10 Quick Tips to Alleviate Chronic Leg Pain

Chronic leg pain is a disorder lasting more than 3 months. Chronic Leg pain is a wide category of different painful trigger points.

Reason one, because there is number of situations that can cause pain and reason two is that a leg is divided into many parts – There are 62 bones in legs, 10 leg and hip bones, 38-foot bones, 14 ankle bones and nearby 200+ muscles in a leg. Now imagine that an adult body has 206 bones out which 62 belongs to a leg proving it a very favourite and fine work of God.

When a leg pain is caused it starts building boundaries between your favourite work and you. A leg pain reduces your mobility or when you put an extra stress on your painful leg by continuing your activities, the problem becomes chronic.

Chronic leg pain can also be a result of spine’s bad condition if the pain is solely concentrated in the leg. Chronic leg pain can also affect the lumbar spine. Because it is connecting with the largest nerve in the body which travels from the lower back to the legs. If any injury or compression hurts sciatic nerve, the pain can travel the length of the nerve pathway and induce chronic leg pain.

Chronic leg pain can be divided into two categories:

• Nociceptive pain

It arises from the nerve cells due to a damage, injury or disease in nerves. Nociceptive pain is severe, can be caused by a blockage in the blood vessels, or can be a cancerous disorder of bone, joints, muscles et cetera.

• Neuropathic pain

Neuropathic pain is evoked by a nerve damage. It is caused by a disease of the somatosensory system, peripheral fibers, and central nervous system or a lesion damaging tissues. As nerves connect the spinal cord with the rest of the body and allow the brain to communicate with internal organs, muscles and skin, any disturbance caused in the nerves can lead to neuropathic pain.

Find out 10 ways below to counteract Chronic Leg Pain:

1. RIGHT SHOES

You must be thinking that what’s with the shoes?

Shoes are an essential part of your daily life. You can’t do without them and that’s why you have to have a good pair of shoes that keep your feet in comfortable position. Good shoes allow your feet to stretch in a natural way.

It is advisable to choose the pair of shoes which support your legs from the ground pressures and reduce compression and friction that cause chronic foot pain.

2. STRETCHES 

Different kinds of stretches can help you to give you relaxation from leg pain.

• Stretch Like a Pigeon

(Source: Finerminds.com)

You can begin with Reclining Pigeon Pose. It’s the most common pose. Check out the steps:

1. Rest your back to the floor and bring your right leg up to the right angle. Lock your hands behind the thigh with fingers.
2. Lift the leg now and place the right leg’s ankle on top of your knee and hold for few seconds.
Repeat this stretch with both legs. This helps stretch the muscles which inflame and press against your sciatic nerve to cause pain.

• Ease Pain with Spinal Stretch

(Source: Stylecraze.com)

This spinal stretch is very helpful for releasing pressure on the sciatic nerve and creates a space in the spine.

1. Sit on the ground while extending your legs straight. Bend your right knee and place your right leg’s foot outside of the left leg’s opposite knee.
2. Place your left elbow outside of the right knee, so you can help your body turn towards the right. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds and repeat 2-3 times. Continue the same with another leg.

3. WANDER WALK

Walk freely like a wanderer.

Walking is the best thing a person with leg pain or no pain can do to be fit. Doctors are recommending a 20-30 minute walk every day for reducing pain and getting a relief from stress.

Walking can also help you with heart disease, improvement of blood flow, diabetes, weight management and increase the quality of life. The best thing about walking is that you can do it at any age!

4. DRINK, DON’T DEHYDRATE 

Overworked or injured muscles can succumb easily to leg cramps. Keeping yourself hydrated with water can reduce muscle cramps.

Specialists say that muscle cramps can happen due to dehydration, deficiency of minerals or low energy. Keep your body well-nourished with healthy liquids, electrolytes and even plain water for developed muscle contraction and energy to reduce chronic leg pain.

5. FOODIES’ ALERT

Diminution of Vitamin B 12 can pause the creation of red blood cells, nerves’ conduction, and composition of DNA and give walking difficulty, increased numbness and tingling sensation in your legs.

Eat eggs, chicken, fish, dairy foods, cereals for compensating the deficiency. Vitamin B 12 supplements can also do.
Vitamin D helps you absorb calcium from your food and make bones healthy. Morning sunlight can help you do that. Beef, milk products, mushrooms are good sources of Vitamin D.

If you are suffering from low Vitamin C, joint pain and leg pain is guaranteed. Fresh fruits like oranges, strawberries, Kiwi, cherries, guava, tomatoes, bell peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, melons, Amla are some good source of Vitamin C.

Take necessary nutrients like proteins, whole grain carbohydrates, legumes with above-mentioned requirements.

Avoid processed and fried food, sugary drinks, excess salt, alcohol, and tobacco, saturated fats et cetera.

6. TENS and EMS

TENS and EMS machines are popular technologies to reduce many types of leg pains.

TENS machine like Foot Pulse ACU can help reduce ankle pain, muscle cramps in legs, pain caused by osteoarthritis, metatarsalgia, plantar fasciitis, tendonitis, gout, bunions, sciatica, fibromyalgia, heel pain, ball of foot pain and toe pain.

ACUpulse technology in this device sends mild electrical impulses through electrode pads through the skin into nerve endings. This process blocks pain messages reaching the brain quickly.
EMS technology in Foot Pulse EXO can improve your blood flow by sending therapeutic impulses through soles of your feet which contract muscles and pushes blood from leg to heart.

Only 30 minutes with these easy to carry innovative technologies can help heal chronic pain effectively.

7. HOT AND COLD THERAPY

Apply mild heat for 20 minutes to the affected area with the help of heating pads, sauna, hot baths. Hot therapy can give comfort to chronic leg pain and decrease muscle spasms.

Ice gel packs, ice massage can decrease the inflation of pain-truck or affected area.

Hot and Cold therapies are good homely methods to practice.

8. FOOT HEALTH FIRST

Foot with one-fourth of the bones in the body has major chances of injury and stress. Maintain foot hygiene properly.

Wash your feet, clean wipe and apply a good moisturizer. Keep them covered and avoid a direct exposure to the ground and walking barefoot in public places which carry germs. Protect them like you protect your feet.

9. CHIROPRACTIC TREATMENT

Chiropractic treatment is an alternative, non-surgical medical treatment that is used for healing musculoskeletal pain like Arthritis, back pain, chronic leg pain, neck pain, joint pain, spine disorders and neuropathy.

Chiropractors give manual therapy to the patients for manipulating joints and soft tissues, spine manipulation therapy for treating nerve disorders.

10. ORTHOTICS

Foot orthotics are devices placed inside the shoes which help the body with weight-bearing activities. They reduce pressure from painful regions of the foot, forefoot, and toes. But for accommodating orthotics you must have right shoes which have the ability to incorporate them. Heel pads or arch supports are additions to these. You can also wear soft cottony socks for extra care. People with chronic leg pain use orthotics regularly.

If you are having a a problem with deciding any of the above tips or feeling lazy to counteract, just concentrate on your life goals, you’ll sure have an inspiration to move forward. Activate yourself!