis (muscle inflammation);
- infectious diseases (osteomyelitis, erysipelas);
- combined inflammatory lesions of the muscles and ligaments of the lower extremities (myoenthesitis, paratenonitis);
- injuries (bruises, fractures, sprains or ruptures of muscles and ligaments);
- tumor processes of various origins;
- tuberculosis of bones.
Types of leg pain
Based on the patient’s description of pain, the doctor can make an initial conclusion about the nature of the pathology. The types of pain in the legs are as follows:
- pulling, dull, accompanied by a feeling of heaviness and tension - evidence of the initial stage of varicose veins or venous stagnation;
- sharp, pulsating, prolonged, localized in the calf muscles - a sign of the development of thrombophlebitis;
- pulsating, often occurring at night or after walking even short distances - most likely, atherosclerosis of the vessels of the lower extremities will be diagnosed;
- pulling from the buttock down to the heel, in the form of “lumbago” along the calf muscles - the problems lie in the spine;
- dull, occurring when walking or running for a long time, accompanied by a feeling of heaviness - you need to conduct an examination for the presence of flat feet.
If a closed fracture occurs without displacement of the fragments, the pain may be dull and aching, sometimes throbbing. With open fractures, as well as those accompanied by displacement of bone fragments, extremely intense pain appears, which can lead to painful shock.
Treatment methods used
- Medical hardware pedicure.
Medical hardware pedicure is a procedure during which, using rotating attachments, layer by layer, dead skin is sanded off. The result of the impact should be a perfectly smooth surface. The nail plate is also subject to treatment with special burs.
Unlike a cosmetic procedure, this specialist manipulation is therapeutic in nature. Although maintaining aesthetic appeal is also encouraged, achieving a cosmetic result is a secondary consideration in this case. Removal of rough areas of the skin surface and thinning of the nail plate during the procedure is carried out in order to soften the skin, prevent the appearance of cracks and calluses, and ensure deeper penetration of medicinal substances.
Treatment of onychomycosis involves long-term use of antifungal drugs not only internally, but also applied externally. However, the effectiveness of such agents is noticeably reduced due to the thickening of the nail plate and the difficulty of their access to the site of accumulation of pathogenic agents. Hardware medical pedicure for nail fungus can significantly speed up the healing process, since it significantly increases the therapeutic effect of external agents. The hardware part is completed with the application of antimycotic agents. This procedure is also effective in the presence of calluses, when with the help of the device it is possible to remove dead tissue in the most careful manner.
Medical hardware pedicure also gives excellent results for diabetic feet. In this case, in order to increase the effectiveness of the treatment and improve the prognosis, the procedure is indicated not only for the slightest cracks, wounds, ulcers, but also for routine hygiene.
- Installing brackets and plates
Orthonexia is a technique based on the use of special rigid plates or titanium threads that are attached to the surface of the nail and ensure the desired growth of the nail plate and its correct shape. The procedure is a powerful factor in preventing ingrown nails. When prescribed correctly and carried out correctly, it serves as an excellent alternative to painful surgical procedures. It is important that the use of the technique guarantees the absence of relapse of the disease. The leveled plate then continues to grow correctly.
- Prosthetic toenails
Nail prosthetics is a procedure aimed at completely or partially replacing a nail using artificial materials. People turn to her if it is necessary to restore a damaged or missing nail, as well as to ensure the correct growth of the nail plate in case of an ingrown nail. The formation of the nail plate is carried out using a gel that hardens under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, or by installing a plate prosthesis. In this case, the doctor uses scissors to cut out the desired shape of the model from a special blank and, using a special means, fixes it on the remains of the nail and the nail bed. In this case, an indisputable factor is the presence of antimycotic activity of the agents used.
- Treatment of hyperhidrosis with Botox injections
Botox is a drug made from a neurotoxin. It acts as a blocker of nerve receptors, as a result of which impulses are not transmitted to the sweat glands, and moisture production is significantly reduced. Since the effect of the drug is limited, the injections should be repeated after 6-8 months.
- Systemic and local therapy, that is, the prescription of medications for internal use and external agents, solutions, ointments, varnishes.
- Photodynamic therapy
Among modern techniques effective for fungal infections, photodynamic therapy, based on the sensitivity of certain types of fungi to special radiation, is increasingly being used. Its promise is explained not only by its effectiveness, but also by the absence of painful or unpleasant sensations during the procedure.
Where to contact
If you experience any pain in the lower extremities, you should consult a doctor. Often, with unexpressed constant or periodically appearing pain in the legs, patients do not rush to the clinic, and this is a big mistake. Thanks to early diagnosis of diseases, they can be cured with therapeutic methods, while in advanced cases it will be necessary to resort to surgical intervention.
Which doctor should I contact for leg pain? If the patient does not know the cause of the pain syndrome, then it is necessary to contact a therapist, who, after examination, will refer to the right specialist - a phlebologist, a surgeon, and so on.
Are phlebologists and vascular surgeons the same thing?
It is immediately worth noting that a vascular surgeon and a phlebologist are different specialists. They deal with similar diseases, but with different specifics of the disease and treatment methods. Therefore, in some cases, patients with vascular diseases are sent to a phlebologist, in some situations to an angiologist, and in rare cases directly to a vascular surgeon. To understand the difference in these medical specialties, you need to understand that phlebology is part of vascular surgery, the most difficult when the patient urgently needs to take care of his health.
A surgeon in this area has a specific “area of responsibility” - these are all the veins, vessels, arteries that require surgical intervention. In all other cases, no matter what the nature of the pathology, even if it is an acquired disease, the vessels are treated therapeutically. If surgical intervention is unavoidable, the patient is sent straight to a vascular surgeon.
But still, phlebologist and vascular surgeon, what is the difference? To do this, let's take a closer look at the specifics of each of them.
Treatment for leg pain
Leg pain should not be treated with traditional methods - it is not the pain that is treated, but the disease that provoked it. Even if using any method it was possible to eliminate pain, this does not mean that the problem itself is solved. Treatment for leg pain can be very different and can only be prescribed by a doctor. Prescriptions for pain relief may be as follows:
- blockade - anesthetics are used for it;
- taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- topical use of ointments or gels;
- injections of antispasmodics - for muscle spasms, which could cause pain.
Patients often have the question: “If you have pain in your legs, what should you do?” Only a doctor can answer this question after examining the patient and making a diagnosis. The listed manipulations can only relieve pain, so the disease that caused the pain in the legs must be treated.
On our website Dobrobut.com you can make an appointment with a therapist and get more detailed advice from him - why there is pain in the legs, what are its causes, what measures should be taken to relieve pain.
What diseases does a podiatrist treat?
The professional responsibilities of a podiatrist include identifying, treating and preventing the following foot diseases:
- Core corns;
- Fungus of nails, feet;
- Shipica;
- Calluses;
- Cracks in toes and heels;
- Ingrown nail;
- Foot odor, hyperhidrosis;
- Bursitis;
- Deformations, congenital anomalies of the feet;
- Tunnel syndrome;
- Panaritiums;
- Thickening of the dermis on the legs;
- Plantar fasciitis;
- Warts;
- Hollow feet;
- Dislocations and sprains;
- Morton's neuroma;
- Deformed toes;
- Heel spur, diabetic foot, bunion.
In addition, a podiatrist treats ingrown toenails, performs plastic surgery and prosthetics of nail plates, and eliminates the consequences of previous injuries and congenital deformities.
Regular visits to a podiatrist and contacting a specialist if any problems with the feet are detected will allow you to identify the disease in the early stages, prevent the development of serious problems and keep your feet in proper shape.
Attention!
This article is posted for informational purposes only and under no circumstances constitutes scientific material or medical advice and should not serve as a substitute for an in-person consultation with a professional physician.
For diagnostics, diagnosis and treatment, contact qualified doctors! Number of reads: 3333 Date of publication: 10/09/2017
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How to choose a phlebologist?
When choosing who to turn to for treatment of the veins of the lower extremities, pay attention to the phlebologist’s education, work experience and clinic.
Education
A phlebologist cannot do without surgical education. Also pay attention to advanced training for doctors, courses and certificates. The skill of ultrasound diagnostics and knowledge of new treatment methods will not be superfluous.
experience
In addition to strong knowledge, a phlebologist is also valuable for his practical skills. The more experience a doctor has in performing surgeries and conservative treatment, the better for the patient.
Clinic
Pay attention to the clinic where the doctor works. A good medical center places high demands on the professionalism of doctors, so only the best specialists remain on staff.