Muscle pains in the legs
Muscle pains in the legs
What to do in case of muscle pains in the legs? To identify the correct solution, first we must assess their intensity, onset and characteristics and try to understand what they are caused by.
If the muscle pains in the legs are mild or moderate, it is usually nothing serious and it is not necessary to go to the doctor, unless the discomfort lasts long or returns often, interfering with daily activities. Conversely, if the muscle pains in the legs are intense and arise in an acute way during exercise, it is good to stop immediately and undergo a clinical check to understand what happened.
Main causes of muscle pain in the legs
Feeling a little pain in the legs and fatigue after walking for a long time or practicing sport is a common phenomenon, especially if you are not sufficiently trained or if you have exaggerated with the effort. It is an entirely physiological reaction to exercise, which warns of the need to stop in order not to stress the muscles too much, with the risk of damaging them.
Causing these muscular pains in the legs is mostly the accumulation of lactic acid, a terminal compound of energy metabolism in the first phase of physical activity (anaerobic glycolysis). In addition, if intense leg use has been made in a warm environment and/or you have sweated a lot without replenishing enough water and mineral salts, part of the leg pain and fatigue can be linked to dehydration and deficiency of microelements that are essential for the correct muscle contraction, such as sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium.
In this case, in addition to widespread leg pain and fatigue, localized acute cramps may also appear, particularly in the calf, in the thigh muscles or in the plantar fascia of the foot, especially at night when the legs are at rest. Generally, to solve the problem it is sufficient to increase the water and mineral salts intake and avoid exaggerating with physical exercise.
When, instead, an intense and violent pain in the legs arises during physical activity, in all likelihood you have suffered a sprain or a muscle strain. In these cases, it becomes impossible to continue using the muscle, the affected area may swell, and a hematoma may appear. These situations require immediate medical evaluation and specific therapies.
There are also forms of leg pain and fatigue that do not primarily concern the muscles but are due to an imperfect arterial or venous circulation. For example, in elderly people, a sudden and stabbing pain in the legs (usually in the calf) so intense as to force them to stop walking, is generally due to peripheral arterial disease. While the onset of a more dull and widespread pain in the legs and fatigue/heaviness in women, especially when it is hot or late in the day, is mostly due to venous insufficiency.
How to relieve muscle pains in the legs
When the muscle pains in the legs are mild to moderate, rest, baths with fresh or lukewarm water (the first is preferable in case of soreness associated with heat; the latter in the presence of mild contractures) and massages are enough to alleviate them. To further reduce discomfort, natural remedies can be used. Creams, gels and medicated patches containing extracts of arnica, devil's claw, spirea, willow, horse chestnut and currant, with anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antioxidant properties, can be of use.
In case of muscle pains in the legs due to sprains or strains, immediate intervention is based on the PRICE strategy (Protection; Rest; Ice; Compression; Elevation), aimed at avoiding stressing and further damaging the traumatized muscle, reducing the formation of hematoma/swelling, mitigating pain and inflammation. Then, to further alleviate the discomfort, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen arginine salt (Spididol®), can be used for a few days, according to the doctor's advice.
If pain in the legs and tiredness/heaviness are due to minor venous circulation disorders (venous insufficiency) it is advisable to take alternate showers of fresh and lukewarm water, especially at the level of feet and calves, keeping the legs raised when sitting or lying down and gently massage the legs from the bottom upwards, starting from the sole of the foot and moving up towards the thigh (except in case of varicose veins or superficial capillaries). The application of refreshing gels containing natural extracts with antioxidant and vasoconstrictor action (horse chestnut, red vine leaves, black currants, etc.) can offer additional relief.
In case of peripheral arterial disease, on the other hand, a specialized examination and evaluation by a vascular surgeon is essential.
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