Ointments for leg pain

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

But before choosing the right ointment, you need to know exactly the cause of this pain.

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Indications for the use of ointments for leg pain

Which ointment for leg pain should I choose? The answer to this question directly depends on what kind of leg disease we are going to treat, because there are many causes of leg pain. Indications for the use of ointments for leg pain can 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 legs or feet, a feeling of "crawling ants", pain when walking and standing for a long time;
• atherosclerosis (lower limb ischemia) is a chronic vascular lesion, often caused by an unhealthy lifestyle. With atherosclerosis of the lower limb vessels, patients often report periodic leg cramps and pressing pain when walking (especially when climbing stairs);
• joint damage (arthrosis, arthritis) - accompanied by joint pain, swelling. The condition may worsen with hypothermia, prolonged stress, weather changes;
• thrombophlebitis - inflammation of the venous wall with the formation of a thrombus in the lumen of the vessel. Accompanied by swelling of the affected leg, constant burning pain;
• osteoporosis – often develops in old age and in women during menopause due to calcium deficiency in the body. The disease manifests itself in frequent cramps and pain in the calf area;
• myalgia – muscle pain, most often a consequence of overexertion of the leg muscles or prolonged physical activity;
• varicose veins - a lesion of the venous valve system, which causes blood stagnation and slow blood circulation in the lower extremities. Accompanied by a feeling of heaviness in the legs, pain, swelling (especially in the afternoon), itching of the skin of the feet;
• past injuries – can also later remind of themselves with pain in the legs. These can be old fractures, sprains of ligaments and muscles, severe bruises. Pain after past injuries, as a rule, appears after a long walk, standing, unusual physical activity.

If you have identified the cause of your leg pain, you can begin choosing a healing ointment.

Pharmacodynamics

The pharmacodynamics of leg pain ointments is determined by the ingredients that are included in the composition. The main effect of such ointments is pain relief, anti-inflammatory, improving blood circulation and tissue nutrition, toning blood vessels.

Ointments for leg pain allow achieving a high concentration of medicinal substances in the layers of the skin at the site of application. Their use is not difficult compared to other medicinal forms (injections, capsules, suspensions, etc.), in addition, the ointment is able to act directly on the affected vessels and tissues.

Of course, in order for the ointment to help with leg pain, it is necessary to know exactly what effect we expect from the ointment:

• if there is inflammation in the joint, muscle or tendon, the ointment should have an anti-inflammatory effect;
• for myalgia and pain due to past injuries, the effect of the ointment should be analgesic and distracting;
• in case of congestion in joints and muscles, the cooling and warming effect of the ointment is welcomed;
• For varicose veins, it is recommended to choose ointments that tone blood vessels, reduce tissue swelling and improve blood circulation.

The following pharmacodynamic properties are also important: the viscosity of the ointment (for ease of application) and the period of action (prolongation). The longer the period of action of the ointment, the fewer times it will need to be applied.

Pharmacokinetics

A big plus of most leg pain ointments (unlike other drugs taken orally) is their insignificant penetration into the circulatory system. Ointments, as a rule, act only in the tissues at the site of application of the drug, without being absorbed into the blood. This allows many ointments to be used without problems by pregnant and lactating women, children and the elderly (if there is no allergy to the drug). However, when choosing an ointment, you should definitely read the attached instructions and consult a doctor.

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

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

Method of administration and dosage

1. Heparin ointment (Lioton) – apply a thin layer up to 3 times a day, gently rub into the skin. Treatment can be long-term.
2. Gepatrombin - applied 1 to 3 times a day. The ointment can be easily rubbed into the limbs from bottom to top. In case of thrombophlebitis, it is recommended to apply an ointment bandage to the inflamed area.
3. Troxevasin gel - apply in the morning and at night to the painful areas of the legs. The drug should be used regularly over a long period of time.
4. Vishnevsky ointment - applied as a gauze bandage to the affected area and left until completely dry. After this, it is recommended to replace the bandage with a fresh one.
5. Traumeel ointment can be rubbed in up to 5 times a day, or used to apply compresses and bandages to affected areas of the skin.
6. Apizartron - ointment is used 2-3 times daily for muscle and joint pain. It is recommended to wrap the treated area warmly.
7. Diclofenac ointment is used for arthritis, ligament inflammation, post-traumatic inflammation up to 4 times a day on intact areas of the skin.
8. Viprosal is an ointment based on snake venom, used once a day (slowly rubbed into the skin) for myalgia, neuralgia, arthritis.
9. Nikoflex is an ointment used for joint and muscle diseases, as well as sports injuries, neuritis, and polyarthritis. The ointment is rubbed in for about 4 minutes until the skin turns red, once a day.
10. Menovazin is a drug that is prescribed for muscle and joint pain as a local anesthetic. Apply to the affected areas of the skin and rub in 2 to 3 times a day. Duration of treatment is up to 1 month.

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Using Ointments for Leg Pain During Pregnancy

The choice of ointments for leg pain in modern pharmacies is quite wide. But not all ointments are suitable for use during pregnancy. For example, ointments based on bee and snake venom, dimexide, diclofenac, hormones and some other active components are not allowed for use by pregnant women. Even the very common Vietnamese balm "Zvezdochka" during pregnancy can cause adverse effects. For this reason, expectant mothers are advised to consult a doctor when leg pain occurs, who will determine the leg problem and prescribe the most gentle treatment.

What 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 herbal ointment that effectively eliminates inflammation in joints and tissues, relieves pain, reduces swelling, improves local immunity, and restores damaged tissue structures. It is a homeopathic preparation.
• Heparin ointment - is effectively used for varicose veins, thrombophlebitis, and venous thrombosis. The drug gently relieves inflammation, dissolves blood clots and slightly dilates superficial vessels, while simultaneously eliminating leg pain.
• Hepatrombin is an anticoagulant ointment that improves local blood circulation, eliminates fluid stagnation in tissues, and promotes the dissolution of blood clots.
• Vishnevsky balsamic liniment (Vishnevsky ointment) is used for diseases of the leg vessels, obliterating endarteritis and thrombophlebitis, and varicose vascular lesions.

Contraindications to the use of ointments for leg pain

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

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

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Side effects of leg pain ointments

In some cases, when using ointments, side effects associated with allergic reactions (skin rashes, redness, itching, swelling of the skin) may occur. If such signs are detected, then the use of the ointment should be stopped immediately and a doctor should be consulted, who will prescribe the necessary anti-allergic treatment. In the future, the ointment should be replaced with another, non-allergenic one.

If you suffer from an increased tendency to allergic reactions, then before using any ointment or cream, you should first apply a small amount of the preparation to a small area of skin: on the wrist, inner thigh, inner ankle. If you do not have an allergic reaction within 24 hours, you can safely use the ointment.

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

Overdose

Ointments for leg pain do not have a systemic effect and cannot penetrate the bloodstream in significant quantities that could cause overdose phenomena. For these reasons, it is generally accepted that an overdose of topical preparations is impossible.

Interactions with other drugs

Since the penetration of active components of leg pain ointments into the systemic bloodstream is minimal, their interaction with systemic drugs is generally not considered.

The advisability of using several ointments simultaneously on the same area of the skin should be determined by the doctor on an individual basis.

Storage conditions

It is recommended to store leg pain ointments in dry, cool rooms, in undamaged factory packaging, away from sunlight. Children should not be allowed near places where medicines are stored.

The shelf life of ointments is from 2 to 5 years from the date of production.

Ointments for leg pain are available over the counter without a prescription.