Leg pain that comes and goes is often intermittent claudication, a symptom of poor blood flow (like Peripheral Artery Disease, or PAD) where muscles ache during activity and feel better with rest, or nerve pain (like sciatica) that shoots from the back down the leg, or even tired muscles from overexertion or poor posture, often related to PAD, nerve damage (neuropathy), or musculoskeletal issues. It can also be caused by varicose veins, blood clots (DVT), arthritis, or growing pains in children, but pain with exertion points strongly to circulation problems.
Claudication is a symptom, not a specific disease or condition. It's most often related to narrowed arteries in the legs or arms, a condition called peripheral artery disease (PAD). The condition also is called intermittent claudication. Intermittent means not constant.
Leg pain can signal various diseases, often related to poor blood flow (like Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) or Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)), nerve issues (like Sciatica, Diabetic Neuropathy, or Restless Legs Syndrome), joint/bone problems (like Arthritis or infections), or muscle conditions, with symptoms varying from exercise-induced cramping to persistent aching, swelling, or numbness.
Self care
Call your GP, midwife or 111 immediately if you have:
pain, swelling and tenderness in 1 leg, usually at the back of your lower leg (calf) – the pain may be worse when you walk.
Symptoms of DVT (deep vein thrombosis)
Make an appointment with your health care provider if:
Both low vitamin D and calcium lead to increased muscle cramps. Vitamin B1 is also called thiamine. Your body uses it to produce energy. Low vitamin B1 can lead to a condition called beriberi, which causes leg pain and cramps.
Sciatica is a type of nerve pain, which results in pain radiating down the leg along the path of the sciatic nerve. It is usually only present in one leg at a time. The pain may feel like a tingling or a pins and needles sensation. Sciatica is often caused by a herniated disc in the spine compressing the sciatic nerve.
Leg pain is usually the first symptom that one feels when an artery clot occurs. Artery blood clots can be identified with ultrasound, CT scans, MRI, and angiograms. Artery blood clots are considered an emergency medical problem and usually require an immediate surgical procedure.
Benign acute childhood myositis (BACM) is a common, self-limited condition and a frequently missed cause of lower leg pain in children. This muscle-related condition is also known as influenza-associated myositis, viral myositis, and acute myositis.
Symptoms of a blocked artery in the leg, often Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), typically start as muscle pain, cramping, or fatigue in the calves, thighs, or hips during activity (like walking) that goes away with rest, known as claudication. More severe blockage causes resting leg pain, cool skin, slow-healing sores, hair loss, shiny skin, or even gangrene, indicating significantly reduced blood flow.
HOW CAN MAGNESIUM BE USED TO TREAT CRAMPS? Regular muscle and leg cramps as well as tension are usually due to an acute magnesium deficiency. Taken regularly, high doses of magnesium will treat the actual cause of the leg cramps, i.e. the magnesium deficiency, rather than just manage the symptoms in the short term.
If you suddenly develop pain from an injury, use the RICER method:
Low oxygen concentrations can include giddiness, mental confusion, loss of judgment, loss of coordination, weakness, nausea, fainting, loss of consciousness, and death. 20.9 percent: Normal atmospheric oxygen content.
Leg pain is a symptom with many possible causes. Most leg pain results from wear and tear or overuse. It also can result from injuries or health conditions in joints, bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves or other soft tissues. Some types of leg pain can be traced to problems in your lower spine.
Rahul Patwari, MD, an emergency medicine physician at Rush, share insights about 8 pains you should never ignore.
Leg Pain and Heart Attack Signs
“Most notably, leg pain is linked to peripheral artery disease (PAD), a condition that develops when the arteries that supply blood to the internal organs, arms, and legs become completely or partially blocked as a result of atherosclerosis,” Dr. Dadu says.
Although some symptoms you may experience are specific to a leg problem, others can suggest trouble with your heart, nervous system, kidneys, or other organs. Use the following symptom guide to help you decipher what broader problems your leg pain might suggest. muscles to contract abnormally, or spasm.
No vitamin is likely to help with a leg cramp 100% of the time. But some experts do recommend that you take a vitamin B complex or magnesium for leg cramps.
Here are 10 unexpected signs of a vitamin D deficiency that may surprise you.
It is important to consider vitamin deficiencies especially vitamin B12 in patients presenting with leg spasms and cramps. This is a treatable and reversible etiology compared with other cramping syndrome which are often refractory to therapy.
Signs that you may have a blood clot
Common reasons for pain that travels from the knee to the lower leg: Muscle cramps: Sudden, tight muscle spasms often caused by dehydration or overuse. Nerve irritation: Pinched or compressed nerves near the knee or spine. Poor circulation: Reduced blood flow can cause aching, heaviness, or cold sensations.
Leg and Arm Pain
You may experience musculoskeletal pain as a result of a change in your gait. You can also feel it because you are compensating for a weakness in your arms or legs. You may also experience nerve pain in your arms and legs resulting from nerve damage in your spine. This can cause weakness and numbness.