How To Relieve Leg Pain

One of the most common complaints is pain in the lower extremities. There are different ways to treat this problem; If you are wondering how to relieve leg pain, consider these easy and practical tips to help you answer that concern.

Leg discomfort can be caused by different factors. These can range from maintaining a poor position at work to over-exercising; yes, although it seems contradictory, both stillness and overtraining are harmful.

One of the most common causes of pain and heaviness in the legs is poor circulation, specifically venous circulatory insufficiency. This is more apparent in hot weather, as the blood vessels dilate and congestion and swelling occur.

Now, not a few people ask themselves daily how to relieve pain in their legs. The good news is that there are several very easy-to-apply alternatives.

Basic care to relieve leg pain

Ice for sore muscles from exercise

As mentioned previously, the causes of leg pain can be varied. For this reason, there are different home treatments for each class of trigger.

For example, when it comes to muscle pain from excessive exercise, you can use an ice pack wrapped in a towel and put it on the affected area. This treatment must be maintained for about 15 minutes on the part of the leg that hurts; It can be repeated about 4 times a day.

In addition to this, it can be quite helpful to rest your legs in a high place. Whichever position is chosen, the idea is that the legs are in a higher position than the heart; for example, it is good to lie on the bed and put pillows under the legs to lift them.

Hydration and stretching for cramps

Another major pain that occurs in the legs is cramps. These basically consist of an abrupt contraction of the muscle that can be quite annoying. These muscle aches can occur in the middle of the night and take the sufferer by surprise; however, they can be felt after a workout.

Cramps can originate from a variety of reasons. They are generally associated with dehydration or a lack of certain nutrients; once again, the excess of demand on the muscles of the legs is also a possible factor of origin.

Therefore, to avoid cramps it is recommended to consume enough water during the day, so that the body is maintained with an adequate level of hydration. In addition, attention must be paid to eating habits to determine if there are some minerals that are not being consumed in the amounts required by the body.

At the time when the cramp occurs, it is advisable to stretch the muscle that suffers the pain.  For example, the foot should be stretched to lengthen the calf muscle, which is the muscle that cramps the most frequently.

Also read: What happens to your body if you suffer from dehydration?

Pay attention to your shoes

Often times, the problem may lie with the types of shoes you wear. There may be wear problems on the soles or irregularities inside the shoe, causing you to be unable to stand or walk properly. Hence, you will suffer from leg pain.

In this case, prevention is the best tool to avoid the problem. Buy shoes paying more attention to the comfort of your feet than to fashions; Also, stop wearing old shoes that have worn out and do not offer you the stability that your legs need.

Exercise to strengthen your muscles

Without reaching the excesses that we mentioned before, it is vitally important that we dedicate at least half an hour each day to physical activity. Virtually all of them place certain demands on the legs, so their resistance, strength and flexibility will be improved.

Developing the muscles of the lower extremities is key to avoiding leg pain. To do this, we can perform exercises such as the following:

• Lunges.
• I jump to the drawer.
• Walk, jog, or run.
• Squats, in all its variations.
• Weighted exercises  on gym machines such as the thigh stretcher.

Improves circulation

Although all the above tips can help you improve blood circulation in the legs, and thereby relieve pain and heaviness, you can also resort to more specific remedies. There are herbal medicine preparations that improve circulation, such as horse chestnut, butcher’s broom, red vine, etc.

Ultimately, remember to see a doctor if the pain persists, the leg with pain appears swollen or with colors outside the natural tone of your skin, such as reddish or purple tones. It is not always enough to know how to relieve leg pain, but we must know what caused it to prevent major complications.