Dr. CS MOHAPATRA

Treating leg pain at home

You can usually treat leg pain at home if it's due to cramps or a minor injury. Try the following home treatments when your leg pain is from muscle cramps, fatigue, or overuse:

• Rest your leg as much as possible, and elevate your leg with pillows.
• Take an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, to help ease discomfort as your leg heals.
• Wear compression socks or stockings with support.
• Apply ice

Apply ice to the affected area of your leg at least four times per day. You can do this even more frequently in the first few days after the pain appears. You can leave the ice on for as long as 15 minutes at a time.

Take a warm bath and stretch

Take a warm bath, and then gently stretch your muscles. If you have pain in the lower part of your leg, try pointing and straightening your toes when sitting or standing. If you have pain in the upper part of your leg, try to bend over and touch your toes. You can do this while sitting on the ground or standing up. Ease into each stretch, holding each position for five to 10 seconds. Stop stretching if your pain gets worse.

Preventing leg pain

You should always take time to stretch your muscles before and after exercising to prevent leg pain due to physical activity. It's also helpful to eat foods that are high in potassium, such as bananas and chicken, to help prevent injuries of the leg muscles and tendons.

You can help prevent medical conditions that may cause nerve damage in the legs by doing the following:

• Exercise for 30 minutes per day, five days per week.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Avoid smoking.
• Monitor your cholesterol and blood pressure, and take steps to keep them under control.
• Limit your alcohol consumption to one drink per day if you're a woman or two drinks per day if you're a man.
• Talk to your doctor about other ways to prevent the specific cause of your leg pain.
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