Leg Pain: When Should You Be Concerned?

It’s not uncommon to experience leg pain (or pain in other extremities.) This can be due to a number of reasons, with the most common reason for leg pain being normal wear and tear if the tendons, arthritis (which commonly happens as a result of aging), or sports injuries resulting in inflammation. Typically, pain like this is remedied with simple over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, and will go away over time…though that is not always the case.

Dr. Ali Ghahary, a family physician, warns about the dangerous side of leg pain, and why it isn’t always something you should ignore.

Leg pain can also be a sign that you may have a blood clot, as the leg’s veins is the most common spot for a blood clot to occur. This is commonly referred to in the medical industry as Deep Vein Thrombosis, or DVT, and it affects thousands of Canadians each year. Clotting of the blood is a needed process that helps the body from losing excessive amounts of blood, such as when you suffer from a wound. However, with a clot, the blood does not do what it needs to do and changes to an almost solid state, which then causes pain. Individuals who do have a blood clot may not have any symptoms depending on the size of the clot itself. However, you may also notice the affected area feels unusually warm in addition to swelling and discolouration of the skin – usually bluish or pale.

Poor circulation is another reason you might suffer from leg pain. In order to keep your joints healthy, it is important to stay physically active – something Dr. Ali Ghahary not only advocates for patients, but also does, too, by biking around Vancouver and skiing at Whistler. The city has many great spots to partake in physical activity, including parks, beaches, and community centres.

Whatever the cause of your leg pain, you should always schedule an appointment with your physician to discuss the symptoms that you are experiencing to make sure your health is in order and that nothing more sinister, such as a blood clot, is at play. 

If you do not have a family physician, Dr. Ghahary is always available to see patients at Brentwood Medical Clinic in Burnaby, BC, and you do not need an appointment. His walk-in schedule and clinic directions can be found by visiting his website at http://vancouverphysician.net.