With the exception of a broken or fractured bone, most lower leg pain is due to trauma such as an injury from tight or weak muscles from which you can usually recover in just a few weeks. However, leg pain experienced with no related trauma could be a serious side effect from chronic illnesses like diabetes, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis and blood clots. If you are suffering extreme pain in your leg, see a doctor for an X-ray and examination.
Sports and Front Leg Pain
Shin splints, Achilles tendinitis, stress fractures and mid-calf pain are all common injuries suffered by participants in athletic endeavors that involve running and jumping. The running motion exercises the calf muscles more than the muscles along the front of the leg, ultimately resulting in a muscular imbalance. Tight calf muscles pull and elevate the heel, which then pulls the front of your foot down, straining the muscles in the front of the leg. Pain in the front of the lower leg is especially common if you often run on asphalt or other hard surfaces.
Pain in Back of the Leg
Pain in the back of the lower leg could indicate inflammation of the Achilles tendon (tendinitis) or a more serious partial or complete rupture of the tendon. Other common causes of lower leg pain and numbness include nerve damage from diabetes, alcoholism or smoking. Varicose veins, blood clots, bone or soft tissue/skin infection may also cause pain in the lower legs. Atherosclerosis (clogged arteries) blocks blood flow to muscles; this type of pain (claudication) is experienced primarily when exercising and is alleviated with rest.
Pain Accompanied by Swelling
Swelling or edema in one or both feet and the lower legs could be caused by something as simple as sitting too long in one position. Sitting places pressure on the venous system of the legs and may block the flow of blood back to the heart. However, edema could be an indicator of a more serious illness. See your doctor to rule out more serious causes of fluid buildup in the legs such as heart failure or kidney disease.
Pain Requiring Immediate Medical Treatment
Should a popping or grinding sound be accompanied by pain or you are unable to walk normally or handle normal weight or pressure, you may have a broken tibia or fibula, two of the bones of the lower leg. A severely broken bone can change the shape of your leg, causing it to look deformed.
Pain in the calf accompanied by redness, tenderness and a feeling of warmth could indicate deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which is a blood clot in the veins of the lower leg. Seek medical treatment immediately to prevent the clot from breaking free and traveling through your body to your lungs, which could become a deadly pulmonary embolism.
Warning
Rest, ice, elevation and compression along with gentle massage and an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory (ibuprofen or acetaminophen) are usually sufficient treatment for cramps and strains. However, if you develop a fever, your leg is swollen and red, black and blue, or the pain levels increase when you attempt to stand or walk with the affected leg, you should seek medical intervention immediately.
