Keep walking Exercise increases the amount of blood that the arteries can carry to the muscles in your legs. Research shows that regular exercise such as walking can help reduce the pain of 'intermittent claudication'. It also helps people to walk longer distances before they get pain.
Patients should try to walk at a challenging pace (meaning it causes them to experience strong leg pain) for three to five minutes before resting until the pain goes away. The walk-rest pattern should be repeated for about 30 to 60 minutes.
Lie on your back on the floor, with both of your arms resting at your side. Slowly lift one leg while keeping it straight. Hold the lifted leg for five seconds, then lower it back to the floor as slowly as possible. Repeat the exercise with your other leg.
Dr. Knepper says walking encourages small arteries in the legs to enlarge, which increases blood flow. “Keep in mind that the pain you might feel while walking is not causing further damage,” he says. If your doctor approves, you can begin a simple walking routine that will start to improve your leg health.
Usually, the immobilized limb is much smaller than the other due to a lack of exercise. The same logic applies to the other muscles of the body. The less frequently the muscles in our body are used, the smaller and weaker they become. This decrease in muscle mass and strength can lead to chronic pain in the body.
Most leg pain results from wear and tear, overuse, or injuries in joints or bones or in muscles, ligaments, tendons or other soft tissues. Some types of leg pain can be traced to problems in your lower spine. Leg pain can also be caused by blood clots, varicose veins or poor circulation.
"Working out when sore is okay as long as it isn't affecting your movement to the point where it's causing you to compensate and do something in a way that's unsafe," says Dr. Hedt. "Muscle soreness can be a deterrent to exercising, but it's temporary and the more you exercise, the less you should feel it.
Some types of leg pain, especially if they're caused by a muscle strain or another less serious injury, may respond well to self-care measures and not require extensive treatment. But leg pain that's due to a more serious injury, or involves nerve or tissue damage, may require ongoing treatment or surgery to resolve.
Drink plenty of fluids. Sports drinks, such as Gatorade, will often help leg cramps.
But if that pain persists, it may be time to talk to your doctor. Chronic leg pain is a primary symptom of peripheral artery disease (PAD), a common and treatable condition in which narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to your limbs and can threaten your heart.
If you walk long distances, walk on steep inclines, wear unsupportive shoes or walk on hard surfaces, you can overwork you legs and cause muscle fatigue. Certain medical conditions can lead to aching legs such as arthritis, blood clots, nerve damage and varicose veins.
See your doctor as soon as possible if you have:
A leg that is swollen, pale or unusually cool. Calf pain, particularly after prolonged sitting, such as on a long car trip or plane ride. Swelling in both legs along with breathing problems. Any serious leg symptoms that develop for no apparent reason.
Leg Pain Could Indicate Vein or Artery Disease
Often, leg pain is misdiagnosed as simply muscle aches or arthritis. The reality is leg pain and cramps may be signs of a more serious underlying disease; therefore, you should discuss your leg challenges with a vascular specialist.
Claudication is a symptom of a narrowing or blockage of an artery. Typical symptoms of claudication include: Pain, a burning feeling, or a tired feeling in the legs and buttocks when you walk. Shiny, hairless, blotchy foot skin that may get sores.
Leg pain while lying on the back
Lying in this position for long, decreases the size of the passageways where your nerve roots exit the spinal column. If you suffer from herniated disc or bone spur, a pinch in the nerve root can easily happen, and this results in leg pain.
It can be due to reduced blood flow, tight muscles and ligaments, fluid pooled in the body's lower extremities, or pins and needles sensations in the feet.
Vascular pain often feels like an uncomfortable heaviness or throbbing sensation. It can also feel like an aching sensation. It usually affects your legs and can be worse with walking or exerting yourself.
Walking is a form of low impact, moderate intensity exercise that has a range of health benefits and few risks. As a result, the CDC recommend that most adults aim for 10,000 steps per day . For most people, this is the equivalent of about 8 kilometers, or 5 miles.
How much walking is too much? There's no one number or formula that will tell you how much walking is too much. While some people get more than 10,000 steps per day as part of their daily job, others need to put in effort to get half that.
For example, if you focus on running for 45 minutes, you will have a long and fruitful workout as compared to when you will simply focus on walking exactly five kilometres. The focus should be on the time on feet and not on the pace and distance, say experts.