How to Determine the Causes of Leg Pain
Suffering From Leg Pain? Here’s How to Find Out What’s Causing It
At the very least, leg pain is a nuisance that can hinder day-to-day activity. At worst, it could restrict your activity and significantly impair your quality of life. It could also indicate a potentially serious medical condition. That’s why it’s essential to seek prompt medical attention to determine the cause of your leg pain, instead of just hoping it will go away or treating it as a normal part of aging. Read on to learn more about leg pain, what causes it, and how you can determine what’s causing yours.
Possible Causes of Leg Pain
Leg pain can be caused by a wide range of both minor and serious health conditions. It can also be a temporary ailment, as when you strain your leg muscles after exercising or engaging in another strenuous activity. However, it can also be a symptom of chronic or serious medical conditions. It can also be a medical emergency, especially when accompanied by other symptoms. For example, if you also have swelling or if your leg feels cold to the touch, this could be an emergency situation such as a blood clot, which requires immediate medical treatment. Most medical practitioners do a very good job investigating causes that relate to the bones, nerves, muscles and even the arterial circulation. A very common and agonizing cause of leg pain that is not well understood by most doctors is poor circulation of blood in the veins causing Chronic Veinous Insufficiency (CVI). Leg pain caused by CVI is typically worse after prolonged standing or sitting. In advanced cases, the pain may be constant and even excruciating, interfering with moving around or walking. This would be in contrast to Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD). Patients with PAD most commonly have calf pain with walking and resolution of the pain after stopping for only a few minutes.
When to See a Doctor for Leg Pain
It’s always a good idea to consult a doctor about leg pain, even if it isn’t severe. It could still indicate an underlying health problem, and the sooner you get it diagnosed and treated the better. Also, definitely see a doctor if you have signs of infection, such as a temperature. Other signs that indicate a potential emergency or serious situation include: your leg appearing pale, if it’s either warm or cool to the touch, if it’s tender or swollen, or if the pain continues to get worse with no apparent cause.
Diagnosing Leg Pain
Your doctor will likely start with a thorough visual examination, and possibly recommend X-Rays or bloodwork or Ultrasound if there’s no obvious cause. He or she will also want to know any medications you’ve been taking or activities you’ve recently engaged in to determine if they could be the cause.
At Alpha Vein Clinic, we have both the expertise and the experience to diagnose the cause of your leg pain and create a customized treatment plan to relieve your symptoms. Make an appointment today so our knowledgeable and caring staff can help you life pain-free.
Alpha Vein Clinic
3150 N. Tenaya Way Ste. 400
Las Vegas, NV, 89128
(702) 430 7661