If rheumatism is ruled out
Causes of leg pain in the elderly:
When the elderly have leg pain, intermittent claudication and walking fatigue, it may be blood vessel blockage, so they should consider seeing a peripheral vascular department.
The blood vessels that supply blood to the limbs are called peripheral blood vessels. In the elderly, limb discomfort caused by peripheral vascular occlusion is very common, and it is often mistaken for "senile arthropathy, poor physical strength, or sciatic nerve problems".
The symptoms of leg pain can't just be regarded as chronic diseases of the elderly. If you don't take the time to treat slowly, you will eventually delay the opportunity for diagnosis and treatment.
Leg pain caused by arthropathy and neuropathy can be distinguished from leg pain caused by peripheral vascular diseases. Leg pain caused by the former is persistent, while the latter is intermittent claudication and pain, such as leg pain, tightness, stiffness or heaviness after walking for a few minutes, but walking can be resumed and repeated after a few minutes' rest.
In addition:
1. Osteoporosis
2. Intermittent claudication:
Do you often feel weak, tired easily or feel cold and numb in your limbs? Do you feel weakness, soreness and pain in your calves or feet, and the pain will disappear after rest? Do you have persistent pain in your toes, feet or calves without exercise, especially at night? These symptoms should be considered as intermittent claudication.
3. Intermittent claudication of blood vessels:
Intermittent claudication of blood vessels and intermittent claudication of nerves are somewhat similar, but they are two completely different diseases. The former belongs to vascular surgical diseases, while the latter belongs to orthopedics. Because the onset of the two diseases is in the old age, the changes of the spine and blood vessels can coexist, so the symptoms are similar and difficult to distinguish.
The pain of patients with intermittent vascular claudication is more related to exercise than to the change of spinal posture. Its symptoms are prone to one side, accompanied by cold sensation, and generally there is no sensory paralysis. When you stop walking, the symptoms can be improved or disappeared. Most importantly, the pulse of the dorsal foot artery on this side must be weakened or disappeared because of arterial occlusion.
4. Osteoarthritis is a pathological joint disease characterized by degeneration, degeneration and hyperplasia of articular cartilage. Most of them have hidden onset and slow progress. The most prominent symptom is joint pain, which is manifested as pain-relief-pain again and repeated attacks. When I get up in the morning, the pain is more severe. A little exercise will relieve the pain. After excessive activity, the pain will reappear and can be relieved again after rest. If you stay in a certain position for a long time, or exercise for a long time, the pain will start again, and you can hear the rough rubbing sound of the joints. With the increase of age, the symptoms will gradually worsen, which can also affect other joint parts.
The diagnosis of osteoarthritis mainly depends on X-ray examination. Unequal width or narrow joint space, osteoporosis, hyperosteogeny, joint expansion and even deformation, subchondral bone plate hardening and osteophyte formation at joints are the basic characteristics of osteoarthritis.
Prevent osteoporosis, pay more attention to a reasonable diet and exercise regularly.
Maintain a balanced diet and ensure adequate intake of calcium and vitamin D, such as high-calcium and low-fat fresh milk and cheese, fish and dark green vegetables are all good choices. According to the yin-yang bias of constitution, taking kidney-tonifying products regularly can stabilize and improve the level of human sex hormones to a certain extent, and indirectly inhibit the bone absorption activity of osteoclasts. Should quit smoking and avoid excessive drinking, timely prevention and treatment of systemic metabolic diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, gout and so on.
Adhere to appropriate exercise and long-term gradual exercise, such as swimming, aerobics, Tai Ji Chuan, walking, etc. It can not only slow down the loss of bone mass, but also significantly increase the content of bone salt and promote the activity of bone cells. However, it is not advisable to participate in strenuous exercise, especially those that cause excessive muscle soreness. When boxing and dancing, turn around, turn your neck and bend over to avoid jumping up and down. You can do some weight-bearing exercises according to your physical condition, such as climbing mountains and stairs, to help build up the calcium reserve of bones. Don't keep the same posture or posture for a long time when working, exercising or resting, but change and adjust the movement position frequently.
The manipulation of treating leg pain is divided into the following five steps:
1. Pinch Achilles tendon: Achilles tendon, commonly known as lazy tendon, is located at the back and upper part of heel. In bed, pinch the achilles tendon on both sides with a little force from the middle section of thumb and forefinger of both hands for 20 to 30 times as tolerable.
2, push the calf: If it is numbness and pain behind the calf, push the calf; If it is numbness and pain on the outside of the calf, push the side of the calf near the little toe. The method is to sit on a stool and push it from top to bottom with the root of your palm or thenar. You can apply some "massage milk" or push it with a soft cloth for 20 to 30 times.
3. Acupoint: the 1 point is at the midpoint of the connecting line between the ischial tubercle (the bone tip that can be felt in the center of the gluteal groove) and the greater trochanter of femur (the bone protruding from the outside of the hip). The second point is the center of the back of the thigh. The third point is in the middle of the calf. The fourth is behind the medial malleolus. Kneel on the bed and press on the acupoint with your middle finger or thumb. It is best to have a feeling of soreness and numbness, each acupoint 1 minute.
4. Shake your legs: when standing, hold the weight with healthy legs, relax the affected side, press your palms on the back of your thighs to shake your muscles left and right 1 ~ 2 minutes, then sit down, slightly bend your knees, and press your palms on the back of your calves to shake your muscles left and right 1 ~ 2 minutes. Jitter should be continuous, smooth and free.
5. Traction: Lie prone on the bed, grab the bed with both hands, and one or two family members hold the patient's ankle and pull it down. When the patient feels pain relieved or disappeared, maintain this traction until he gets bored, and continue to pull for 5 ~ 10 times.
In addition to the above-mentioned manual treatment, we should also pay attention to keeping warm and moisture-proof to help prevent leg pain.
Five ways to prevent leg aging
1. Hold the wall or table, and stand on one foot for 10 second, alternating left and right for 20 times.
2. Hold the wall or table with your hands, lift your heels, and then squat for 5 seconds, so that your chest is as close to your thighs as possible. Repeat 15 ~ 20 times, and be careful to squat and stand up slowly.
3. Hold the wall or table and kick your hips with your heel, alternating left and right for 20 ~ 30 times.
4. Sit on the sofa or chair, press your hips with your knees, hold your middle thighs with your hands, fold your thighs separately, and abduct your hips as much as possible. Do 10 ~ 20 times.
5. Lie flat on the bed, bend your hips and knees with your left leg, hold your lower limbs with your hands, make your knees as close as possible to the shoulder on the same side, stay for 3 ~ 5 seconds to recover, and alternate left and right for 20 ~ 30 times.