Your legs do quite a lot for you throughout the course of a normal day, and you’ve been noticing pain, but what do you do and where do you start? Lucky for you, the experts at Makovicka Physical Therapy are here to help you get back on track.
First, think about how long has this been going on? Have you been completing any new activities that could’ve attributed to this new onset of pain? Have you started any new medications? Have you talked to your doctor recently about any sudden changes? Are you noticing any swelling or redness around any particular area on the lower extremity? Try to write down changes and symptoms day to day and also what activities aggravate or alleviate the pain. This may be beneficial to your healthcare provider in the future to accurately diagnose you and to give them a timeline.
What could be some of the causes?
- leg cramps
- muscular soreness
- structural integrity (bony defects)
- tendinitis
- venous/arterial diseases
- nerve pain
- sports injury
- falls
- recent surgery
- overuse
Some common lower extremity diagnoses you might have already heard of, but are not limited to such as arthritis, bursitis, sciatica, and even sacroiliac (SI) joint dysfunction, just to name a few.
What can you do to improve this pain?
Always remember R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation). Talk to your doctor or local physical therapist who can help point you in the right direction. You do not need a prescription in Nebraska to set up a consultation or an evaluation but may need your doctor to sign off on your plan of care if beginning treatment at a physical therapy clinic.
The experts at Makovicka Physical Therapy can offer the following for leg pain: soft tissue mobilization, a modified program specifically designed for you and your ability to complete exercise, functional dry needling, kinesiotaping, stretching, joint mobilizations, aquatic exercise & modalities such as moist heat, ice, electrical stimulation or TENS.
If the problem persists, remember that you can always contact any of our Makovicka Physical Therapy clinics around Lincoln, Omaha and the surrounding areas for a complimentary consult with questions or concerns and one of our highly skilled physical therapists will assess you to see what exactly is going on.
Rebecca Gillispie, PTA