Leg pain

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Leg pain (Osgood-Schlatter)	Lower leg muscles	Retrocalcaneal bursitis	Shin splints
Varicose veins

Leg pain is a common symptom and complaint. For more specific topics, see foot pain, hip pain, knee pain, muscle pain, joint pain, shin splints, and blockage of leg arteries.

Pain - leg; Aches - leg; Cramps - leg

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

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

An injury can also cause leg pain from:

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

Other common causes of leg pain include:

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

Less common causes include:

• Slipped capital femoral epiphysis -- usually seen in boys and overweight children between 11 and 15 years old, this refers to a separation of the ball of the hip joint from the thigh bone. It causes pain and growth abnormalities.
• Legg-Calve-Perthes disease -- poor blood flow to the hip that may stop or slow the normal growth of the leg. This condition usually affects boys between 4 and 10 years old.
• Benign tumors or cysts of the femur or tibia (osteoid osteoma).
• Malignant bone tumors (osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma).
• Drugs such as allopurinol and corticosteroids.
• Sciatic nerve pain (radiating pain down the leg) caused by a slipped disk in the back.

Review Date: 10/20/2005
Reviewed By: Nikheel S. Kolatkar, MD, Clinical and Research Fellow, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.