Leg pain

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Lower leg muscles

Leg pain (Osgood-Schlatter)

Shin splints

Varicose veins

Retrocalcaneal bursitis

Overview

Treatment

Leg pain

Definition:

Leg pain is a common symptom and complaint. For more specific topics, see foot pain, hip pain, knee pain, muscle pain, joint pain, shin splints, and blockage of leg arteries.

Alternative Names:

Pain - leg; Aches - leg; Cramps - leg

Common Causes:

Leg pain can be due to a muscle cramp (also called a charley horse). Common causes of cramps include:

Muscle fatigue or strain from overuse, too much exercise, or holding a muscle in the same position for a long time
Dehydration or low amounts of potassium, sodium, calcium, or magnesium in the blood
Medications such as:
- Diuretics, which can cause you to lose too much fluid or minerals
- Statins, which lower cholesterol

An injury can also cause leg pain from:

A torn or overstretched muscle (strain)
Inflamed tendon (tendinitis)
Shin splints -- pain in the front of your leg related to overuse or repetitive pounding
Hairline crack in the bone (stress fracture)

Other common causes of leg pain include:

Blood clot (deep vein thrombosis) from prolonged bed rest
Atherosclerosis (plaque buildup) that blocks blood flow in the arteries (this type of pain, called claudication, is generally felt when exercising or walking and relieved by rest)
Inflammation of the leg joints by arthritis or gout
Nerve damage -- common in diabetics, smokers, and alcoholics (symptoms include numbness, tingling, or a sensation of pins-and-needles)
Infection of the bone (osteomyelitis) or skin and soft tissue (cellulitis)
Varicose veins

Less common causes include:

Slipped capital femoral epiphysis -- usually seen in boys and overweight children between 11 and 15 years old, this refers to a separation of the ball of the hip joint from the thigh bone. It causes pain and growth abnormalities.
Legg-Calve-Perthes disease -- poor blood flow to the hip that may stop or slow the normal growth of the leg. This condition usually affects boys between 4 and 10 years old.
Benign tumors or cysts of the femur or tibia (osteoid ostioma).
Malignant bone tumors (osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma).
Drugs such as allopurinol and corticosteroids.
Sciatic nerve pain (radiating pain down the leg) caused by a slipped disk in the back.

References:

Wilder RP. Overuse injuries: tendinopathies, stress fractures, compartment syndrome, and shin splints. Clin Sports Med. 2004; 23(1): 55-81, vi.

Gutt CN. Prophylaxis and treatment of deep vein thrombosis in general surgery. Am J Surg. 2005; 189(1): 14-22.

Vinik AI. Diabetic neuropathies. Med Clin North Am. 2004; 88(4): 947-999, xi.

Review Date: 10/20/2005
Reviewed By: Nikheel S. Kolatkar, MD, Clinical and Research Fellow, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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