Lower extremity pain can be caused by a variety of conditions and injuries, leading to moderate to severe pain. It’s important to understand the cause of the pain before seeking treatment.
Common Causes of Lower Extremity Pain
Common causes of leg pain can include:
- Achilles tendinitis
- Achilles tendon rupture
- ACL injury
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Baker’s cyst
- Bone cancer
- Broken leg
- Bursitis
- Chronic exertional compartment syndrome
- Claudication
- Deep vein thrombosis
- Gout
- Growing pains
- Growth plate fractures
- Hamstring injury
- Herniated disc
- Infection
- Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
- Knee bursitis
- Legg-Calve-Perthes disease
- Meralgia paresthetica
- Muscle cramp
- Muscle strain
- Night leg cramps
- Osgood-Schlatter disease
- Osteoarthritis
- Osteochondritis dissecans
- Osteomyelitis
- Paget’s disease of bone
- Patellar tendinitis
- Patellofemoral pain syndrome
- Peripheral artery disease (PAD)
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Posterior cruciate ligament injury
- Pseudogout
- Psoriatic arthritis
- Reactive arthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Sacroiliitis
- Sciatica
- Septic arthritis
- Shin splints
- Spinal stenosis
- Sprains
- Stress fractures
- Tendinitis
- Thrombophlebitis
- Torn meniscus
- Varicose veins
When to Seek Medical Treatment
Leg pain that makes it difficult or impossible to walk or put weight on the leg requires medical attention. A visit to the emergency room may also be necessary if:
- The leg injury is a deep cut or exposed bone or tendon
- There is pain, swelling, redness, or warmth in the calf
- Hear a popping or grinding sound at the time of the leg injury
Patients should schedule a visit to their doctor if:
- The leg is pale or unusually cool
- There are signs of an infection or fever greater than 100℉
- Swelling in both legs is accompanied with breathing problems
- Symptoms of pain develop without an apparent cause
- They have painful varicose veins
- Symptoms don’t improve after home treatment
Treatment Options for Lower Extremity Pain
At Westcare Clinics, healthcare practitioners treat lower extremity pain with joint and soft tissue injections, pain management techniques, and occupational medicine, depending on the exact location, cause, and severity of the pain.
Joint and soft tissue injections, such as epidural injections (interlaminar and transforaminal), sacroiliac joint injections, piriformis injection, and trigger point injections, can help ease and treat lower extremity pain. The type of injection that is done will depend on the severity and location of the pain.
Patients suffering from lower extremity pain may benefit from pain management techniques, such as cold and heat therapy, physical therapy, therapeutic massage, mind-body techniques, gentle exercise, music therapy, biofeedback, and occupational therapy. The pain management techniques will be customized according to the patient’s needs.
Westcare Clinics also offers occupational medicine to help patients maintain the strength and flexibility they need to continue working. Our healthcare practitioners are available to train employers to adapt the workplace and worker responsibilities to the physical limitations of their employees.
Advanced Treatment
Patients experiencing lower extremity pain may need complex, long-term care to completely eliminate the symptom. Advanced treatment options may include surgery, physical therapy, chiropractic adjustment, acupuncture, and other forms of rehabilitation, depending on the underlying cause of lower extremity pain. The Westcare Clinics team is happy to answer any questions patients may have about obtaining advanced treatment for lower extremity pain.
