When to Worry About Chronic Leg Pain

Leg pain can be a side effect of injuries or degenerative diseases. Ignoring pain, especially when it becomes chronic, can lead to more serious health complications.

At AABP Integrative Pain Care, our board-certified pain management specialists understand the impact of persistent leg pain on your quality of life. We offer several minimally invasive therapies to keep chronic pain under control. 

Our team also focuses on uncovering the underlying cause of your pain so that they can treat it promptly.

Why your leg may be hurting

Injuries from falls, sports, or overuse can lead to musculoskeletal pain that affects your legs. Pain can stem from muscle sprains, ligament strains, tissue tears, and persistent inflammation. This type of leg pain often heals with rest, over-the-counter medications, and lifestyle modifications.

Pain in your leg can also originate elsewhere in the body and travel down into your leg. For instance, if you have a herniated spinal disc or inflammation in your sciatic nerve at the base of your spine (sciatica), it can cause pain that radiates down into your legs.

Nerve damage from diabetes (diabetic neuropathy) can also contribute to chronic leg pain, tingling, and numbness.

Other possible causes of chronic leg pain include:

• Arthritis
• Stress fractures
• Restless leg syndrome
• Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
• Peripheral artery disease (PAD)

Some causes of leg pain can progress and become debilitating without proper diagnosis and treatment. Knowing when to seek medical help is important for preventing complications that interfere with your mobility and quality of life.

Signs your chronic leg pain needs medical attention

Chronic pain describes pain that lasts six months or longer. Pain may feel like stabbing, burning, aching, or tingling sensations in just one area of your leg or traveling throughout your upper and lower leg.

Our AABP Integrative Pain Care team recommends that you schedule a diagnostic evaluation if your leg pain isn’t improving with activity modification and over-the-counter pain relievers. We also recommend an evaluation if you have leg pain accompanied by:

• Swelling
• Bruising
• Skin discoloration
• Grinding or popping sounds with movement

The weakness or numbness that causes your leg to go out when walking can also be a warning sign of a more serious underlying medical issue.

Our physicians use advanced diagnostic imaging to identify the source of your leg pain. They customize a care plan to get your pain under control and prevent the condition that’s causing it from worsening.

Nonsurgical therapies for chronic leg pain

Our providers focus on minimally invasive therapies that can help you prolong or prevent the need for surgery.

Initially, we may recommend physical therapy to strengthen the muscles in your leg and naturally reduce inflammation. Our team also values the benefits of meditation and other mind-body practices to ease pain and the stress it can cause in your life.

Other nonsurgical therapies available at AABP Integrative Pain Care include:

• Nerve blocks
• Radiofrequency ablation
• Peripheral nerve stimulation
• Epidural steroid injections
• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections
• Bone marrow aspirate concentrate injections

If chronic leg pain relates to a spine condition, our physicians can also discuss your options for minimally invasive lumbar decompression (MILD®) surgery or spinal cord stimulation.

You don’t have to suffer from chronic leg pain on your own. To find the help you need, call AABP Integrative Pain Care in White Plains, Garden City, or Brooklyn, New York, today. You can also book an appointment online.