Why You Have Leg Pain After Walking

Walking is one of the most essential activities in everyday life. It’s great for your cardiovascular health and mobility, especially as you age. If you experience intense leg pain after even short walks, you may have a health problem on your hands. 

What causes leg pain after walking? Here’s what you need to know. 

Regular Muscle Soreness 

Sometimes, your leg muscles hurt after a long walk simply because you exercised them. Regular muscle soreness isn’t a cause for concern. You may experience aches, mild pain, and sore spots that respond to movement or pressure after long walks. These are all normal sensations related to muscle soreness. 

Strains and Sprains

More severe, persistent leg pain may come from a sprain or strain in your ligaments or leg muscles. These are common sports injuries, but if you’re not usually physically active, walking may cause sprains or strains. 

Sprains result from injured connective tissue between your bones. These ligaments are susceptible to tearing, which causes sprains. 

Strains are a bit different. You can strain your muscles or the tissue that connects your muscles to your bones. 

Both injuries can cause soreness, sharp pain, swelling, and trouble walking. 

Tendinitis 

Tendinitis is caused by the inflammation of tendons, commonly the Achilles tendon on the back of your heel. However, you can also experience tendinitis pain in other parts of your leg. Tendinitis pain usually feels like a dull, persistent ache that worsens with exercise, like walking. 

IT Band Problems

Your iliotibial (IT) band is a piece of connective tissue that connects your pelvic bone to your shin. Having a tight IT band can lead to IT band syndrome, which is characterized by inflammation, swelling, and pain while walking. 

It’s important to stretch before walking long distances to avoid IT band syndrome. The more you relax and stretch these tissues, the less tight they become after walking. 

Don’t Ignore Your Leg Pain 

While normal muscle soreness will go away on its own, persistent leg pain is a cause for concern. Don’t wait to address leg pain that keeps showing up after walking. Getting the proper treatment can prevent further injury and pain down the road. 

This post was written by a medical professional at Stemedix Inc. At Stemedix we provide access to Regenerative Medicine. Regenerative medicine has the natural potential to help improve symptoms sometimes lost from the progression of many conditions. We also offer Personalized Pain Management In St Petersburg FL.

 

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