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.
What causes aching legs? 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.
Sore or aching legs can often be treated at home, but if pain is sudden, severe, or persistent, or if there are other symptoms, medical attention may be necessary.
The most common cause of aching legs is poor blood circulation in the leg arteries. This produces an aching, tired, and sometimes burning pain in the legs. A secondary cause of leg pain is strain and stretching of the calf muscles as a result of poor foot function.
Leg Pain Could Indicate Vein or Artery Disease
The reality is leg pain and cramps may be signs of a more serious underlying disease; therefore, you should discuss your leg challenges with a vascular specialist. Leg pain or discomfort often occurs in the calves and thighs while exercising or while resting.
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.
Pain in the legs can occur as a result of natural wear and tear, muscle overexertion, or an underlying medical condition. Older adults are more at risk of experiencing leg pain as they lose muscle mass with age.
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.
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.
Which doctors treat heavy legs? If you have heavy legs, spider veins and varicose veins, you should consult your GP. If necessary, they can refer you to the relevant specialist, a vein specialist (phlebologist).
Nervousness, anxiety, and being afraid can cause your legs to feel heavy and tired.
Painful leg aches during menopause is caused by the decline in oestrogen which affects the joints, tissues, ligaments, and muscles of your body. Major characteristics of this symptom are leg swelling, cramps, and sharp pains on joints.
Possible Leg Problems
The most obvious sign of a fluid imbalance is swollen ankles and legs in general – some of us feel it around our knees, others can also see a daily difference in our thighs. Your legs will feel more achy too.
Treatment may start with conservative therapies, such as over-the-counter aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen. These nonprescription medications can be effective for certain types of leg pain when taken according to instructions. You may also consider home care such as drinking plenty of water to reduce leg cramps.
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.
Muscle sprains, tears or strains in the lower back, buttocks, pelvis, and thighs can cause hip and leg pain. Joint problems. Arthritis [ahr-THRAY-tis] can lead to pain in the hip, lumbar or lower spine, and the knee, causing pain that can be felt throughout the lower body.
Neural Conditions. Neural conditions can affect the nerves in the legs, causing aching legs when lying down. These conditions include some vitamin deficiencies, physical injuries or infections that directly infect the nerves. The leg pain can also be due to referred pain, like in the case of sciatica.