Inflammation of the Leg

Inflammation of the lower leg may occur due to several causes. Typical symptoms of inflammation of the legs are local swelling, reddened skin and pressure pain. An inflammation (mild inflammatory response) is a normal natural response when soft tissues, muscles or tendons become irritated or damaged. When tissue is damaged or irritated, the body will try and increase blood circulation to the area - this leads to pain, local swelling, heat development, reddish skin and pressure soreness. The swelling in the area can also lead to a nerve compression, which we can see in osteomyelitis where the tibialis anterior muscles are overloaded and irritated. These symptoms will vary in intensity depending on the damage or irritation in the tissue. It is important to distinguish between inflammation (inflammation) and infection (bacterial or viral infection).

Causes of inflammation in the lower leg

As mentioned, inflammation or inflammation is a natural response from the immune system to repair an injury or irritation. This may occur due to overuse (without sufficient musculature to perform the task) or due to minor injuries. Here are some diagnoses that can cause inflammation or inflammation of the lower leg:

Achilles bursitis (mucosal inflammation at the back of the ankle transition to the calf)

Arthritis (Arthritis)

Osteoarthritis (the pain depends on which joints are affected)

shin splints

rheumatism (the pain depends on which joints are affected)

Tibialis myalgia

Who is affected by inflammation of the leg?

Absolutely everyone can be affected by an inflammation in the leg - as long as the activity or load exceeds what the soft tissue or muscles can withstand. Those who increase their training too fast, especially in jogging, sports, weightlifting and especially those with a high repetitive load on the ankle and foot are most exposed - especially if the majority of the load is on a hard surface. Malpositions in the feet (overpronation and flatfoot) can also be a contributing cause of developing inflammatory reaction in the lower leg.

Anatomy cross section of leg - Photo WIkimedia

Anatomy cross section of the calf - Photo Wikimedia

Inflammation of the calf can be very troublesome. If an inflammation occurs then you have to keep in mind that in most cases it is self-inflicted (a lot of walking on hard surfaces with a lack of training of supporting muscles for example?), And that you are smart in listening to what the body is trying to tell you . If you do not listen to the pain signals, the condition can be chronically damaged.

Symptoms of inflammation of the lower leg

Pain and symptoms will depend on the extent to which the leg has an inflammatory reaction. We remind you again that an inflammation and an infection are two completely different things - if you get a severe inflammatory reaction with heat development, fever and pus in the area, then you have an infection, but we will go into more detail in another article. Typical symptoms of inflammation include:

- Local swelling

Reddish, irritated skin

- Painful when pressing / touching

Diagnosis of inflammation of the lower leg

A clinical examination will be based on history and an examination. This will show reduced movement in the affected area and local tenderness. You will not normally need a further imaging examination - but in certain cases it may be relevant with an imaging examination to check whether an injury is the cause of the swelling or blood tests.

Imaging diagnostic of inflammation of the leg (X-ray, MRI, CT or ultrasound)

An X-ray can rule out any fracture damage. One MRI examination can show if there is any damage to tendons or structures in the area. Ultrasound can examine whether there is tendon damage - it can also see if there is fluid accumulation in the area.

Treatment of inflammation of the lower leg

The main purpose of treating inflammation in the calf is to remove any cause of the inflammation and then let the calf heal itself. As mentioned earlier, an inflammation is a completely natural repair process where the body increases blood circulation to the area to ensure faster healing - unfortunately it is the case that sometimes the body can do a slightly good job and it may then be necessary with icing, anti-inflammatory laser and possible use of anti-inflammatory drugs (we remind you that overuse of NSAIDS can lead to a reduced repair in the area). Cold treatment can provide pain relief for sore joints and muscles, also in the lower leg. Blue. Biofreeze (opens in a new window) is a popular natural product. One should always try conservative treatment for a long time before resorting to invasive surgery (surgery and surgery), but in some cases this is the only way out. Direct conservative measures can be:

- Foot care (foot care and physical therapy can provide pain relief)

- Rest (take a break from what caused the injury)

- Sports taping / kinesio taping

- Insole (this can lead to a more correct load on the foot and foot)

Exercises and stretching

Exercises against inflammation in the leg

One should try to cut out too much weight-bearing exercise if one is afflicted with inflammation in the leg. Replace jogging with swimming, elliptical machine or exercise bike. Also make sure that you stretch your calf, foot and train your feet lightly as shown this article.

Related article: - 4 good exercises for sore feet!

NEXT PAGE: - Leg pain? You should know this!

What can I do even for muscle and joint pain?

1. General exercise, specific exercise, stretching and activity are recommended, but stay within the pain limit. Two walks a day of 20-40 minutes make good for the whole body and sore muscles.

2. Trigger point / massage balls we strongly recommend - they come in different sizes so you can hit well even on all parts of the body. There is no better self help than this! We recommend the following (click the image below) - which is a complete set of 5 trigger point / massage balls in different sizes:

3. Training: Specific training with training tricks of various opponents (such as this complete set of 6 knits of different resistance) can help you train strength and function. Knit training often involves more specific training, which in turn can lead to more effective injury prevention and pain reduction.

4. Pain Relief - Cooling: Biofreeze is a natural product that can relieve pain by cooling the area gently. Cooling is especially recommended when the pain is very severe. When they have calmed down then heat treatment is recommended - it is therefore advisable to have both cooling and heating available.

5. Pain Relief - Heating: Warming up tight muscles can increase blood circulation and reduce pain. We recommend the following reusable hot / cold gasket (click here to read more about it) - which can be used both for cooling (can be frozen) and for heating (can be heated in the microwave).

Recommended products for pain relief for muscle and joint pain