Pain in the extremities

Our arms and legs, in dry scientific and medical language, are called, respectively, the upper and lower extremities. In a natural, normal state, we do not think about each movement of the arm or leg, about their coordination during the performance of certain actions - everything works harmoniously and confidently. But then one day pain appears in the limbs, and along with it, a second-by-second reminder of the "existence" of arms and legs.

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What causes pain in the limbs?

Pain in the limbs causes considerable discomfort and disrupts the usual course of events. Hands or feet can hurt on their own, having a variety of classifications of their own diagnoses, or they can get pain as a consequence of a disease of other organs. Such pains are called irradiating, that is, giving off.

Radiating pain in the legs

In a number of diseases, the main source of pain is located in the damaged organ, but the painful feeling spreads to other areas, as they say, "the pain shoots" or "radiates to the leg." Such diseases include:

• stones in the ureters (radiating pain to the upper thigh);
• malignant neoplasms of the retroperitoneal organs (sarcoma, lymphoma, carcinoma) cause radiating pain to the anterior surface of the thighs;
• chronic prostatitis;
• late pregnancy in women;
• diseases of the spine (intervertebral hernias, pinched nerve in the intervertebral space).

In all these diseases, pain in the limbs is a consequence of serious damage to internal organs. Often, patients who come with a complaint of pain in the leg, upon careful examination receive completely unexpected results and learn about the presence of a disease of a completely different organ.

Radiating pain in the arms

Pain radiating to one arm or both arms at once can be observed with:

• some heart diseases (coronary block or "angina pectoris", angina pectoris);
• intervertebral hernia localized in the cervical spine;
• gastric ulcer localized in the cardiac and subcardial sections;
• In case of a perforated ulcer of the stomach or duodenum, irradiation goes to the shoulder (usually the right one).

If we conduct a more in-depth analysis of the multiple symptoms of all existing diseases, then the list of those that give radiating pain in the limbs can be continued for several dozen more points. We have listed the most common of them.

Diseases that cause pain in the limbs

When asked, "What diseases of the hands or feet do you know?" most will immediately name arthritis, arthrosis (since these two diseases have a similar name) and rheumatism. And that's already good! Without having a medical education and not suffering from any of the listed diseases, everyone should know about their existence in order to identify the danger threatening them in time.

Quite a lot has been written and told about diseases of the upper and lower extremities. Let's just recall some of them, skipping the already mentioned arthritis, arthrosis and rheumatism:

• bruises, fractures and other injuries;
• vascular diseases (thrombophlebitis and varicose veins);
• paralysis;
• neuritis;
• skin lesions (burns, dermatitis, psoriasis);
• obliterating endarteritis;
• Cerebral palsy with damage to the upper and lower extremities.

Pain in the limbs, alas, is a fairly common ailment that affects not only the older generation. Over the past few years, arms and legs have begun to hurt in young, physically active people. This is due to heavy loads, especially on the joints of the fingers. Modern labor processes are associated with working on a computer, and here, the main role belongs to the fingers. When typing on the keyboard buttons, the fingers experience tremendous stress on their joints, which can lead to their inflammation and deformation.

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What to do if you have pain in your limbs?

To find out the true cause of pain in the limbs or one of them, it is necessary to contact specialists at the earliest possible stage. The sooner you pay attention to the pain, the faster and better you can get rid of it. Against the background of a generally good state of health, you should not think that the body does not experience any difficulties in its work. It is necessary, for yourself personally, to make it a rule - twice a year to undergo a full course of examination of all the main organs: heart, liver, lungs, brain, digestive organs and genitourinary system.

Having visited a general practitioner in a regular clinic, you will receive directions for all necessary procedures, including laboratory tests of blood, urine, and, if necessary, feces. All diagnostic procedures can take from several hours to several days, as a result of which you will have complete information about the state of your body. It is still better to spend a few days a year on your health than to have pain in your limbs for many years, wasting your remaining health and money on treating an advanced disease.

What are our arms and legs for?

A person is who he is thanks to his arms, legs and head. Thanks to the presence of limbs and their anatomical structure, people live a full life. It is difficult to imagine a person as a biological species without arms and legs, nevertheless leading a productive life without outside help and remaining, at the same time, the "king of nature". Isn't it?