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Lower leg muscles
Lower leg muscles		Leg pain (Osgood-Schlatter)
Leg pain (Osgood-Schlatter)		Shin splints
Shin splints		Varicose veins
Varicose veins		Retrocalcaneal bursitis
Retrocalcaneal bursitis
 
Overview Symptoms Treatment Prevention
Leg Pain   (Spanish Version)  

Definition:

Leg pain is a common symptom and complaint.



Alternative Names:

Pain - leg; Aches - leg; Cramps - leg



Considerations:



Common Causes:

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

  • 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 and can cause muscle injury
  • Muscle fatigue or strain from overuse, too much exercise, or holding a muscle in the same position for a long time

An injury can also cause leg pain from:

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

Other common causes of leg pain include:

  • Atherosclerosis that blocks blood flow in the arteries (this type of pain, called claudication, is generally felt when exercising or walking and relieved by rest)
  • Blood clot (deep vein thrombosis) from prolonged bed rest
  • Infection of the bone (osteomyelitis) or skin and soft tissue (cellulitis)
  • 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)
  • Varicose veins

Less common causes include:

  • Benign tumors or cysts of the femur or tibia (osteoid osteoma)
  • Drugs such as allopurinol and corticosteroids
  • Legg-Calve-Perthes disease -- poor blood flow to the hip that may stop or slow the normal growth of the leg
  • Malignant bone tumors (osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma)
  • Sciatic nerve pain (radiating pain down the leg) caused by a slipped disk in the back.
  • Slipped capital femoral epiphysis -- usually seen in boys and overweight children between 11 and 15 years old


References:

Huddleston JI, Goodman SB. Hip and knee pain. In: Harris ED, Budd RC, Genovese MC, Firestein GS, Sargent JS, Sledge CB, eds. Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2005:chap 42.

Nagaraju K, Lundberg IE. In: Harris ED, Budd RC, Genovese MC, Firestein GS, Sargent JS, Sledge CB, eds. Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2005:chap 78.

Andrish JT. The leg. In: DeLee JC, Drez D Jr, Miller MD, eds. DeLee and Drez’s Orthopaedic Sports Medicine. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2003:chap 29.

Ginsberg J. Peripheral venous disease. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 81.

Shy ME. Peripheral neuropathies. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 446.
Review Date: 8/8/2009
Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 2003 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

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