There are many people, young and old, who are suffering from hip and leg pain which are not related to any form or injury or trauma. This type of leg and hip pain may be odd since there is a persistent nagging painful sensation with an unknown cause.
Pain may be present on the hip and leg due to conditions that affect the bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves, blood vessels and even the skin of the lower extremity. Most often, there is an inflammatory process that causes the tissues to swell and press on nerve endings causing pain. Conditions like peripheral artery diseases, neuropathy, blood clots, varicose veins and other health conditions like diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, bursitis, rheumatic fever or electrolyte imbalances can lead to hip and leg pain.
The best way to stop nagging and chronic hip or leg pain is to seek medical consult. Your doctor can diagnose and advice the best treatment for your condition. However, there are also effective pain management techniques that you can do at home. Here are some of them:
1. Apply cold compress on the site on the initial day you feel the pain. You may use a cold towel or an ice pack to be applied directly on the painful site.
2. Try elevating your leg and hips with a pillow as you lie down on your back. You can do this after a long tiring day of walking or standing to effectively reduce hip and leg pain.
3. Apply warm compresses when pain is persistent. Pain on the lower extremities like the legs and the hips may radiate to the back causing too much pain and may even disrupt sleep. Applying a warm water bottle or using an electric blanket can help soothe painful muscles, bones and joints.
4. Apply ointments and liniments liberally on affected part. You can also use medicated plasters to reduce pain.
5. Avoid wearing ill fitting shoes that may be the reason for leg and hip pain. If you must wear high heels to work, opt to wear comfortable shoes when you commute or when you rest your feet during break time.
6. Use elastic stockings to help return the blood flow back to the heart and eliminate pooling in the lower extremities. You can wear stockings to work, at school, at home and even while you sleep.
7. Exercise to prevent leg and hip pain. The more you stay active the less likely you are to develop any pain in any part of your body. Even low impact exercises like walking, biking and jogging can help.
8. Reduce your weight to help decrease pressure on your lower extremities due to excess fat. Obesity and being overweight can increase your risk of developing diabetes and hypertension that can make you vulnerable to leg pain and hip pain.
9. Take over-the –counter medications for pain. But if your hip and leg pain worsens or may be accompanied by other symptoms like swelling of the painful part, extreme pain and inability to have full range of motion on the area, consult your doctor at once.