As humans age, some things become perpetual in their lives, whether a habit or an ache in a particular part of the body. It starts with the head, then the leg, and so on.
These pains come with aging, and problems like arthritis, muscle cramps, strain, tendinitis, sciatica, bursitis, or nerve damage. Although it is impossible to avoid them, there are certain ways to minimize their overall impact. If you are struggling with leg pain and seeking relief, understanding the common causes of leg pain is crucial.
With 6 in 10 US adults experiencing a disease, prompt and high-quality medical care is vital. A 2019 NHIS analysis revealed most American adults endure body aches: 39.0% had back pain, 36.5% had lower limb aches, and 30.7% had upper limb pain. The prevalence of lower limb pain increased with age, from 21.0% (ages 18-29) to 50.3% (ages 65+).
Since these cases are rising at a tremendous pace, let’s understand the best ways to ease leg aches.
Eat Fibre-rich Foods
Although excess of anything is dangerous for the body, that doesn’t mean you should n’t eat even the optimal amount. High-fibre diets, including berries, oats, chia seeds, dark chocolate, lentils, and whole buckwheat, have been proven to treat leg pain caused by various reasons, like arthritis.
Research proves that individuals eating fiber-rich foods are less likely to experience discomfort as it helps maintain a good microbial balance in the digestive tract.
Move Your Body
As the famous saying goes, human beings are not trees meant to stay in one place. They must keep moving. If they don’t move, the body parts will throb with pain after a certain point in life. So, if you want to treat the pain in your leg, go to the gym, swim, exercise, and do yoga or tai chi. Doing these actions will cause your body to release endorphins that ease the pain.
Eat An Anti-inflammatory Diet
Feeding on an anti-inflammatory diet is the best way to flush out pain from the body. Such a diet includes turmeric, ginger, and garlic. Since these items have anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties, they alleviate the symptoms of arthritis. You can add these items to smoothies, sauces, or tea.
Don’t Skip Mild Stretching
Human bodies are meant to shift. That’s why a lack of activity can cause it to experience discomfort and make leg pain worse. So, if not a lot, perform gentle stretches to maintain a range of motion and mobility in your body. It might not help treat significant pains, but it will keep discomfort at bay.
You can consult a professional to suggest stretches or mobility exercises according to the body.
Take Therapy
You can use massage or heat therapy to treat severe body aches. Massage therapy has multiple therapeutic effects as it enhances the blood flow in the entire body to remove inflammatory cells and relieves leg pain.
Heat therapy offers relief from osteoarthritis caused by LBP (Low Back Pain). Another effective therapy is cold compression. It is an effective self-care method to relieve muscle sprains in the legs by slowly healing the injured tissue. Apply an ice pack to reduce pain or inflammation and keep the painful part elevated while sleeping.
Take Epsom Salt Baths
Epsom salt is rich in magnesium, a nutrient that relieves leg aches. Add half a cup of this salt to warm water and soak the painful area for 15 minutes. Take these baths every week and practice good sleeping habits to control pain.
Wrapping Up
Although the severity of leg pain varies with the cause, we hope this article helps you treat it with care. Irrespective of your age, body aches can be very uncomfortable. So, whether it is intermittent or continuous, consult a professional immediately if these tips fail to treat you. There could be an underlying medical condition causing the discomfort.
