“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.
Research indicates that back sleepers who sleep with their legs straight experience more pressure in the lower back. Those who sleep with their knees bent change the position of their pelvis, which lengthens the lower back and creates more space between the vertebrae.
You may experience nerve pain during the night as the pressure of sleeping in a particular position may aggravate or cause compression of a nerve. This pain may cause you to wake up with sharp, stabbing pain and/or numbness and tingling. This pain may not occur during your daily activities.
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.
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.
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.
Ibuprofen typically works better for this kind of pain relief, due to the anti-inflammatory effects.
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.
Vitamin D deficiency can cause muscle aches, weakness, and bone pain in people of all ages.
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.
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.
It's been suggested that drinking 2 to 3 ounces of tonic water before bedtime can prevent leg cramps at night.
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.
Since magnesium plays a role in neuromuscular transmission and muscle contraction, it has been hypothesised that magnesium deficiency may predispose to muscle cramps. Thus magnesium supplements are often recommended to prevent cramps.
A significant body of research has found that increasing your magnesium intake can help with the frequency of night time leg cramps, especially for pregnant women. Health experts recommend getting at least 300 milligrams of magnesium each day.
Causes of Leg Fatigue or Heaviness
They include: Varicose veins: The leg veins become enlarged. Peripheral arterial disease (PAD): Buildup of fat deposits in the artery walls, thus, causing inadequate circulation of blood in the legs. Overtraining syndrome: Excess training or physical activities to improve performance.
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.
Leg numbness or weakness. No pulse or a weak pulse in the legs or feet. Painful cramping in one or both of the hips, thighs or calf muscles after certain activities, such as walking or climbing stairs. Shiny skin on the legs.
Poor circulation can cause a number of symptoms, including: Muscles that hurt or feel weak when you walk. A “pins and needles” sensation on your skin. Pale or blue skin color.
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.
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.