Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Leg Pain?Is It a Diabetes Symptom?Treatments & ManagementWhen to Seek Medical CareFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is Leg Pain?
Is It a Diabetes Symptom?
Treatments & Management
When to Seek Medical Care
Frequently Asked Questions
Whileleg paincan occur for many reasons, it may result from complications of untreated orundiagnosed diabetes. Leg pain that develops as a result of diabetes often comes in the form of nerve pain, calledneuropathy, or from wounds, calleddiabetic ulcers.
This article will explore how diabetic neuropathy and diabetic ulcers lead to leg pain and other possible causes of leg pain in people with diabetes.
Leg paincan occur for many reasons. Often it is a result of an injury or a symptom of certain conditions.
Some common causes of leg pain are:
Leg pain that develops without a known injury or condition is a mystery. If you’re not sure why you have leg pain, it’s important to talk to your healthcare provider about:
When Is Leg Pain Serious?Leg pain can signal more serious problems, such as a blood clot that develops in the deep veins of your leg, calleddeep vein thrombosis (DVT). DVT can cause severe illness andpulmonary embolism(a clot that travels to the main blood vessel leading to your lung).Symptoms of DVTinclude:SwellingPainBulging veinsDiscoloration of the skinYou should seek immediate medical attention if you think you may have developed a blood clot in your leg.
When Is Leg Pain Serious?
Leg pain can signal more serious problems, such as a blood clot that develops in the deep veins of your leg, calleddeep vein thrombosis (DVT). DVT can cause severe illness andpulmonary embolism(a clot that travels to the main blood vessel leading to your lung).Symptoms of DVTinclude:SwellingPainBulging veinsDiscoloration of the skinYou should seek immediate medical attention if you think you may have developed a blood clot in your leg.
Leg pain can signal more serious problems, such as a blood clot that develops in the deep veins of your leg, calleddeep vein thrombosis (DVT). DVT can cause severe illness andpulmonary embolism(a clot that travels to the main blood vessel leading to your lung).
Symptoms of DVTinclude:
You should seek immediate medical attention if you think you may have developed a blood clot in your leg.
Is Leg Pain a Symptom of Diabetes?
Diabetesis not usually a direct cause of leg pain, but leg pain andnumbness or tinglingfrom neuropathy can be a symptom of undiagnosed or uncontrolled diabetes.
Between 20% and 50% of people with diabetes experience painful nerve damage as a result of their condition.This nerve damage results from long-term high blood sugar, fat, and cholesterol levels. The exact neuropathy symptoms you experience will vary based on your specific type of diabetes and what complications you may develop.
The four majortypes of neuropathyare:
What Is Diabetic Neuropathy?
People with diabetes who develop neuropathy are also at a higher risk of developing injuries to their legs and feet due to a lack of sensation. When this happens, you may injure yourself without realizing it, and your decreased circulation could lead to the formation of poorly healing wounds calleddiabetic ulcers.If left untreated, 14% to 24% of these ulcers lead to amputation.
Treatments and Management of Leg Pain
The first step in treating your leg pain is to see your healthcare provider to determine the exact source of your pain. Injuries, neuropathy, and vein or artery diseases require unique treatments.
If diabetes is causing your leg pain, either from peripheral neuropathy or diabetic ulcers, the first step is controlling your blood sugar. To do this, your healthcare provider may prescribeoral medicationsor injectable medications, such asinsulinor non-insulin medications.
If getting your blood sugar under control isn’t enough to reverse the nerve damage, your healthcare provider may suggest the followingdiabetic neuropathy treatments:
Thesemedicationsmay help to reduce your pain and discomfort, but they will not reverse the nerve damage causing the leg pain.
Type 2 Diabetes Medication and Treatment
When to See Your Healthcare Provider
If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, it’s important to see your healthcare provider regularly to control yourblood sugarlevels and prevent diabetic complications.
You should always contact your healthcare provider if you develop new problems like leg pain or if you have slow-healing injuries or wounds that appear infected.
Summary
Many complications can develop as a result of uncontrolled diabetes, including diabetic ulcers and peripheral neuropathy. This type of nerve damage and injury can lead to pain in your legs.
If you’re experiencing pain in your legs, it’s important to speak with your healthcare provider to determine the best way to manage your diabetes and prevent further complications.
Living Well With Type 2 Diabetes
A Word From Verywell
Diabetes can be a difficult condition to manage, but maintaining control over your blood sugar is the best way to prevent complications. If you’re experiencing pain in your legs from associated nerve damage or diabetic ulcers, speak with your healthcare provider to discuss treatment options.
Diabetic neuropathy can cause pain most commonly described as numbness and tingling, similar to a pins-and-needles sensation. Other forms of diabetic leg pain, like pain from diabetic ulcers, may feel more acute depending on several factors like how severe they are and whether they are infected.Learn MoreDiabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: Causes, Symptoms, and Outlook
Diabetic neuropathy can cause pain most commonly described as numbness and tingling, similar to a pins-and-needles sensation. Other forms of diabetic leg pain, like pain from diabetic ulcers, may feel more acute depending on several factors like how severe they are and whether they are infected.
Learn MoreDiabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: Causes, Symptoms, and Outlook
Learn MoreHow Diabetic Neuropathy Is Diagnosed and Treated
There are many causes of leg pain, and diabetes complications like peripheral neuropathy and diabetic ulcers are just a few of these causes. See your healthcare provider if you develop new or worsening leg pain that you can’t explain.Learn MoreCauses of Leg, Foot, and Ankle Pain
There are many causes of leg pain, and diabetes complications like peripheral neuropathy and diabetic ulcers are just a few of these causes. See your healthcare provider if you develop new or worsening leg pain that you can’t explain.
Learn MoreCauses of Leg, Foot, and Ankle Pain
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.Deep vein thrombosis.Sloan G, Shillo P, Selvarajah D, et al.A new look at painful diabetic neuropathy.Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice. 2018;144:177-191. doi:10.1016/j.diabres.2018.08.020National Institutes of Health.Diabetic neuropathy.University of Michigan Health.Frequently asked questions: diabetic foot ulcers.National Institutes of Health.Peripheral neuropathy.
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.Deep vein thrombosis.Sloan G, Shillo P, Selvarajah D, et al.A new look at painful diabetic neuropathy.Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice. 2018;144:177-191. doi:10.1016/j.diabres.2018.08.020National Institutes of Health.Diabetic neuropathy.University of Michigan Health.Frequently asked questions: diabetic foot ulcers.National Institutes of Health.Peripheral neuropathy.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.Deep vein thrombosis.Sloan G, Shillo P, Selvarajah D, et al.A new look at painful diabetic neuropathy.Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice. 2018;144:177-191. doi:10.1016/j.diabres.2018.08.020National Institutes of Health.Diabetic neuropathy.University of Michigan Health.Frequently asked questions: diabetic foot ulcers.National Institutes of Health.Peripheral neuropathy.
American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.Deep vein thrombosis.
Sloan G, Shillo P, Selvarajah D, et al.A new look at painful diabetic neuropathy.Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice. 2018;144:177-191. doi:10.1016/j.diabres.2018.08.020
National Institutes of Health.Diabetic neuropathy.
University of Michigan Health.Frequently asked questions: diabetic foot ulcers.
National Institutes of Health.Peripheral neuropathy.
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