If you need to tame the pain of a broken bone, sprain or bruising, a new study suggests you're best to reach for the humble paracetamol.
Things you can do about leg cramps yourself
Paracetamol or ibuprofen can help to ease muscle soreness after a cramp, but they will not help when it's happening as they take too long to work.
Ibuprofen (trade names are Advil, Motrin, Midol) "targets inflammation, so it is particularly helpful for muscle pain, joint pain and sports injuries.
You can take simple painkillers like paracetamol or anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen. If you have muscle cramps, gently stretching the muscles should help. This is true for many other types of leg pain, too. If you have pins and needles, just moving around should ease the discomfort.
If you have mild-to-moderate pain, paracetamol is often the best painkiller to try first. But NSAIDs such as ibuprofen can be better for pain associated with inflammation. You can switch to a different painkiller if the first one you try doesn't ease your pain.
Paracetamol: A 2000 study proved that, despite its efficacy in battling pain, paracetamol offers zero benefit in managing DOMS. Low. Ibuprofen: Though it won't restore muscle function, anti-inflammatory ibuprofen is your friend when suffering post-leg day pain.
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.
Speaking of heat, heat and ice packs will often relieve some kinds of nerve pain in the legs. If the pain is new or may be caused by an injury, try ice first. For chronic nerve pain in the legs, or to relieve diabetic nerve pain in the legs, heat can help blood flow and bring comfort quickly.
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.
Common anti-inflammatory medications include aspirin (Bayer, Bufferin, Ecotrin), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), and naproxen sodium (Aleve). Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication is typically used to minimize inflammation. These drugs are best used immediately after the injury, before swelling occurs.
The evidence is that it probably does not work at all for chronic pain. Large, good and independent clinical trials and reviews from the Cochrane Library show paracetamol to be no better than placebo for chronic back pain or arthritis.
Numbness or decreased sensation in the area supplied by the nerve. Sharp, aching or burning pain, which may radiate outward. Tingling, pins and needles sensations (paresthesia) Muscle weakness in the affected area.
Nerve pain is typically described as sharp, shooting, electric-like, or searing pain. It may also produce a sensation of hot or warm water running down the thigh and/or leg. In some individuals, a dull ache may occur. The pain may be intermittent or constant.
And what better way to get blood flow moving than with a good old fashioned walk. It's the perfect low-impact aerobic exercise for everyone. All you have to do is put one foot in front of the other. The more you exercise on a consistent basis, the better your chances are at reducing your nerve pain.
The narrowing of the arteries causes a decrease in blood flow. Symptoms include leg pain, numbness, cold legs or feet and muscle pain in the thighs, calves or feet. The arteries which supply blood to the leg originate from the aorta and iliac vessels.
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.
Pain relievers do not essentially relax the muscles, but only improve pain caused by overstretching.
Do not use for more than a few days at a time unless your doctor tells you to. Do not take more than the recommended dose unless your doctor tells you to. Do not use PANADOL OSTEO to treat any other complaints unless your pharmacist or doctor tells you to.
“The best sleeping position for people with leg pain is on their back with a pillow slightly elevating their knees,” advises Jordan Duncan, chiropractor and owner of Silverdale Sport & Spine, a clinic that specializes in difficult-to-treat musculoskeletal pain conditions.
Lying on the side can cause or exacerbate leg pain in a couple ways: Putting direct pressure on a nerve root by lying on the leg affected by sciatic pain. Lying with the hips tilted too far to one side, which causes the spine to curve, pinching the nerve roots and causing leg pain.
Common causes of lower leg ache at night may include muscle cramps, muscle or tendon inflammation, bone fracture, blood clots (such as deep vein thrombosis [DVT]), varicose veins, peripheral artery disease (PAD), peripheral neuropathy, pregnancy, gout, and inflammatory arthritis.
It usually gets better in 4 to 6 weeks but can last longer.
Regeneration time depends on how seriously your nerve was injured and the type of injury that you sustained. If your nerve is bruised or traumatized but is not cut, it should recover over 6-12 weeks. A nerve that is cut will grow at 1mm per day, after about a 4 week period of 'rest' following your injury.