Pulling legs: causes of nagging muscle pain, what to do

Muscles are organs of the human body that are made up of muscle tissue. They allow a person to perform body movements and contract under the influence of nerve impulses. The term "myalgia" is used to describe a symptom that is expressed by muscle pain. It can be triggered by a variety of factors, which will be discussed in this article.

Myalgia occurs when moving or pressing on muscles. It can affect one or several muscles at once. Painful sensations may affect ligaments and tendons located nearby. If you want to know why the muscles in your body hurt and how to relieve muscle pain, contact the CELT Pain Clinic. Our doctors will conduct a diagnosis and find out the reason why you are experiencing discomfort. In accordance with it, treatment will be prescribed, which will definitely be effective.

At CELT you can get advice from a specialist algologist.

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Muscle fatigue

In our technological age, many people are gradually forming a new “bad habit”. Spending most of the day in front of a computer screen or holding mobile gadgets in our hands, we may not even notice that we are sitting in a completely uncomfortable and unnatural position. It especially affects the muscles of the shoulder girdle, neck, back and right arm, which is constantly on the computer mouse of office workers1. Staying in one position for a long time or using stereotyped movements can lead to overstrain of the muscles involved, which we feel as soreness1.

Types of nagging leg pain

• Quite sharp and sharp pain in the ankle and calf area, which may be accompanied by muscle numbness, indicates the initial symptoms of atherosclerosis. Confirmation is the disappearance of unpleasant sensations after a short rest, which return after a certain period of time. There are also frequent cases when the problem bothers a person even at rest. In order to get rid of pain in the calves and thighs, you should give up bad habits. As a rule, diagnostic measures are carried out using ultrasound, after which treatment (vascular plastic surgery) is prescribed.
• An acute painful reaction to movement, constricting the muscles of a limb or thigh with a spasm. Feet can be cold even during the warm season. It is also possible such a phenomenon as the absence of a clear pulsation on the big toe of the lower limb and its pain. The listed symptoms may indicate the presence of a disease such as endarteritis. To eliminate the disease, you should contact a specialist who can quickly identify its causes. If signs of the disease appear in a smoker, you should give up this addiction. If the pain is too acute and the leg muscles are cramping, it is better to call an ambulance, as inaction can lead to blockage of the arteries.
• You will need to consult a rheumatologist if you feel unpleasant sensations and pain in your joints and calves both while standing and while walking. These types of symptoms are characteristic of arthritis. To solve the problem, you will need to undergo the necessary tests, consult a specialist and x-ray examination. To restore health, you will need to take special medications in combination with regular physiotherapeutic procedures.
• As a rule, the calves can be bothersome during thrombophlebitis: the pain is characterized by its constancy, which after a while turns into a burning sensation. This disease is accompanied by symptoms such as compactions in the area of ​​blood vessels, swelling and redness of the skin. Treatment is most often outpatient.
• Pain in a part of the body such as the hips is a concern if you have problems with the genitourinary system. To identify the cause that causes nagging pain, an ultrasound should be done.
• Quite often, the consequences of injuries or hip fractures cause pain or discomfort when moving. To eliminate such symptoms, orthoses specially manufactured for such purposes are used. This will also help relieve stress on your muscles.
• Convulsive contractions of the limbs during sleep, a feeling of weakness, swelling of the skin, as well as itching of the calf of one or the other leg can signal a disease such as diabetes. In this case, be sure to take the appropriate tests and visit a specialist who will prescribe all the necessary procedures.
• A sharp pain in the heel that extends to the calves may indicate a so-called “heel spur.” The solution to the problem is a consultation with an orthopedist and undergoing prescribed procedures with mandatory x-ray diagnostics. If a person is overweight, a change in eating behavior and nutritional system will be required.

calf leg massage

Exercise stress

“Body aches” after physical activity can occur both in untrained people and in professional athletes8. And the cause of discomfort is the accumulation of under-oxidized metabolic products in muscle cells; in particular, painful sensations are caused by an excessive amount of lactic acid (lactate)2. Less commonly, the cause is microtrauma, but this can only occur if the training rules are violated8.

Muscle soreness due to overwork does not occur immediately, but after a few hours or within 1-2 days after training or unusual physical activity and disappears within a week8.

I want to get rid of these symptoms as quickly as possible. As a rule, muscle pain appears as a result of physical activity. But is this always the case? When is pain just a harmless physiological phenomenon, and when is it a sign of illness?

Muscle spasms

Muscle spasms are the most common cause of muscle pain. Muscle spasms can develop for various reasons. It develops acutely or over a long period of time with chronic overexertion. In this case, the pain can be dull, aching or, on the contrary, stabbing. It can last a few seconds or be protracted.

The most common reasons that lead to persistent muscle spasms:

• Prolonged muscle strain due to an uncomfortable position in which a person works. This is precisely the nature of back and neck pain among many office workers, leg pain among teachers and salespeople, hairdressers, and surgeons.
• Injuries as a response when muscles are forced to overstrain.
• Incorrect posture - as a result of this, certain muscle groups are constantly under heavy load and they are overstrained.
• Carrying a bag on one shoulder, and other asymmetrical physical activity.
• Hypothermia (fans, air conditioners and other cold air flows).

To get rid of the above unpleasant sensations, you first need to eliminate the causative factor. The next step should be rest, excluding additional physical activity and the use of warming ointments. In some cases, massage will be helpful. However, it should be said that sometimes it is easier to warn and be prepared for physical activity; for this you need to first perform warm-up exercises, or use ointment, elastic bandages, belts, bandages.

Lack of substances

Unpleasant sensations in the muscles can be caused by reasons that a person is not even aware of. Who would think that his arms and legs hurt because there is a lack of potassium or calcium salts in his body?

However, this is a very common reason. The most unpleasant thing is that a lack of potassium can cause discomfort in the heart, because the heart is the same muscle. A person goes to doctors, undergoes electrocardiographic and other examinations. And he does not agree that the doctor prescribed him (in his opinion) a frivolous treatment - “vitamins”. Distrust of the doctor and refusal to take the prescribed drug will exclude the opportunity to obtain the necessary complex of minerals, establish electrolyte balance, and will not contribute to healing.

Calcium deficiency develops for various reasons. Very often during periods of rapid growth of the body, during pregnancy during periods of hormonal changes in the body and especially in older people. Osteoporosis is a more catastrophic and later consequence of calcium deficiency. The harbingers are a banal aching, periodic muscle pain.

Mineral deficiency can be directly related to both lack of dietary intake, as well as as a result of forced metabolism (breakdown) in athletes and those who like to push themselves in a fitness club, irregular intense physical labor, adherence to various kinds of diets (refusal to eat), with the goal is to lose weight.

This explains the way to get rid of the problem. Seek advice from a doctor and, if necessary, undergo the necessary examination to confirm or refute the suspected deficiency of substances. Thus, uncontrolled use of drugs can lead to an increased content of minerals, and sometimes this is worse than their deficiency (especially for potassium) and most often it is enough to limit yourself to eating foods rich in certain substances without resorting to taking medications.

Myositis

Painful sensations in the muscles that increase with movement can be caused by myositis. Myositis is inflammation of muscle tissue. At the same time, the pain is aching, occurring in the arms, legs, and muscles of the torso. Sometimes when palpating the muscle, you can feel nodules or cords. Myositis occurs for various reasons. It appears as a result of injuries, muscle strain, as a complication after viral diseases, or a cold. Some parasites, such as Trichinella, also cause myositis. At the same time, fever may develop with parasitic myositis.

The nature of myositis should be clarified by a doctor. And only after that start treatment.

Fibromyalgia

(a condition of the body caused by constant and sometimes debilitating muscle pain).

Such pains are common - some doctors even claim that 75% of people have experienced them in one way or another. Most often, fibromyalgia affects the muscles of the shoulders, chest, neck, back of the head, lower back, and hips. And also often these aching pains cause restlessness at night and insomnia. The main difference between fibromyalgia is that the pain is distributed throughout the muscles and is associated with the act of movement, inhalation and exhalation. By pressing in areas of discomfort, you can even find the most painful points. The pain is diffuse - that is, it can appear and disappear in one place and flow to other areas of the muscles. A special place is occupied by the so-called “intercostal” fibromyolgia (neuralgia), which imitates pain in the chest and requires differentiation and cordiolgia (heart pain), which may hide a serious pathology.

Fibromyalgia can be caused by nervous and physical stress, frequent stress, injury, lack of sleep, emotional stress, exposure to cold or dampness, rheumatic and autoimmune diseases. It is interesting that most often nervous and suspicious young women and teenage girls suffer from fibromyalgia. It's enough to be nervous before exams. But in men, fibromyalgia more often occurs due to nervous or physical stress. Hard workouts or pressure at work are the main reasons for men.

Treatment of fibromyalgia on one side can be limited to taking valerian. On the other hand, it may require a more serious approach to treatment using rubbing ointments and tablet and injection forms of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and correction of physical activity.

Colds, flu and other infectious diseases

Many infectious diseases (one could say almost all!) are accompanied by the appearance of muscle pain. This is explained by the fact that pathogenic microorganisms and viruses, during their vital activity in our body, cause its poisoning - intoxication of the body. And with intoxication, muscle pain of varying intensity occurs. The more severe the cold, the more your body muscles may ache.

It is usually difficult to confuse muscle pain caused by infections, viruses, and others. After all, the symptoms of the disease itself are obvious: fever, chills, weakness.

And the main treatment is treatment of the disease itself: lowering body temperature, taking antiviral drugs, immunomodulators, vitamins, anti-inflammatory drugs, drinking plenty of fluids and other therapeutic measures that help remove toxic substances from the body that cause intoxication. However, the appearance of pain in simple forms of a cold can manifest itself as other concomitant diseases and complications. For example, pain in the chest area may indicate the onset of complications - bronchitis, pleurisy, pneumonia and other serious illnesses.

Pain after exercise

The most common muscle pain. It appears after physical activity. Its nature is as follows: during work, the muscle produces lactic acid, which is a product of the metabolic metabolism of the working muscle. The more intense the workout, the more lactic acid is produced. It irritates the nerve endings in the muscles and causes a burning sensation. This process is determined by physiology and is necessary for the body: acid accelerates muscle regeneration and restoration and destroys free radicals.

Lactic acid is gradually removed from the muscle through the bloodstream. To speed up this process, it is necessary to resort to adequate rehydration (flooding).

In untrained people and under unusual or very heavy loads, muscle pain after exercise is caused not only by lactic acid, but also by microscopic injuries to the muscle fibers. Small wounds appear in the muscles, which causes pain hours and days after exercise. In principle, this is also not a pathology for the body: the released hormones activate the healing processes and functioning of the body, accelerate the metabolism of proteins and ultimately lead to the regeneration of muscle tissue. This is what athletes want to achieve through training. Negative consequences occur when there are too many microtraumas. Then the muscles are depleted rather than growing, since the regenerative possibilities are also not endless.

Calf muscle cramps

Many people have experienced leg cramps at least once in their lives. Often the muscles of the feet, fingers, and calves cramp. From a physiological point of view, cramps are sudden contractions and spasms of muscles caused by poor circulation or physical stress. A common cause of cramps can be poor movement or monotonous, repetitive movements. Such cramps develop in people who work a lot on the computer or play with a computer mouse, work on their legs, or train intensively.

Night cramps can be caused by problems with blood circulation and lack of calcium.

Frequent seizures can be caused by metabolic disorders and various endocrine disorders.

If seizures recur frequently, you should consult a doctor and find out the cause of their occurrence. If the culprit is just muscle overstrain and salt deficiency, then it’s enough to simply normalize your diet and stop putting too much strain on your muscles.

Pain and cramps are always an indicator that the body does not like something. Most often, eliminating their causes does not present any difficulties. Enough rest and good nutrition.

Be healthy!

Assistant at the Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care and Emergency Medical Care, Leningrad State Medical University named after. St. Luke" Sergey Oberemok

Injuries

Severe pain can occur when muscle fibers and tendons are torn. This usually happens if the load is excessive and the muscles are not prepared for it1. But they can also be damaged by sudden movements3. Unlike “ache” due to muscle overwork, pain due to injury occurs immediately, at the peak of the load3.

It should be remembered that even a small, but untreated injury can cause an even more severe sprain3. Therefore, if you experience pain during physical activity, be sure to consult a doctor to rule out a serious injury.

to come back to the beginning

Lifestyle recommendations

As preventative measures for myalgia of various origins, it is important to avoid heavy physical activity and stress, not to get too cold, to fully treat infectious diseases and to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Aching muscle pain is a fairly common occurrence; sometimes it is harmless and goes away soon, but sometimes it is a consequence of serious diseases that require monitoring and treatment. Highly qualified specialists of the Kuntsevo Medical and Rehabilitation Center are ready to provide timely and high-quality assistance in resolving this issue.

Diseases of the spine and joints

Muscles react to disruption of the joints4 and vertebrae5 associated with them. Therefore, myalgia is one of the symptoms of diseases of the spine5,11 and joints of the limbs4. For example, with osteochondrosis or scoliosis (curvature of the spine), pain in the neck, chest or lower back is associated with overstrain of the paravertebral muscles5,11. And in advanced cases, when the vertebra compresses the nerve root emerging from the spinal cord, the pain can “radiate” to the arm or leg11.

Often myalgia with osteochondrosis is combined with a feeling of numbness or “crawling goosebumps”. At the moment of acute pain, a person freezes, taking a forced position11.

Vein diseases

Leg pain is accompanied by:

• Varicose veins;
• phlebitis and thrombophlebitis;
• postthrombophlebitic syndrome.

Varicose veins

This disease is widespread and is a very pressing problem in medicine and cosmetology.

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Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis

Phlebitis is inflammation of a vein. Thrombophlebitis is a complication of phlebitis or varicose veins of the lower extremities. With thrombophlebitis, a blood clot forms in the inflamed vein. Pain is a concern and swelling of the legs is possible.

Deep vein thrombosis is fraught with complications, the most dangerous of which are venous gangrene of the limb (with high blockage and blockage of all outflow pathways of venous blood) and pulmonary embolism. The risk of thromboembolism is highest in the presence of an unfixed - floating thrombus. The larger the detached fragment of the blood clot, the greater the likelihood of an unfavorable outcome, including death.

A common complication of deep vein thrombophlebitis is postthrombophlebitis syndrome.

Other reasons

Almost any disease of the internal organs can lead to myalgia11. When an organ is affected, it creates pain impulses that are partially transmitted to the muscles located nearby11.

Myalgia can also be caused by:

• endocrine diseases, such as thyroid hormone deficiency16,7;
• vascular pathologies that disrupt the nutrition of the muscles of the limbs15,16;
• chronic fatigue syndrome7;
• imbalance of microelements in the body16;
• taking medications that lower blood cholesterol levels12.

to come back to the beginning

Complications of myositis

Potential complications of muscle inflammation depend on the etiology of the disease. The most likely ones include:

• Spread of the purulent process to adjacent tissues with the formation of osteomyelitis, abscesses and phlegmons, purulent arthritis.
• Limitation of physical capabilities, contractures and muscle atrophy.
• Impaired swallowing and breathing, which leads to respiratory failure and the risk of developing aspiration pneumonia.
• Rhabdomyolysis is the melting of muscle tissue with breakdown products entering the systemic circulation. In this case, renal failure and sepsis can develop, which often lead to death.

Features of myalgia

Pain emanating from the muscles is usually deep6. Acute myalgia is protective in nature because it causes reactions aimed at eliminating the damaging factor11. Such reactions include, for example, muscle spasms4. But despite its protective nature, there is almost always a risk that the pain will become chronic11. There are 2 main causes of chronicity:

• Increased sensitivity. In response to irritation, the muscle releases substances that support inflammation. They further irritate pain receptors in the muscles. In response to frequent signals, the central nervous system lowers the pain threshold, so we can feel soreness in the muscle even when it is not strongly irritated11.
• Spasm. If pain and spasm persist, a “vicious circle” is formed: pain causes spasm, and spasm maintains pain1,5, 11.

Treatment for muscle pain

The CELT Pain Clinic uses modern methods for treating muscle pain, which allows you to effectively cope with the existing problem. First of all, it is aimed at eliminating its original source. Systemic therapy allows you to minimize (or even completely eliminate) pain. It involves the use of painkillers, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and opiates. Systemic therapy is combined with other treatment methods:

• exercise therapy;
• massage;
• electromyostimulation;
• physiological and manual therapy.

CELT specialists recommend the prevention of muscle pain, which consists of maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle, ergonomics of the workplace and eliminating bad habits.

Make an appointment through the application or by calling +7 +7 We work every day:

• Monday—Friday: 8.00—20.00
• Saturday: 8.00–18.00
• Sunday is a day off

The nearest metro and MCC stations to the clinic:

• Highway of Enthusiasts or Perovo
• Partisan
• Enthusiast Highway

Driving directions

Diagnosis of muscle pain

Determining why myalgia occurs is not always easy. Only a doctor can understand the causes and select treatment that helps get rid of disturbing symptoms or alleviate them. To find out the cause of myalgia, the doctor conducts a comprehensive examination, including a neurological one, prescribes laboratory tests, ultrasound, computed tomography and other research methods3.

Various specialists treat myalgia. Depending on its cause, a traumatologist, rheumatologist, neurologist or endocrinologist can help you.

Pathologies

Pathological pain in the muscles, requiring a mandatory visit to a specialist, is expressed in the following:

• constant or chronic pain;
• twitching nature of the disease;
• pain appeared after training, but does not go away after rest;
• redness of soft tissues or swelling is observed;
• accompanying symptoms are observed in the form of fever, shortness of breath, rash, and urinary retention.

Important! If at least one of the above conditions occurs, it is recommended to contact a specialist.

What is chronic muscle pain syndrome

Treatment and prevention of chronic muscle pain is an urgent and complex problem. Painful musculoskeletal syndromes often cause long-term disability, even in young people. Normally, during work, one muscle should contract, and at this time the other (antagonist muscle) should relax and recover.

Chronic muscle pain syndrome is a decrease in the function of muscle fibers that occurs as a result of prolonged static load of low intensity, accompanied by increased metabolic processes, increased contractility in these muscle fibers, leading to local muscle spasm with compression of neurovascular formations and impaired circulation.

Prevention of myositis

Prevention of myositis is based on eliminating or minimizing trigger and risk factors. The following tips and tricks can help prevent the development of muscle inflammation:

• Maintain adequate physical activity.
• Sports should be regulated. Before intense exercise, a warm-up must be carried out. It is recommended to use protective sports equipment (belts, knee pads, etc.).
• Stop using tobacco products, drugs, and alcoholic beverages.
• Avoid hypothermia and drafts.
• Eat a balanced, nutritious diet.
• Observe hygiene rules.
• Treat existing diseases in a timely manner.

Trigger mechanism of muscle pain syndrome.

The trigger for muscle pain syndrome is deformation of the working muscle, when the thicker and stronger part of it stretches the thinner and weaker part. At the same time, the thicker and stronger part of the muscle is in spasm, its metabolism and blood supply are disrupted, and the second part is overstretched, its blood supply is sufficient, but it is “tired.” A similar situation can occur not only in one muscle, but also in antagonist muscles.

When reserve capacity is depleted, tense bundles with increased irritability gradually form among the muscle fibers - myofascial trigger points (points, zones), which, when pressed, feel like a painful dense cord.

Treatment results

Treatment of muscle pain is carried out in various ways. Patients are prescribed:

• acupuncture and acupressure treatments;
• electro- and physiotherapy;
• exercise therapy;
• manual manipulations.

Special exercises are especially relevant for chronic pain that is a consequence of spinal pathologies, for example, osteochondrosis, disc herniation or spondylosis. For severe muscle tissue injuries, surgical treatment methods are used.

Prolonged limb immobility due to fractures

Of particular importance is prolonged limb immobility due to fractures. You should approach the selection of crutches very responsibly, since crutches that are incorrectly selected for height can cause various damage to muscle, bone tissue and nerves (inflammation of the shoulder joint, traumatic plexitis, etc.). Low crutches lead to excessive stooping; using one crutch leads to lateral curvature of the spine.

After removing the cast, the muscles are always painfully tense, require gradual stretching, and the joints need to be “developed.” After removing the plaster, pain can appear in almost all parts of the back, since immobilization of both the upper and lower extremities after fractures leads to a gross violation of the stereotype of movements of the whole body and the appearance of pronounced asymmetries of the body.

Compression of muscles by bag or backpack straps, narrow, tight or heavy (such as a winter coat) pieces of clothing, bandages or corsets can activate trigger points in the corresponding muscles.

Rehabilitation and lifestyle restoration

Patients suffering from muscle pain undergo diagnosis, treatment and restoration of the body without leaving the clinic. The Kuntsevo Medical Center has its own rehabilitation department. The success of its work is based on the availability of modern highly efficient equipment, a staff of experienced specialists, and the application of the principle of an individual approach.

The technical equipment of the clinic meets modern world standards. To restore the body after an illness, manual therapy sessions are often prescribed. Its peculiarity is its effect on tissues to ensure the normal functioning of the systems of the human body. During the procedures, restriction of joint mobility is eliminated, muscles are relaxed, and minor tissue compactions are removed. Properly performed manual therapy is gentle and completely painless.

Muscle hypothermia, mental factors

Muscle hypothermia - both general and local. I was sitting in a draft, my neck was “bloated”, my lower back was “blown out”, etc. Cooling is one of the most common triggers. Usually combined with muscle overload, when overworked, tense muscles are cooled.

Mental factors

Emotional stress is always accompanied by muscle tension, which ensures that the body is ready to fight or flee. After the stress stops, the muscles often remain tense. The role of chronic stressful situations is also important, when many muscles of the face, neck, and torso are in a contracted state and a person seems to “forget how” to control muscle tension and relax the muscles. In a state of chronic stress, gait and movement patterns change. Remember the expression - “he was bent by grief.” The state of the psyche is always reflected in movements; a person’s so-called psychomotor skills change. A change in posture leads to muscle spasms and overloads, pain appears, which in turn further disrupts gait and posture.

Classification

Myositis has several forms:

• infectious non-purulent myositis: causes general weakness and severe muscle pain. The prerequisites are infectious diseases such as syphilis, tuberculosis, brucellosis, influenza and enteroviral diseases;
• acute purulent myositis: the affected area has swelling and severe pain, necrosis develops in the muscle tissue and pus accumulates. The prerequisites are a chronic purulent process, for which myositis is a manifestation of a complication. High body temperature, leukocytosis and chills may occur;
• myositis due to parasitic infections: the muscles are tense and react painfully, the affected area is swollen. This form of myositis is a consequence of toxic-allergic reactions with characteristic symptoms: malaise, fever, leukocytosis;
• myositis ossificans: affected areas - shoulders, hips, buttocks. It occurs as a congenital pathology and as a result of trauma. A feature of the form is the accumulation of calcium salts in muscle tissue, which causes the formation of calcifications and compactions. The development of such myositis is fraught with muscle atrophy;
• polymyositis: one of the severe forms in which a group of muscles is simultaneously affected. The cause of the development of pathology is autoimmune diseases. Polymyositis is especially dangerous for children, as blood vessels, heart, lungs, and skin can be affected. For men over 40 years of age, polymyositis can cause the development of tumors of internal organs;
• Dermatomyositis (Wagner's disease): The disease affects both skeletal and smooth muscles, including the skin and internal organs.

Myositis has a large number of varieties and an equally diverse list of causes.