Possible causes of painful legs

Introduction to leg pain

There can be many different types of leg pain and many different causes for such pain. The pain can range from mild to seriously debilitating pain that makes it hard to sleep or walk even.

The pain can also come in many forms, aches, searing, throbbing or burning sensations, and there are other symptoms that are possible, including leg and foot numbness and weakness.

In some cases, the pain in the leg does not even result from problems in the leg, but can come from problems with the lower back, where the sciatic nerve is located. Causes of leg pain

Trauma is the main and obvious reason for most leg pain. Trauma can occur from falls, or twisting injuries that can damage bones, muscles and joints. Pain from trauma can also come from back injuries that affect the sciatic nerve, which radiates down the leg.

Some traumatic injuries include fractures, which are breaks or cracks in the bones, shin splints, which usually result from the overuse of the tibia bone for people who are involved in athletics usually, sprains and strains, which are ligament injuries usually in which the ligaments are stretched or torn, and bleeding, which results from trauma that causes a bleeding of the tissues and joints.

There is also non-traumatic leg pain that can occur and they are great in number. Pain in the leg usually has local problems nut sometimes it is the result of a systematic illness.

Peripheral artery disease can cause pain in one leg when the arterial blood supply is decrease because blood vessels have narrowed in the leg. This leg pain usually occurs when walking and is called claudication. The blood supply may decrease even without exercise or physical activity. These problems with he blood circulation will also make it difficult for lacerations and abrasions to heal as well, which can lead to further pain.

Blood clots can also obstruct arteries in the leg and cause pain when the blood supply is being cut off.

One of the places where a blood clot can occur is the heart. This can obstruct flow of blood to the leg and cause pain when walking.

Lower back pain can also cause leg pain when the sciatic nerve is inflamed. The pain radiates from the buttocks all the way down the legs, but the distribution of this pain usually depends on the nerve root that is inflamed. This injury can be caused by arthritis, herniated discs, muscle spasms, or injuries of the back.