Definition – What is meant by burning in the leg?
A burning sensation in the leg is often equated with a burning pain. Depending on the cause, this can be located more on the foot and lower leg or in the area of the thigh up to the buttocks. It is not uncommon for burning pain in particular to radiate into other parts of the body, so that the exact point of pain can often not be precisely identified by the person affected.
Thus, instead of a single point on the thigh, a burning sensation is often felt throughout the thigh and buttocks. A burning sensation often originates from damaged nerve fibres, and an overloaded musculature can also cause a burning sensation. However, a burning sensation in the leg can also be understood as a superficial sensation of the skin, such as that which can occur in local allergic reactions.
Causes
The causes for a burning sensation in the leg are manifold. Often damage to the nerves is the reason for the unpleasant sensation. Most often the sciatic nerve is affected, which, when damaged, causes burning pain mainly on the back of the thigh, but also on the calf and even down to the foot.
A burning sensation in the leg can also be triggered by the muscles. For example, during acute sporting activity, overexertion of the muscles can lead to a burning sensation. The burning sensation can also be present in the form of sore muscles days after the exercise.
If the burning sensation in the leg is due to an accumulation of fluid in the tissue, thrombosis may be the cause, but varicose veins may also be a possibility. Thrombosis is a condition that is caused by the formation of blood clots in the blood vessel. The deep leg veins are most frequently affected by thrombosis.
As a rule, a change in the flow conditions in the vessel is the cause of the blood clot. This causes turbulence in the blood flow, and in some places the blood flows particularly slowly so that it can clot in the vessel. More blood cells attach themselves to this small clot, so that the clot becomes larger and larger and eventually blocks the entire vessel.
This is called a thrombosis. The thrombosis causes fluid to accumulate in the blood vessel, which eventually enters the surrounding tissue through the vessel walls and can cause a burning sensation. The most common site of burning is the lower leg.
In addition, the affected leg is often swollen, often overheated and reddened. and causes of thrombosis A thrombosis is an acute emergency. On the one hand, the blood supply to the affected leg is no longer guaranteed, which can lead to tissue damage due to nutrient deficiency.
On the other hand, the clot can come loose from the leg vein and be transported to the lungs, where it can cause a pulmonary embolism, depending on its size. In the worst case, this can lead to death within a few minutes due to severe oxygen deficiency. The treatment of thrombosis consists of blood thinning to dissolve the clot, and the clot can also be removed from the vein by means of a catheter (a small wire that is pushed into the vessel).
