Can diabetes cause lower leg pain?

Yes, diabetes, particularly a poorly controlled diabetes where the blood sugars are high, is a major cause of pain and uncomfortable sensations in the leg. Diabetic leg pain may present as a dull ache in the soles, calves, and thighs or present with pins and needles like sensation in the lower limb.

How do you get rid of diabetic leg pain?

Here are nine tips to help manage and relieve diabetic leg pain.

1. Use exercise to promote overall health.
2. Eat a diabetic-friendly diet.
3. Manage weight.
4. Maintain appropriate blood sugar levels.
5. Practice daily foot and leg care.
6. Build healthier habits for compounded prevention.
7. Try physical therapy.

What does leg pain from diabetes feel like?

Another symptom is a burning, sharp, or aching pain (diabetic nerve pain). The pain may be mild at first, but it can get worse over time and spread up your legs or arms. Walking can be painful, and even the softest touch can feel unbearable. Up to 50 percent of people with diabetes may experience nerve pain.

How does diabetes affect lower legs?

Having diabetes can damage the nerves and blood vessels that supply your legs and feet. This puts affected people at increased risk of developing ulcers on the feet and legs which can become infected, and in the worst cases, develop gangrene (where the tissue dies, resulting in the need for amputation).

Can Type 2 diabetes cause aching legs?

Leg pain and cramps often occur as a result of nerve damage called diabetic neuropathy. If diabetes damages nerves in your arms or legs, it’s called diabetic peripheral neuropathy. This condition can be a direct result of long-term high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia) in those who have diabetes.

Why does diabetes affect your legs?

Neuropathy is nerve damage. High blood sugar levels caused by diabetes can damage the nerves and blood vessels in your body. That includes the ones in your feet and legs. If your nerves are damaged, you might not feel pain, heat, cold, sharp objects, or other symptoms of ulcers or infections.

What are the signs of diabetic nerve pain?

Here are the more common signs of diabetic nerve pain:

• Numbness.
• Sharp and burning pain.
• Pins and needles pain.
• Deformities on the foot (i.e. hammertoe)
• Sores or blisters.
• Sensitivity to touch.
• Tingling or stabbing pain.

Can diabetes affect your leg?

Over time, high levels of blood glucose can damage your nerves and blood vessels. When nerve damage occurs due to diabetes, it is called diabetic neuropathy. It typically affects the extremities – your arms, hands, legs, and feet.