The American Diabetes Association reports that over 30 million individuals are currently struggling with diabetes. Alarmingly, a portion of these individualsĀ remain unaware of their condition, exposing them to heightened risks of complications, including leg pain.
The main reason for Leg pain in Diabetes is Nerve damage and stiff muscles. To know how stiff muscles cause leg pain and its solution click on the link. Here we will discuss nerve damage.Ā
How Nerve Damage Causes Leg Pain
Diabetic neuropathy is a common problem due to high blood sugar. It refers to the damage of nerves throughout his body. It often damages the nerves of the legs and feet.
One of the main causes of nerve damage can be atherosclerosis. It is the blockage of fine blood vessels leading to loss of supply of nutrients to the site. Lack of blood supply and lack of oxygen to any organ causes pain, which is called Ischemia. When a person with blocked blood vessels in the legsĀ walks for some time, oxygen demand in leg muscles increases due to increased muscular movement but supply is blocked due to atherosclerosis hence lack of oxygen in the blood causes pain.Ā
When our legs, and arms do not receive sufficient blood flow to keep up with demand, we call it Peripheral artery disease (PAD).Ā
Symptoms and diagnosis of Peripheral artery disease (PAD)
To Know if you have peripheral artery disease you can do some blood pressure tests like the Arterial Brachial Index, and some blood tests like the Homocysteine test, and the Hs-CRP test.
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Arterial Brachial Index (ABI): It is also known as the AB index. It assesses PAD by taking the blood pressure of all 4 limbs, both hands and legs. ABI is calculated by dividing the blood pressure of the legs and the blood pressure of the arm. You can see the table to check your stage.
Homocysteine test: It is a type of Blood test that is done to measure levels of inflammation in the body. It suggests the deficiency of B6, B12, and Folic acid, and an increase in Homocysteine levels suggests an increase in InflammationĀ levels in the body. High inflammation is a characteristic of peripheral arterial diseases. Normally, homocysteine should be less than 15.1 Āµmol/L.Ā
Hs-CRP Test: This is another blood test used to measure inflammation in the body. Normal levels are less than 1 mg/dl. This test measures inflammation hence good to figure out the probability of PAD.
Diabetic Leg Pain treatment
To prevent Diabetic neuropathy or alleviate leg pain in diabetes, the primary step involves managing blood sugar levels effectively.Ā Prioritize dietary choices as they play a crucial role in controlling blood sugar levels; hence, avoiding foods with high glycemic index and high glycemic load is imperative. Accessing our EGL chart enables individuals to ascertain the Estimated Glycemic Load value per 100g of over 300 food items, facilitating informed dietary decisions concerning commonly consumed vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. Additionally, incorporating other preventive measures is essential for mitigating leg pain associated with diabetes.
- Boosting potassium and magnesium levels can be achieved through diet or via dietary supplements. Fruits, nuts, and seeds serve as excellent sources of potassium, so incorporating more of these into your diet is beneficial. Additionally, opting for low sodium salt can also increase potassium intake, as it contains potassium chloride alongside sodium chloride. Unlike normal table salt, which lacks potassium, low sodium salt typically comprises 80-85% sodium chloride and 15-20% potassium chloride. Consider trying our NutraActive Mineral salt, enriched with essential minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and iron, to further supplement your diet effectively.
- To enhance magnesium levels, incorporate more nuts and seeds into your diet as they are abundant sources of this mineral. Additionally, consider taking supplements like Diabexy reversol tablets, which contain magnesium, to further supplement your magnesium intake.
- You can also do some home remedy treatments for diabetes leg pain like drinking 1 litre of Alkaline water in the early morning, following a good low glycemic diet plan, and stretching exercises.
Last but not the least, always consult your doctor first before following any guidelines. These were some of the tips for the treatment of diabetes, leg pain, and cramps.
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