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It is normal to feel a slight heaviness in your legs after a day’s work, but if a wave of severe pain suddenly arises in your legs, calves or toes without any major injury, then it should not be taken lightly at all. Sometimes this pain becomes so intense that it becomes difficult for the person to walk or his sleep is interrupted by a loud scream in the silence of the night.
According to orthopedic and vascular experts, sudden pain in the legs is often a warning sign of an internal disorder related to nerves, blood vessels or metabolism. Unless you understand its root, pain reliever balm or painkiller pills alone cannot provide a permanent solution to this problem.
According to medical science, the following physical problems are found to be mainly responsible for sudden pain and cramps in the legs:
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1. Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) and Lack of Blood Circulation:
When plaque is formed in the arteries of the legs due to accumulation of cholesterol and fat, pure oxygenated blood does not reach the muscles of the legs properly. This is called peripheral artery disease. Its most prominent symptom is that while walking a little or climbing stairs, there is sudden severe pain and stiffness in the calf, which gets cured as soon as you stop. In medical language it is called ‘intermittent claudication’.
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2. Sciatica and Nerve Compression:
A slipped disc in the lower part of the spine (L4-L5 or S1 vertebrae) puts pressure on the sciatic nerve. This vein starts from the waist and goes through the hips to the ankles of both the legs. When this nerve gets pressed, a sharp and stinging pain like an electric shock suddenly runs in the back of the leg, along with which numbness or tingling in the leg may also be felt.
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3. Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) – An Emergency Danger:
If a blood clot forms in the deep veins of the leg, it is a very dangerous situation. It usually involves sudden, severe pain in one leg (especially the shin), heaviness, swelling, and a feeling of warmth on the skin. If this clot flows through the veins and reaches the lungs (pulmonary embolism), it can prove fatal.
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4. Severe deficiency of electrolytes and vitamins:
Due to sudden deficiency of magnesium, potassium, calcium or vitamin B12 in the body, the balance of contraction and relaxation of muscles gets disturbed. Due to this, it is very common to have sudden leg cramps or severe cramps in the thumb while sleeping at night.
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5. Increase in Uric Acid (Gout or Arthritis):
When the level of uric acid in the blood increases too much, its fine crystals start accumulating in the joints of the feet, especially the toe or ankle. Due to this, at midnight or as soon as you wake up in the morning, there is such unbearable pain, swelling and redness in the joint that even the slightest touch of a sheet cannot be tolerated.
If you notice any of the following symptoms along with leg pain, contact the hospital emergency department or a specialist doctor without delay:
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Sudden severe pain in one leg accompanied by severe swelling and the leg turning blue or red.
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Feet feel unusually cold like ice when touched or the pulse feels very weak.
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Leg pain accompanied by sudden chest pain, shortness of breath or dizziness.
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Complete numbness of the foot and inability to move the toes.
If the pain is due to normal muscle spasm, these measures may provide immediate relief:
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Stretch the leg slowly: In case of calf cramps, stand straight or sit and slowly pull your toes upward in the direction of your nose.
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Hydration and Electrolytes: Drink enough water throughout the day. Consume coconut water or lemon water so that the level of sodium and potassium in the body remains normal.
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Hot and Cold Therapy: If there is swelling, apply ice and if there is muscle stiffness, use lukewarm water or a heating pad.
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Regular Medical Checkup: If the problem is recurring, then immediately consult the doctor and get serum electrolytes, vitamin B12, uric acid and ‘arterial and venous Doppler ultrasound’ of the leg done.