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Health Works Collective > Wellness > Common Causes of Leg Pain that Might be Causing You Problems
Wellness

Common Causes of Leg Pain that Might be Causing You Problems

Rehan Ijaz
Rehan Ijaz
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7 Min Read
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  Leg pain might not get talked about as much as back pain, but it can certainly cause just as much havoc on a person?s lifestyle and income, and is experienced by many thousands of people around the country each year. If you?re struggling with acute or chronic pain in your lower limbs that isn?t from simply spending longer than usual exercising, it?s important to understand what some of the most common causes might be so that you can address them. Read on for the lowdown today.

Contents
  • Problems with Blood Vessels
  • Sciatica and Other Back-Related Issues
  • Arthritis

Problems with Blood Vessels

Blood vessel issues such as deep vein thrombosis or peripheral arterial disease (PAD) are two factors which can cause leg pain. Deep vein thrombosis, or DVT as it is often called, happens when you get a blood clot in a deep vein. It typically occurs after an extended period of inactivity, such as when you have been bedridden with illness or stuck on a plane or in a car for a long trip without breaks to move about. DVT can cause major leg pain because it can make it tough for the limb to return blood back to your heart, and a clot can develop within the vein if the movement of the blood slows or stops. Be aware that if part of the clot breaks off and travels to your lungs, it can lead to a pulmonary embolism. This refers to blockage of blood flow to the lungs, and can be very serious and even fatal. Signs to look out for include one leg (because it generally only happens in a single limb at once) swelling up and turning a bluish color. As well, you?ll typically find that the pain builds up gradually over a few hours. Peripheral arterial disease, on the other hand, tends to cause pain when people are exercising or otherwise moving about. With PAD, the arteries that deliver blood to your limbs narrow, so when you?re active and your muscles need more blood, the decreased blood supply to your legs from this narrowing triggers pain (called intermittent claudication). While the pain typically goes away once you stop moving, it is important to get checked out. The arterial disease tends to be caused by the buildup of fatty deposits or plague, and can be a warning sign of other potential health problems. People who smoke, have high blood pressure or cholesterol levels and/or are obese are more likely to develop PAD.

Sciatica and Other Back-Related Issues

While you might not realize it, often leg pain occurs because of issues happening higher up in your body, in your back. For example, if you have spinal stenosis, whereby the spinal canal narrows gradually over time and puts pressures on the nerves, this can cause high levels of pain all the way down into your legs. Spinal stenosis can be brought on by conditions such as scoliosis or arthritis, or even a spinal injury. It is most common in people 50 years of age and over. Spinal stenosis, and other back problems (including muscle spasms and general injuries), can also cause sciatica. This is the name for a very painful condition in which the sciatic nerve is inflamed, and pain radiates from the lower back down to the leg and even to your feet and toes. It usually occurs on one side of the body, and can be tough to diagnose. It can build up gradually over time to the point where the pain becomes acute, or it can also suddenly come on. While sciatica can go away on its own sometimes, it is best to book an appointment with your doctor and/or seek pinched nerve treatment to help diagnose and treat the condition. If you find you end up with leg pain that?s also accompanied by loss of bladder or bowel control, and/or numbness, it is important to head to the hospital straight away. This is because you could potentially have a rare disorder known as cauda equina syndrome (CES), a condition that puts extreme pressure on the nerves at the end of the spinal cord and which can cause them to swell. Without seeking treatment quickly (surgical intervention is usually required), sufferers can develop problems such as difficulty walking, impaired bladder and/or bowel control, permanent paralysis, and other neurological and physical effects.

Arthritis

Arthritis is a joint disease, so many people assume that pain related to the condition will only be felt in the joints. However, this is not always the case. In fact, when joints are under stress from arthritis and pain develops, the muscles around those joints can work hard to try to protect them. This can lead these muscles to go into spasms, and for secondary muscle pain to develop. If you know you have osteoarthritis (the most common form of arthritis, where the cartilage in your joints breaks down), or rheumatoid arthritis (an autoimmune disease that leaves the lining of the joints attacked) in your knees, ankles or feet, any pain you feel in your legs could be to blame. You might want to chat to your practitioner about pain and inflammation-relieving medications to help you cope as a result.

More Read

The ACA has put patients at the center of healthcare services. A patient-centric healthcare approach in this digital era means a revised definition of quality in the physician-patient relationship. When it comes to healthcare services, patients shell out a hefty amount from their pocket and want nothing less than the best. The services in healthcare are no longer limited to just cost as consumers now evaluate quality and experience in the same equation. Research highlights from the 2015 Healthcare Consumer Trends by National Research Corporation states that reputation in healthcare matters more to consumers when choosing a brand than any other industry, e.g. hospitality, retail, airline, etc. The new generation of quality measurements in healthcare require a different mind-set and a different 'toolbox' to handle the hurdles. It’s the need of the hour for healthcare providers and others across the healthcare value chain to adopt the patient-centric approach for surviving in the vast competitive ocean of healthcare services. Patient-centric care is an approach that develops through effective communication, empathy and a positive physician-patient relationship. The primary purpose is to improve patient care outcomes and satisfaction and to reduce patient symptoms and unnecessary costs. It’s a win-win situation for both physicians and patients. While healthcare providers are able to support their patients in becoming more compliant with treatment and management of their conditions/diseases, patients feel more satisfied with the care that they are receiving. PwC’s Health Research Institute’s annual report 2016 states that health systems should keep an eye on the consumer experience as they expand and extend. More partnerships and more caregivers could mean confusion for patients and poor customer experiences. To differentiate their practice among competitors, patient satisfaction can be used as a competitive distinguishing factor. Although patient satisfaction cannot really provide tangible benefits, but an experience that exceeds patient expectations for what a practice/hospital can provide is very important as it creates loyal patients who return for future health needs and refer their family and friends. Happy and satisfied patients are a secret marketing weapon for healthcare providers, whether they are physicians, dentists, physiotherapists or hospitals. Your patients are the new-age digital health decision-makers. In this era of Internet and social media, they now have multichannel access to information related to health. Needless to mention, they have gained new power to make their decisions; whether it’s choosing a healthcare provider or referring a physician to family and friends. By converting your satisfied patients to be your brand advocates, you can capitalize and use their voice as an effective marketing strategy to reach out to many other potential patients. To strive and thrive, in the U.S. many healthcare organizations are applying patient-centric approaches to healthcare. It’s all about what matters to patients, so it makes a lot of sense for the healthcare industry to place patients' healthcare experience at the center of their policies and procedures. The best deliverables are a combination of great communication for a positive physician-patient relationship, disciplined measurement and analysis of patient feedback and commitment to technology innovation – the formula for improving patient engagement and care.
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