close window
Housecall Archives
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
close window
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
When to see a doctor
By Mayo Clinic staff
Self-care
Minor leg pain often responds well to home treatments. When you don't need to see a doctor, try the following suggestions:
- To help prevent cramps. Stretch your leg muscles often, drink plenty of water and include lots of high-potassium foods in your diet.
- To relieve mild pain and swelling. Stay off your leg as much as possible. Apply an ice pack or bag of frozen peas to the affected area for 15 to 20 minutes three times a day. Elevate your leg whenever you sit or lie down. For best results, start these measures within 48 hours of an injury. Once the swelling subsides — usually in two or three days — apply moist heat to help restore flexibility and range of motion.
Schedule an office visit if:
- You have pain during or after walking
- You have swelling in both legs
- Your pain gets worse
- Your symptoms don't improve after a few days of home treatment
- You have painful varicose veins
See your doctor as soon as possible if you have:
- Signs of infection, such as redness, warmth or tenderness, or you have a fever over 100 F (37.8 C)
- A leg that is swollen, pale or unusually cool, or you have calf pain, particularly after prolonged sitting (such as a long car trip or plane ride)
- Swelling in both legs along with breathing problems
- Any serious leg symptoms that develop for no apparent reason
Call for immediate medical help or go to the emergency room if you:
- Have a leg injury with a deep cut or exposed bone or tendon
- Are unable to walk or put weight on your leg
- Have pain, swelling and redness or warmth in your calf
- Hear a popping or grinding sound at the time of a leg injury
References
- Ropper AH, et al. Pain in the back, neck, and extremities. In: Ropper AH, et al. Adams & Victor's Principles of Neurology. 9th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2009. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3631244. Accessed July 12, 2010.
- Huddleston JI, et al. Hip and knee pain. In: Firestein GS, et al. Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: W.B. Saunders; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/209397008-5/0/1807/290.html. Accessed July 12, 2010.
- Mohler ER. Clinical features, diagnosis, and natural history of lower extremity peripheral arterial disease. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 12, 2010.
- Gout. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec04/ch035/ch035b.html. Accessed July 13, 2010.
- Bederka B, et al. Leg. In: DeLee JC, et al. Delee & Drez's Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Principles and Practice. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier Saunders; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/linkTo?type=bookPage&isbn=978-1-4160-3143-7&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-3143-7..00024-5. Accessed July 12, 2010.
- Sprains and strains. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Sprains_Strains/default.asp. Accessed July 12, 2010.
- Growth plate injuries. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Growth_Plate_Injuries/default.asp. Accessed July 12, 2010.
- Bursitis and tendinitis. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/health_info/Bursitis/default.asp. Accessed July 12, 2010.
- Compartment syndrome. Wheeless' Textbook of Orthopaedics. http://www.wheelessonline.com/ortho/compartment_syndrome. Accessed July 13, 2010.
- Osteoarthritis of the hip. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://www.orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00213. Accessed July 13, 2010.
Find Mayo Clinic on