An elderly man trying to get out of bed, awoken by his aching legs at night.

Aching Legs at Night

Spinal Pain Management Can Cure Aching Legs at Night

When resting in the evening, you may experience aching legs at night for many reasons. The symptoms of this disorder should not be ignored, especially if you are going through pain.

Pain management specialists should be consulted immediately if there is any discomfort. For some patients — believe it or not — lower back pain management is key. In herniated disk disease, the fibrous cartilage surrounding the vertebrae breaks down – resulting in a pain management plan in the future. A disk’s gelatinous center is forced outward due to the compression, and pain and damage are inflicted as a result of pressure on the spinal nerve.

Meanwhile, there are things you can do to bridge the gap between pain and a healthier you. Keeping your body hydrated, stretching legs before bedtime, and resting them intermittently each day can be very helpful.

 

Aching Legs at Night: Focus on Your Lower Back

It seems counterintuitive, but daytime slouching while seated is not a good idea if you want to fend off aching legs at night. While keeping your feet flat on the ground, sit in your chair, and arch your back. By releasing this arch by about 15 percent, your back will be in a neutral position. To avoid bending your neck forward, keep your screens at eye height and your shoulders back as well.

Support for your spine comes from your core muscles, which is a great lower back pain management strategy. Your spine suffers degenerative damage if these muscles are weak. Core muscles include your abs, erector spinae, multifidus, obliques, glutes, pelvic floor muscles, and diaphragm. Your spine is supported by each of these muscle groups. Your spine can be relieved of pressure by keeping them strong.

Healthy spinal pain management also means sleeping should be a time to let your spine rest. A firm and supportive mattress is essential for good sleep. A pillow can also be placed under your knees if you sleep on your back (or between your knees if you sleep on your side). Avoid sleeping on your stomach, which forces your spine into an uncomfortable position.

Last but not least, most people spend too much time sitting, which puts much more pressure on their spines. Standing up and moving around every hour is important if you need to sit for long periods of time. A standing desk is another option that is spine-friendly.

 

Make a Habit of Resting Your Legs Intermittently

As a natural human posture, standing is not particularly harmful — although this fact can be challenged if you’re suffering from aching legs at night. Standing is usually only beneficial for certain periods of time.

It is possible, however, to develop sore feet, swelling of the legs, varicose veins, low back pain, and stiffness of the neck and shoulders if you stay in one position for long periods of time. Keeping the body in a standing position requires muscular effort while reducing blood supply to these muscles. Feet, legs, backs, and necks suffer from pain because of lack of blood flow.

The muscles in your feet and legs are more tired when you stand for an hour in one place. As you walk, all the muscles in your feet and legs are used. Muscles do not get overly tired in this way.

Although a sedentary lifestyle isn’t strictly defined, researchers use a number of metrics to measure it. In the end, just know that making a habit of resting your legs intermittently over a day of healthy standing fits well into any lower back pain management plan.

 

Elevate Yourself in the Daytime for Aching Legs at Night

In millions of adults throughout the United States, both Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI) and lower spinal pain are widespread and often overlooked conditions — and they are usually related to aching legs at night. Fortunately, elevating your legs for just 15 minutes a day can temporarily alleviate those symptoms.

There are three reasons why elevating your legs is beneficial. First, it moves blood back to the heart. You remember those tiny blood valves, right? In the extremities, they struggle against gravity. Blood builds up in veins when the valves are weakened and cannot fight gravity. Blood drains back toward the heart when you raise your legs against gravity.

The second benefit of elevating your legs to help remedy aching legs and knees at night over the short term is: Reduction of swelling. Fluid leaks from the veins and causes swelling in the lower leg when blood pools in the veins. As a result, swelling can be reduced by elevating your legs.

Third, it reduces blood pressure. Sitting or standing for long periods restricts vein circulation. And the accumulation of blood leads to higher blood pressure in the veins. The pressure is lower when you put your feet up, because pooled blood drains from the vein.

Consult your pain management specialist or doctor before elevating your legs every day. Elevating the legs above the heart is safe for most people. Using a pillow, a table, or a wall as a prop can help you relax in a reclining position. You should feel comfortable and your back should be well supported. Eventually, lower back pain management will be essential for your situation.

 

Stretching Your Legs Before Bedtime is Important

Developing a routine in the evening to wind down from the day is important for battling aching legs at night and getting quality sleep. Before going to bed, some people may benefit from quiet activities such as reading or taking a warm bath, while others may find stress relief from gentle stretching — especially if their legs hurt at night.

Relaxing the muscles with stretching is a natural, effective strategy. Additionally, it promotes mental health and relieves stress, in addition to maintaining physical health. Before bedtime, these activities or other forms of stretching can alleviate stress and make it easier to fall asleep.

People sometimes experience cramps in their legs at night or in the evening. Did you know that stretching your legs before bedtime can alleviate leg cramps and tension? Standing quadriceps and thigh stretches, hamstring stretches, and calf stretches are among the leg muscles you can stretch. The right environment for proper spinal pain management can benefit from these little tips.

 

Stay Hydrated During the Day for Aching Legs at Night

Breathing, perspiring, urinating, and defecating make you lose water every day — and believe it or not, these activities can be related to aching legs at night. For your body to function properly, you must replenish its water supply by drinking water-containing beverages and eating water-containing foods.

In a temperate climate, how much fluid does the average healthy adult need? The average man drinks 15 cups (3.5 liters) of fluid a day, while the average woman drinks 11 cups (2.6 liters). A typical day’s fluid intake is about 20 percent from food, such as fruits and vegetables, and the rest from drinks. Lower back pain management should be accompanied by getting plenty of fluids every day.

It’s recommended you drink eight glasses of water each day. This is a reasonable goal, and it’s easy to remember. Drinking water whenever you feel thirsty is the best way to stay hydrated.

A few glasses of water a day might be enough for some people. It may be necessary for some people to take more. If you are pregnant or nursing, you may need to modify your total fluid intake based on several factors, such as your exercise activity, the environment you live and work in, and your overall health. Staying hydrated is just one more weapon in your arsenal in the fight against aching leg pain at night.

 

Spinal Pain Management Treatment for a Healthier You

A reasonable pain management solution can seem impossible when you’re hurting from aching legs at night. However, a pain management doctor who is experienced and knowledgeable knows how to relieve pain and restore your quality of life.

You should recognize that there are some serious issues that could be contributing to your painful legs at night. First off, lower back pain management should be in focus for you and your health care specialist as you get evaluated.

Next, seeing bulging blood vessels under the skin indicates varicose veins, which means specific pain management solutions should be on your radar right away. Your legs, feet, or ankles may display blue or purple bulges. When your veins are unable to send blood back to your heart because of venous insufficiency, you develop varicose veins. Poor circulation is caused by these damaged veins. It’s common for varicose veins on the back of the legs to appear contorted and bulging, causing aching legs and knees at night.

The weakness, tingling, and numbness of the arms, legs, hands, and feet may also be caused by muscle and nerve disorders, as well as cramps, spasms, or atrophy due to the loss of motor neurons. The majority of people also suffer from muscle tension, back and shoulder pain, and stress. Chronic pain, sciatica, insomnia, fatigue, and headaches are all symptoms and causes of chronic pain.

Muscle pain can occur for a number of reasons. The reasons range from sleeping in the wrong position to pulling large muscle groups while lifting weights. It may be necessary to seek medical treatment even after a few days of resting for people with constant or chronic muscle pain.

 

Diagnosis and Treatment

In addition to bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles, musculoskeletal pain can affect other parts of the body as well. As a result, pain management is a priority for many people. Sudden, severe pain can result from injuries such as fractures. Chronic pain is also caused by arthritis, which affects muscles, bones, joints, tendons, and ligaments. It can be sudden musculoskeletal pain or chronic pain that lasts forever. There are different types of pain, including localized pain and generalized pain, that can make your legs hurt at night.

Diagnostics and treatments are performed using minimally invasive and highly effective techniques, reducing the risk of side effects, complications, and medication. Whether you’re experiencing mild pain or a type of pain that makes every moment miserable, a qualified pain management doctor can give you the dose of healthy reality you need. Various treatment options are available for painful legs at night.

Through conservative treatments, minimally invasive procedures, surgery, or quality spinal pain management, the right health specialist can provide what you need to move forward. Sometimes you need to find a different solution. You may consider medical massage therapy, acupuncture, arthroscopy, or radiofrequency vein ablation. You may also consider certain types of injections; hip and knee injections, platelet-rich plasma injections, or anesthetic injections.

Depending on the severity of the condition, a combination of treatments may be prescribed. Aching leg pain at night can greatly affect your ability to function and easily disrupt your quality of life, but you can tackle the issue immediately through lower back pain management.

 

Wellness and Pain Can Help

A range of options for treating aching legs at night are available at Wellness and Pain. We offer conservative treatments, routine visits, and minimally invasive quick-recovery procedures. We can keep you free of problems by providing lifestyle education and home care advice to help you avoid and manage issues, quickly relieving the inhibiting lifestyle conditions when complications arise.

At Wellness and Pain, we personalize patient care plans based on each patient’s condition and unique circumstances to relieve pain, improve mobility and mental space, and improve your overall health.

A close-up of painful legs at night causing a woman to curl her toes in bed and under a blanket.

Painful Legs at Night

The Real Story Behind Painful Legs at Night — and Your Solution

People with knee, spine, hip pain, and painful legs at night may experience it for several reasons while resting in the evening. Various factors can contribute to this condition, including osteoarthritis, sciatica, restless legs syndrome (RLS), pregnancy, and certain types of injuries or health problems that are interrelated to lower back pain management issues.

It can also occur as a result of venous insufficiency, nerve problems, muscle tension, bone, joint, tissue problems, or even basic daily stress and injury issues. According to one study, 20.9 percent of U.S. adults (51.6 million people) experienced chronic pain in 2021, and 6.9 percent (17.1 million people) experienced high-impact chronic pain causing substantial limitations in daily life.

The results of another survey show that many Americans think traditional health care providers are inadequate to manage their patients’ pain. Pain sufferers often feel stigmatized and unsupported.

If you suffer from aching legs and knees at night, you shouldn’t ignore these symptoms — especially if you are experiencing pain. Any discomfort you experience should be treated immediately.

 

Aging, Disorders, and Conditions Cause Painful Legs at Night

As the cartilage in your joints wear down, osteoarthritis or a host of other health conditions can start to creep in — inflicting painful legs at night. As a result, hips, knees, and your spine may experience pain, causing you to search for a lower back pain management solution.

Stiffness and inflammation are not uncommon either. When you lie down at night, your joints are less supported, which can worsen the pain, especially if it happens to be coming from osteoarthritis.

As a result of nerve irritation or compression, sciatica occurs in the lower back and down the back of the leg. A painful, numb, and tingling sensation can occur in the legs, hips, and buttocks due to this condition. Sleeping can actually worsen sciatic pain. Certain sleeping positions are more likely to compress the affected nerves.

There’s also a neurological disorder known as “restless legs syndrome” (RLS) that causes uncontrollable movements of the legs, particularly at night. An uncomfortable sensation in the legs, such as crawling, tingling, or aching, is often associated with RLS. Sleeping can be difficult due to these sensations at night.

For females, during pregnancy your legs, knees, spines, and hips can also be painful at night. Pregnancy is often associated with increased weight gain and hormonal changes. It’s also possible to experience pain at night from an injury to the legs, knees, spine, or hips. Lying down increases the likelihood that the injured tissues will swell and become inflamed.

 

Some Conditions Often Overlooked

Infectious diseases or aging conditions such as Lyme disease, arthritis, fibromyalgia, blood circulation problems, and medication side effects — as well as nerve disorders such as multiple sclerosis and peripheral neuropathy — can also be the cause of issues if you notice your legs hurt at night or your evenings are void of beneficial spinal pain management for back and hip problems.

A person’s worst nightmare is experiencing pain at night, whether they’re resting, sleeping, or just sitting or lying down. There’s a possibility that you may suffer from a cramp or an unfortunate injury to your muscles, bones, or nerves. Legs, knees, spines, and hips may hurt for many reasons, including trauma and underlying conditions. The symptoms of one condition can also overlap with those of another.

Whether pain occurs steadily, sporadically, or gradually in the lower extremities depends upon the individual. During certain activities or even while resting, it can suddenly strike. It may be the whole leg or only a small area that is being affected. Lower leg pain can be accompanied by a range of sensitivities, such as dull, sharp, achy or stabbing sensations, as well as numbness and burning.

 

Neurological, Musculoskeletal, and Vascular Issues

For some patients, nervous, musculoskeletal, and vascular issues are the most common problems contributing to painful legs at night. Restless leg syndrome, neuropathy, and sciatica are among the conditions that cause neurological pain. Nervous pain can affect your arms and legs even when you rest.

Your knee can pop or crack when it suffers from musculoskeletal pain. As it progresses, arthritis can damage your joints. Musculoskeletal pain can result from bad falls, which injure muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Musculoskeletal issues include stress fractures, compartment syndrome, and cramps.

Thrombosis, vasculitis, varicose veins, varicose eczema, or skin discoloration can also cause vascular pain in adults. Blood is supplied by your heart to muscles and organs in your body. Your legs, knees, spine, and hips require healthy valves in blood vessels to maintain blood flow. During the stretching process, a vessel’s valves become inefficient. Your vessels become clogged with deoxygenated blood, cells, and waste, causing symptoms to appear. This is one particular reason why lower back pain management remains key to solving some of these health and nighttime sleeping obstacles.

 

But Most of all, Vascular Issues

Poor vein circulation may also cause aching legs and knees at night. This can result in mild to severe symptoms. A lack of circulation in the veins can result in swelling, cramping, and soreness. When veins cannot transport blood and oxygen to the lower extremities, muscles and bones may suffer from lower extremity pain. In addition to being swollen and bulging, varicose veins are also painful and uncomfortable.

Various diseases of the arteries and veins affect the body’s circulatory system. With the help of your heart, your veins and arteries pump blood throughout your body. Arteries and veins transport blood to the extremities. Specifically, veins transport oxygen-depleted blood back to the heart.

The first sign of vascular disease is usually limb pain, but each person experiences it differently. There is a wide range of severity when it comes to limb pain. No matter how active or inactive you are, you can feel pain at any time. The first time you feel pain, it’s easy to ignore it and hope it’ll go away on its own. However, you should never ignore pain in your legs.

 

PAD, DVT, and CVI Can Contribute to Painful Legs at Night

In the lower extremities, plaque buildup can also cause painful legs at night. This is especially true when you exert your muscles repeatedly. This inflicts a great pain on your larger muscles from arterial problems. Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) is common in the following circumstances:

 

PAD

As a result of fatty deposits accumulating inside the arteries, PAD hardens the arteries in the legs. Fat deposits narrow and stiffen the arteries, reducing the flow of oxygenated blood to muscles and soft tissues. There’s a tendency for limbs to suffer from poor circulation. It’s possible to improve circulation and reduce or eliminate symptoms by treating the underlying disease (arteriosclerosis in many cases). When walking, intermittent claudication appears, which disappears when lying down. The disease progresses very slowly. You may even need to seek medical attention if you experience severe pain in your lower extremities while at rest or sleeping. If your legs hurt at night, don’t delay.

 

DVT

Blocking blood completely or partially, venous blood clots can also cause lower extremity pain. An injury to deep veins in the legs can cause deep vein thrombosis (DVT). When a vein becomes clogged, it causes pain, tenderness, swelling, redness, warmth, and aches and stiffness in the lower body. It’s important to note, however, that some people may experience entire lower body aches, while others may not experience any symptoms at all. It can be caused by major surgery, cancer, inactivity, pregnancy, trauma, hormone replacement therapy, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, obesity, and inherited blood diseases.

 

CVI and a Solution for Painful Legs at Night

When leg veins fail, blood pools in the legs and adds pressure to the vein walls. This inflames the lower extremities and causes pain. This failure of legs veins causes chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). Thrombosis and blood clots can damage blood valves or cause them to fail due to heredity. An affected leg may experience mild pain, swelling, and heaviness due to gravity. In spite of the fact that there is no danger of losing your limb, an inside ankle ulcer can be painful. As a result of these factors, CVI can be characterized and understood. As well as CVI, varicose veins can develop. Varicose veins cause pain, burning, and heaviness.

Finding a lower back pain management solution and the best treatment for hip pain at night is usually one of the best courses of action you can take. Additionally, obtaining a pain management specialist’s recommendations for spinal pain management is important. Your options should be comprehensive and inclusive of as many choices and possibilities that may (or may not) help you in finding success.

 

Don’t Ignore the Pain: Seek Treatment Options

Painful legs at night can be remedied with a variety of treatment options. Medical massage therapy, acupuncture, radiofrequency vein ablation, hip and knee injections, arthroscopy, platelet-rich plasma injections, anesthetic injections, and other injections can all be provided by the right health specialist through conservative treatments, minimally invasive procedures, or surgery.

It may be necessary to develop a customized care plan for each patient, based on their unique circumstances and condition. Doctors usually aim this type of plan at reducing pain, improving range of motion, and preventing injuries. They may prescribe treatments in combination based on the severity of your condition. Oftentimes, a lower back pain management plan that’s right for you is a great place to start your discussion with a pain management specialist.

A patient’s care plan is usually tailored to their unique circumstances and conditions, as well as their input. Treatment objectives always include pain relief, range of motion improvement, and injury prevention. Depending on the severity of the condition and type of intensity from your aching legs and knees at night, your doctor may recommend a combination of treatments.

Doctors perform diagnoses and treatments via minimally invasive and highly effective techniques. This effort reduces the risk of side effects and complications. Whether you suffer from mild pain or chronic pain that makes life miserable, you don’t have to live with pain.

If you are hurting and looking for an effective pain management solution, it can seem impossible to feel good. But it’s not impossible. Your quality of life can be restored by a skilled and experienced pain management doctor.

 

Wellness and Pain Can Help

A range of options for treating painful legs at night are available at Wellness and Pain. We offer conservative treatments, routine visits, and minimally invasive quick-recovery procedures. We can keep you free of problems by providing lifestyle education and home care advice to help you avoid and manage issues, quickly relieving the inhibiting lifestyle conditions when complications arise.

At Wellness and pain, we personalize patient care plans based on each patient’s condition. We consider unique circumstances to relieve pain, improve mobility and mental space, and improve your overall health.

Covered by Most Insurances and Most Unions

Wellness and Pain accepts most major insurance plans. Here is a list of some of the major insurance plans we accept. If you do not see your insurance plan listed, please call our office to confirm.

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