Pain in the calf of the right leg: how to treat it. Why does my calf hurt on my right leg?

The calf muscles are pulled and hurt. What is this? It's like there's no reason. But it's not that simple. There are many reasons that cause discomfort in the calves. And we will tell you about the most common ones.

Treatment of calves with folk remedies

Reason 1. Increased load during sports training. Almost everyone has experienced pain in the calf muscles after intense physical activity. Here we are lying on the sofa for years and dreaming of a beautiful pumped up figure. And suddenly they decided “I’ll take it on Monday.” And he took it on... He gave such a load that the body, completely unprepared for such extreme conditions, failed in the functioning of all systems. Moreover, you can get serious sprains and ligament ruptures. Conclusion: loads are necessary, but they need to be increased gradually, and start with the simplest exercises.

Reason 2. Phlebeurysm. If you feel pain under the back of your knee that extends down into your calves, you most likely have varicose veins. The vessels, losing their elasticity, cannot cope with the flow of blood and expand. It is this process that causes pain in the calves. Look at the back of your legs. If you see swollen veins and bluish-violet stars, the cause of your pain is varicose veins.

Reason 3. Thrombophlebitis. Disease of the cardiovascular system. The disease has recently become rapidly “younger”. A blood clot, or thrombus, is attached to the wall of a vessel and, not only does it create an obstacle to the normal functioning of the circulatory system, it can also come off at any time and, through the blood flow, enter one of the important arteries and clog it. Which is fraught with very sad consequences. Therefore, if your calves hurt, be sure to examine the blood vessels in your legs.

Reason 4. Neurology and diseases of the spine. In this case there is a direct connection. A pinched nerve caused by problems in the spine causes pain in the leg. The pain can be concentrated in the lumbar region, in the buttock and often in the leg, including the calf muscle. Moreover, in the muscle of one leg, left or right.

Spinal diseases

Reason 5. Pregnancy. The growing body in the womb of the expectant mother puts a huge strain on the whole body, including the legs. In addition, a woman eats heavily during this period and sometimes cannot control fluid intake, which provokes swelling of the lower extremities. Doctors say that nagging pain in the calves during pregnancy is normal. But you can still alleviate the condition if you do a light foot massage and a contrast shower every evening. If you give your feet a bath with chamomile infusion before going to bed, this will also reduce the discomfort in your feet.

The cause of pain in the leg muscles can also be a lack of calcium, magnesium and iron. Eat fish and cheese, vegetables and fruits, drink fermented milk products.

Treatment with traditional medicine

Compresses and wraps

Birch leaves

In the spring, when young leaves appear on the birch, pick a bag full of them, tie them and put a weight on top. After a while, when the leaf just begins to rot, untie the bag and lower your feet into it. Sit like this until you feel your feet begin to sweat. Fresh dandelion compresses relieve pain very well. Tear some dandelion leaves, crush them and spread the mixture on your caviar legs before going to bed. Tie a waterproof bandage on top.

Cinquefoil anseri

Cinquefoil is used for compresses and lining the legs. To wrap five tablespoons of chopped herb, pour boiling water, wait until it cools slightly, lay the herb on cheesecloth in an even layer and wrap your feet. For compresses, add four tablespoons of cinquefoil to half a liter of water and boil for twenty minutes. After five minutes, strain. Soak a compress cloth in the slightly cooled broth and apply to your calves for half an hour.

Rubbing

Ficus and agave

Prepare a rub for pain in the calf muscles from ficus and agave. Pick a ficus leaf and three agave leaves. Wash them and chop them finely. Also chop five hot peppercorns. Fill everything with half a liter of vodka and leave in a dark place for three weeks. Shake daily. Rub your feet every day. Rubbing prepared according to the following recipe will also relieve pain. Separate the yolk from one raw chicken egg, add a spoonful of turpentine and a tablespoon of natural apple cider vinegar. Beat everything well. Rub your calves for pain. A three-day course of treatment according to the following recipe helps to get rid of pain for a long time. Pour unrefined vegetable oil into a glass and add a spoonful of fine table salt until it is completely dissolved. Rub the mixture onto your feet and legs every evening. After the procedure, put plastic bags on your feet and warm socks on top. After half an hour, remove, wash your feet and immediately go to bed.

Chestnut tincture will relieve pain. Grind the chestnut fruits and, after weighing fifty grams, pour a bottle of vodka. After three weeks, strain and use to lubricate sore feet. Prepare the chestnuts in the same way as in the previous recipe and fill a glass jar or bottle to the top. Pour in ammonia until it completely covers the chestnuts. Leave in the cupboard for one month, shaking the dishes from time to time. Lubricate the problem muscles with the prepared tincture, then tie them with a warm cloth. If you carry out this procedure twice a day, noticeable relief will occur after three days. By the way, chestnut with ammonia is a very good remedy for bronchitis. Before going to bed, lubricate your chest with the tincture and put on warm underwear. After seven days, not a trace of bronchitis will remain. Wormwood tincture will relieve cramps. Pick wormwood, chop it and fill a half-liter jar. Pour in vodka so that it completely covers the herbal raw material. After three weeks, strain the tincture, squeeze it out, and rub it on your calves every evening just before bed.

You can rub your feet with salt water. To do this, dissolve one spoon of salt in a glass of heated water. Rub your legs, starting from the feet and ending with the groin area. Also, you should not wipe it, you need to wait until it dries completely. Repeat the procedure twice a week. Apple cider vinegar is used for rubbing and wraps. To wrap, soak a suitable size piece of cloth in vinegar and wrap it around the calf muscle. Apply a waterproof bandage on top. For rubbing, vinegar is used in its pure form. As soon as you feel a spasm, immediately rub the problem area with apple cider vinegar. A vodka infusion of garlic will relieve cramps. Peel the garlic and chop twenty-five to thirty cloves. Place the garlic mass in a glass jar and fill with a bottle of vodka. After two weeks, start treatment. Rub your calves with garlic tincture every evening for one month. Rubbing from black root has an immediate effect on cramps in the calf muscles. Pour fifty grams of herbal raw materials with half a liter of vodka and leave for twelve days.

Blackroot

Tincture of dope seeds also quickly relieves cramps. Place three quarters of a glass of dope seed for one and a half months to infuse in half a liter of vodka. As soon as you feel cramps, soak a cotton pad in the tincture and wipe the calf of your leg.

Baths

Salt water has the wonderful property of relieving cramps in the calf muscles. Dissolve about four handfuls of salt in two liters of warm water. Pour water into a small basin and, with your feet in it, sit for about ten minutes. Do not wipe your feet, wait until they dry. Do salt baths for three days, then after two days, and so on up to once a week. Every evening, immediately before bed, take foot baths made from tansy infusion. Pour five tablespoons of tansy flowers into a thermos and fill with half a liter of boiling water. After three hours, pour into a bowl of warm water. Lower your legs for half an hour. Treat with tansy infusion baths until the cramps disappear.

Very simple treatment. Recommended for older people with atherosclerosis. You will need three standard packs of bay leaves and a bucket of water. Put water on the fire, place bay leaves from one pack into it, bring to a boil and remove from heat. Wait until it cools down to a comfortable temperature and put your feet in it for twenty minutes. Dry your feet and put on warm socks. After a day, bring the same water to a boil again, adding a bay leaf from the second pack. Take a foot bath. Save the water for the next day. Repeat the same, adding bay leaf from the third packet. The course of treatment has been completed, it gives a guaranteed result of pain relief. You can repeat it only after six months.

Bay leaf

For oral administration

For pain, regardless of its cause, internal intake of an infusion of birch leaves, carrot seeds, bearberry, immortelle, St. John's wort and cherry stalks taken equally will help. Pour one spoonful of the mixture into a thermos and pour in a glass of boiling water. After ten hours, strain the infusion and take one spoon three times a day. For five days in the morning, on an empty stomach, eat a spoonful of honey, washed down with a glass of kefir. Cramps should go away, if they appear again, repeat the course. Then, for prevention, carry out a course of treatment four times a year.

Honey and kefir

We will not prepare alcohol tinctures at home - we will buy them at the pharmacy. Hawthorn, peony, valerian, motherwort - you will need one hundred ml, eucalyptus - fifty, mint - twenty-five. Mix everything in one glass bottle and add ten grams of clove spice. Leave for two weeks, shaking occasionally. Then strain and take twenty-five drops half an hour before each meal. The balm prepared according to the following recipe will replenish the body with calcium, relieving you of cramps. Place thoroughly washed chicken or quail eggs in a one-liter jar. Squeeze the juice from the lemons and pour it over the eggs until they are completely covered. Refrigerate for fourteen days. During this time, the shell should dissolve under the influence of citric acid. Mix the contents of the jar well and strain. Add one hundred ml of high-quality cognac and one spoon of honey, stir. Before each meal, take one spoon of balm about half an hour before each meal.

Onion tea

Make onion tea for yourself every night and drink it before bed. Brew a pinch of onion peel in a glass of boiling water and drink after ten to fifteen minutes. You will sleep peacefully all night. Delicious raisin treatment. Pour two tablespoons of washed raisins into one glass of boiling water every evening. Leave it overnight. In the morning, immediately after waking up, drink the infusion and eat the raisins. You need to be treated with fly agaric carefully, observing the dosage. This is a very effective remedy. Collect fly agarics, chop their caps and fill a glass jar to the top. Close the lid tightly, wrap it in a bag and, if you have a cellar, put it there; if not, just bury it in the ground. After a month, a liquid substance forms in the jar. You need to strain it and add seven hundred and fifty ml of vodka per two hundred and fifty ml. You need to start treatment with one drop added to half a glass of milk. The next day - two drops, and so on up to five drops in half a glass of milk, take once a day at the same time, preferably in the evening. Then drink for five days in a decreasing manner, reducing the number of drops one at a time. After five days, start the second course, but with the difference that the number of drops will increase to ten, also adding one per day. Then - in descending order.

Miscellaneous

A very interesting method of traditional medicine, which will not only get rid of the problem we are talking about, but will also reduce dry calluses, if any, and remove foot fungus. Every evening, peel and finely chop six onions, place them in a basin and stomp on it for twenty to thirty minutes. Then wash your feet and do a light massage using any vegetable oil. A strange but very common way to treat pain in the calf muscles. In order to implement it, you will need a lot of wine corks. Punch holes through the corks and thread a fishing line through them. The length of the fishing line should be such that it can be completely tied around the calf muscle. As soon as you feel pain or cramps, put a cork necklace on your leg, securing its ends with adhesive tape. You can put corks around your leg once a day for half an hour for preventive purposes.

Wine corks

Aspen is a good helper for problems in the calves. Take yourself two aspen chocks. Let one lie near the sofa or your favorite chair. When sitting in front of the TV, place your bare feet on it. The other piece of wood should lie in your bed at your feet. You can put a healing stick under the bed on your side, where your legs are. An ordinary magnet is recommended as a remedy for pain and cramps in the calf muscles. The magnet should be secured to the calf using a bandage or patch. At first you will feel a sharp pain, but it will soon subside. The magnet can be left attached overnight.

Prevention

Don't put excessive stress on your legs. You should alternate them with rest. If you suffer from pain and cramps in the muscles of your legs, place a small cushion under your legs at night.

If your work involves sitting for a long time, be sure to place a low stand under your feet.

Footrest

Daily morning exercises are a must! Squat, swing back and forth and to the sides. These exercises are aimed at improving blood circulation.

Do a light massage of the calf muscles daily. But don't overdo it, light massage!

Pay attention to the shoes. High heels are not your option, your option is no higher than four cm. Wear orthopedic insoles - they relieve stress on the muscles.

It is useful to wear sneakers to train the calf muscles.

Cold and hot shower

A contrast shower will relieve fatigue. It should start with a hot stream, after a minute - cold. Alternate five times, ending with cold.

Diseases, nature and causes of pain in the calf muscles

Diseases	Nature of pain	Causes
Atherosclerosis	Pain in the calf muscles, worsens when walking.	Sealing of the walls of blood vessels.
Thrombophlebitis	Constant throbbing pain that turns into a burning sensation.	Circulatory disorders.
Myositis	The pain is intense, worsening with movement.	Muscle strain. Complications after illnesses, incl. flu.
Spinal diseases	Referring pain from the buttock or lower back area.	Disorders of the spine, incl. Disc displacement.
Peripheral nerve diseases	Intermittent, paroxysmal pain.	Damage to the sciatic nerve.
Osteomyelitis	Aching pain.	Disease of bone tissue, pain radiates to muscles.
fibromyalgia	Manifests itself during physical or mental overload.	Joint diseases. Physical and mental stress.

Video - Gymnastics for pain in the calves

The gastrocnemius muscle belongs to the biceps category and is located on the front of the lower leg. Thanks to it, a person can stand, walk, run, rise on his toes, and do squats. Let's take a closer look at the cases in which the calf muscles may hurt and what symptoms arise.

The calf muscles often feel painful. This happens for a number of completely different reasons: illness, tired legs, poor nutrition. In any case, such a deviation always requires attention and effective treatment.

Why do my calves hurt when walking?

Pain felt in the calf muscles is very common. Their appearance is influenced by a fairly large number of factors. The degree of pain itself also varies. In order to accurately understand the cause of the pain, you should carefully study the main problems of this part of the body.

While walking, your calves may hurt because:

If any of the listed pains occur, you should consult a doctor for detailed advice so that he can prescribe the necessary treatment and be able to exclude the possibility of serious illnesses.

Why do my calves swell and hurt?

Often the painful condition of the legs is complemented by unpleasant swelling. In such cases, you should carefully study all the causes of such unpleasant symptoms and find a worthy solution to them. Swelling can happen to absolutely anyone and there are a number of reasons for this:

Eating too much food that is too salty and then drinking a lot of water. Salt retains water in muscle tissue without releasing it from the body. This is what swelling looks like. Violation of the water-salt balance in the body. This disorder leads to frequent swelling because the body does not have enough water. A woman's pregnancy often leads to the body accumulating a large supply of fluid.

Other causes of swelling in the legs and calf muscles are the presence of diseases such as:

Heart failure. This disease often causes swelling of the lower extremities. It is quite easy to identify - swelling begins to appear on the ankle and gradually rises upward. You should not assume that such swelling can only affect the left leg, because it very often appears on both legs. A characteristic feature of such swelling is the remaining pit, which is very visible when pressing on the leg. This swelling manifests itself especially clearly in the evening. Lymphedema. This disease very often affects the lower extremities and its main symptom is swelling in the calf area. In this case, fluid accumulates in the lymphatic vessels. A person who is experiencing this disease also experiences a particular heaviness in the legs and sometimes even a feeling of distension in the limbs. This swelling appears in the ankle area and moves up the leg. This swelling appears in the evening and tends to disappear in the morning. Itchy insufficiency. If a person has this disease, his kidneys do not work normally, which leads to stagnation of fluid in the body and provokes swelling. Such swelling has a characteristic feature of appearing in any part of the body, but the lower extremities are most susceptible to it. Such swelling can appear day and night and can only be gotten rid of when the body gets rid of excess fluid Varicose veins As already mentioned, varicose veins provoke poor blood flow in the veins, which also leads to increased blood pressure and swelling. It has been noticed that swelling is more pronounced in the evening and most of it is concentrated on the left leg. Thrombophlebitis. This disease is characterized by asymmetric swelling in different parts of the body, which is very easy to notice visually. This swelling may be accompanied by an increase in temperature and discomfort while walking.

Why do my calves hurt after training?

More than one person has noticed the peculiarity of feeling muscle pain after playing sports. The same applies to the calf muscles. This often happens to athletes and people who want to play sports, but do not know how to give the correct load to their legs.

Characteristic muscle pain most often appears one or two days after the workout itself. The reason for this is partial damage to muscle cells during tension and their subsequent restoration after a while.

The strength and intensity of the pain that appears depends only on how strong your training was. Please note that the more often you exercise your muscles, the less often you will experience any discomfort at all. It should also be noted that muscle pain becomes less noticeable and less severe during muscle growth. It is for this reason that many bodybuilders have completely forgotten what it is.

The following ways can help reduce calf pain after training:

Warm-up which you will do every time before playing sports. Its principle of operation is very simple - warming up allows you to improve blood circulation, which delivers more nutrients to muscle tissue Contrast shower, which also has a positive effect on blood flow and general circulation, which in turn allows the calf muscles to recover faster Massage, which can relax the muscle and at the same time improve blood circulation Sleep day, it’s surprising, but this method has a positive effect on all processes in the body and thereby indirectly helps muscles recover after training

Why do calf cramps and pain occur at night?

The most common cramp is the one that occurs at night. The reasons for this unpleasant sensation can be various factors, from the simplest lack of vitamins in the body to the presence of a serious and complex disease in the body.

The most common cramp can last from a few seconds and can last up to as much as fifteen minutes at a time. Most often, such pain occurs completely suddenly and all the time during the cramp the muscles are in a solid and even “stony” state.

How does a cramp appear:

A sharp pain affects not only the calf, but may well also affect the muscles of the foot. This can happen when the leg is overstrained, or it can happen completely unexpectedly in a dream, when the leg is in a calm position. It has been noticed that the older a person gets, the more often this feature manifests itself - experience muscle cramps

A cramp that occurs during sleep naturally disrupts sleep. Usually a person wakes up abruptly and grabs the sore spot, trying to eliminate the pain.

Cramps at night can occur for various reasons:

You have a neurological disease, which tends to manifest itself with seizures at night and during the day. Your body is experiencing a deficiency of minerals, in particular calcium and phosphorus. During sleep, the blood circulation process is disturbed and slows down, and that is why the influx of useful elements is hampered Poor blood circulation in older people around the clock is the cause of frequent cramps during sleep Another reason is taking medications that also negatively affect the blood circulation process People who have metabolic disorders substances People taking diuretics Too much stress on the muscles before bed Pregnancy

Why do calves hurt in pregnant women?

Swelling and pain in the calf muscles are a common symptom during pregnancy, especially if the due date is just around the corner.

There are several reasons why women often feel this unpleasant sensation while in position:

a growing fetus and with it a growing body, which increases in volume and weight, puts a double load on the legs, and in a short period of time - this puts pressure on the lower limbs, provokes swelling and pain due to the fact that the woman’s weight increases and changes its center severity, swelling occurs and excessive load on the legs, the natural elasticity of the ligaments decreases, which leads to pain in the calves; often, pregnancy provokes the appearance of varicose veins on the legs - this leads to pain; the fetus presses on the inferior vena cava and provokes the appearance of pain in the lower extremities; perhaps so pinching of the sciatic nerve - hence the pain during pregnancy in a woman’s body there is a disruption of normal water-salt metabolism, as a result of which there is not enough calcium and phosphorus; during pregnancy, a significant change in hormonal levels occurs, which also leads to changes and shortages of useful substances in the body

To relieve pain and avoid unpleasant pain will help:

wearing only comfortable and light shoes, where the foot will be relaxed, wearing special compresses and elastic bandages, staying in a horizontal state and not being able to stand on your feet for a long time, regularly taking contrast showers and foot baths, daily morning exercises and evening light exercises that improve blood circulation, calm sports or swimming

Eating foods high in calcium and phosphorus will help you get rid of night cramps during pregnancy.

What to do if the calves of the legs are very sore?

At the moment when you are struck by pain in the calves, you need to know about ways to remove it so that you can continue your normal life activities. There are a number of simple but effective home techniques that reduce swelling and eliminate pain:

It is important to know that if pain has been haunting you for a long time and you cannot eliminate it in any way, you should immediately seek advice from a specialist. Only a real doctor can prescribe you a number of effective drugs or creams that will be effective in your individual case.

Tips for eliminating pain and swelling in the legs:

Try wearing special compression socks or stockings regularly or at least at night. Avoid shoes with high platforms or heels if you regularly suffer from pain and cramps in the calves. Book a session with a specialist who will give you regular massage of the calf muscles. Frequently do a contrasting massage for your legs. shower, douche or bath If you have a “sedentary” job, try to arrange simple walks or stretches as often as possible Balance your diet, include as much food as possible that contains vitamin E, phosphorus and calcium

Pain in the calves of the legs in men, causes and treatment

The pain that occurs in the calf muscles in men most often appears due to overwork. Men's specificity of work, labor and lifestyle allows them to always be on the move and often do hard work. The entire load that a man takes on is reflected in the condition of his legs, since it is the calf muscles that are responsible for supporting the body. As a result, a man overstrains his muscles and they respond with pain after a while. A relaxing massage and a hot bath will help relieve discomfort from the legs. After this, it is recommended to apply a number of auxiliary preparations to the skin - deep-acting ointments and creams that penetrate the tissues and have an antispasmodic effect.

Pain in the calves of the legs in women, causes, treatment

If a woman regularly experiences pain in the calf muscles, this may be evidence that she is leading an unhealthy lifestyle:

Her muscles are too weak and unable to withstand any weight or load. If this is the case, you need to put a little strain on your legs every day: walk, climb stairs, go jogging. Often, calves hurt because a woman wears very uncomfortable shoes - heels, stilettos and platforms. The leg is in constant tension. It is urgent to review all your shoes and regulate the load on your feet, wear comfortable shoes or walk a little in uncomfortable shoes. Another reason for pain in the legs for a woman is excess weight. It also causes a woman’s legs to swell and prevent her from moving normally. In this case, you should follow a diet, exercise more often and drink enough water per day so that the body does not retain excess fluid in the body.

What to do if your child’s calves hurt?

The causes of pain in the legs and calves in a child can be very diverse:

This could be pain associated with growth - that is, the child increases in size, literally stretches in length, and the muscles are simply not ready for such a leap. Simply put, such pain is the reason for the rapid growth of tissue: muscle and bone. For the same reason, pain can be at night, because during the day the legs received good blood flow, but at night it slowed down and limited the supply of beneficial microelements. Such pain can easily be eliminated by gentle stroking to improve blood flow or a gentle massage. Pain can occur as a result of the presence of many pathological developmental diseases in a child: scoliosis, flat feet, osteochondrosis. In such cases, the center of gravity shifts - this affects the fact that the body weight does not rest completely on the legs and they hurt. Diseases of the endocrine system also affect the fact that the child feels pain in the calf muscles. Everything happens because the kidneys may show malfunctions of the thyroid gland. The child may have diabetes. All these diseases disrupt the mineral composition of the blood, which should nourish the muscles with trace elements. Neurocircular dystonia limits the child’s physical activity, which leads to the fact that the muscles are not developed and cannot withstand the entire load of the body. Congenital pathologies of the cardiovascular system, which disrupt normal blood circulation in the body.

Other causes of problems and pain in the calf muscles can be physical activity, as well as an unbalanced diet.

In some cases, traditional medicine can provide particularly strong and effective treatment:

A compress of young birch leaves - to do this, you need to collect the leaves, pour boiling water over them and apply them to your calves, wrapping them in a bandage. You need to keep such a compress for at least several hours. A compress of fresh dandelion leaves is one of the most effective and efficient methods. To do this, you need to pick the leaves, crush them finely and apply them to your calves; wrap your legs in a thick cloth. This compress lasts the whole night. Rubbing ficus leaves also helps. To do this, cut the leaves, pour vodka and leave for a week. After this, the sore legs are rubbed with the product daily. You can also use chestnut tincture, which must be prepared in advance: a liter jar is completely filled with chestnuts and filled with vodka. This type of rubbing is used to rub sore feet. It is also recommended to rub the feet with apple cider vinegar - this helps to warm up the muscles and relieve pain in them. Daily salt baths, which should be given to the feet before bed, will also help. It is best to use sea salt dissolved in warm water. The same useful foot baths can be made by adding tansy tincture to them.

Drugs and medications for the treatment of calf muscle cramps

The following medications will help relieve pain in the calf muscles:

Panangin - (can be replaced with Asparkam) - this drug contains a sufficient amount of magnesium and potassium, which can prevent cramps in the lower extremities and eliminate pain. Vitamin D and Magnesium B6 - in pure form or a mineral complex can have a preventive effect on muscle and bone tissue, eliminating discomfort External preparations (ointments and creams): Troxevasin, Vasoketom, Diosmin, Venoflebin

In any case, only a procedural doctor with sufficient experience can prescribe effective treatment and prescribe a number of effective drugs. Only he will be able to clearly identify the cause of your pain and understand the nature of its occurrence. Pain and swelling should always be treated; if you ignore it, you can cause complications in the body’s functioning.

Read many interesting articles on our website.

Pain in calves a common phenomenon. It often occurs as a result of prolonged physical exertion on the lower extremities and does not signal pathologies. However, the answer to the question “Why do my calves hurt?” is not always clear, since the reasons may lie in very serious diseases. This applies to cases where severe pain and cramps recur regularly or nagging pain in the leg in the calf, does not go away for a long time.

If you are faced with a similar problem, we recommend contacting the CELT Pain Clinic! This is a department that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of pain syndromes in various locations. The high professional level of our specialists, their extensive work experience, along with modern medical equipment and treatment methods, allows them to return our patients to a full life, eliminating pain from it.

Causes of pain in calves

Causes of pain in the calves may lie in muscle fatigue, but often such a clinical manifestation can signal pathologies of arterial vessels, veins, tissues, surrounding muscles and the spine. If you constantly have pain in the calf of your left or right leg, or regularly experience leg cramps, you should seek medical help, as the consequences can be unpredictable.

Vein diseases

A pain symptom in venous diseases is a valuable signal, since it is thanks to it that serious pathologies that require immediate medical attention can be identified:

Varicose veins - characterized by incessant pain in the calf muscles, which is felt in the afternoon and is accompanied by swelling of the ankles. This disease can also be determined visually, since visible dilated veins appear on the lower extremities. The reason that the calf of the right or left leg hurts, in this case, is the development of swelling of the leg, as a result of which compression of the nerve endings occurs;
Acute venous thrombosis requires immediate treatment, since blood clots that form in the deep veins can enter the vessels of the pulmonary circulation and clog the arteries, leading to pulmonary embolism, which is often fatal. Pain in the affected calf covers the inner surface of the lower leg and spreads up to the thigh and down to the foot. They are accompanied by swelling of the lower leg, a feeling of heaviness in the legs and increased pain when trying to bend the foot.

Arterial diseases

Arterial diseases cause insufficient supply of oxygen and nutrients to tissues, which leads to their destruction. The pain in this case is caused by ischemia (lack of blood supply) and is of a different nature for different diseases:

Acute form of obstruction of arterial vessels - characterized by acute pain with a burning sensation, which is accompanied by swelling of the affected leg and its coldness;
Chronic arterial insufficiency is characterized by two types of pain: attacks during acute ischemia and constant pain due to chronic insufficiency of blood supply. Both types of pain can be accompanied by cramps, muscle atrophy, ulcers and gangrene.

Muscle diseases

Nerve fiber lesions

One of the symptoms of neuritis and polyneuritis is severe nagging pain, which occurs in attacks and can spread along the affected nerve. This manifestation may be caused by compression of the nerve roots. Often, his companions are:

trophic disorders in the innervated (i.e., in the organs and tissues supplied by nerves) area;
feeling of numbness, tingling or pins and needles;
motor disorders in the innervated area;
decreased sensitivity.

Other reasons

Pain in the calves may occur due to damage to adjacent tissues:

osteomyelitis of the tibia;
diseases of the knee joint;
ankle joint diseases;
skin inflammation.

Referred pain in the calves of the lower extremities is one of the symptoms of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine.

Our doctors

Diagnosis of pain in the calves

At the CELT Pain Clinic, special attention is paid to conducting diagnostic studies to accurately determine the cause of pain in the calves. In addition to examination by a doctor and taking an anamnesis, the following diagnostic methods can be used:

ultrasound examination of the arteries and veins of the affected limb;
Magnetic resonance imaging ;
electroneuromyography;
laboratory research.

Treatment of pain in the calves

Treatment of pain in the calf muscles in our Pain Clinic often begins with the elimination of painful symptoms, if they are pronounced. Systemic therapy involves taking pills or intravenous injections according to an individually developed regimen. The process involves modern drugs that inhibit the transmission of pain sensations along the nerves or block their perception in the central nervous system.

In addition, all the efforts of our specialists are aimed at eliminating the cause due to which it arose. The treatment method is developed after all diagnostic studies have been carried out and the diagnosis has been correctly made. It takes into account the individual characteristics of the patient’s body and the root cause of the disease.

Thus, acute vascular pathologies often require urgent surgical intervention; In chronic forms, conservative treatment is carried out in a hospital. If it does not bring the desired results, surgical correction of the vascular defect may be performed.

Surgery is also indicated for diseases of the spine: neoplasms, prolapsed discs with severe neurological disorders.

Get treatment at the CELT Pain Clinic and return to your usual lifestyle!

Let's take a closer look at the cases in which the calf muscles may hurt and what symptoms arise.