Have you ever experienced severe leg pain? Well, each one of us has gone through this once in our life. In most cases, it is just a matter of normal wear and tear, although the pain can range from mild and annoying to severe. It can also affect your ability to walk and stand. Especially during the cold weather, people complain of leg pain while moving outdoors. Questions that pop into the mind are what causes this and how to relieve leg pain. Don’t worry that’s why we’re here to help!

Dr Manoj Kumar Gudluru, Senior Consultant, Orthopaedic and Joint Replacement Surgeon, Care Hospitals, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, tells about the causes of leg pain and how you can treat it at home.

Causes of leg pain

Most leg pain results from wear and tear, but apart from this the pain or discomfort in the leg can also be because of:

• Strain from overuse
• Injuries in joints, bones, or in muscles, ligaments, tendons, or other soft tissues
• Dehydration
• Deficiency of potassium, vitamin D, sodium, or magnesium in the blood
• Muscle fatigue
• Lack of flexibility
• Medical conditions

See your doctor if you’re experiencing severe and persistent leg pain. Getting prompt diagnosis and treatment can help prevent such incidents and from getting the pain worse.

Is cold weather also responsible for leg pain?

Winter joint pain or leg discomfort is very common, and there is a cause for it. It is a common issue, especially for the elderly and those who lead sedentary lifestyles. It occurs for two reasons: first is reduced mobility during the winter, leg pain may develop and interfere with your everyday productivity. Reduced sun exposure, which hinders the body’s ability to synthesize vitamin D, is the second main factor of leg pain during the winter.

So, how to relieve leg pain?

1. Eat a healthy diet: A balanced diet high in vitamins D and C, omega-3 fatty acids, ginger, soybeans, fatty salmon, green vegetables, almonds, seeds, and collagen supplements will be beneficial for joint and bone health.

2. Leg up the wall: It is a yoga pose that you can consider practicing for 10 minutes to ease leg pain. It can promote balance, soothe the nervous system, improve blood circulation, ease stress and tension in the muscles of the hip, foot, and leg, as well as lessen ankle pain and swelling.

3. Lose weight: One of the main causes of leg pain is being overweight or obese, thus you should think about losing weight. You can relieve some of the load on your joints and legs by getting rid of extra kilos.

4. Massage gun: Use a massage gun on the area of painful muscles after your workout. It can aid in their relaxation and promote recovery from workouts.

5. Stay hydrated: One of the most typical causes of leg cramps is dehydration. A cramp is an uncontrollable muscular contraction. Your muscles can relax thanks to the fluids in your body, but when you’re dehydrated, your muscles become agitated and more prone to cramping. So drink water throughout the day.

6. Hot and cold therapy: You can also use a cold compress to ease muscle soreness. This can lessen muscle spasms, swelling, and pain. On the other hand, a hot compress can help the recovery of fatigued muscles.

7. Stretch regularly: To prevent pain, remember to stretch your leg muscles frequently. Exercises that stretch the muscles promote flexibility.