Leg Pain, Swelling. Tests Normal. More Pain During Summer. Burning Like Sensation In Legs.

Posted on Sun, 8 Jul 2012

Question: My mom has leg pain in her both legs, she has swelling as well. Someone advised her to go for Doppler/duplex scan as they suspected it would be a issue with veins, but it did not turn out to be such, neither she has any arteries issue. All tests which were done came fine. Her pain gets worse in summer time when that can't let her sleep whole night at all. She's been suffering this from long time at least I think from last 5-7 years. One more thing is the more she walks or do leg work the more prominent the pain becomes. Her pain somewhat is under control in winter time, but since winter time is for short time, it is a period of small relief in an year. She has some other symptoms as well, burning like sensation also happens to her.

Answered by Dr. Pavan Kumar Gupta (2 hours later)

Hello and thanks for the query
As unlikely as it sounds, vitamin,mineral,electrolytes and water deficiency are an almost completely unrecognized reason for chronic pain of all kinds. Nearly every kind of chronic pain CAN be a:

Symptom of Vitamin D Deficiency

Symptom of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Symptom of Magnesium Deficiency
Symptom of calcium deficiency
Symptom of potassium deficiency
There are three primary areas where uncomfortable cramping may occur. These are the calf, the foot, and the thigh. Nocturnal leg cramps are muscle pains that occur during the night when a person is sleeping, causing sleep disturbances that may ultimately ruin a good night's sleep.

nocturnal leg cramps are generally found in middle-aged and older populations, although they can afflict individuals of any age group because they tend to have relative poor blood circulation.

A reason why a person may get nocturnal leg cramps is because he or she isn't drinking enough water. Water is important for transporting vitamins, minerals, and other substances throughout the body. Hydration is not the same when drinking caffeine or alcohol, since they are diuretics and end up dehydrating a person even further. Muscle needs hydration to function properly; without it cramping is more likely to
Another reason for nocturnal leg cramps is mineral deficiencies. Low levels of calcium, potassium, and magnesium are cited as causal factors of nocturnal leg cramps. While they can all be found in things we eat, some foods lose mineral levels when processed or refined. For example, nearly 85% of magnesium in grains is lost when finely milled.

Calcium deficiency is also responsible for muscle tremors and twitching at night and may lead to nocturnal leg cramps.
Another mineral easily depleted is potassium, which is the most important mineral regarding muscle activity, serving as an electrolyte in the body and helping to balance body fluids. It also plays an essential role in muscle control and acts as a co-factor in muscle building.
Get your mother tested for
Serum VIT D,calcium,magnesium,B12,electrolytes
To combat nocturnal leg cramps, there are several criteria to check. Make sure that your intake of calcium, potassium, and magnesium are at sufficient levels. Potassium-rich foods in your diet should include bananas, tomatoes, potatoes, broccoli, cantaloupe, and citrus fruits. Also, try to eliminate or reduce caffeine and sugar from your daily regimen. Check that you are properly hydrated by drinking up to the recommended eight glasses of water a day.
I hope to have answered your query however you can revert to me for any other query.
Thanks and best of luck

Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar