Heaviness in the legs mainly occurs with diseases of the veins: varicose veins, post-thrombophlebitic syndrome, chronic venous insufficiency. The symptom also develops with lymphedema, longitudinal and transverse flat feet, edema against the background of cardiac or renal dysfunction. Diagnostic search involves instrumental methods: ultrasound of the veins, rheovasography, lymphangiography, lymphoscintigraphy, x-ray studies (X-ray of the foot, CT of the spine). To relieve heaviness in the legs, drugs from the group of phlebotonics and antiplatelet agents, injection vein sclerotherapy, and elastic compression are prescribed.
A slight heaviness in the legs is normal during exercise. After long walks, arching pains are felt in the feet, legs, sometimes there is a tingling and a feeling of crawling. To relieve discomfort, the person lies down and raises the legs to an elevated position. The next day, the heaviness disappears, but there may be a slight stiffness of movements, soreness in the muscles when walking.
It is the most common cause of heaviness in the limbs. Complaints appear in the late afternoon, especially if the patient has been on his feet all day. In the calf muscles, bursting and burning, soreness are felt. Unpleasant symptoms decrease or completely disappear with the elevated position of the limbs. At the decompensated stage of varicose veins, patients constantly experience heaviness in the legs, which does not depend on the position of the body or the time of day.
Symptoms are accompanied by excruciating pain in the legs, which are aggravated while walking. The legs are very swollen, the skin becomes pale or cyanotic. Dilated veins are well contoured on the legs. Later, trophic disorders join: the skin becomes dry and flaky, hyperpigmentation develops, rashes and ulcers form.
Symptoms appear several months after a deep vein thrombosis. The patient is concerned about the heaviness and pain of a bursting nature in the affected leg, which is aggravated by standing and walking. If the limb is in an elevated position, the painful sensations disappear. There are painful cramps at night. With a long course of post-thrombophlebitic syndrome, patients experience constant heaviness and soreness, weeping ulcers form due to circulatory disorders.
Right ventricular dysfunction and stagnation in the systemic circulation is manifested by constant swelling of the legs, which leads to a feeling of heaviness. Symptoms occur in the afternoon: the legs are filled, the shoes begin to press, there is arching pain in the feet and legs. Discomfort reaches its maximum intensity in the evening, and after a night's sleep, when the blood flows from the lower extremities, the patient's well-being improves.
Heaviness in the legs
In violation of the lymphatic circulation, the severity is combined with a pronounced edema of the entire lower limb. With congenital lymphedema, discomfort first affects the foot and lower leg, then moves higher. Acquired forms of pathology are characterized by heaviness and swelling in the thigh area, followed by a downward spread. The skin becomes taut, with pressure on the soft tissues, a fossa is formed, which does not straighten out for a long time.
Discomfort and heaviness in the feet occur after a long walk, when wearing uncomfortable and improperly selected shoes. Patients complain of aching or sharp pain in the arch of the foot, heaviness and tension of the muscles of the lower leg. With severe flat feet, severe pain bothers even with static load. Bone deformities appear - flat-valgus foot, hammer-shaped fingers.
Considering that most cases of heaviness in the legs are associated with venous circulation disorders, an examination by a phlebologist is necessary. Often, a preliminary diagnosis is already made during an objective examination, when vein expansion, edema, hyperpigmentation, and other typical manifestations are detected. To clarify the diagnosis and identify other etiological factors that cause heaviness in the limbs, the following are carried out:
Phlebologist's consultation
To get rid of heaviness in the legs, patients are advised to choose comfortable shoes, use orthopedic insoles. If you need to spend the whole day in a standing position (hairdressers, sellers, cooks), you need to wear compression stockings that help reduce venous stasis. It is necessary to maintain body weight within the normal range so as not to create an additional load on the feet.
To improve peripheral blood circulation and increase the tone of venous vessels, sports activities (swimming, cycling) are useful. You should reduce the number of strength and static training, which increase the deposition of blood in the veins. An important role is played by lifestyle changes: increasing daily activity, frequent walking.
Treatment of vein diseases in clinical phlebology begins with medications: taking antiplatelet agents, phlebotonics, applying ointments and creams to skin areas with trophic lesions. Vitamins of group B, desensitizing drugs are shown as general tonic. In rare cases, the treatment regimen is enhanced with corticosteroid hormones.
The therapy is supplemented with elastic compression (bandages, stockings) to keep the venous vessels in good shape and reduce heaviness in the legs. For the treatment of varicose veins, compression sclerotherapy is widely practiced - the introduction of drugs into the veins that cause the vascular walls to stick together and reduce venous congestion. After manipulation, soreness and swelling of the legs are eliminated.
Diuretics are used to reduce edema in cardiac and renal pathology. With constant intake of medication, excess fluid is removed, shortness of breath, heaviness in the legs are eliminated. In heart failure, beta-blockers, glycosides and other drugs are additionally prescribed to improve the strength of myocardial contractions.
With varicose veins, several types of surgical interventions are performed:
Patients with lymphedema are recommended lymphovenous shunting, tunneling, autotransplantation of the tissue lymphoid complex.
Flat feet are treated by experienced orthopedic traumatologists. In the stage of the flat-valgus foot, resection of the protruding sections of the bones, tendon transplantation, and removal of the heel spur are performed. Patients with severe transverse flatfoot require resection of Hallux valgus followed by plastic surgery of the joint capsule.