There are many reasons for you to have leg pain, and I will not go into all of them here. I will however, touch on a few. People have tried many remedies to find out how to get rid of leg pain.
When you find it hard to walk without pain, you do not enjoy normal, everyday activities. Going to work, playing sports, or taking the stairs become difficult.
Some leg pain can heal with home remedies, If the pain is mild to moderate, it may respond well to some home remedies.
Sometimes it could be serious and should be seen by a doctor. Severe pain should be seen right away by your physician or at the emergency room of your nearest hospital.
Why Do You Have Pain?
- Are You Dehydrated?
- Have You Been Doing Too Much Exercise? Slow down a bit. Start doing new activities slowly.
- Check yourself for injuries. Have you twisted an ankle, torn a tendon, ligament, or muscle? They may take a while to heal.
- Perhaps it is an issue with your veins, gout, diabetes, or varicose veins. See your doctor and ask if compression stockings would be right for you.
- Talk to your doctor to get diagnosed if it is a less common or more serious problem.
Think “RICE”
A typical home remedy is described by the acronym RICE.
- R – rest for a day or two
- I – ice wrapped in a thin towel and applied every 2 or 3 hours, for 15 minutes at a time
- C – compression – use a tensor bandage
- E – elevation – Lie down and place your leg and foot on a pillow while you rest.
How to Get Rid of Leg Pain
–Give your leg a rest and time to heal. Slow down with your activities. Are you doing too much strenuous work? Back off from major activities for a day or two, until your leg is feeling better.
–Elevate your leg and foot on two pillows, the bed, or a footstool. The swelling and pain may be reduced, and you will feel more comfortable.
–Over the counter pain relievers. (If you are taking prescription medication, speak with your pharmacist to see what type pain reliever is right for you.)
–If you are having muscle cramps in your leg(s) increase your intake of magnesium, calcium, and potassium to relieve muscle cramps. You can get more of these minerals through diet and supplements A healthy diet of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, lean meat, nuts, and legumes should provide you with an adequate supply.
–Gentle stretches will ease tightness or muscle cramps in your legs.
Heat May Help
–Heat will ease arthritis pain or tense muscles. A heating pad or hot water bottle or a soak in a warm bath with 2 cups of Epsom salt for 20 minutes, or a foot bath with a half cup of Epsom salt for 20 minutes will bring about remarkable improvement.
Some people debate the benefit of using Epsom salt, but many have found it to be immensely helpful to use in a warm foot soak or bath.
–Ice placed in a thin towel can be applied to the affected area to ease the pain. Do not put ice directly on the skin. Wrap it in a towel and apply for 15 minutes at a time, three to four times a day.
–Massage your leg with long, firm strokes. A professional massage therapist or a foam roller may help.
–Acupuncture may be a help, in some situations. Discuss it with your doctor or a professional acupuncturist to see if this avenue of treatment is right for you
–Wear proper supportive footwear. You may be surprised to find your pain reduced by having proper support to your feet as you walk. Improper footwear can be a source of knee and hip pain as well.
When to See Your Doctor
- When home remedies do not work
- If your leg looks black and blue
- Is the pain more severe when you move it
- Is the leg red, swollen, and warm to the touch
- Do you have a fever
- Do you have trouble breathing
Things Your Doctor Will Want to Know
- Can you find any relief to your pain?
- Where is the pain located?
- Is the pain sharp, dull, constant, does it come and go?
- What other symptoms do you have?
What are Some Causes of Leg Pain?
Leg pain could be caused by fractures, muscle tears, and sprains, or long-term problems caused by osteoarthritis, peripheral neuropathy, and vascular disease, or some other significant issue.
Some of those are long words, so I will give a short explanation. We have all heard of arthritis; neuropathy relates to the nerves; and vascular relates to your veins.
Achilles Tendinitis
Achilles tendinitis is caused by overuse of the Achilles tendon. This band of tissue connects calf muscles at the back of the lower leg to the heel bone. It often occurs in runners. Tendinitis is inflammation of a tendon. The RICE treatment is most recommended for this. As much as we do not want to admit it, the Achilles tendon weakens with age. If it does not improve within a few days, you should see your doctor. Change your exercise habits to prevent another injury from occurring.
Deep Vein Thrombosis or DVT
Deep vein thrombosis is a blood clot in the deep veins of your legs. A DVT can be very painful and make walking difficult. It should be seen at once by a medical doctor.
IT Band Syndrome or ITBS
ITBS in athletes is an overuse injury especially common among runners. It is an inflammation of a thick band of connective tissue that runs from the outside of your hip to the outside of your knee.
Meniscus Tear
A meniscus tear of the knee, is a torn meniscus. It occurs when you forcefully rotate or twist your knee, while you are putting your full weight on it. This also can be done when running.
Muscle Cramps
If you have leg pain from muscle cramps or overuse, take these steps first:
- Rest as much as possible.
- Elevate your leg.
- Apply ice for up to 15 minutes. Do this 4 times per day, more often for the first few days.
- Gently stretch and massage cramping muscles.
- Take over-the-counter pain medicines like acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
Osteoarthritis Joint Pain
Osteoarthritis joint pain can make even the simplest activities difficult. Painful knees may affect your hips, back and feet. For knee pain, rest with your knee straight and your heel propped. When walking, use a cane in the opposite hand than the affected knee. An in-shoe orthotic can support the foot to relieve pain. Place a small pad just behind the ball of the foot to relieve pressure on the foot.
PAD (peripheral artery disease)
Diet and physical activity can remedy obesity and diabetes. This in turn will lower the stress on the veins in the extremities. Walk, stretch, wear compression stockings, stop smoking and manage your stress levels are some helpful tips for improving blood circulation throughout the body. Some foods to increase blood flow and circulation are; cayenne pepper, onions, pomegranates, onion, garlic, fatty fish, ginger, and beets.
Peripheral Edema
Peripheral edema is swelling of the lower limbs. Lying on the floor and propping your feet up on the wall is a good way to help the swelling go down.
Sciatica
Sciatica is pain affecting the back, hip, and outer side of the leg, caused by the compression of a nerve. There are several stretches to alleviate most sciatica pain. You can click here to see 6 of them.
Wear and tear or overuse injuries
Wear and tear injuries, or overuse injuries, occur in our knees, hips, and feet, due to wear and tear of our bones. These begin to deteriorate over time. As joint spaces narrow, they can cause pain.
You can prevent some of this from occurring by warming up before exercise, wearing proper supportive footwear, and not wearing high heels for extended periods of time.
Help for Your Legs
Treatment – rest, ice, ASAIDs, and topical anti-inflammatories are all effective in the initial stages. Occasionally a corticosteroid injection can help to reduce the pain. Performing various stretches and strength training exercises also brings some relief.
Wearing shoes that have been measured and fitted to your feet can be immensely helpful to relieve much leg pain.
Soaking in warm Epsom salt water has also helped many people get a good night’s sleep. It is one step toward looking and feeling your best!
An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure
Preventing an injury is the best solution to being pain free.
Chronic Pain
Pain that exists every day for at least six months is called chronic pain. If you have such pain, you should get proper diagnosis and care. Chronic pain is not a normal part of aging. It is often a result of stress and depression.
In Conclusion
To maintain your mobility and have reduced leg pain, it is very helpful to stay active. Walking is good exercise and if you begin slowly, you will find how to get rid of leg pain and increase your mobility.
Please Leave a Comment
I would love to hear from you. Do you have leg pain or know someone who does? What are some successful ways you know of How to Get Rid of Leg Pain?
I am very familiar with leg pain and have found the things mentioned here helpful in my experience. The information I have included in this article I have found from trusted sources.
Disclaimer: I am not a physiotherapist or a doctor. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional.
References: https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/leg-pain/basics/causes/sym-20050784
I had no idea this much information could exist on one simple little thing. Everyone that moves has experienced leg pain of some kind in their life. My grandmother used the “rice” method on everything. I find it amazing that decades later, those old medical remedies still work. What I like about your site is way you present what you are trying to tell us in a professional manner that gets the point across quickly. The photos are a nice touch to help where to apply the ice. Well done indead. Good luck on all you do.
Hi, and thanks for stopping by. There are many reasons for leg pain, it can often be from an injury, as in strains, sprains and twisted ankles. Sometimes it is something more.
It is quite true that often our grandparents remedies are still effective today. Modern medicine is also helpful when at home remedies do not work. You may treat what you can at home, but if it is severe pain or does not improve, it is best to see a healthcare provider.
All the best,
Pain in leg or any other part of your body can occurred at any given time or moment, could be from working out in a gym, biking, walking, bowling, simple doing stretches in your home or just a freak accident. Painful? For sure. The R I C E remedy is the typical home remedy most people would used including myself.
Great helpful information on this topic which can utilized by many whom may not know what to do if ever in that situation. I have experienced pain in both my leg, and hip, what happen? I have no idea, but I worked it with massages, and mild pain remedy, and warm water with Epsom salt, “Epsom salt is very good.” then give myself time off until I feel better. The mistake an injury person should never do is to irritate the area.
I enjoyed reading this post, it’s loaded with Very helpful informative remedy in case of an unexpected injury.
Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment. It does seem like most people at some time or another, will have leg pain. Rest, Ice, Compression bandages and Elevation are the stand-by methods for treating most leg pain. Not irritating it further is key to a faster recovery. Give it a few days rest and you are soon back to normal. If it does not improve it is wise to have a medical doctor take a look at it to see if it is something more serious.
A warm Epsom salt bath may help, as well as light massage and pain relievers.
All the best!