Localization of pain

Calf pain is probably the most prominent example of “leg pain“. It is usually the areas of our extremities furthest from the trunk that are plagued by pain. The causes of calf pain can be obvious, as is the case for example as a result of sore muscles, sporting overexertion or other injuries to the calf muscles, or the cause can be endogenous, i.e. an endogenous cause that is, so to speak, inherent to the body.

Examples of this would be nerve damage in the area of the legs, which causes pain, or an undersupply or reduced blood circulation in the legs. Sporting overloading can lead to irritation of the Achilles tendon in the calf area, for example. Another possibility would be muscle strains or torn muscle fibers, which can manifest themselves as severe calf pain.

On the side of reduced supply, it is primarily peripheral arterial occlusive disease that causes ischemic pain in the legs due to reduced blood flow. This pain occurs mainly when walking for long distances and can be relieved by a short stay. These topics may be of interest to you:

Inflammation of the Achilles tendon
Calf Strain

Pain in the legs can not only originate from the legs themselves, but can very often come from the back.

If the pain has its origin in the area supplied by the so-called sciatic nerve and the lumbar spine, it is called lumboischalgia or ischialgia (in the vernacular rather sciatic pain). The sciatic nerve, which is responsible for the pain, originates from several nerve roots from the spinal cord in the area of the lumbar spine and extends to the leg, where it then splits into several branches that even extend to the feet. The cause of the pain is an irritation or compression of the nerve or nerve root.

This can have various reasons, for example, muscle tension, inflammation caused by a virus called herpes zoster, blockages in the vertebral bodies, or spatial demands in this area. The most common reason for lumboischalgia is a herniated disc in the lumbar spine or a bulging disc in the lumbar spine through which the nerve is squeezed. The “sciatic pain” mainly affects the leg, but the buttocks can also be painful.

The pain usually affects only one leg and is extremely unpleasant. Patients describe them as shooting, pulling or even burning. It may also cause additional numbness or tingling. This topic might also be of interest to you:

Therapy of a lumboischialgia