Throbbing pain in the leg can be characterized by severe pain in the leg region, which emanates from a specific point and spreads across entire length of concerned person’s leg. Patients have known to explain their pain getting worse, sometimes becoming so severe that the person is unable to stand even for a short time or walk a short distance. This kind of pain can affect one leg or may affect both the legs at times.
The excruciating throbbing pain in leg region can be a menacing incident and quite bothersome. It becomes worse especially when people experience it amidst their sleep, leading to disruption of the individual’s sleep, causing them pain, and leaving them helpless. If such a kind of pain continues for long, then it disrupts their normal routine and can even lead to considerable amount of stress. Additionally, if one suffers from severe throbbing pain in their one or both the legs, then they must consult a good physician immediately as it might be due to some serious issues.
What Causes throbbing pain in the Leg?
A throbbing pain in a person’s leg is an indicator of some kind of defect in their structural components like bones, tendons, nerves, and muscles. The most common reasons that trigger such painful conditions have been mentioned below:
Injury:
The most common and the most obvious cause of a throbbing pain in leg is because of injuries caused by accidents or while doing sport activities. This type of injuries can trigger sudden and serious leg ache. This pain occurs when a person might have suffered a tear, strain in leg muscles, inflammation in their tendons, or fracture in their bones due to an accident or playing sports. Sometimes, athletes especially runners will experience stabbing ache in their shins. This is caused when shinbone suffers an injury due to undue force exerted upon them continuously during vigorous physical activity. In rare cases, old injuries might occasionally trigger pain on being exerted excessive force upon the sensitive area.
Varicose Veins:
This condition arises due to the inappropriate functioning of valves present within the veins. These valves normally prevent the reverse flow of blood by directing the blood flow towards heart from legs. If the valves do not work properly or appear to malfunction, then blood starts getting accumulated within the leg veins leading to widening of the veins thereby triggering severe throbbing pain in leg.
Nerve Damage:
This involves a somewhat burning sensation in leg region accompanied by intermittent numbness. Additionally, deficiency of vitamins and diabetes are known to have detrimental effect on nerves causing excruciating throbbing pain in leg. Studies have found out that prolonged alcohol consumption and chain-smoking can lead to malfunctioning of nerves leading to severe leg pain.
Sciatica:
This particular condition is marked by a painful or tingling sensation starting from lower regions of the back and moving across entire length of leg. Sciatic nerve is known to be induced by a condition known as slipped disc occurring in lower back region and pressing onto the root area of sciatic nerve.
Circulation Problem:
A circulatory problem called as Deep Vein thrombosis can also be the reason for severe throbbing in leg. This particular circulatory defect leads to development of blood clots, forming deep inside the leg veins. Normally, this condition affects individuals who are bed ridden for a long time or advised for long period of bed rest. The arteries get clogged up due to building up of cholesterol and leading to poor leg blood circulation thereby causing throbbing pain in leg. This condition is commonly denoted as atherosclerosis.
Other causes that might cause throbbing and excruciating pain in a person’s leg includes arthritis, tumor growth in leg bones, infection in leg bones or osteomyelitis, cellulitis, and side effects due to consumption of certain drugs.
Possible treatment for Throbbing Leg Pain
Anyone experiencing such severe pain must immediately get a physical examination done for the affected portion of leg. Laboratory examinations like X-rays, blood tests, and imaging tests are carried out for confirming bone fractures, infection, or tumor growth. Inflamed tendons and strained leg muscles must be given ample rest following which they will heal up completely. People having fractured leg bone should wear a cast so as to ensure faster healing. Inflammation and pain in leg due to injury and arthritis can be reduced aided by anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs. Doctors prescribe antibiotics for eliminating infections that might trigger leg pain. Circulatory or Nervous system problem can be resolved by taking suitable medicines. Keeping a tab on blood sugar levels can reduce throbbing pain in leg triggered by diabetes.
Additionally, continuous throbbing pain in leg can be kept in check by following a healthy lifestyle, which includes following a healthy diet and working out regularly. These will help to strengthen leg muscles. Abstaining from smoking and alcohol consumption is also advisable for keeping throbbing pain in leg in check.
