When to Worry About Leg Pain: Ask The Experts

Summary

• Green = mild and improving (safe to monitor at home)
• Yellow = lingering or affecting daily activities (see a doctor)
• Red = severe or sudden with alarming symptoms (go to ER).

What is Leg Pain?

Leg pain is any discomfort or pain that you may experience in your legs, and is often caused by injuries and accidents. Leg pain may impact your thigh, calf, or even the back of your knee. 

Some common causes of leg pain include:

• Injuries

• Accidents like falls

• Overuse during exercise

• Nerve pain

• Blood flow problems

• Strain

But how do you know if your leg pain can be treated at home or if it needs more urgent medical advice? We asked three expert Doctors what warning signs you should look out for.

When to Worry About Leg Pain: Expert Advice

So when should you worry about leg pain? We asked the experts. 

Dr. Matt Wentzell says

“You should use a stop-light approach to decision making on how to best handle a leg injury:

Green light – usually not urgent

• Mild muscle strain or general overuse

• Minor injuries or brusing

• Cramping discomfort

• The injury starts to improve after 48-72 hours

Yellow light – best to seek the input of a healthcare professional

• Pain that doesn’t improve after a few days, or pain that is causing a significant impact on your ability to manage everyday activities such as walking, or job/sport-specific demands.

• Numbness, tingling, and/or weakness – likely a nerve injury.

• Swelling in one leg but not the other 

• Recurrent injuries, even if they’re seemingly mild

Red light – seek immediate medical attention.

• Sudden severe pain, particularly if the leg is swollen, red, warm, or tender. May indicate a vascular issue or infection.

• Severe pain after trauma, inability to weight bear

• Cold, pale, or blue leg

• Numbness or loss of muscle control

• Fever with leg pain

• Leg pain with a history of heart disease, clotting issues, or recent surgery

Anything seemingly vascular in nature or that has the potential to be an infection should be directed to the ER or urgent care. Nerve injuries, depending on their severity, could be assessed by a physician in an ER/urgent care setting or by another paramedical practitioner with familiarity of nerve injuries and their management.”

Dr. Kevin Kraemer agrees, and adds “you should seek medical help if the pain is associated with calf pain, ulcers or sores on the legs or feet, a change in your bowel and bladder habit, if the pain disrupts sleep, or if the pain is associated with a fever greater than 37.8 degrees celsius”. 

Dr Celia Pires warns that you should “seek medical advice if your injury involves a deep cut, exposed tissues, or bone; you are having extreme difficulty walking or standing; there is swelling with redness, warmth, or numbness in your leg; you are having difficulty breathing along with the leg swelling; or if there are grinding or popping sounds in the injured leg.”

Key Takeaways

If you’ve injured your leg, there are some warning signs to look out for that may indicate you should seek professional medical advice.

Treat at home:

• Mild muscle strain or general overuse

• Minor injuries or bruising

• Cramping discomfort

See a doctor:

• Sudden pain, or pain that doesn’t improve

• Unable to walk or stand

• Numbness, tingling, or weakness

• Deep cut or exposed bone or muscle tissue

• Pain alongside a history of heart disease, a fever, or recent surgery

Summary: Most leg pain can be treated at home, but if the pain is severe, you have pre-existing conditions, or the pain doesn’t improve after 72 hours, seek medical advice.