We are so busy with our daily lives, that we almost always take our bodies for granted. If we think for even a moment about our legs, we’ll realize how crucial they are for our survival. Unfortunately, the lower parts of our legs take the brunt of our daily life. Because of neglect, a lot of people experience pain in their legs. They shouldn’t have to be in pain though. In this article, we will discuss 11 causes for achy legs, as well as their remedies. Read on to find out everything that you need to know about achy legs.
In this article:
11 Causes and Remedies for Achy Legs
Remedies for Achy Legs
11 Causes and Remedies for Achy Legs
Muscle Spasm
Spasm in the muscle can strike in your sleep or in the middle of the day. When this sudden, tight, intense lower leg pain takes a grip, it can get worse quickly. Spasms usually happen when your muscles are tired or dehydrated. You should drink more water if you’re prone to muscle spasms.
Shin Splints
People usually feel this pain right up the front of their calves. When the muscles and flesh along the edge of the shin bone become inflamed, it hurts to use the legs in any way. Doing any activity over and over on hard surfaces can cause this kind of pain.
Tendinitis
Tendinitis is the pain caused by the inflamed achilles tendon in your lower calf, near the back of your heel. It is a common injury that makes that particular tendon swell, stretch, or tear. This pain is caused by overworking the calf muscle or climbing the stairs.
Broken Bones or Sprains
If you sprain your leg in any way, twist it or even worse, get a fracture in the worst case, then that can cause achy legs. You can twist your ankle and get a mild sprain that can cause this pain. You may need physical therapy for this.
Blood Clot
When blood thickens in a vein and clumps together, it turns into a clot. Most blood clots happen in the lower leg or thigh. Clots are more likely to happen if someone is inactive for long periods, like on a long flight or car ride. If you’re overweight, or you smoke or take certain medications, then you’re also at risk.
Varicose Veins
This network of veins can be seen at the surface of the skin. These are twisted, dark blue or purple veins, and are caused by weak valves and vein walls. Varicose veins may cause a dull ache, especially after standing.
Lower-Extremity Peripheral Arterial Disease
This is a disease where the arteries in your legs become damaged and hardened. When the arteries in your body narrow or become blocked, your legs miss out on the blood flow they need. That causes your lower leg to cramp and feel pain when you walk, climb stairs, or do other kinds of exercise because muscles aren’t getting enough blood.
Narrowed Spinal Canal (Stenosis) and Sciatica
Arthritis of the spine is a common cause of a narrowed spinal canal. In such cases, a herniated disc puts pressure on nearby nerve roots, which can lead to symptoms of sciatica, such as burning, cramping leg pain when standing or sitting, numbness, tingling, fatigue, and weakness.
Diabetic Neuropathy
Diabetic neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes. In this disease, nerves can be damaged from high blood sugar levels. This results in pain in both of your legs along with numbness and less sensation in the lower legs.
Cramps
A muscle cramp is a primary cause of leg pain. There may be some redness and swelling in the surrounding area. Muscle fatigue, as well as dehydration, may lead to the leg cramps, especially in the calf. Certain medications may also cause leg cramps in some people.
Injuries
Leg pain is also frequently a sign of injury, which can be any kind of injury. More often than not, we overlook a lot of minor injuries, which results in leg pain.
Natural Remedies for Achy Legs
Run a Bath
Epsom salt is the household name for magnesium sulfate, which releases magnesium and sulfate ions when added to water. Soaking in Epsom salts helps to replenish the body of magnesium.
Give Yourself Permission to Chill
Everyone knows the benefits of cold therapy, which is basically using a cold pack to soothe muscle pain. This scientifically-proven cold therapy in a handbag size can be used as often as required wherever you are.
Stretch it Out
Stretching is the key to keeping our legs feeling happy and pain-free. Tight hip flexors will alter the tilt of your pelvis which is a nightmare when it comes to the lower limb and lumbar issues – it can cause a lot of aching and discomfort. Equally important are our glutes and piriformis (muscles in the buttocks).
Take it Down a Notch
We’re all busy and sometimes, the idea of ‘resting’ seems laughable. But it’s just as important as anything else on your to-do list. When it comes to exercise, a lot of people I see tend to ‘over-train’ or repetitively do the same workout or exercise over and over, without allowing the body to rest and actually repair itself. This can potentially lead to long term chronic pain.
Therefore, to conclude, achy legs can happen due to various causes, but there are remedies for it, so there is nothing to worry about. Just take care of yourself and everything is going to be okay in your legs.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc4634730/
