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.
Take over-the-counter pain medicines such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
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.
Take ibuprofen or acetaminophen to help with the pain. Elevate. Prop up your leg after the cramp starts to feel better.
What causes heavy legs? The sensation of heavy legs, also known as venous insufficiency, is related to poor circulation. It occurs when blood flow from the legs to the heart is impaired, causing the heaviness.
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.
See your health care provider as soon as possible if you have: Symptoms of infection, such as redness, warmth or tenderness, or you have a fever greater than100 F (37.8 C). A leg that is swollen, pale or cooler than usual. Calf pain, especially after sitting for a long time, such as on a long car trip or plane ride.
Pain in your legs and feet at night, or when trying to sleep, is often a symptom of peripheral artery disease (PAD). Peripheral artery disease leg pain can occur anywhere in your leg, but the most common places to feel pain are in the muscles of your calf, thigh or buttocks.
Some people write off nightly leg pain as a symptom of getting older, but if you are experiencing nightly leg pain that is interrupting your sleep that could be a symptom of Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD). Peripheral Artery Disease is a circulatory disease that is caused by fatty deposits in your artery walls.
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.
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.
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.
Naproxen. Naproxen (Aleve) is the most powerful anti-inflammatory pain reliever available without a prescription. It is especially effective for sprains, sunburns and arthritis and other conditions. Similar doses of Naproxen tend to last longer than other non-prescription pain relievers.
What is the strongest anti-inflammatory medication? Research shows diclofenac is the strongest and most effective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicine available.10 Diclofenec is sold under the prescription brand names Cambia, Cataflam, Zipsor, and Zorvolex.
Restless legs syndrome (RLS)—also known as Willis-Ekbom Disease, primary RLS, and idiopathic RLS—is a neurological disorder that causes unpleasant or uncomfortable sensations in your legs and an irresistible urge to move them.
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.
It's been suggested that drinking 2 to 3 ounces of tonic water before bedtime can prevent leg cramps at night.
Vitamin D helps your body use calcium. But when you're deficient in this vitamin, your legs may feel weak, sore and heavy. A vitamin E deficiency may be another reason your legs feel heavy after a run. If you're running to lose weight, you need to watch your diet.
1. FATTY FISH. Fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines, and tuna give you protein and the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. These components reduce inflammation in the body.
Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and Naproxen (Aleve).
“In general, pain that is associated with inflammation, like swelling or acute injury, is better treated with ibuprofen or naproxen,” says Matthew Sutton, MD, a Family Medicine physician at The Iowa Clinic's West Des Moines campus.
Paracetamol should be used to reduce pain caused by toothache, headaches, joint and muscle pain - such as mild arthritis pain.
“The main takeout is that paracetamol is safer, because of those groups that are slightly more at risk, but if there's an inflammatory component, then you're better off taking ibuprofen,” Hamish says.
Panadol Extend is a sustained release formulation of paracetamol that provides gentle and long-lasting relief. It can provide up to 8 hours of relief of pain associated with osteoarthritis, backaches, mild to moderate joint and muscular aches such as sprains, strains and sports injuries.