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Home > Pain Management > 11 Home Remedies for Leg Pain and How to Use Them

11 Home Remedies for Leg Pain and How to Use Them

January 24, 2023
9 min read
By Dr. Arif Maghribi Khan, MBBS, MD | Mental Health Counselor

In this article:

  • Home Remedies to Relieve Leg Pain
  • Self-Care Tips to Reduce Leg Pain
  • Most-Asked Questions About Leg Pain
  • Final Word

Chronic leg pain can be an annoying problem to deal with. It may be caused by many factors including age, nutritional deficiencies, and certain disorders.

home remedies for relieving leg pain

The good news is there are a few simple home remedies you can try to reduce leg pain.

Home Remedies to Relieve Leg Pain

Most of these remedies are easy to use and utilize common things you may already have in your home.

1. Apply a cold compress

Applying a cold compress to the hurting area can numb it temporarily to reduce pain. It also reduces blood supply to the legs and decreases inflammation.

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How to use:

Wrap a cold ice pack in a soft towel and gently press it on the legs for 5–8 minutes. (1)

2. Use turmeric

Turmeric contains a potent anti-inflammatory compound called curcumin. It helps reduce pain and swelling in the limbs. (2)

How to use:

Apply turmeric and coconut oil paste to the affected area. Massage it for a few minutes, and let it absorb for half an hour before washing it off.

3. Take an Epsom salt bath

Epsom salt contains high amounts of magnesium, which helps reduce pain and inflammation. (3)(4)

How to use:

Add 3 tablespoons of Epsom salt to a bathtub filled with warm water. Soak in this bath for 10–15 minutes before washing off.

apply cold compress, use turmeric, take Epsom salt bath, and apple cider vinegar to relieve leg pain

4. Try apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) can help reduce leg pain caused by nerve damage. It has effective analgesic qualities and can reduce swelling. (5)(6)

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How to use:

Add 1–2 tablespoons of ACV to a warm water bath. Soak your legs in this solution for 10 minutes every night.

5. Massage with mustard oil

Mustard oil contains a compound called allyl isothiocyanate. It is an effective pain reliever and also helps reduce inflammation.

How to use:

Massage your legs with warm mustard oil for 5–10 minutes every day. (7)(8)(9)

6. Use essential oils

Eucalyptus oil is well known for its cooling and anti-inflammatory properties. It helps reduce pain, lower inflammation, and provide soothing relief. (10)

How to use:

Add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to a warm water bath. Soak your legs in this for 10 minutes.

7. Drink fenugreek water

Fenugreek seeds have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities. They can be effective in reducing pain. (11)

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How to use:

Soak a few fenugreek seeds in a glass of water overnight. Strain this water and drink it in the morning.

use mustard oil, essential oils, fenugreek water, and white willow tea to relieve leg pain

8. Consume white willow tea

White willow extract contains an anti-inflammatory compound known as salicin. Salicin is converted to salicylic acid in the body, which helps reduce pain and inflammation. (12)

How to use:

Prepare white willow tea by boiling 1–2 teaspoons of dry willow bark in two cups of water, boil it till it is reduced to one cup, and then strain the tea through a coffee filter to remove the bark particles.

9. Take ginger tea

try drinking ginger tea to help reduce leg pain and inflammation

Ginger contains a natural compound called gingerol, which is a known painkiller and helps reduce inflammation.

How to use:

Boil a few ginger pieces in water to make ginger tea. (13)

10. Apply the RICE technique

RICE is an acronym for rest, ice, compression, and elevation. (14) It is recommended by most doctors and physiotherapists as a way to reduce pain and inflammation.

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rest, ice, compression, and elevation can help relieve leg pain

How to perform:

  1. Rest – Reduce physical activity and let your legs rest as much as possible.
  2. Ice – Apply an ice pack to the area twice or thrice a day.
  3. Compression – Wrap or compress the area using bandages to reduce pain and swelling.
  4. Elevation – Elevate the leg on a pillow or bed rest to help reduce the swelling.

11. Drink pickle juice

consuming pickle juice may help dissipate leg cramps

Some recent studies indicate that drinking pickle juice may help dissipate cramps. Pickle juice has an acidic nature, which can activate certain nerve receptors in the muscles and signal the brain to relax the muscle.

However, people with hypertension should not try this remedy as it can increase their blood pressure. (15)

Self-Care Tips to Reduce Leg Pain

Here are a few additional self-care tips to reduce leg pain:

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1. Incorporate nutrition-rich food

Consume a healthy diet with the recommended amounts of vitamins D and E, calcium, magnesium, etc. A deficiency of these nutrients can be a factor in leg pain, weakness, and fatigue. (16)

Note: Do not take any multivitamins or vitamin supplements without your doctor’s advice. Nowadays, many people take vitamin D supplements on their own, which results in vitamin D poisoning. Toxicity of vitamin D leads to hypercalcemia and an imbalance in the regulation of bone metabolism; the resultant hypercalcemia leads to clinical manifestations and symptoms of toxicity. (17)

2. Exercise

Exercise helps increase blood flow to the legs and reduce inflammation. Low-intensity exercises such as jogging or walking can help reduce leg pain. (18)

3. Drink plenty of water

Dehydration can cause muscle cramps and aches. Make sure to drink 5–8 glasses of water per day, depending on individual needs. (19)

Most-Asked Questions About Leg Pain

Can leg pain happen only due to a nutritional deficiency or imbalance?

Leg pain can be caused by a number of things: nutritional deficiencies, age, working out, walking long distances, etc.

What if my leg pain doesn’t stop even after using the above treatments?

what if the leg pain does not stop after using the above treatments?

You need to consult a doctor as this can be a sign of something serious such as a hairline fracture, an injury, or inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, among others.

Is leg pain common during the first month of pregnancy?

Yes, leg pain during pregnancy is a symptom many women experience. It may occur during the first month or first trimester for some, but it is more common in the second or third trimester.

Is this true that there is no chance of a fracture if you can move a joint after a fall and experience only mild pain?

False, as a bone can be fractured but you can still move it because the injury isn’t big enough to cause so much pain to be unmovable.

So, the first thing to do after a fall is to visit your nearest doctor.

Is increasing age the main factor in developing arthritis?

Degenerative osteoarthritis is very common in increasing age, and any arthritis occurring at a younger age should be suspected for infective and inflammatory arthritis.

With increasing age, joints are prone to develop degenerative arthritis due to the wear and tear. But it does not mean all pain in the elderly is due to age only.

Final Word

Leg pain can be caused by a number of different factors and may or may not be related to an underlying condition. Try the home remedies given above to reduce leg pain.

Consult your doctor if it does not seem to get better even after doing so.

Continue Reading Continue ReadingLeg Pain: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment
References
  1. Wang Y; Li S; Zhang Y; Chen Y; Yan F; Han L; Ma Y; Heat and cold therapy reduce pain in patients with delayed onset MUSCLE SORENESS: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 32 randomized controlled trials. Physical therapy in sport: official journal of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Sports Medicine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33493991/.
  2. Orthopedics aDof. Efficacy of high-dissolution turmeric-sesame formulation…: Medicine. LWW. https://journals.lww.com/md-journal/fulltext/2020/07100/efficacy_of_high_dissolution_turmeric_sesame.7.aspx.
  3. M; VRN. Magnesium in the central nervous system. National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29919999/.
  4. Gröber U, Werner T, Vormann J, Kisters K. Myth or reality-transdermal magnesium? Nutrients. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5579607/.
  5. Osteoarthritis – statpearls – NCBI bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482326/.
  6. Atik D, Atik C, Karatepe C. The effect of external apple vinegar application on varicosity symptoms, pain, and social appearance anxiety: A randomized controlled trial. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine: eCAM. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4735895/.
  7. A comparative study to evaluate the effect of warm mustard oil vs warm … https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280797975/.
  8. A dose-response study of topical allyl-isothiocyanate … – researchgate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317614027/.
  9. LT; DRL. Release of allyl isothiocyanate from mustard seed meal powder. Journal of food science. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24313968/.
  10. Lakhan SE, Sheafer H, Tepper D. The effectiveness of aromatherapy in reducing pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Pain research and treatment. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5192342/.
  11. Pundarikakshudu K, Shah DH, Panchal AH, Bhavsar GC. Anti-inflammatory activity of fenugreek (trigonella foenum-graecum linn) seed petroleum ether extract. Indian journal of pharmacology. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4980935/.
  12. SJ; SMS. Efficacy and safety of white willow bark (Salix alba) extracts. Phytotherapy research: PTR. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25997859/.
  13. Rondanelli M, Fossari F, Vecchio V, et al. Clinical trials on pain lowering effect of ginger: A narrative review. Phytotherapy research: PTR. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7754412/.
  14. van den Bekerom MPJ, Struijs PAA, Blankevoort L, Welling L, van Dijk CN, Kerkhoffs GMMJ. What is the evidence for rest, ice, compression, and elevation therapy in the treatment of ankle sprains in adults? Journal of athletic training. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3396304/.
  15. Miller KC, Mack G, Knight KL. Electrolyte and plasma changes after ingestion of pickle juice, water, and a common carbohydrate-electrolyte solution. Journal of athletic training. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2742453/. Published 2009.
  16. Hammond N, Wang Y, Dimachkie MM, Barohn RJ. Nutritional neuropathies. Neurologic clinics. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4199287/.
  17. Marcinowska-Suchowierska E, Kupisz-Urbańska M, Łukaszkiewicz J, Płudowski P, Jones G. Vitamin D toxicity-A clinical perspective. Frontiers in endocrinology. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6158375/. Published September 20, 2018.
  18. Kuntz AB, Chopp-Hurley JN, Brenneman EC, et al. Efficacy of a biomechanically-based Yoga Exercise Program in knee osteoarthritis: A randomized controlled trial. PloS one. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5903657/.
  19. Lau WY, Kato H, Nosaka K. Water intake after dehydration makes muscles more susceptible to cramp but electrolytes reverse that effect. BMJ open sport & exercise medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6407543/.
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