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Health

Pain in walking

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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If a person experiences pain when walking, this can indicate various abnormalities in his body. Painful sensations can be different - pricking, pulling, burning. Also, the localization and duration of pain depends on the disease that a person suffers, or from the trauma suffered by him.

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Where do legs grow in pain when walking?

Of course, in the first place, the legs of such pain grow from the same place, from where and from an ordinary person - from the back. Often, pain when walking occurs due to injuries, bruises or diseases of the spine or hip joints. In addition, pain can provoke inflammatory and other phenomena in the nerve endings. If you suffer unpleasant pain while walking, it is not superfluous to see the list of diseases that can cause such a symptom: 

  1. Radiculitis - the name of this disease is well known to many people. In our society, it is considered that radiculitis is a disease of extremely elderly people. But, unfortunately, in fact every year this diagnosis only grows younger. Often this disease affects professional athletes and people who spend a lot of time in sitting poses - for example, accountants, programmers, etc. Radiculitis occurs in the peripheral nervous system. Inside the spine is the spinal cord. The compression of its roots is called radiculitis. Like many other diseases, radiculitis is acute and chronic. Depending on the place of localization of the squeezed roots, the upper cervical, cervicothoracic, thoracic and lumbosacral radiculitis are distinguished. The pain with this disease is quite strong, shooting, sometimes not giving a normal breath or exhale, paroxysmal. Almost all types of radiculitis are characterized by increased pain when walking, but this is especially true for lumbosacral radiculitis. 
  2. Inflammation of the sciatic nerve. In medical circles there is the term "sciatica", which is called this quite common disease. The sciatic nerve is the largest in the human body. The beginning of the nerve is in the lumbar spine, which often carries very large loads, and descends to the foot itself. In this case, it is divided into small nerves. They are the transmitters of energy, which move the muscles of our legs. A person who suffers from an inflammation of the sciatic nerve, feels a very strong pain in the buttock and thigh, which becomes stronger during walking. Even such innocent acts as coughing and sneezing can cause severe attacks of pain during this illness. Sciatica occurs both in itself as a result of various causes, and as a consequence of the development of other diseases (arthritis, diabetes, etc.).
  3. Lumbago is a defeat of the femoral nerve, as a result of which a very sharp, unexpected and often throbbing pain arises in the lower parts of the back and foot. Such painful sensations appear on the anterior surface of the femoral joint, in the lower back and knee. Also, there are cases when the pain irradiates on the inner surface of the shin and in the groin. A separate symptom pointing to the lumbago is the weakening of the hip muscles and the loss of the knee reflex. Unfortunately, with this disease, a person feels very strong pain when walking, it is hard for him to stand and sit. Basically, he tries to sit and lie in certain poses typical for people suffering from lumbago. 
  4. Osteoarthritis. Pain when walking can be caused by gonarthrosis - the so-called osteoarthritis of the knee joints or osteoarthrosis of the metatarsophalangeal joint of the first (large) toe. At the first diagnosis, which is often secondary, the osteoarthritis of the joint between the femur and patella is distinguished (causing pain while walking the stairs, kneeling, squatting) and osteoarthrosis between the femur and the tibia (femotibial, during which pain at walking is greatly enhanced, and at rest it subsides). The second diagnosis appears as a consequence of abnormal phenomena in the forefoot. In a state of rest, the pain is not noticeable, but when walking, it causes considerable discomfort, especially in neglected states of the disease. 
  5. Pain in the coccyx may indicate trauma (even experienced in the distant past) coccyx, the deposition of salts in it, or the presence of an inflammatory process in the muscle tissues or joints around it. The coccygeal pain may be drawing, aching, blunt or shooting - it all depends on the causes of its occurrence. In general, the pain is significantly increased due to prolonged sitting, while walking or straining the abdominal muscles. Also, people suffering from problems in the coccyx may sometimes feel pain in the lower abdomen, perineum and thigh. Often people do not understand what causes such pain in the coccyx. It is necessary to remember, whether there was in your life of an unpleasant falling on skis or from a bicycle, long driving by the car, horses or difficult sorts of the large child. All these factors could affect the excessive flexion or extension of the joint and its tearing. 
  6. Heel spur is an inflammatory process in the plantar fascia. Very often, people complaining of pain when walking, put this particular diagnosis. Helps him to identify palpation of the calcaneus, fascia, which is attached to her, X-ray examination. The cause of the development of the calcaneal spur is most often the stretching of the ligaments of the foot. The pain with this syndrome is quite strong, but can be treated by various physiotherapy procedures. In case of ineffectiveness of such procedures, a blockade can be made with the help of a puncture of novocaine and a hormone.

Who will heal the pain while walking?

In addition to the above-mentioned reasons for the pain symptom in the legs during walking, there are other diseases, but they are rare. In the event that the pain when walking causes severe discomfort or you do not understand the reasons for its occurrence, you need to consult a doctor. If the injured leg hurts, go to the traumatologist. If you can safely exclude a trauma, then you need to see a rheumatologist or consult a neurologist. Do not forget that excessive overheating and hypothermia of painful areas should be avoided. 

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