Causes of Leg Pain and Fatigue. Chronic venous insufficiency, a venous disorder, is a significant cause of heaviness and pain in the legs. This condition occurs when veins deep in the legs that keep blood flowing back to the heart weaken, allowing blood to pool.
Poor Circulation
Diabetes and smoking are two leading causes of poor blood circulation. If you are experiencing tired, achy legs and you smoke or are diabetic, it could be due to the blocked arteries that supply blood to your leg muscles. This is the first indication of peripheral artery disease (PAD).
Movement & Exercise
Obviously, if you're generally sedentary, getting up and moving will go a long way to relieve achy, tired legs. Your muscles weaken after prolonged inactivity. And when your muscles are weak, you're more likely to suffer muscle soreness from simple, everyday activities.
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
Vitamin B1 deficiency can cause heavy and tired legs after running, muscle cramps, fatigue, and odd sensations in your legs and feet. Some foods rich in vitamin B1 include whole grains, vegetables, legumes, milk products, and meat.
Leg Pain Can Indicate Risk for a Heart Attack or Stroke
Peripheral artery disease that causes leg pain can be indicative of heart issues. People that have PAD are at a higher risk of having a stroke or heart attack. This could be a sign that the coronary arteries are blocked and the blood flow is reduced.
Make an appointment with your health care provider if:
You have pain during or after walking. You have swelling in both legs. Your pain gets worse. Your symptoms don't get better after a few days of treating them at home.
Muscle cramps and strain play a part, but a number of health conditions may also result in leg pain, such as arthritis, gout, deep vein thrombosis, peripheral neuropathy, and sciatica.
When vitamin D levels are low and the body isn't able to properly absorb calcium and phosphorus, there is an increased risk of bone pain, bone fractures, muscle pain and muscle weakness. In older adults, severe vitamin D deficiency (levels less than 10 ng/mL) may also contribute to an increased risk of falls.
Magnesium supplementation is often suggested for restless legs syndrome (RLS) or period limb movement disorder (PLMD) based on anecdotal evidence that it relieves symptoms and because it is also commonly recommended for leg cramps.
Vitamin D deficiency can cause muscle aches, weakness, and bone pain in people of all ages.
Dark, Leafy Greens
They're rich in calcium and magnesium. So adding kale, spinach, or broccoli to your plate may help prevent muscle cramps.
Muscle Tension Muscle tension is also a fairly common cause of leg pain in those with anxiety. When a person feels high levels of stress, the muscles tend to become tense, and this tension, over long periods of time, can leave legs feeling achy.
High blood sugar (glucose) can injure nerves throughout the body. Diabetic neuropathy most often damages nerves in the legs and feet. Depending on the affected nerves, diabetic neuropathy symptoms include pain and numbness in the legs, feet and hands.
Growing pains are leg pains and soreness that happen to children at night. Growing pains usually start when kids are 3–12 years old.
High blood pressure can lead to peripheral arterial disease (PAD), where narrowing of the blood vessels restricts the blood flow to the legs and feet, causing pain.
Medical Imaging Tests for Leg Pain
MRI Scan of the Spine, Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan, ultrasound, or plain x-rays are typically used while diagnosing leg pain. Imaging tests help identify herniated discs, abnormal bone growths (bone spurs), bone fractures, and tumors among others.
The most common symptoms of diabetic neuropathy are numbness, tingling, a burning feeling, aching, cramps and weakness. Symptoms often begin in their feet or hands. These symptoms may later spread to their legs and arms.
Drink plenty of fluids. You can also drink an electrolyte replacement drink or sports drink, such as Gatorade, after exercise. Walk around, or jiggle your leg.
Yes, stress can cause a heavy legs feeling. In fact, stress and chronic stress often cause heavy, tired, jelly-like, rubbery, weak, and stiff legs feelings because of how stress affects the body's muscles, including those in the legs.
Magnesium deficiency is diagnosed via a blood test and sometimes a urine test. Your doctor may order the blood test if you have symptoms such as weakness, irritability, abnormal heart rhythm, nausea and/or diarrhoea, or if you have abnormal calcium or potassium levels.