Burning Leg Pain
Causes Of Burning Leg Pain
Experiencing burning leg pain after a long, hard day of work is normally not a cause for concern. Generally this occurs simply due to exertion. Chances are, a good solid night of sleep is all that you need to get rid of this pain that is bothering you. However, if your burning leg pain is recurring throughout the day, it cannot be ignored. Most people will describe this pain as a burning sensation or an extremely uncomfortable feeling, sort of like “pins and needles” in your skin.
Nerve Injury
If the nerves that run through your legs become damaged they can cause burning leg pain. This is often called peripheral neuropathy and it is usually diagnosed in people that have diabetes. When diabetes gets out of control it can cause an array of complications such as peripheral neuropathy. This occurs because high sugar levels that remain in your blood over long periods of time will impair nerves that are located throughout extremities such as legs and hands. These specific nerves not only carry signals from your brain but they also supply the leg with sensations so any damage will send a sharp burning leg pain deep into your leg. Peripheral neuropathy can also be caused by trauma or contact with autoimmune diseases and toxins.
Deep Venous Thrombosis
This condition disrupts the normal blood circulation that causes burning leg pain. This happens when a vein in your leg gets a blood clot. This clot interferes with how the blood is supposed to flow through your leg.
Sciatica
Burning leg pain and sciatica are related conditions. Sciatica symptoms are generally experienced in both the legs and lower back. The sciatic nerve runs from your lower back and runs through your buttocks, down your thigh and calf and ends at your foot. The muscle movement for you legs is controlled by this nerve and it also provides your legs with normal sensation. Quite often, herniated discs and other lower back problems will put pressure on the root of the nerve. The resulting pain will often travel throughout the leg. If you have constant burning leg pain it is a very popular symptom of sciatica.
Upper Leg Pain
If you have burning leg pain in your thigh, it can be caused from a number of reasons.
- Groin Pull – Many people will suffer from burning leg pain after a long distance run or if they did not stretch properly. A groin pull is often called by damage to the abductor muscle because this muscle balances the leg while running.
- Quadricep Pull – These types of pulls are found at the front region of your thigh. As the pain worsens it is often accompanied with numbness and in extreme cases, swelling and bruising is also observed.
- Hamstring Pull – Burning leg pain is often caused by a pull in the hamstring. This muscle begins at the buttocks and extends to the back of the knee joint. If you pull your hamstring, lumps may form in the rear area of the upper portion of your leg which makes it quite difficult to stretch or extend your leg.
- Meralgia Paraesthetica – This is a condition that causes burning leg pain that is usually severe and occurs while running or sitting. This is a nerve injury, not a muscle injury.
Calf Leg Pain
Burning leg pain in the calf affects virtually anyone at anytime. Certain physical activity is often the contributing factor.
- Running – Almost all runners or serious athletes will experience calf pain at some time. Inappropriate footwear, insufficient cushioning, running on hard surfaces and improper running techniques are all causes.
- Over-training – If you subject the muscles in your legs you are prone to sharp muscle pain and cramps.
- Pulled Calf – If you slip while you are running, playing tennis or participating in other sports where you might slide your foot across a surface, you can pull the muscles in your calf which causes burning leg pain.