Left Leg Pain

Whether it's the right or left leg, pain may be quite severe and may hamper one's day-to-day activities. At times, one may not find the pain that severe, but if not treated on time, can lead to a serious medical condition.

Some people may experience numbness accompanied by searing pain. This may be caused due to injury or continuous pressure on the nerves of the left leg. Usually, left leg pain starts if there's pressure or injury to the lower back, especially if the sciatic nerve is injured. There may be several other causes, which are mentioned here.

Many a time, people experience chronic left leg pain at night, which may be due to several reasons and the most common causes are pinched nerve and trauma. In case one twists their leg, or have a bad fall, the nerves may get damaged. A fall may also damage the joints and muscles, which may cause pain in the left leg.

Torn ligaments and tendons may also cause it and if it is due to this reason, then the pain would be accompanied by swelling and inflammation. Pain at night can also be attributed to nocturnal leg cramps.

The main reason for leg pain behind knee is pinched nerve. Whenever one sits for long periods in a particular position, the nerves may get squeezed, which in turn may cause pain. Moreover, if the body posture is not proper while sleeping, the nerves may get injured, thereby causing pain in the legs.

Another common cause is peripheral artery disease. This disease is caused due to narrowing down of the arteries which in turn reduces the blood supply to the legs. In case the arteries in or leading to the left leg region are affected, it may lead to pain.

If one is affected by peripheral artery disease, the pain may aggravate while performing activities like walking or running. When one walks or runs, the cells of the legs require more blood and oxygen, and due to the narrowing of the blood vessels, that's not possible, which results in pain.

The backbone is made of several disc-like structures which are cushioned by a fluid. As we age, the fluid dehydrates and the bones become inflexible and this causes pain of the back and legs. The condition is called lumbar degenerative disc disease, and it's not only the legs, but the foot may also pain; left leg if the degeneration is more on the left side.

Another common leg pain cause is spondylolisthesis, wherein the bone structure of the spinal column is defected. This leads to pain of the neck as the nerves are pinched, which may radiate down to the legs.

Spinal stenosis is one of the most important reasons due to which numbness along with chronic leg pain occurs. This condition is mostly faced when we age, however, it is not that younger people will not face spinal stenosis. At the end of the spinal column, is a joint called facet joint, which may enlarge, thereby pressurizing the root of the spinal nerve.

Due to the force exerted on the nerve by the swelling of the facet joint there's leg pain and numbness in the left leg. Besides these, left leg pain may also be caused due to lower levels of magnesium, calcium, sodium, and potassium in the blood, muscle fatigue or blood clot in the legs.

Most women experience this condition when pregnant, and the exact cause of this condition is still unknown. One possible reason behind this, given by experts is that the muscles of the legs may be tired from carrying the extra weight, which results in pain.

It's also believed that the growing uterus puts extra pressure on the blood vessels of the legs, thereby causing pain. If the pressure is exerted on the left leg, chances are that the left leg muscles fatigue more, leading to this condition.

There are some common treatment options which one can try for getting rid of this condition. One can apply ice pack if the pain is caused due to sprains or twisted leg. This would reduce not only the pain but also the inflammation caused due to the sprain.

Doctors may recommend the use of elastic bandages, especially when the pain is caused due to strains and sprains. To relieve leg pain caused due to damage of nerves, bed rest is necessary. Moreover, painkillers may help in relieving the same.

So, there may be several causes of this condition, and the most common reasons are injury and pinched nerve. If one experiences continuous pain of the left leg, it may indicate some underlying medical condition, so one needs to get it treated as soon as possible.

One can get in touch with a doctor, so that he/she knows the exact reason for the pain and gets the necessary treatment at the earliest.

Disclaimer: This is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.