Pain in left leg at night can be due to concerns with the nerves, muscles, or blood vessels. To figure out why you have this pain, learn the significant causes and their symptoms.
Leg (thigh) pain has many causes, but is mainly due to use and tear, overuse, or injury to the joints, bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and other soft tissues. In addition, leg pain can also be triggered by lower spinal column concerns, blood clots, varicose veins, and bad blood circulation. In this short article, we’ve detailed exactly what might be causing your pain and how you can handle it.
What Causes Pain in Left Leg at Night?
1. Vascular Disease
Leg pain is a great indication of vascular illness, where the build-up of fatty deposits in the veins and arteries leads to swelling and weakness in these capillary.
Atherosclerosis of the leg capillary will typically trigger left leg pain in the evening and the feeling of the leg dropping off to sleep. As the condition progresses, and the plaque builds up, the patient will typically develop a burning pain in the toes and feet, particularly during the night when lying flat or with the feet elevated. This is referred to as rest pain, and it happens due to the fact that the feet can not get sufficient blood circulation, even at rest, due to the artery clog.
Treatment
Although there are no treatment choices readily available to treat leg pain when resting, the following procedures might reduce a few of the symptoms:
- Over-the-counter pain medication, such as ibuprofen.
- Consuming lots of water to keep yourself hydrated.
- Applying cold and hot pads to the affected area to promote muscle relaxation in thigh.
- Stretching the calves whenever your legs end up being painful.
- If you are implementing these actions and still getting leg pain, you will most likely need to make an appointment with your doctor to further diagnose your condition.
2. Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)
RLS is a common condition identified by a tingling sensation in the legs in the evening, and the consistent desire to keep them moving. This feeling may vanish if you get up to walk and stretch your legs, but it returns upon getting back to bed. The condition may merely be annoying, but can trigger leg pain when lying down. You might also feel twitches in your legs. RLS can trigger significant sleep interruption and you could be left exhausted and cranky throughout the day.
Treatment
- Take a warm bath or shower prior to going to sleep.
- Attempt putting alternate cold and hot compresses on your legs to ease the pain.
- If you’re getting the symptoms when you’re depending on bed, massage your legs to promote blood circulation.
- If you can’t rest, opt for a brief walk to the kitchen or bathroom. This can make your symptoms vanish.
- Try reading or doing crossword puzzles in bed before you falling asleep to take your mind off the RLS. However, don’t utilize your smartphone or tablet, as the light from the screen can make it more difficult to get to rest.
3. Other Causes
Left leg pain during the night can likewise happen for different other reasons:
- An improper sleeping position.
- Sciatica.
- Diabetic neuropathy.
- Trapped nerves.
- Minor muscle pressures.
- Magnesium shortage.
- Constraining in the muscles.
- Shin divides.
- Bone fractures.
- Infections.
What to Do About Pain in Left Leg in the Night
There are a number of lifestyle modifications you can make to relieve pain in left leg during the night:
- Firstly, if you are a smoker, attempt to give up, as cigarette smoking can intensify atherosclerosis.
- Regular workout improves the flow and decreases blood pressure, and the muscles will feel more relaxed during the night following effort throughout the day.
- A healthy diet, full of fruit and vegetables, whole-grain cereals, and protein, with restricted hydrogenated fat and sugar, will help you to control your blood sugar and cholesterol levels, along with promoting weight loss.
- Dropping weight can reduce your blood pressure and cuts your opportunities of developing diabetes, one of the major causes of leg pain.
- Lastly, try to lower your stress levels, making yourself feel relaxed and get a much better night’s sleep.
When to See a Doctor
If you experience any of the following symptoms, you should see a doctor instantly, as you might require immediate medical attention:
- Inability to stroll or bear weight on the afflicted leg.
- Signs of inflammation in the calf: swelling, inflammation, pain, or warmth.
- Deep cuts in the leg, with exposed bone or tendon.
- A popping or grinding noise when the leg was hurt.
If you see these symptoms, you must aim to visit your doctor as quickly as you can, as they might suggest a serious underlying medical condition:
- A light, cold or swollen leg.
- Swelling in both legs, gone along with by breathing problems.
- Significant leg symptoms that establish for no apparent factor.
- Calf pain, especially following extended durations taking a seat.
You might also have to see a doctor if you have:
- Worsening pain.
- Painful varicose veins.
- Symptoms that don’t get better following a couple of days of treatment in your home.
- Pain throughout or after strolls.
