Leg Pain Q & A's
What causes leg pain?
Leg pain has many possible causes, and the pain can occur at any point from the hip area down to the heels. Some of the most common causes of chronic leg pain include:
- Sciatica: Causes buttock and leg pain, possibly with numbness
- Peripheral neuropathy: Causes tingling, pain, and numbness
- Plantar fasciitis: Inflamed plantar fascia ligament causes heel pain
- Strains and sprains: Cause pain in ligaments, tendons, or muscles
- Arthritis: Causes pain around leg joints
- Tendonitis: Causes pain, usually in the back of your leg (Achilles tendon)
- Joint damage or dislocation: Often in the sacroiliac joint in your pelvis
A lesser-known type of leg pain is a kind of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD). This syndrome is often characterized by serious leg pain, and sometimes arm pain.
What is RSD?
In RSD, which is also known as Type 1 CRPS, you can have severe pain in one leg. It usually begins after a traumatic accident or a health crisis like a stroke.
RSD can be confusing because it doesn’t have a direct physical cause. The nerves that cause your leg pain in RSD weren’t affected in the triggering event, which is why there’s a great deal of misunderstanding surrounding this condition.
If you don’t get help for RSD pain, you can eventually develop muscle contracture, leg tissue atrophy, and possibly even end up unable to walk on the affected leg.
How do you treat leg pain?
At Headache & Pain Center,amc the pain management doctors treat not just the leg pain but also the irritating issues that may come with it, such as pins-and-needles sensations and numbness.
Your specific treatment varies based on the location and the cause or triggers of the pain. Some of the leg pain treatments that may help include:
- Topical pain relievers
- Injections of anesthetics, steroids, or both
- Radiofrequency facet treatments that deaden specific nerves
- Spinal cord stimulation to stop transmissions from certain nerves
Physical therapy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), and other conservative care can also help you heal and feel better when you’re dealing with leg pain.
Learn how to beat leg pain by seeing the top pain specialists in the Houma and Lafayette area. Call the Headache & Pain Center,amc office or book an appointment with online scheduling now.
