Pain and a feeling of heaviness in the legs is something that many people suffer from, and it can be an incredible inconvenience for those who have these pains. Leg pain causes constant restlessness, and it can also affect your quality of sleep, as it is difficult to find peace when you have pain and heaviness in your legs.

Leg pain and poor blood circulation

A person suffering from leg pain often experiences swollen legs, heaviness, cramps and numbness in the legs. It can be difficult to say why the leg pain occurs and what to do to make it go away. Leg pain can be caused by poor blood circulation, among other things. Poor circulation can be caused by various factors such as unhealthy lifestyle, smoking, obesity and inactivity.

Leg pain and varicose veins

Leg pain is a very typical symptom of varicose veins, and other symptoms of varicose veins include a feeling of heaviness in the legs, cramps and itching in the legs. Therefore, in some cases, leg pain may be due to varicose veins.

Varicose veins occur when the valves of the veins do not work properly. The valves are located on the inside of the veins and are responsible for ensuring that blood flows only in one direction towards the heart to be oxygenated. If these valves are worn or defective, they can no longer hold tight and this will cause backflow where blood flows in the wrong direction. This condition can cause an increase in pressure in the veins so that the blood accumulates, the vein becomes thick and bulging and this causes varicose veins.

Defective vein valves

Poor vein valves occur due to a variety of things. The most common cause is heredity as the condition of poor vein valves is inherited. The valves will also wear out over time, just like the rest of the body, which also wears out with age. This is why defective valves are more common in older people. However, defective valves can also be caused by obesity and poor circulation, which affect the functioning of the valves.

As a result, worn-out valves and poor circulation can lead to varicose veins, which can cause various types of discomfort, including leg pain, heaviness in the legs and cramps.

Trasiga venklaffar

What to do about leg pain

Leg pain can be very distressing, but it can be difficult to find a solution that can completely remove the pain in your legs. The first step is to find out whether or not the pain and heaviness in your legs is due to varicose veins. This can be identified through a preliminary examination where a vascular surgeon performs an ultrasound scan of the legs and blood circulation and looks for possible varicose veins. If the preliminary examination shows that there are varicose veins, the pain in the legs may be due to these varicose veins, in which case it is crucial to treat the varicose veins to address the pain and heaviness.  

Treatment of varicose veins

If you have varicose veins that cause mild pain such as leg aches, heaviness, cramps, restlessness and itching of the legs, treatment will be required to get rid of these problems. The discomfort caused by varicose veins can be relieved by various measures, but varicose veins can only be removed by varicose vein treatment.

Varicose veins can be removed using very gentle methods performed under local anaesthesia and you can resume your normal daily life immediately after varicose vein treatment. Varicose veins can be removed by laser, foam and phlebectomy, and these methods are the latest and most widely used in the treatment of varicose veins.

Symptom relief - feeling of heaviness and pain in the legs

It is possible to relieve the discomfort of heaviness and pain in the legs with various measures.

  • Use of support stockings. A support stocking puts pressure on the muscles and therefore increases blood circulation, which can help relieve discomfort and reduce leg pain and cramps.
  • Activity. Activity helps to increase blood flow in the legs, and this can reduce leg pain.
  • Avoid smoking and unhealthy lifestyles. Smoking is very bad for your health and circulation, so if you want to improve your condition you should avoid smoking.

Summary - leg pain

Leg pain affects many people and leg pain can be very distressing. It can be difficult to determine the cause of the pain and heaviness in the legs, but it can occur, for example, if you have varicose veins. Varicose veins are treated with modern methods that have a short recovery time. Pain and heaviness in the legs can also be relieved by activity and support stockings.

5 quick questions about leg pain

What helps with leg pain?

Heat, massage, support stockings, vein pumping exercises. There are various measures that can relieve the discomfort of leg pain.

Why are my legs so stiff?

Lack of activity can make your legs stiff, but it can be very difficult to say why your legs are stiff.

What does inflammation of the legs feel like?

The classic signs of inflammation are redness, warmth, pain, swelling and loss of function.

How do you know if you have poor circulation?

It can be difficult to assess whether you have poor circulation. Typical signs of poor circulation are cold or cold sweaty skin. Cold, pale or blue marbled hands and feet can also be a sign of poor circulation.

How to get blood circulation going?

Keeping physically active can improve blood circulation. This can be done, for example, by running, going for brisk walks, swimming, cycling and so on.