Pain in the right leg

Feeling of heaviness, pain in the legs - these are symptoms that are familiar to many, regardless of age or social status. Most often, both legs hurt, but sometimes there is pain in the right leg, which can be due to a variety of causes - diseases of the bone or vascular system, a pain symptom may indicate trauma, venous congestion or deformity of the spinal column.

Such a large variability of causative factors is explained by the rather complicated structure of the lower extremities, which consist of large and small bones, joints, muscle tissue, tendons and ligaments.

[1], [2], [3]

Causes of pain in the right leg

Among the frequently occurring factors that provoke pain in the right leg, we can name the following diseases: 

• Obliterating atherosclerosis, Lerish syndrome.
• Thrombosis, thrombophlebitis of the lower extremities.
• Osteochondrosis, most often the lumbosacral department.
• Spondylolysis (non-closure of the arc and body of the vertebra).
• Intervertebral hernia.
• Myositis of various etiologies.
• Lumboscialgia (radiculopathy).
• Diseases of the joints (rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, arthrosis, coxarthrosis, arthropathies).
• Injuries - spine, legs.
• Osteoporosis.
• Diabetes mellitus (diabetic polyneuropathy).
• Sheyerman-Mau disease (violation of body posture, kyphosis).
• Schlatter's disease (dystrophic process in the tibia).

First of all, the causes of pain in the right leg are associated with diseases of the vascular system, in the second - with pathological processes in the spinal column. Less commonly, the cause of the pain symptom is the inflammatory process in the muscle tissue (myositis). 

1. Vascular factor. 

Varicose veins - a disease of a chronic nature, in which the lumen of the veins gradually expands, disrupting the process of outflow of venous blood. Stasis of venous blood provokes the development of deep vein thrombosis, most often femoral, and stagnation of blood flow can be the cause of thrombophlebitis.

Thrombosis (DVT or deep vein thrombosis) is a secondary disease characterized by thrombosis in the venous lumen, its occlusion. The disease was described two centuries ago by a German physician, the founder of morphological pathology, Rudolf Virchow, who proposed to systematize causative factors into a triad - a violation of blood coagulability, delayed blood flow and disruption of the integrity of the vascular walls. Thrombosis should be differentiated with thrombophlebitis, which differs in that thrombi appear not in deep, but in superficial veins.

OASC - obliterating atherosclerosis of the lower extremities is a progressive process in which the inner wall of the vessels is filled with cholesterol deposits, the narrowing of the vessels and the blockage of the arteries develops.

Lerish syndrome - congenital or secondarily acquired occlusion (overlap) of the ileum aorta and aorta abdominalis - abdominal aorta. Most often the disease is manifested intermittent claudication and pain in the right or left leg.

2. Diseases of the spine.

Osteochondrosis of the lumbar region is a progressive disease associated with radiculopathy (radicular syndrome). Pain in the right leg is an irradiating pain that is provoked by a degenerative process in the intervertebral disc. 

Spondylolysis is a defect in the structure of the vertebral arch (vertebra artery), most often caused by excessive stress.

Herniated disc in the lumbar region - protrusion or prolapse of the disk nucleus through a damaged fibrous ring.

Myotonic or neurodystrophic lumbosciatica (sciatica) is a painful syndrome in which the nerve endings of the Nervus ischiadicus trunk, a large nerve of the cross (sciatic nerve), occur.

3. Diseases of the muscular tissue.

Myositis is an inflammatory process in the striated muscle (skeletal) most often of infectious etiology. Also, myalgia can be caused by toxic or mechanical factors (overload).

Inflammation of tendons - myoenitis, caused by excessive physical exertion of a professional nature.

Fibromyalgia is a disease peculiar to the female sex, considered a complex, poorly understood syndrome. Fibromyalgia is characterized by common (diffuse) pains of muscles, soft tissues, including in one or both legs.

4. Diseases of the joints.

Arthritis of the knee joint - osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and other types. This is degenerative or inflammatory damage to the knee cartilage.

Coxit, coxarthrosis is a degenerative disease of the hip joint.

Leg gout is a chronic disease in which urate crystals accumulate in the joints of the legs (joint of the big toe) due to a violation of the urinary acid metabolism

Also, the causes of pain in the right leg can be associated with a one-sided infectious (streptococcal) disease - erysipelas.

The variety of etiological factors that cause a unilateral pain symptom in the leg is often the reason for an extensive, comprehensive examination, appointed angio-surgeon or rheumatologist.

[4], [5],

Symptoms of pain in the right leg

Signs and symptoms of pain in the right leg are most often nonspecific, that is, they can not indicate a specific cause of the disease. The pain signal can be associated with both vascular pathologies, diseases of the bone system, and with a metabolic disorder or inflammation of the muscles and tendons. However, pain in the right leg can serve as the first disturbing evidence of the onset of diabetes, thrombosis or pathological destruction of the hip joint. Therefore, at the first manifestations of discomfort in the leg, you should consult a doctor for examination.

Differential symptoms of pain in the right leg

1. Varicosity: 
   • Fatigue after walking, even brief.
   • Periodic cramps in calves of the foot, more often at night.
   • Stitching pain in one or both legs in a standing position.
   • Dull, drawing pains, subsiding with the horizontal position of the body.
   • Sensation of opening in the calf muscles of the leg.
   • Itching of the skin of the foot.
   • Sensation of pulsation in the leg.
2. Obliterating atherosclerosis: 
   • A growing pain symptom in the muscles of the leg.
   • Pain, spasm in the calf when walking.
   • Feeling cold in the foot.
   • Pain in the leg, which subsides in motion.
   • Feeling tingling, "creepy" in the foot.
   • Puffiness of the foot in the vertical position of the body.
   • Dryness, scaling of the skin of the foot.
   • Recurrent convulsions.
3. Coxarthrosis of the hip joint: 
   • Irradiating pain in the leg (from the groin down to the knee).
   • Pain when trying to get out of the chair, off the bed.
   • Pain that stops at rest in a horizontal position.
   • Intermittent claudication, limping on the right or left leg.
   • The leg gradually grows thin, the muscles atrophy.
   • Gradual restriction of movements with the foot.
   • Difficulty with the leg sideways.
4. Neuropathic pain: 
   • Drawing, paroxysmal pain.
   • Burning, tingling all over my leg.
   • Numbness of the leg (calf, foot).
   • Strong shooting pain, radiating to the back of the leg pain (with lumbago).
5. Osteoarthritis: 
   • Sharp, stitching pain, worse when walking, moving.
   • Pain in standing position with prolonged preservation of the pose.
   • Puffiness of the joint.
   • Dependence of pain on weather conditions.
6. Diabetes mellitus, neuropathy: 
   • Cramps in the calf muscles at night.
   • Swelling of the feet.
   • Itching, sometimes unbearable.
   • Tingling in the feet.
   • Weakness, tired legs.
7. Myalgia, myositis: 
   • The pain is intense, starting from the hips and alternating downwards.
   • Pain, dependent on weather conditions.
   • The appearance of nodules in the muscles, which can be palpated.
   • Sharp pain in the calf muscles, convulsive syndrome.
8. Gout: 
   • Pain of a pulsating character in the big toe.
   • Swelling and redness of the joint.
   • Pain, which patients describe as "gnawing," a symptom worsens at night.

Symptoms of pain in the right leg can subside and move to the left limb, and pain can also be bilateral, especially when the disease develops.

Pain in the right leg can have a different character, respectively, by comparing the specifics of pain and general descriptions of diseases, you can try to determine the root cause of the pain.

If pain gives in the right leg

When the pain is felt as a reflecting, irradiating, most likely it is a lumboschialgia with an infringement of the peroneal nerve or with a discogenic lesion of the upper lumbar spine. Especially characteristic for lumbago is the sign of lumbago, which spreads over the back surface of the foot. As a rule, pain gives in the right leg, if there was a right-sided displacement of the vertebrae and infringement of the nerve of the sacral spine. Sensations are so strong that a person literally can not straighten his back, much less walk.

If the pain gives in the right leg, therefore, the spinal cord develops a problem - the intervertebral hernia, which must be treated in a complex way, and not only with the help of manual therapy. It should be remembered that there is a direct causal relationship: osteochondrosis - intervertebral hernia - lumboeishialgia - pain syndrome.

Drawing pain in the right leg

Most often, pains that are not pronounced intensively, tolerable, but permanent, are characteristic of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine. Injury of the sciatic nerve is an exacerbation of the process, in which pain intensifies and becomes unbearable. If the loin "noeth," as a rule, on the one hand, you need to take urgent measures to prevent the displacement of the vertebrae before the hernia is formed. The effectiveness of treatment directly depends on a timely call to the doctor. In addition, the pulling pain in the right leg can be the initial sign of unilateral varicose veins, less often a symptom of gynecological or urological problems. In any case, the pulling character of the pain suggests that the disease is at an early stage of development, and until it has worsened, a person has time to prevent serious complications.

[6], [7], [8]

Aching in right leg

Can signal a lack of trace elements of vitamins in the body. This condition is understandable for pregnant women with a lack of magnesium. It is worth starting to use vitamin-mineral complexes, like aching pain in the right or left leg goes away. Also, such pain can occur in those who are excessively addicted to diets that deplete the resources and body reserves. However, aching pain in the right leg, like all unilateral pains, is a rather serious sign of starting problems, among which there may be the following diseases or conditions: 

• Developing degenerative lesion of the spinal column with irradiating pains in one or both extremities.
• Deficiency of magnesium or calcium.
• The initial stage of obliterating endarteritis.
• The initial stage of varicose veins.
• The first symptoms of diabetes.
• Manifestations of kidney pathologies.
• Vein enlargement of the pelvis.
• Hemorrhoids.

Severe pain in right leg

Can indicate a developed thrombophlebitis of the femoral vein. With such a disease a person feels acute, severe pain, the leg swells noticeably, becomes a bluish shade. The most obvious thrombophlebitis is the trunk, iliac-femoral vein when the pain symptom appears on one side of the abdomen and spreads downward to the groin, then most often in the leg. If the thrombus clogs the vein completely, the leg swells noticeably, lymphostasis develops, the body temperature rises (to 39 degrees), the total intoxication of the body begins. Also, severe pain in the right leg can be triggered by myositis, especially infectious etiology. The muscle tissue is permeated with nerve endings that are sensitive to the slightest inflammation. The pain with myositis is very intense, it does not subside when you change your posture, body position. Among the causes that cause severe, acute pain in the leg or legs, you can also call gout. Most often this disease affects both feet, but the onset of the disease can manifest itself in the joint of the thumb of one limb, for example, the right one. In addition, severe pain in the right leg is a typical sign of the lumbosacral radicular syndrome. This pain is so sharp, acute, that it is not accidentally described as a "chamber".

Diagnosis of pain in the right leg

Diagnostic measures with unilateral pain in the leg should be as complex as possible, as the pain symptom can be the result of a variety of diseases.

Diagnosis of pain in the right leg involves a survey plan: 

• An anamnesis that includes answers to the following questions: 
  • Where the pain in the right leg is localized.
  • Is there pain in the other leg.
  • Characteristics of pain - aching, acute, persistent, paroxysmal and so on.
  • Dependence of pain symptom on weather conditions, time of day (night, day).
  • Dependence of the pain symptom on rest or physical activity, on the position of the body.
  • The presence of other symptoms - body temperature, skin condition, pain in other areas of the body.
• Physical examination - visual examination, specific tests, reflex check, palpation.
• Instrumental diagnosis of pain in the right leg: 
  • Ultrasonic examination of the legs (vessels).
  • Radiography.
  • Laboratory blood tests that determine the number of leukocytes, leukocyte index, ESR, uric acid level and other parameters of a possible inflammatory process.
  • Arteriogram - fixation of fluctuations in the arterial pulse in dynamics.
  • Duplex angioscanning.
  • Examination of the bone system - scintigraphy (radionuclide scanning).
  • Magnetic resonance imaging, showing the state of blood vessels, cartilage, bone tissue.

If necessary, the diagnosis of pain in the right leg may include ultrasound of the abdominal organs, since the symptom may indicate a violation of kidney function, liver.

[9], [10]

Treatment of pain in the right leg

Therapeutic measures that eliminate pain in the right leg, primarily depend on the underlying cause of the symptom. The choice of method, method and duration, which involves the treatment of pain in the right leg, are associated with a specific diagnosis. The patient can be treated out-patient in case of an initial varicose veins, acute conditions with coxarthrosis, herniated discs, traumas of the bone system require hospitalization and treatment in the hospital. From the patient in any case, strict observance of all medical recommendations is required, among which there may be such: 

• Compliance with diet, limiting the use of disease-provoking (gout) products.
• Decreased body weight.
• Implementation of a complex of exercise therapy.
• Massage, including self-massage feet.
• Refusal from bad habits (smoking).

As a rule, with timely access to a doctor, the treatment of pain in the right leg is carried out by conservative methods. Surgical intervention is indicated for varicose veins (not deep), intervertebral hernia of large size, ischemia of vessels (obliterating atherosclerosis) of III-IV degree.

The main direction of treatment is the maximum neutralization of the provoking factor of the disease. If the pain in the right leg occurs against the background of diabetes, first of all, of course, diabetes is treated. If the pain symptom is a consequence of lumbar osteochondrosis, a therapy is prescribed that improves the condition of the spinal column.

The treatment of the legs, in particular the right leg, is carried out by the doctors of the following specializations: 

• Angiosurgeon.
• Phlebologist.
• Traumatologist.
• Neurologist.
• Rheumatologist.

What if the right leg hurts?

Preventative measures help not only to avoid pain, but also prevent the development of very serious complications, such as thromboembolism, gangrene of the extremity, erysipelas and others.

First of all, the prevention of pain in the right leg involves the implementation of such rules: 

1. Contrary to fashion trends, women should take care of comfortable shoes with a low heel. Heaviness, swelling of the legs, joint aches, damage to the tendons, pain in the calves - frequent companions of lovers of high heels or too narrow fashion shoes. This advice is especially relevant for those who are associated with working in an upright position (sellers, waiters, pharmacists, and so on).
2. Systematic rest for the feet, both for the right and left - this is their horizontal, slightly elevated position.
3. If the varicose disease is diagnosed in the initial stage, compression stockings, bandages can help.
4. The intake of vitamins that improve the state of the vascular wall is an excellent prevention of pain in the legs. You should regularly take vitamins C, K, P (rutin), A and E.
5. Preventive measures against pain syndromes in the legs are a rejection of bad habits. Especially harmful to the blood vessels and conductivity of smoking.
6. To reduce the pain symptom in the right leg, just like in the legs in general, you need to monitor the body weight. Obesity is the right way to varicose dilatation, thrombosis, degenerative changes in the structure of the spine.
7. For a uniform load on the muscles of the body, including the leg muscles, it is necessary to regularly perform a complex of therapeutic physical training. Well assisted metered squats with a straight back, this reduces the tension of the muscles of the lumbosacral section and reduces the irradiating pain in the leg.
8. Do not sit in one sitting position with one foot on the other. This habit leads to constant compression of veins, worsening of venous outflow, disturbs the conductivity of blood vessels.

In any case, even if the disease develops, you need to try to move to ensure the blood supply of the leg. Of course, immobilization (immobilization) in case of trauma or fracture of the leg is simply necessary. However, in other conditions the leg needs normal blood flow. Ask your doctor how active the load should be and move. Remember the advice of the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, who said: "Life requires movement."

Prevention of pain in the right leg is also a timely call to the doctor at the first alarming signs. The earlier the examination is performed and the cause of the pain symptom is identified, the more successful and faster the treatment will be.