Ointments for pain in the legs

In most cases, the legs can ache as a result of banal fatigue. Often the pain disappears on its own after a sufficient rest, but over time, constant fatigue and excessive strain on the legs can go into constant pain in the legs, with damage to blood vessels, joints and tendons. Of course, there are effective ointments for pain in the legs.

But before choosing a suitable ointment, you need to know exactly the cause of these pains.

[1], [2]

Indications for the use of ointments for pain in the legs

What ointment from pain in legs or foots to choose? The answer to this question directly depends on what kind of leg disease we are going to treat, because there are a lot of pain in the legs. Indications for the use of ointments for pain in the legs may be as follows:

• endarteritis - a chronic lesion of the arterial vessels of the legs, which is accompanied by their gradual narrowing. The disease is accompanied by chilliness, periodic numbness of the feet or feet, a sense of "crawling crawling," pain during walking and a prolonged standing position;
• Atherosclerosis (ischemia of the lower limbs) is a chronic vascular lesion, more often due to an incorrect lifestyle. When atherosclerosis of the vessels of the lower limbs, patients often notice periodic cramps in the legs and pressing pain during walking (especially when climbing the stairs);
• defeat of the joints (arthrosis, arthritis) - accompanied by pain in the joints, swelling. The condition can worsen under hypothermia, prolonged load, weather change;
• thrombophlebitis - inflammation of the venous wall with the formation of a thrombus in the lumen of the vessel. It is accompanied by swelling of the affected leg, constant burning pain;
• osteoporosis - often develops in old age and in women in menopause due to calcium deficiency in the body. The disease is manifested by frequent cramps and pains in the gastrocnemius;
• myalgia - muscle pain, is more often a consequence of muscle overstrain, or prolonged physical activity;
• varicose disease - a defeat of the valvular system of the veins, in which there is stagnation of blood and slow blood circulation in the lower limbs. It is accompanied by a feeling of heaviness in the legs, pains, swelling (especially in the afternoon), itching of the skin of the feet;
• old injuries - also later can remind themselves of pain in the legs. These can be long-term fractures, sprains and muscle ligaments, severe bruises. Pains after old injuries, as a rule, appear after a long walk, standing, unusual physical activity.

If you have determined for yourself the cause of pain in the legs, then you can proceed with the selection of a therapeutic ointment.

Pharmacodynamics

Pharmacodynamics of ointments for pain in the legs is determined by the ingredients that make up the composition. The main effect of such ointments is analgesic, anti-inflammatory, improves blood circulation and nutrition of tissues, and tonic vessels.

Ointments from pain in the legs can achieve a high concentration of medicinal substances in the layers of the skin at the site of application. Their use is not difficult compared with other dosage forms (injections, capsules, suspensions, etc.), in addition, the ointment is able to directly affect the affected vessels and tissues.

Of course, in order to help ointment from pain in the legs, it is necessary to know exactly what kind of action we expect from the ointment:

• if there is inflammation in the joint, muscle or tendon, the ointment should have an anti-inflammatory effect;
• with myalgia and pain due to old injuries, the action of the ointment should be anesthetizing, distracting;
• with congestion in the joints and muscles, the cooling-heating effect of the ointment is welcomed;
• with varicose veins it is recommended to choose ointments that tonify the vessels, reduce the swelling of the tissues and improve blood circulation.

Of great importance are the following pharmacodynamic properties: the viscosity of the ointment (for the convenience of its application) and the period of action (prolongation). The longer the duration of the ointment, the fewer times it will need to be applied.

Pharmacokinetics

The big plus of most ointments from pain in the legs (as opposed to other drugs taken orally) is their insignificant ingress into the circulatory system. Ointments, as a rule, act only in tissues at the site of application of the drug, not absorbed into the blood. This allows you to easily apply many ointments in pregnant and lactating women, in children and the elderly (if there is no allergy to the drug). However, when choosing an ointment, you should always read the enclosed instructions and consult your doctor.

Rare ointments can have a high degree of absorption with biotransformation in the liver and the reticuloendothelial system. Such drugs are applied to small areas of the skin with a thin layer to reduce the entry of active substances into the bloodstream.

Often, drugs for external use do not go through studies of their pharmacokinetic properties. This is due in large part to the fact that the active substances of ointments do not penetrate deeply into the tissues, but act locally, without having a significant effect on the body as a whole.

Dosing and Administration

1. Ointment heparin (Lyoton) - applied a small layer up to 3 times a day, gently rubbed into the skin. Treatment can be lengthy.
2. Gepatrombin - applied from 1 to 3 times a day. The ointment can be easily rubbed into the limbs from the bottom to the top. In thrombophlebitis, it is recommended that an ointment be applied to the inflamed area.
3. Troxevasin-gel - applied from morning and night to the painful leg sections. The drug should be used regularly for a long time.
4. Ointment Vishnevsky - superimposed in the form of gauze bandage on the affected surface and left to dry completely. After this, the dressing is recommended to be replaced with fresh.
5. Traumeel - ointment can be rubbed up to 5 times a day, or used to apply compresses and bandages to the affected skin.
6. Apizarthron - ointment is used 2 to 3 times daily for pain in muscles and joints. It is recommended to wrap the treated area warmly.
7. Diclofenac-ointment - used for arthritis, inflammation of ligaments, post-traumatic inflammations up to 4 times a day in intact skin areas.
8. Viprosal is an ointment based on snake venom, used once a day (slowly rubbed into the skin) with myalgia, neuralgia, arthritis.
9. Nikofleks - ointment, which is used for joints and muscles, as well as for sports injuries, neuritis, polyarthritis. Ointment rubbed about 4 minutes before the appearance of redness of the skin, once a day.
10. Menovazine - a drug that is prescribed for pain in the muscles and joints as a local anesthetic. Apply to affected areas of the skin and rub, from 2 to 3 times a day. Duration of treatment - up to 1 month.

[10], [11], [12], [13], [14]

Use of ointments from pain in the legs during pregnancy

The choice of ointments for pain in the legs in modern pharmacies is quite wide. But not all ointments are suitable for use during pregnancy. For example, pregnant women are not allowed to use ointments based on bee and snake venoms, dimexide, diclofenac, hormones and some other active ingredients. Even the very common Vietnamese balsam "Star" during pregnancy can cause adverse effects. For this reason, it is recommended that prospective mothers, when leg pain occurs, consult a doctor who will determine the problem of the legs and prescribe the most sparing treatment.

What kind of ointments can be called conditionally safe during pregnancy? Why "conditionally safe"? Because in any case, the possibility of using the ointment must be confirmed by the attending physician.

• Traumeel is a vegetable ointment that effectively removes the inflammatory process in joints and tissues, alleviates pain, reduces edema, improves local immunity, restores damaged tissue structures. Is a homeopathic preparation.
• Heparin ointment - is effectively used for varicose veins, thrombophlebitis, vein thrombosis. The drug gently removes inflammation, dissolves thrombi and somewhat dilates the surface vessels, while eliminating pain in the legs.
• Hepatrombin is an anticoagulant ointment that improves local blood circulation, eliminates fluid stagnation in tissues, promotes the dissolution of blood clots.
• Balsamic liniment according to Vishnevsky (Vishnevsky ointment) - is used for diseases of the vessels of the legs, with obliterating endarteritis and thrombophlebitis, with varicose veins.

Contraindications to the use of ointments for pain in the legs

Like most medicines, ointments for leg pain have their contraindications for use:

• susceptibility to allergies and hypersensitivity to any of the components of the ointment;
• in some cases, pregnancy and breastfeeding;
• severe renal insufficiency;
• hemorrhagic diathesis (tendency to bleeding), hemophilia and thrombocytopenia;
• external damage to the skin at the site of ointment application (ulcers, cuts, scratches, open wounds);
• in some cases - autoimmune diseases.

[3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9]

Side effects of ointments for pain in the legs

In some cases, when using ointments may occur side effects associated with allergic manifestations (skin rashes, redness, itching, swelling of the skin). If such signs are found, the use of the ointment should be stopped immediately and consult a doctor who will prescribe the necessary antiallergic treatment. In the future, the ointment should be replaced with another, not allergenic.

If you have an increased tendency to allergic reactions, then before using any ointment or cream, you should first apply a small amount of the drug on a small area of the skin: on the wrist, the inner thigh, the inner part of the ankle. If during the day you do not have an allergic reaction, you can safely use ointment.

Side effects of ointments from pain in the legs are limited to external manifestations, since most ointments do not have a systemic effect on the body.

Overdose

Ointments from pain in the legs do not have a systemic effect and can not penetrate the bloodstream in significant amounts capable of producing overdose phenomena. For these reasons, it is generally accepted that overdose with topical preparations is not possible.

Interactions with other drugs

Since the ingestion of active components of ointments from pain in the legs in the systemic circulation is scanty, their interaction with systemic preparations is usually not considered.

The advisability of applying several ointments at the same time on the same skin area should be determined by the doctor individually.

Storage conditions

Ointments for pain in the legs are recommended to be stored in dry cool rooms, in factory-intact packaging, away from sunlight. Children should not be allowed to store medical products.

Shelf life of ointments - from 2 to 5 years from the date of production.

Ointments for pain in the legs are released in the pharmaceutical network without a prescription.