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How Can Intermittent Muscle Cramps In The Leg Be Treated?
Question: I started having pain in my left leg... about a week. It feels like severe leg cramps but is not consistent... it comes and goes. Sometimes heat helps but it is also moving to my knee now...possibly from inactivity? Resting it seems to be the only solution. (I'm 64 - in reasonably good health with no medications, etc.)
Brief Answer:
need to see Doctor, exclude deep venous thrombosis, intermittent limb claudication
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thanks for the query,
I afraid inactivity should be the first cause that should come in mind here. It is important to be sure there is no clot in a blood vessel at the level of the lower limb. Generally, deep venous thrombosis generally presents as such. Left untreated, if the clot moves to the lungs, a more serious complication like pulmonary embolism could set it. It is true Aspirin reduces the risk of having such a clot but does not eliminate the risk completely.
I think you will need to see your doctor for special tests (lower limb ultrasound doppler for deep venous thrombosis and possible arteriography to evaluate the sizes of the arteries). The fact that you obtain relief at rest could imply intermittent claudication of lower limbs, which most likely to do with blood vessel disease. The referral of your general practitioner for a specialist opinion (cardiologist) should also be helpful.
It could be helpful to do a blood screening profile to see the clotting status. An imbalance in clotting status could lead to blood clots.
What you could for the moment is to put this limb, maybe on a pillow, at a level higher than the rest of your body while sleeping or at rest. Failure of lower limb veins to contract appropriately to send blood back to the heart (venous insufficiency) could also explain as such.
I suggest you see your doctor for a possible specialist opinion.
Kind regards as I wish you the best of health. Please, do feel free asking further questions in case of need.
I'll be glad to contribute.
Dr Bain
need to see Doctor, exclude deep venous thrombosis, intermittent limb claudication
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thanks for the query,
I afraid inactivity should be the first cause that should come in mind here. It is important to be sure there is no clot in a blood vessel at the level of the lower limb. Generally, deep venous thrombosis generally presents as such. Left untreated, if the clot moves to the lungs, a more serious complication like pulmonary embolism could set it. It is true Aspirin reduces the risk of having such a clot but does not eliminate the risk completely.
I think you will need to see your doctor for special tests (lower limb ultrasound doppler for deep venous thrombosis and possible arteriography to evaluate the sizes of the arteries). The fact that you obtain relief at rest could imply intermittent claudication of lower limbs, which most likely to do with blood vessel disease. The referral of your general practitioner for a specialist opinion (cardiologist) should also be helpful.
It could be helpful to do a blood screening profile to see the clotting status. An imbalance in clotting status could lead to blood clots.
What you could for the moment is to put this limb, maybe on a pillow, at a level higher than the rest of your body while sleeping or at rest. Failure of lower limb veins to contract appropriately to send blood back to the heart (venous insufficiency) could also explain as such.
I suggest you see your doctor for a possible specialist opinion.
Kind regards as I wish you the best of health. Please, do feel free asking further questions in case of need.
I'll be glad to contribute.
Dr Bain
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Arnab Banerjee
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