9 Stretches and Exercises for Leg Pain Relief

At some point in everyone’s life, they will experience pain. From athletic activities to chronic illness, there are many reasons why it’s so common to live with discomfort. But sometimes, the pain is so strong, it can make daily routines feel like monumental tasks. If the pain is in your legs, even something as simple as getting up from bed and driving becomes a hassle.

Is there anything you can do at home to ease it?

Best Stretches and Exercises for Leg Pain Relief  

There are different types of exercises, depending on the source of pain.

If you’re sore from exercising:

Stretching after exercise reduces muscle tension. It also allows you to remain flexible.  If leg movement is painful after a workout, you can do several stretches to alleviate the pain:

1. Hamstring Stretches: The hamstring muscles are located on the back of the upper leg. If they’re feeling sore after leg day at the gym or after running a half marathon, sit on the floor and bend forward from your waist. Try to bend as far as possible while keeping your legs straight. Hold the position for 20 seconds. Release and repeat three times.

In the alternative, you can do a standing hamstring stretch: Stand and cross the right foot over the left foot. Slowly bend forward until your forehead is facing your knees. Keep your legs straight while holding this position. Hold it for about 20 seconds. Once you return to a full upright position, cross the left foot over the right foot and do it again.
2. Calf Stretches: Stand at arm’s length from a wall. Put both hands on the wall, shoulder-width apart, then take a step back with one leg, while keeping a pushing motion against the wall. Hold the position for 20 to 30 seconds. Release and repeat with the other leg.

3. Hip Flexor Stretches: Sit on the floor with your back straight. Place the bottoms of your feet together in front of you. Pull your heels towards you and slowly push your knees down to the floor. Hold the position for 30 seconds.

In the alternative, you can do lunges or mountain climbers to loosen your hip muscles.

If you have sciatic nerve damage:

Sciatic nerve pain can be debilitating. In order to reduce the misery, you should do stretching exercises that rotate the hip.

1. Sitting Pigeon Pose: Sit on the floor with both legs stretched out in front of you. Bend the right leg and place your right ankle on top of your left knee. Lean forward until your chest touches your right thigh. Hold the position for 30 seconds. Release it and switch legs to do it again.
2. Forward Pigeon Pose: Get a yoga mat for this one, since you’ll have to kneel on the floor on all fours. Lift the right leg and move it forward, then turn it sideways and lay it on the floor, in front of your torso. Slide your next knee all the way to the back. Lower your torso and lean on your elbows. For a visual of how to do this advanced pose, click here.
3. Sitting Spinal Stretch: Sit on the floor with both legs fully extended in front of you. Bend your left leg so that your heel is right next to your right knee. Bring your left arm around your left knee. Rotate your torso towards your left and hold the position for 30 seconds. Release and do the same thing on the other side of your body. For a visual tutorial, click here.

If you have knee problems:

If you’re experiencing knee pain, the last thing you may want to do is exercise. However, there are certain movements that can help alleviate pain. Just remember to get the OK from your doctor first and to warm up for a few minutes by taking a walk or by slowly riding an exercise bicycle.  

1. Leg Raises. Lie on your back on the floor, with both of your arms resting at your side. Slowly lift one leg while keeping it straight. Hold the lifted leg for five seconds, then lower it back to the floor as slowly as possible. Repeat the exercise with your other leg.
2. Lying Hamstring Stretch. Lie on your back on the floor. Slowly lift one leg and hold it extended upward. Pull on your hamstring so that the leg raise is at a 90-degree angle from your torso and bend your leg at the knee. Hold the position for several seconds, then repeat with the other leg.  
3. Leg Stretches. Sit on the floor with both legs stretched out in front of you. Keep a straight posture and place your hands on the floor for stability. Slowly bend one knee to a 90-degree angle. Hold the position for five seconds. Stretch out the same leg and keep it straight for five seconds. Then do the same thing with your other leg.

If you’re experiencing back pain, let us help you.

At Spine Works Institute, we take pride in helping patients through safe and natural therapies. We have an entire team of physical therapists, chiropractors, massage therapists, and other healthcare professionals who are ready to assist you.

Call us at (817) 616-0700 to schedule an appointment, or learn more about our practice here.

How to relieve leg pain? Here are 7 tips

Have you ever experienced severe leg pain? Well, each one of us has gone through this once in our life. In most cases, it is just a matter of normal wear and tear, although the pain can range from mild and annoying to severe. It can also affect your ability to walk and stand. Especially during the cold weather, people complain of leg pain while moving outdoors. Questions that pop into the mind are what causes this and how to relieve leg pain. Don’t worry that’s why we’re here to help!

Health Shot got in touch with Dr Manoj Kumar Gudluru, Senior Consultant, Orthopaedic and Joint Replacement Surgeon, Care Hospitals, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, to understand the causes of leg pain and how you can treat it at home.

Causes of leg pain

Most leg pain results from wear and tear, but apart from this the pain or discomfort in the leg can also be because of:

• Strain from overuse
• Injuries in joints, bones, or in muscles, ligaments, tendons, or other soft tissues
• Dehydration
• Deficiency of potassium, vitamin D, sodium, or magnesium in the blood
• Muscle fatigue
• Lack of flexibility
• Medical conditions

See your doctor if you’re experiencing severe and persistent leg pain. Getting prompt diagnosis and treatment can help prevent such incidents and from getting the pain worse.

Is cold weather also responsible for leg pain?

Winter joint pain or leg discomfort is very common, and there is a cause for it. It is a common issue, especially for the elderly and those who lead sedentary lifestyles. It occurs for two reasons: first is reduced mobility during the winter, leg pain may develop and interfere with your everyday productivity. Reduced sun exposure, which hinders the body’s ability to synthesize vitamin D, is the second main factor of leg pain during the winter.

Leg pain is common during winter. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

So, how to relieve leg pain?

1. Eat a healthy diet: A balanced diet high in vitamins D and C, omega-3 fatty acids, ginger, soybeans, fatty salmon, green vegetables, almonds, seeds, and collagen supplements will be beneficial for joint and bone health.

2. Leg up the wall: It is a yoga pose that you can consider practicing for 10 minutes to ease leg pain. It can promote balance, soothe the nervous system, improve blood circulation, ease stress and tension in the muscles of the hip, foot, and leg, as well as lessen ankle pain and swelling.

3. Lose weight: One of the main causes of leg pain is being overweight or obese, thus you should think about losing weight. You can relieve some of the load on your joints and legs by getting rid of extra kilos.

4. Massage gun: Use a massage gun on the area of painful muscles after your workout. It can aid in their relaxation and promote recovery from workouts.

A massage gun is an instant fix for stiff and sore muscles. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

5. Stay hydrated: One of the most typical causes of leg cramps is dehydration. A cramp is an uncontrollable muscular contraction. Your muscles can relax thanks to the fluids in your body, but when you’re dehydrated, your muscles become agitated and more prone to cramping. So drink water throughout the day.

6. Hot and cold therapy: You can also use a cold compress to ease muscle soreness. This can lessen muscle spasms, swelling, and pain. On the other hand, a hot compress can help the recovery of fatigued muscles.

7. Stretch regularly: To prevent pain, remember to stretch your leg muscles frequently. Exercises that stretch the muscles promote flexibility.

Apart from these tips, eat healthy and avoid a sedentary lifestyle!

Muscles hurt after training: why and what to do about it

. Trainer and orthopedic doctor explain

Trainer Anastasia Yurkova: pain after training should disappear within three to four days

Updated May 12, 2023, 08:15

Shutterstock

Many people are familiar with sore muscles the next day after an intense workout. These pains can be so severe that they interfere with movement. This state may last for several days. Together with experts, we figured out what is the cause of muscle pain, how to get rid of it and whether it can be prevented.

Contents

1. Why pain occurs
2. What to do
3. Prevention
4. Exercise

Why do muscles hurt after a workout

Pexels

Post-workout pain syndrome has a name – it’s natural delayed pain (Delayed onset muscle soreness, DOMS). It is also called krepatura. So far, doctors have not been able to find a single clear reason why it occurs [1].

Most often, the production of lactic acid, or rather its accumulation as a result of intense exercise, is called the cause of muscle pain after training. In normal mode, this substance has time to be developed and leave the muscles, but with serious physical exercises, this process does not have time to complete, and lactic acid accumulates in the muscles, causing pain. This explanation has been accepted by the scientific community and has been circulating since 1970s [2]. However, later experiments showed that these processes were only true for the frogs used for the tests. In humans, the mechanism does not work that way.

Maxim EnikeevHead of Orthopedic Rehabilitation at the European Medical Center

“The mechanism of this pain syndrome is not fully understood, but it is not associated with the accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles. Delayed muscle pain is an indicator that the load is somewhat beyond the capacity of our muscles, but not critical.

Nevertheless, scientists suspect that the formation of the pain effect is provoked by chemical processes occurring at the time of muscle contraction. For example, there is a theory that during strong muscle work, the body lacks amino acids (BCAA) and tries to make up for them from the protein molecules in the muscles. This causes damage and pain. Scientists have already found that taking supplements containing these amino acids can reduce discomfort [3].

Active sports and high loads are often associated with injuries. Joint and ligament injuries are often immediately obvious. But muscle microdamages just give a delayed pain effect. However, if it does not go away for a long time, it may be myofascial pain.

Maxim Enikeev:

“Myofascial pain is a slight damage to muscle fibers at the cellular level. The reservoir with calcium ions is broken, and calcium is released, causing a persistent contraction of individual muscle fibers. In this case, a spasm occurs, causing acute pain, which can last for a long time and is unlikely to go away on its own. It can be confused with joint pain, especially in the shoulders, neck and back.”

What to do if your muscles hurt after a workout

Pexels

You can relieve pain with the help of exercises that are aimed not at the load of the muscles, but, on the contrary, at their relaxation.

Recommended for pain relief:

• low-intensity recovery cardio 30-40 minutes;
• stretching exercises;
• myofascial relaxation – classes using balls and massage rollers that massage the muscles;
• use of a percussion massager;
• going to a bath or sauna.

Maxim Enikeev also emphasizes that it is better to start the next workout when the delayed muscle pain is almost completely gone.

Anastasia YurkovaMaster-coach of XFIT group programs in Russia

“Any pain is an indicator of trauma, the body thus signals that something is going wrong. If you feel pain after a workout, this is primarily an indication of overexertion. It is normal to experience slight pain when changing or increasing the load. However, if you constantly train in overvoltage mode, it can lead to serious fatigue injuries. The only exception to this rule is training for the development of strength indicators, that is, an increase in muscle mass. In this case, microtraumatism is a natural process with an increase in muscle mass.

It is worth noting that it is wrong to measure the effectiveness of training by the presence of muscle pain. After adequate exercise, there may be sensations, but they should not be painful. Normally, the pain disappears within three to four days, and a warm-up or massage helps to relieve it. If the pain does not go away, you should consult a doctor.

Tablets and ointments are the domain of doctors, I do not recommend self-medication. The only thing that can be done without a recommendation from a doctor is specialized sports ointments with a cooling effect and baths with sea salt. They help increase blood flow and promote rapid recovery.

How to avoid muscle pain after training

Pexels

Supplementation and exercise can help prevent crepitus.

Basic rules:

• exercise with moderate loads, the main thing in the training process is not intensity, but regularity;
• gradually increase the intensity of training. It is important to select the load according to your level of training and gradually increase it. So adaptation and development of endurance will be more efficient, without injuries and breakdowns;
• rest between workouts, ensure competent recovery after intensive training;
• do not neglect the warm-up and cool-down, gradually increase the intensity of the exercises and smoothly end the workout. Use five to ten minutes of cardio plus joint exercises as a warm-up, five to ten minutes of low-intensity cardio plus stretching as a cool-down;
• Take BCAAs before your workout. The recommended dose is 200–300 mg to 5 g of each amino acid per day. The group includes leucine, isoleucine and valine. Some studies show that for athletes with high physical exertion, the dose can be increased to 12 g [4].

Exercises to help you recover from your workout

MFR shin

Anastasia Yurkova / RBC

MFR shin

Place the lower leg on the massage cylinder and roll it from the ankle to the widest part. It is necessary to perform 5-6 movements in the center of the lower leg, 5-6 movements in the inner part, 5-6 movements in the outer part.

MFR hamstring

Anastasia Yurkova / RBC

MFR posterior thigh

Place the hamstring on the massage cylinder just above the knee, roll it up to the gluteal crease. It is necessary to perform 5-6 movements.

MFR anterior thigh

Anastasia Yurkova / RBC

MFR anterior thigh

Place the front of the thigh just above the knee on the massage roller and roll it 5-6 times to the middle of the thigh.

MFR buttocks

Anastasia Yurkova / RBC

MFR buttocks

Sit on the massage roller, bend the right leg at the knee and shift the weight of the body to the right buttock, roll 5-6 times.

MFR back

Anastasia Yurkova / RBC

MFR back

Lie on your back on the roller, while leaning on the lower edge of the shoulder blades. Roll your back from the waist to the top of the shoulder blades 5-6 times.

Dynamic leg stretch

Anastasia Yurkova / RBC

Dynamic leg stretch

Starting position kneeling, take a wide step forward with your right foot, tilt your body, support your hands, push your pelvis forward and down. Then, extending the right leg at the knee, push the pelvis back. Do 10-15 repetitions on each leg at a slow pace.

Dynamic back and abdominal stretch

Anastasia Yurkova / RBC

Dynamic stretching of the back and abdominal muscles

Starting position – square, take a wide step forward with your hands, stretch your buttocks back, twisting your pelvis, go to the “cat” position (round back), then push the pelvis further and go to the “cobra” (extension) position, return to the starting position. Repeat 8-10 times at a slow pace.

Dynamic stretch for legs, abdomen and back

Anastasia Yurkova / RBC

Dynamic stretching of the muscles of the legs, abdomen and back

Starting position kneeling, support on hands. Take your right leg to the side, in a half-twine position. With an inhalation, turn the body to the left, with the exit with your left hand, stretch to the right under the right shoulder. Do 8-10 slow reps.

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Muscle pain | Pre-Workout Stretching Benefits

• Joint & Muscular
• Adult

Learn how to manage post-workout muscle soreness and discomfort and prevent soreness with stretching exercises.

Why take the time to warm up?

A good warm-up promotes blood circulation and oxygen supply to the muscles necessary for further activity. The warm-up should consist of small cardio exercises and stretching.

One word of caution: if you have arthritis, a rheumatic disease, or a pain syndrome such as otitis media, you should probably consult a physical therapist or rheumatologist for advice on appropriate exercises for both warm-up and workout.

How does stretching help?

No matter how active you are, warming up properly before your workout will be of great benefit.

• Reduces muscle tension, allows the body to relax
• Improve general physical condition
• Helps avoid sprains as warm muscles are better able to withstand the strain they experience during exercise
• Reduces the risk of back problems
• Reduces muscle pain after exercise

Stretching the right way

Stretching seems to be very easy, but you have to do it right. This is especially important for joint pain or arthritis. Here are some simple tips:

• Always warm up your muscles before stretching with a small series of cardio exercises. Unheated muscles are very difficult to stretch.
• Do everything smoothly. Avoid jerking as this may cause injury.
• Stretch until you feel your muscles relax, about 20-30 seconds, then stop and repeat the exercise several times for each muscle group you want to use in your workout.
• You may experience slight discomfort while stretching. On the other hand, if you experience acute muscle pain, you should stop this exercise. After proper stretching, the discomfort should disappear.
• Do not hold your breath while stretching. On the contrary, try to breathe correctly and evenly. This will allow your body to relax, provide good blood circulation, and help prevent the unpleasant effects of exercise.

Before and after training

Remember that too much exercise without warming up and stretching can lead to muscle strains and tears.

Post-workout stretching is just as important. This helps bring the body back to its normal state. This can be especially beneficial for muscles that have experienced the most stress.

How to deal with muscle soreness and discomfort after a workout

Massage, hot baths, or just rest can help relieve muscle pain. You can also try Nurofen® Express Warming Patches or Gel ¹ .

When you really need something to relieve your pain

When all else fails, there is a pain reliever that can help you get rid of muscle pain quickly. Ibuprofen, the active ingredient in Nurofen®, can help with aches and pains. Nurofen® is able to block the release of prostaglandins in the muscles (chemical compounds that cause pain), fighting pain. Also, Nurofen® is an anti-inflammatory drug, which means it can help get rid of tissue swelling, which can appear after intense physical exercise along with pain and sensitivity. Nurofen® comes in the form of tablets, capsules, and even a gel that you can simply rub into the painful areas.