Leg Pain at Night

You must have spent sleepless nights due to extreme pain in your legs. There is no other irritating and frustrating thing than to wake up at night, due to severe aches. Leg cramps at night is quite common in adullts, and increases with aging, however, children having leg cramps is also not unheard of. There are many causes for it; some of them are severe while others are minor. Leg muscle cramps are a common cause of leg pain at night. Moreover, these cramps also have various causes. Let us discuss the causes followed by the treatment options.

Causes of Leg Pain at Night
Here are some of the causes for severe leg pain.

Restless Leg Syndrome
Any person with the restless leg syndrome, always keeps his legs in motion. This motion of legs helps to ease the leg pain. This discomfort becomes noticeable during the rest hours at night. A very common cause of a twinge in the leg can be restless leg syndrome. The symptoms of the restless leg worsens at night, causing a severe sting in the leg. This often leads to insomnia. There are many causes of restless leg syndrome like obesity, pregnancy, iron deficiency anemia, smoking and hypothyroidism. However, most cases of this desease prove that it can be transferred genetically and therefore it is hereditary. A patient must try and stretch his legs or attempt a walk for temporary relief. Iron deficiency is a major cause and therefore all patients must get their iron levels tested. Improving quality of sleep will be of great relief to a patient of restless leg syndrome.

Charley Horse Problem
Charley horse problem is nothing but the nocturnal leg cramps. A muscular cramp in the night, usually in the calf region, can be due to dehydration, hormonal imbalance or deficiency of potassium and magnesium. It can also be caused due to strenous exercise or as side effects of medicines. In the second trimester of pregnancy, muscular cramps in legs at night can cause severe pain. The best way to relieve a cramp is to immediately move the leg. Standing up or walking gives immediate relief. One can also massage the area, in the opposite direction of the spasm.

Diabetic Neuropathy
In diabetic neuropathy, the nerves in the legs get damaged and due to improper blood circulation to the legs, it causes pain, accompanied with numbness of hands and legs. Peripheral neuropathy is also known as diabetic neuropathy. Also, people with high blood pressure can suffer from peripheral neuropathy.

Deep Vein Thrombosis
Deep vein thrombosis is also one of the reasons for severe leg pain at night, preceded by muscular cramps. In deep vein thrombosis, a blood clot is embedded in one of the veins in the leg. Deep vein thrombosis can cause inflammation in legs. Obesity, heart attack, recent childbirth, respiratory disorders and stroke are some of the causes of deep vein thrombosis.

Menstrual Cycle and Pregnancy
Many women complain of tingling in legs during period. The main reason behind these muscular cramps in women is menstruation and sometimes may also happen during the second trimester of pregnancy.

Other Diseases and Disorders
Fibromyalgia is another disease, which causes severe pain in leg at night. Other diseases like Addison's disease and Parkinson's disease also cause pain. In addition, the overuse of the muscles of legs can cause twinging in leg at night. Alcoholism, dehydration, and hypothyroidism are some of the reasons for night cramps in legs, causing pain at night. Sitting or standing for prolonged period, or sitting in an uncomfortable position can also lead to leg pain. Sometimes, the chair on which you sit is not comfortable and causes discomfort.

Knee Pain at Night
There are several reasons that trigger knee pain. They are as follows;

• Arthritis
• Cartilage injury
• Ligament injury
• Patellar tendonitis
• Baker's Cyst
• Plica Syndrome

If there is severe knee pain at night, you must immediately consult the doctor.

Treatment for Leg Pain at Night
Here are some tips to relieve the hurting leg pain at night.

• Drink ample water and other fluids. Dehydration is one of the main causes of muscular cramps. So, keep yourself hydrated throughout the day, to prevent the cramps.
• Stretching after exercise is very important. Hence, do not skip the stretching session after your workout. Avoid over exercising; it may cause overuse of your muscles, leading to pain at night.
• Have a healthy diet which is rich in potassium and calcium. Mineral deficiency is also a major cause of leg cramps and can be minimized by a proper diet.
• Lastly, do not go in for self-treatment if the pain is persistent. Consult a doctor, in case, you are suffering from leg pain at night.

That was a brief overview on leg pain and some tips that you could follow to lower leg pain at night. The treatment and medication for leg pain will completely depend on the cause.