How to Get Rid of Leg Pain
Rest as much as possible., Elevate your leg., Ice your leg., Warm up your legs with some soothing heat., Use gentle stretches to help ease muscle tension., Massage your muscles., Find an acupuncturist., Take an over-the-counter pain killer., Get...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Rest as much as possible.
The best thing that you can do when you start having leg pain is to rest.
Stop whatever you are doing and get off of your feet for a few hours.If you have a physical job, then you may need to take some time off from work.
Talk to your doctor about getting a doctor’s note to excuse you.
Consider taking a day or two off from your normal exercise routine.
If you usually exercise every day, then you may want to take day or two off until your leg is feeling a bit better. -
Step 2: Elevate your leg.
Elevating your leg can help to reduce swelling and it may also help to relieve some of the pain.
If you notice that your leg is swollen, then you may want to elevate your leg.
If you are sitting, then you can put your feet and legs up on an ottoman with a couple of pillows under your legs, or you can lie in bed and place a couple of pillows under your legs and feet., Using an ice pack can help to numb the pain in your leg.
Do not put ice directly on your skin.
Make sure that you wrap the ice pack in a thin towel and then place the pack on the affected area of your leg.
You can leave the ice pack in place for up to 15 minutes, but then you should give your leg a one hour break from the cold., Heat can also help to get rid of leg pain if the pain is caused by arthritis or tension.Try using a heating pad on your legs to help soothe sore muscles.
Make sure that you do not leave the heating pad on your leg for more than 20 minutes at a time or you may overheat your skin., If you think that the pain in your leg is due to muscle cramps or muscle tightness, then doing some gentle stretching may help you to feel better.Try one of the following stretches to help loosen up tight muscles:
Lunge.
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and take a big step forward with one foot.
Keep the other foot behind you.
Both feet should be facing forward.
Your front knee should be bent at a 90 degree angle and your back leg should stay straight.
Hold this stretch for about 10 seconds and then do the stretch on the other side.
Forward bend.
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and slowly begin to bend forward, keeping your knees straight, but not locked.
If you can touch your calves or your toes, then do so and hold the stretch there for the count of
10.
Even if you can only reach your thighs or your knees, you should still feel a stretch in the backs of your legs.
Quad stretch.
To do a quad stretch, stand near a wall or sturdy chair and place one hand on the wall or chair for balance.
Then, bend one of your legs and bring your foot up towards your butt.
Grab your toe with your hand if you can and hold the stretch.
If you cannot reach your foot, then you can also try placing your toe against the wall to help stretch your quadriceps. , After stretching, you may also find it helpful to massage your leg muscles.Try using a bit of massage oil to make it easier to massage your leg muscles.
Use long strokes and firm pressure to help relieve some of the tension in your legs.
Getting a massage from a professional massage therapist may also help to soothe leg pain caused by extremely tight muscles.
You can also use a foam roller to massage your leg muscles.
Place it beneath the sore area and roll your leg over the roller for five to 10 minutes., Acupuncture may also help to relieve leg pain in some situations.
If you experience muscle spasms or inflammation along with your leg pain, then acupuncture may be an effective treatment.Try talking to a professional acupuncturist to find out if acupuncture may be effective for you. , If you are still in pain after using other methods of relieving your pain, then you can try taking an over-the-counter pain medicine to help relieve some of the pain.For example, you can try taking acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or aspirin.
Make sure that you read the product instructions and follow them.
If taking an over-the-counter pain reliever does not help, then you should call your doctor.
If your pain is related to inflammation, such as arthritis, then taking an NSAID such as ibuprofen may be the best choice because NSAIDs help to reduce inflammation., These nutrients are crucial for maintaining a good electrolyte balance and for preventing muscle cramps.
To improve your intake of these nutrients, make sure that you eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, lean meats, and nuts and legumes.
One way that you can ensure that you are getting plenty of calcium, magnesium, and potassium is by following the DASH diet.
This diet focuses on foods that are low in sodium and high in calcium, magnesium, and potassium., If you are want to be sure that you are getting enough of the vitamins and minerals that you need to stay healthy and keep leg cramps away, then you may also want to consider taking a multivitamin.
Choose a multivitamin that provides 100% of your daily requirement of vitamins and minerals. -
Step 3: Ice your leg.
-
Step 4: Warm up your legs with some soothing heat.
-
Step 5: Use gentle stretches to help ease muscle tension.
-
Step 6: Massage your muscles.
-
Step 7: Find an acupuncturist.
-
Step 8: Take an over-the-counter pain killer.
-
Step 9: Get more magnesium
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Step 10: calcium
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Step 11: and potassium in your diet.
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Step 12: Try adding a multi-vitamin.
Detailed Guide
The best thing that you can do when you start having leg pain is to rest.
Stop whatever you are doing and get off of your feet for a few hours.If you have a physical job, then you may need to take some time off from work.
Talk to your doctor about getting a doctor’s note to excuse you.
Consider taking a day or two off from your normal exercise routine.
If you usually exercise every day, then you may want to take day or two off until your leg is feeling a bit better.
Elevating your leg can help to reduce swelling and it may also help to relieve some of the pain.
If you notice that your leg is swollen, then you may want to elevate your leg.
If you are sitting, then you can put your feet and legs up on an ottoman with a couple of pillows under your legs, or you can lie in bed and place a couple of pillows under your legs and feet., Using an ice pack can help to numb the pain in your leg.
Do not put ice directly on your skin.
Make sure that you wrap the ice pack in a thin towel and then place the pack on the affected area of your leg.
You can leave the ice pack in place for up to 15 minutes, but then you should give your leg a one hour break from the cold., Heat can also help to get rid of leg pain if the pain is caused by arthritis or tension.Try using a heating pad on your legs to help soothe sore muscles.
Make sure that you do not leave the heating pad on your leg for more than 20 minutes at a time or you may overheat your skin., If you think that the pain in your leg is due to muscle cramps or muscle tightness, then doing some gentle stretching may help you to feel better.Try one of the following stretches to help loosen up tight muscles:
Lunge.
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and take a big step forward with one foot.
Keep the other foot behind you.
Both feet should be facing forward.
Your front knee should be bent at a 90 degree angle and your back leg should stay straight.
Hold this stretch for about 10 seconds and then do the stretch on the other side.
Forward bend.
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and slowly begin to bend forward, keeping your knees straight, but not locked.
If you can touch your calves or your toes, then do so and hold the stretch there for the count of
10.
Even if you can only reach your thighs or your knees, you should still feel a stretch in the backs of your legs.
Quad stretch.
To do a quad stretch, stand near a wall or sturdy chair and place one hand on the wall or chair for balance.
Then, bend one of your legs and bring your foot up towards your butt.
Grab your toe with your hand if you can and hold the stretch.
If you cannot reach your foot, then you can also try placing your toe against the wall to help stretch your quadriceps. , After stretching, you may also find it helpful to massage your leg muscles.Try using a bit of massage oil to make it easier to massage your leg muscles.
Use long strokes and firm pressure to help relieve some of the tension in your legs.
Getting a massage from a professional massage therapist may also help to soothe leg pain caused by extremely tight muscles.
You can also use a foam roller to massage your leg muscles.
Place it beneath the sore area and roll your leg over the roller for five to 10 minutes., Acupuncture may also help to relieve leg pain in some situations.
If you experience muscle spasms or inflammation along with your leg pain, then acupuncture may be an effective treatment.Try talking to a professional acupuncturist to find out if acupuncture may be effective for you. , If you are still in pain after using other methods of relieving your pain, then you can try taking an over-the-counter pain medicine to help relieve some of the pain.For example, you can try taking acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or aspirin.
Make sure that you read the product instructions and follow them.
If taking an over-the-counter pain reliever does not help, then you should call your doctor.
If your pain is related to inflammation, such as arthritis, then taking an NSAID such as ibuprofen may be the best choice because NSAIDs help to reduce inflammation., These nutrients are crucial for maintaining a good electrolyte balance and for preventing muscle cramps.
To improve your intake of these nutrients, make sure that you eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, lean meats, and nuts and legumes.
One way that you can ensure that you are getting plenty of calcium, magnesium, and potassium is by following the DASH diet.
This diet focuses on foods that are low in sodium and high in calcium, magnesium, and potassium., If you are want to be sure that you are getting enough of the vitamins and minerals that you need to stay healthy and keep leg cramps away, then you may also want to consider taking a multivitamin.
Choose a multivitamin that provides 100% of your daily requirement of vitamins and minerals.
About the Author
Dennis Kennedy
Creates helpful guides on DIY projects to inspire and educate readers.
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