Can Poor Circulation Cause Knee Pain

Causes And Related Problems

Nerve irritation or compression in the lower back most often cause sciatica. Back painis also common. Two other problems, herniated disc and spinal stenosis, may also play a role:

Doctors may order MRIs or EMGs to learn more. They may also recommend medicine, physical therapy, steroid injections, or surgery.

Why Are You Suffering From Poor Blood Circulation In Your Legs

Circulation issues occur when blood flow to a part of your body is reduced. Your circulatory system is what keeps blood, oxygen, and vital nutrients flowing throughout your body.

So, its safe to assume that when your circulation is not working well, its not something you should ignore because it means that your blood isnt flowing as well as it should be.

The first question you may ask yourself is: Why is this happening?

There are a number of reasons you could be suffering from bad blood circulation in your legs.

What Can You Do To Reduce Cold Weather Joint Pain

Keeping warm can help you reduce cold weather joint pain, especially when youre going to run outdoors in winter. Here are some ways to warm up:

• Do warm-up exercises:;Spend five minutes or more stretching. This reduces stiffness and prevents joint injuries.
• Dont stop running suddenly:;When you need to take a break, keep walking so your knee joints wont get cold and start to hurt.
• Cool down properly:;Immediately after running, do some stretching to reduce muscle tightening that occurs shortly after prolonged exercise.
• Stay indoors on very cold days:;Do your workout indoors. Rather than going out to run on snow-covered pavement, get on your treadmill for a 20-minute cardio workout.

Read Also: Why Does My Knee Click When I Walk

Four Simple Ways To Ensure Your Office Chair Isnt Causing Leg Circulation Problems:

What Are The Causes Of Poor Knee Circulation

Poor blood circulation, especially in the knees, is a common problem with older people, mostly because it takes a long time to develop. As with most blood circulation problems, the most common cause of poor knee circulation is the buildup of fatty deposits that result in the development of plaque in the arteries. This leads to reduced blood flow that can affect every area of the body.

If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, seek emergency treatment immediately.

Recommended Reading: How To Relieve Pain From Twisted Knee

Some Delicious Ingredients You Should Eat More Often:

• Cinnamon – Cinnamon has been proven to reduce cholesterol levels and improve blood glucose.
• Dark chocolate – Dark chocolate contains heart-healthy flavonoids, which cause the blood vessels to dilate.
• Nitrate-rich foods – Beets and dark, leafy greens have high levels of nitrate, a commonly prescribed blood pressure medicine.
• Dark berries – Like dark chocolate, dark berries such as black currants, blueberries, blackberries, and even strawberries contain potent antioxidants and flavonoids.
• Healthy fats – Unhealthy, saturated fats like butter and palm oil should be limited, but healthy fats in foods like olive oil and avocado are good for your heart.

A nutrient-rich diet of fruits, healthy fats, whole grains, and vegetables and decreasing your intake of processed foods filled with saturated fats will make it easier to maintain a healthy weight. This reduces strain on your joints and feet and improves your blood circulation and heart function.

Poor Patellar Blood Flow In Many Cases Of Patellofemoral Pain

PainScibibliographyet;alPubMed;#17567822;

One article on PainSci cites Näslund 2007:The Complete Guide to Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

PainSci commentary on Näslund 2007:?This page is one of thousands in the PainScience.com bibliography. It is not a general article: it is focused on a single scientific paper, and it may provide only just enough context for the summary to make sense. Links to other papers and more general information are provided wherever possible.

A 2008 study of 22 patients showed that 19 of them had reduced blood flow while the knee is flexed, but no such sign could be detected in healthy people. The method used to measure blood flow is new and therefore not exactly a sure thing, but thereâs a good chance it works as advertised. Their data was a bit all over the map â big error bars! â but the averages were clear enough. This could explain the notorious âmovie sign,â in which simply sitting with flexed knees makes them ache. If the results can be believed, it raises more questions than it answers: Is it cause or a symptom? Why would blood flow be reduced in the first place? Could this be why almost any kind of exercise tends to help â by normalizing blood flow? And since when can you squeeze blood out of living bones?

~ Paul Ingraham

Also Check: How Is Knee Surgery Performed

Brief Anatomy Of The Knee

The knee is a vulnerable joint that bears a great deal of stress from everyday activities, such as lifting and kneeling, and from high-impact activities, such as jogging and aerobics.

The knee is formed by the following parts:

• Tibia.;This is the shin bone or larger bone of the lower leg.

• Femur.;This is the thighbone or upper leg bone.

• Patella. This is the kneecap.

Each bone end is covered with a layer of cartilage that absorbs shock and protects the knee. Basically, the knee is 2 long leg bones held together by muscles, ligaments, and tendons.

There are 2 groups of muscles involved in the knee, including the quadriceps muscles , which straighten the legs, and the hamstring muscles , which bend the leg at the knee.

Tendons are tough cords of tissue that connect muscles to bones. Ligaments are elastic bands of tissue that connect bone to bone. Some ligaments on the knee provide stability and protection of the joints, while other ligaments limit forward and backward movement of the tibia .

How To Improve Leg Circulation

There are a few things you can do to improve circulation while sitting. The top of the list though is to not cross your legs while sitting down. It is a common habit of many people and a common cause of poor circulation. The rest is largely to do with your office chair. So, be sure to use a chair with a comfortable seat that has an easily adjustable backrest. Sit upright with the backrest supporting your body, place your feet flat on the floor or use a footrest if you cannot comfortably reach the floor. Always make sure to take breaks and arise from your seat and take a short walk to stretch your legs. A good rule of thumb is to move every 20 minutes. It doesnt take much. In fact, the mere act of just standing up every 20 may be enough to get your blood flowing.

You May Like: How To Stop Limping After Knee Surgery

Other Conditions And Causes

Diabetes;and Raynauds disease are all conditions that;cause symptoms of poor blood circulation. While these arent circulatory diseases, they are still conditions that need to be taken seriously.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is usually the result of poor diet and exercise. Hypertension can be a warning sign for declining vascular health and should be treated as such.

Maintaining an inactive lifestyle and obesity can also cause poor circulation, as well as your age. People over the age of 65 tend to have;poor blood circulation. This is most likely because of the;more sedentary lifestyle that a lot of seniors lead.

It is important to improve your circulation so that your body works properly through self-care or treatment.

Leg Pain And Poor Circulation

Peripheral Artery Disease

Cecil, a high school teacher from Illinois, could not walk more than 100 yards without raging pain in his legs. He was 46 years old. He had claudication. It is pain due to insufficient blood flow in the legs. Its the result of plaque build-up and blockages in the legs main arteries, termed peripheral artery disease, or PAD. Basically, PAD is heart disease in the legs. And like heart disease, its often caused by unhealthy living. Cecils cholesterol was 407.

Is your leg pain the result of something minor like muscle cramps? Or is it leg pain due to poor circulation? That’s very serious. “It is the muscle crying from oxygen starvation, states Dr. Danine Fruge, MD, ABFP, Medical Director at Pritikin. Learn what to do about Leg Pain Due To Poor Circulation or peripheral artery disease.

At the time, 1976, Cecils surgeon held little hope for his leg pain and poor circulation.

He told Cecil: Im sorry, but its too late. I cant help you. Youre plugged up from the middle of your body clear down past your knees. Just go home and take it easy You have 6 to 12 months to live Im sorry.

But Cecils wife, Patricia, had just finished reading about the Pritikin Longevity Center and its success with heart patients. She wondered if cleaning up poor circulation in the legs would have the same benefits as cleaning up poor circulation near the heart.

She wondered right.

Recommended Reading: When To Go To Er For Knee Pain

Hamstring Injury And Pain At The Back Of The Knee

An injury to your hamstring is a very common reason for sharp pains at the back of your knee.

Your hamstring starts at the bottom of your pelvic bone and crosses the back of the knee and ends at the lower leg. Doctors from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons say that your hamstring helps you bend your knee.

Hamstring injuries can result in pulling the hamstring muscle or completely tearing it. This can result in pain at the back of your leg below your knee. You may also notice bruising of your leg and may find it difficult to walk for a few weeks.3

Dr. Tyler Wheeler on WebMD says that you can prevent hamstring injuries by warming up before exercising. You should also strengthen your glutes which make up your buttocks to prevent extra strain on your hamstring muscles.

At the end of the article, you can find out how to treat a pulled or torn hamstring and help ease the pain behind your knee.

Leg Pain With Activity

Common symptoms of poor circulation in the legs include:

• pain
• numbness or fatigue in the foot
• leg or buttock that begins while walking
• goes away with rest

Not all symptoms are experienced by everyone. The symptoms may be severe enough to limit walking, resulting in decreased overall physical activity. Other types of exercise that use the leg muscles may also cause symptoms. With poor circulation, symptoms are brought on by exercise, because exercising muscles need more oxygen, which is carried by the blood.

• Common symptoms of poor circulation in the legs include: * pain * cramping * numbness or fatigue in the foot * leg or buttock that begins while walking * goes away with rest Not all symptoms are experienced by everyone.
• Other types of exercise that use the leg muscles may also cause symptoms.

You May Like: How To Get Rid Of Dark Knees And Elbows

Swelling In The Body Particularly In The Feet

Remember that point about your body retaining water? Well, this leads us to the next symptom of poor circulation: swelling, also known as edema. Your body retains water, usually around the ankles, as a response to poor blood circulation. This water pools and forces the skin to expand.

Swelling is extremely common during pregnancy, due to certain illnesses, and when youve been on your feet all day. Youll need to look at whether poor circulation could also be involved. Your hands may also swell, looking puffy and fat. Its your bodys way of trying to rectify the issue of poor circulation.

While puffy, your fingers and toes can still be discolored and numb, as well as cold. You may find that you can push on the area and leave dents for longer than normal. Your skin isnt able to bounce back because of the swelling.

You cant ignore this symptom, whatever the reason. Swelling in the feet or hands could be a sign of another more serious condition. It can also restrict the blood flow further, causing problems for your extremities. If youre pregnant, your midwife or doctor will keep an eye on your swelling, as it could be a sign of a serious complication with your pregnancy.

How To Improve Foot Circulation

Even while you and your doctor work to identify the cause of your symptoms, you can still take steps to naturally alleviate the pain and discomfort of, cold, aching legs, toes, & feet.

You can start by making certain lifestyle changes that will help avoid these painful episodes altogether. These changes may not be easy for everyone, but they will help reduce the amount of pain you encounter from a lack of blood flow. These can include:

Also Check: Is Cycling Good For Arthritic Knees

What Do Arteries And Veins Do

While your heart does the hard work of pumping blood out to the rest of your body, your arteries and veins serve as the conduits through which the blood flows. Arteries deliver oxygenated blood to all your bodys tissues, while veins return deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the lungs to pick up more oxygen, and to the heart, which starts the process all over again. If theres any problem with this vast network of tubules, arterial or venous disease results.

The Symptoms Of Sciatica Depend On Circumstances

Sciatica is a common set of symptoms. The severity of these symptoms depends on a few different factors.

For example, pain and numbness with sciatica are usually worse in the morning. Youre also likely to feel worse when sitting or driving. Coughing or sneezing adds also to the pain for some people.

You May Like: How Much Is Total Knee Replacement Surgery

When Is Leg Pain Not Just Leg Pain

Not all leg pain is a pulled muscle or a sprained ligament; sometimes its caused by an underlying circulatory problem, either in the arterial or the venous section of the system. For each issue, there are a number of symptoms to watch for, so youll know when you need to make an appointment with your vein specialist.

When You Should See A Doctor If You Think You Have Leg Circulation Problems:

While its common to get leg circulation trouble from sitting wrong, or an improper chair for your body type, or even age, it is always a good idea to consult with a cardiac doctor if you observe any of the symptoms. Remember, untreated circulation troubles could be a warning sign of an underlying serious condition and could potentially lead to greater complications.;;

You May Like: How Do They Do Knee Replacement Surgery

As If You Needed Another Reason To Quit Smoking

Do you still smoke? Quitting smoking is a healthy decision in general, and it can also help improve poor blood circulation.

If youve ever seen pictures of poor circulation in feet or hands and wondered why the extremities look so discolored, smoking is usually the culprit.

In fact, smoking-related circulatory diseases kill more people each year than lung cancer does, so put down the butts once and for all!

When To Call The Doctor For Knee Pain

When you are deciding whether to call the doctor about your knee pain, a good rule of thumb exists for most long-term knee injuries. If your symptoms have not gone away after trying a week of PRICE therapy and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory pain meds, you should set up an appointment with your doctor, physical therapist, or a sports medicine orthopaedic specialist to further evaluate the pain. This rule can also be applied to new knee injuries that are not disabling. Remember, however, that this rule should only serve as a guide. If you are concerned about the pain, you should call the doctor.

Don’t Miss: How Long Is Knee Surgery

Know The Signs And Risk Factors

So, you think your knee is acting up. These symptoms could be signs of an injury or developing condition:

• swelling and stiffness
• redness and warmth to the touch
• weakness or instability
• popping or crunching noises
• inability to fully straighten the knee

Of course, making an appointment to see your doctor isnt a bad idea, especially if the pain sticks around. You dont have to live in pain. But if you notice that you cant bear weight, have serious swelling, you cant move your knee, you see a deformity or if your knee feels unstable, dont wait to make an appointment.

Several factors can put you at risk for knee pain. For example, pain from that old football injury isnt a myth. Previous injury to your knee can cause pain for years. So can excess weight, lack of flexibility or strength, and certain sports such as jogging, skiing and basketball.