Physical Therapy

• Physical therapy can be beneficial for many conditions that cause leg pain. Your therapist may include strength training exercises, which are commonly isometric and isotonic exercises; range of motion exercises, which help muscles and joints to be less stiff; hot and cold therapy; and deep massage techniques.
  
  There are also techniques and care that can be done at home, such as resting your legs and elevating them. For varicose veins, you should massage your legs several times a day and wear compression hosiery to aid circulation.
  
  If a cramp or pain gets worse after following the recommendations, you should see your physician. This could be an indication that the problem is getting worse, or that your condition is more severe than the original diagnosis.
  
  

Injections and Medication

• Occasionally, leg pain can be attributed to low back pain. When a nerve is pinched or compressed in the lower back, or there is a problem such as a herniated disc, pain can radiate into one or both of the legs. A numbing medication can be used to deaden the pain. Your doctor may decide that your condition requires an epidural and a steroid to be injected directly into the epidural space. The epidural space is where the nerves exit the spine and sensations such as pain are passed to the extremities. Steroids decrease inflammation and swelling, which can relieve some of the pain.
  
  According to Dr. Leonardo Kapural, the purpose of injecting steroids and epidurals into the spine is to get as close to the area of injury as possible. This eliminates the need for oral prescriptions and the side effects related to them. This method also works much quicker than waiting for oral prescriptions to make their way through the digestive tract and into your system. Kapural states that the benefits of these procedures outweigh the risks.
  
  For leg pain related to muscle pain or injury, your doctor may prescribe an oral anti-inflammatory. If the pain is not severe, an oral anti-inflammatory might be enough to reduce the swelling as well as the pain. If your leg pain is due to blood clots, you may be put on an anti-coagulant medication to dissolve them.
  
  

Stretching Exercises

• Your doctor may prescribe routine stretching exercises for your leg pain. These can be ideal for sore muscles, pain related to sciatica, or an injury. To stretch the thigh and the lower leg, sit on the floor with one leg pulled up so that the sole of your foot touches the inner thigh of your outstretched leg. Keep your outstretched leg as straight as possible with your knee flat. Slowly bend at the waist, breathing out as you carefully reach out to touch your toes. Hold the position for 10 seconds and release earlier if you feel pain. Repeat with the other leg.
  
  Find an object that is waist high. Facing the object, carefully put your left heel on it, stretching your left leg out straight. Breathe out and slowly bend at the waist to grab your left toes. Hold the position for 10 seconds and repeat with the other leg.
  
  Another helpful stretch is to sit on the floor with your legs opened in a V shape. Point your toes and, breathing out, reach for your toes on the left foot; hold for 10 seconds, then lean and stretch for your right toes.