Pain or cramping in the arms or legs
Rate your pain on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 indicating very little pain and 10 being the worst pain you have ever experienced. Then look below to find the appropriate term to apply to the level of severity of your pain.
- 1 to 5 = Mild pain
- 6 to 7 = Moderate pain
- 8 to 9 = Severe pain
- 10 = Worst pain possible
Pain in your arm or leg that is not caused by a known injury may have other causes, such as:
- Infection, which may occur with other symptoms such as pain, swelling, redness, or warmth around the affected area.
- Muscle cramps ("charley horse" or "stitch"). This strong, painful contraction or tightening of a muscle comes on suddenly and may last from a few seconds to several minutes. The muscle may be sore for hours after the hard, tense cramp has stopped.
- Muscle tension, often from stress.
- Overuse. Pain comes on gradually after repeating the same activities. Examples of overuse injuries include tendinitis and bursitis.
- Peripheral arterial disease. Symptoms may include cramping pain in the feet or legs that starts with activity and gets better or goes away when you rest.
- Recent weight gain of 10 lb (4.5 kg) or more.
- Varicose veins, which are twisted, enlarged veins that can occur anywhere a vein is close to the surface of the skin. They are seen most often in the legs. Your legs may feel tired or heavy, and you may have a dull, heavy aching or burning feeling and mild swelling of the feet and ankles.
A blood clot in a vein can also cause pain in your arm or leg. These symptoms require medical attention because blood clots can break free and lodge in the lungs (pulmonary embolism), causing emergency symptoms of chest pain, shortness of breath, or coughing up blood. A blood clot that lodges in the lungs can cause death.
Arm or leg pain in a child
A young child may carefully protect or refuse to use a painful arm or leg. He or she may hold a painful arm against his or her body and not use it or may crawl rather than walk on a painful leg.
Growing pains in children usually occur in long bones, such as the thighs or calves. They can last an hour or two at a time and can awaken a child from sleep. Your child may not be able to remember the pain in the morning. Growing pain are not generally cause for concern.
| Author: | Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC | Last Updated: August 31, 2006 |
| Medical Review: | William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine | |
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