There are obvious causes of pain in the legs and thighs such as trauma. However, many causes are insidious and if left untreated have detrimental effects on a person's health. This is particularly true if symptoms are intermittent or gradual. People who experience thigh and leg pain without a known cause need to be evaluated by a health care provider to rule out any serious health problems.
Peripheral Artery Disease
The American Heart Association advises that people do not dismiss pain in the legs and thighs as simply signs of aging. A serious health condition called peripheral artery disease (PAD) causes pain in the muscles of the legs, which people assume to be caused by other conditions such as arthritis or sciatica. PAD decreases blood flow to the lower extremities. Complications are pain, loss of function and amputation.
Neuropathy
Neuropathy is disease and dysfunction of any part of the nervous system and is a complication of diabetes. The American Diabetic Association reports that femoral neuropathy, which affects nerves in the upper leg and causes pain in the thigh, occurs predominantly in people with Type II diabetes. The characteristic thigh pain of femoral neuropathy degrades into weakness and loss of function.
Sciatica
Sciatica is pain caused by irritation or damage to the sciatic nerve from conditions such as lumbar and spinal canal stenosis. Sciatica causes pain along the nerve track which travels down the back of the thigh and the inside of the leg. Pain symptoms may come and go, be short in duration or become chronic. Movement of the leg aggravates the symptoms of leg pain.
Arthritis
Arthritis causes joint and bone pain. Frequent lower extremity pain sites are the hips and knees. Referred pain from these sites causes pain in the legs and thighs.
Edema
Certain health conditions cause edema, or swelling, in the lower extremities. Edema of the lower legs adds weight to the affected extremities and impairs circulation. According to Donna D. Ignatavicius, MS RN, and M. Linda Workman, Ph.D, authors of "Medical-Surgical Nursing: Critical Thinking for Collaborative Care," people who suffer from congestive heart failure, lymphadenopathy (dysfunction or disease of lymph system) and kidney failure experience leg pain as a result of edema.
Deep Vein Thrombosis
Lower extremity deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot in the blood vessels of the legs. The characteristic symptom is pain in the calf, behind the knee or thigh. DVT can be life threatening. People are advised to see a doctor for lower leg pain that occurs or increases when the foot is flexed, for an area on the lower leg or behind the knee that is tender to touch, and redness and swelling to the lower leg, back of the knee or thigh.
References
- American Heart Association: "PAD Symptoms and Diagnosis"
- American Diabetic Association: "Additional Types of Neuropathy"
- "Medical-Surgical Nursing: Critical Thinking for Collaborative Care"; Donna D. Ignatavicius MS RN, & M. Linda Workman Ph.D; 2006
