Thigh Pain Causes

Vital Pieces Of Thigh Pain Causes

Thigh pain is common after an injury, but there are also many non traumatic thigh pain causes can be present because of conditions that affect bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments,blood vessels, nerves, and skin. And back ailments may also be present with leg and thigh pain.Upper thigh pain symptoms may be a result of arthritis or a degenerative bone disease such as osteoporosis. These symptoms can also be a sign of a circulatory problem such as peripheral arterial disease (PAD) or other circulatory problems like heart disease.

Other symptoms will evolve when thigh pain occur and a variety of symptoms depending on the underlying disease, disorders and condition.  Additional symptoms can involve other body systems or areas, such as the cardiovascular and neurological systems. Other symptoms that may accompany thigh pain include :

- Bleeding

- Bruising, laceration or abrasion

- Burning or prickling feeling

- Change in gait such as limping

- Flu like symptoms (fatigue, fever, sore throat, headache, cough, aches and pains)

- Joint pain

- Muscle spasms

- Reduced range of motion

- Swelling

- Tingling, pain, or other abnormal sensations in the toes

In some cases, thigh pain may occur with other symptoms that might indicate a serious or life threatening condition, such as deep vein thrombosis, which is a blood clot in the leg that can travel to the lungs and cause a life threatening pulmonary embolism. Other serious conditions include a fracture or infection. Seek immediate medical care (call 911) if you, or someone you are with, have other serious symptoms, with or without thigh pain, including:

-Change in consciousness or alertness such as fainting

-Chest pain

- Difficulty breathing, wheezing, or shortness of breath

- Discolored, unusually pale, or cold leg

- Inability to walk or put weight on your leg

- Popping sound at time of injury

- Red, warm and swollen calf or leg

- Severe pain

- Severe swelling or deformity of the knee, thigh or hip 

Variety of Conditions Thigh Pain Causes

There are a wide variety of conditions thigh pain causes. For example, thigh pain can be caused by physical activity, injury, or age-related wear and tear on the hips and knees, which may cause pain or discomfort in the thigh area near the joint. Thigh pain can also be caused by infections as well as diseases and disorders that affect multiple body systems or areas, such as diabetes or peripheral artery disease (PAD).

# Thigh pain causes by injuries and other trauma including:

- Bone fracture (broken bone) or dislocation, especially of the hip or thigh bone (femur)
- Groin pull or strain
- Laceration, abrasion or contusion of the thigh
- Ligament sprains and tears, especially of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL) of the knees, which ensure leg and knee stability. Sprains and tears may cause pain or discomfort in the thigh area near the joint.
- Meniscus tear (tear in the shock-absorbing cartilage of the knee)
- Muscle cramp (charley horse), commonly caused by dehydration or overuse
- Strained or pulled thigh muscles, such as a hamstring or quadriceps muscle strain
- Tendinitis (inflammation or irritation of tendons due to overuse or injury)

# Thigh pain causes by various infections including:

- Cellulitis (invasive infection of the skin and surrounding tissues)
- Infection of a wound or sore
- Infection of the knee or hip, which can lead to septic arthritis and cause pain in the joint that radiates to the thigh area
- Osteomyelitis (bone infection)

# Thigh pain causes by neurological is conditions that cause inflammation, entrapment, compression, or damage to the nerves including:

- Peripheral neuropathy (disorder that causes damage and dysfunction of nerves that lie outside your brain and spinal cord) and diabetic neuropathy (neuropathy caused by long-term diabetes)
- Piriformis syndrome (buttock muscle compressing or irritating the sciatic nerve that causes pain, tingling or numbness down the leg)
- Sciatica (compression, injury or inflammation of the sciatic nerve that causes burning or shooting pain running from the buttocks down the back of the leg)

Treatment Depends on Thigh Pain Causes

The treatment of thigh pain depends upon the diagnosis. Once the reason for the pain is established, treatment is focused on both pain control and controlling the underlying problem to prevent or lessen future occurrences. Home treatment depends on thigh pain causes. For sprains and strains, RICE is the most common treatment: rest, ice, compression and elevation. Anti-inflammation medication or over the counter pain relievers may also be prescribed for pain control. For hamstring injuries (strains) RICE treatment is also usually recommended. Often stretching exercises are used to help restore the hamstring muscles to their full length to allow full range of motion of the knee and leg. (Physical therapy is usually supervised by a health-care practitioner).People with sciatic pain should consider a short period of bed rest (usually less than 24 hours) followed by light activity, as tolerated. Alternating ice and heat may be helpful. Anti-inflammatory medication is also sometimes used.Chiropractic or physical therapy treatments may also help. If acute pain with leg swelling or loss of feeling associated with a cold thigh occurs, medical care should be sought immediately. However, some conditions may require surgery.For severe thigh pain a physician may administer an injection of a corticosteroid preparation to reduce the risk of inflammation.You should always consult a health professional for appropriate treatment to alleviate thigh pain.

You can read my other guide on Sharp Pain in Breast