Left Leg Pain

Let's start out by assuming your left leg pain is not from an athletic injury. Did you do something to hurt your leg during sports competition, you generally know it right away, or no later than the next day. 

So we'll forego leg cramps, pulled muscles, torn ligaments and broken bones in this discussion. Except to mention that sometimes simply pushing yourself while walking for exercise can put a strain on your joints, causing knee pain, ankle pain or foot pain. Take time to warm up, and also to build up your strength so you don't get too enthusiastic and "overdo" it.

Speaking of joint pain, "veteran" readers (that is, folks above the age of 50) may notice leg pain on either the right side or the left side. In many instances, this means you're getting some arthritis or possibly gout. You may not be aware that arthritis doesn't affect all joints at the same time. So you might start feeling some left leg pain from arthritis while the right leg feels fine. Or vice versa. This will take a doctor's diagnosis, and possibly some x-rays, to know for sure.

After arthritis, one of the most common causes of left leg pain is sciatica. Like arthritis, this can also affect the right leg. Sciatica describes a condition caused by injury or stress to the sciatic nerve, which originates in the lower back and stretches downward into the legs. The sciatic nerve, which is one of the largest nerves in the body, can become worn or compressed if you have a job that requires you to sit for many hours without a break. Professional truck drivers often get sciatica.

Similarly, your leg pain might be caused by a pinched nerve. There are plenty of other nerves in your legs that can be pinched besides the sciatic nerve.

Spinal problems Sometimes a problem or an injury in the back will travel down nerve pathways and cause leg pain. Slipped or ruptured discs in the spinal column, or a condition called scoliosis (curvature of the back) might be responsible for discomfort in the legs.

Another relatively common cause of left leg pain results from problems with the blood vessels in the leg. These might include:

• Blocked artery, resulting from a number of causes.
• Deep vein thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot in a deep vein. This condition is often abbreviated as DVT.
• Phlebitis This is Pain and swelling in a vein, often cause by poor diet or a bacterial infection following an iv injection.
• Thrombophlebitis This is an inflammation of a vein with clot formation.
• Varicose veins Most of us know what these look like. They're actually twisted, widened swollen veins often caused by weakening of the vein's wall or valves.
• Venous claudication This refers to poor circulation in the veins of the legs.

As you can tell, there are plenty of possibilities when it comes to diagnosing left leg pain. The best idea is the simplest: describe your symptoms as clearly as you can to your doctor. He or she will be the best judge.