Leg pain

Date Updated: 04/25/2023

Definition

Leg pain can be constant or come and go. It may start suddenly or get worse over a period of time. It may affect your entire leg or only a specific area, such as your shin or your knee. Leg pain may be worse during certain times, such as during the night or first thing in the morning. Leg pain may worsen with activity and get better when resting. You may feel leg pain as stabbing, sharp, dull, aching or tingling.

Some leg pain is simply annoying. But more-severe leg pain can affect your ability to walk or to put weight on your leg.

Causes

Leg pain is a symptom with many possible causes. Most leg pain results from wear and tear or overuse. It also can result from injuries or health conditions in joints, bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves or other soft tissues. Some types of leg pain can be traced to problems in your lower spine. Leg pain also can be caused by blood clots, varicose veins or poor blood flow.

Some common causes of leg pain include:

Arthritis

Gout
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (formerly known as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis)
Osteoarthritis
Pseudogout
Psoriatic arthritis
Reactive arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis

Blood flow problems

Claudication
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
Peripheral artery disease (PAD)
Thrombophlebitis
Varicose veins

Bone conditions

Ankylosing spondylitis
Bone cancer
Legg-Calve-Perthes disease
Osteochondritis dissecans
Paget's disease of bone

Infection

Cellulitis
Infection
Osteomyelitis
Septic arthritis

Injury

Achilles tendinitis
Achilles tendon rupture
ACL injury
Broken leg
Bursitis
Chronic exertional compartment syndrome
Growth plate fractures
Hamstring injury
Knee bursitis
Muscle strains
Patellar tendinitis
Patellofemoral pain syndrome
Shin splints
Sprains
Stress fractures
Tendinitis
Torn meniscus

Nerve problems

Herniated disk
Meralgia paresthetica
Peripheral neuropathy
Sciatica
Spinal stenosis

Muscle conditions

Dermatomyositis
Medicines, especially the cholesterol medicines known as statins
Myositis
Polymyositis

Other problems

Baker cyst
Growing pains
Muscle cramp
Night leg cramps
Restless legs syndrome
Low levels of certain vitamins
Too much or too little of electrolytes, such as calcium or potassium

When to see a doctor

Call for medical help right away or go to an emergency room if you:

Have a leg injury with a deep cut or you can see bone or tendon.
Can't walk or put weight on your leg.
Have pain, swelling, redness or warmth in your lower leg.
Hear a popping or grinding sound at the time of a leg injury.

See your health care provider as soon as possible if you have:

Symptoms of infection, such as redness, warmth or tenderness, or you have a fever greater than100 F (37.8 C).
A leg that is swollen, pale or cooler than usual.
Calf pain, especially after sitting for a long time, such as on a long car trip or plane ride.
Swelling in both legs along with breathing problems.
Any serious leg symptoms that start for no clear reason.

Make an appointment with your health care provider if:

You have pain during or after walking.
You have swelling in both legs.
Your pain gets worse.
Your symptoms don't get better after a few days of treating them at home.
You have painful varicose veins.

Self-care

Minor leg pain often gets better with treatment at home. To help with mild pain and swelling:

Stay off your leg as much as possible. Then begin mild use and stretching as recommended by your health care provider.
Raise your leg whenever you sit or lie down.
Put an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas on the painful part for 15 to 20 minutes three times a day.

Try pain relievers you can buy without a prescription. Products you put on your skin, such as creams, patches and gels, may help. Some examples are products that include menthol, lidocaine or diclofenac sodium (Voltaren Arthritis Pain). You also can try oral pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve).