Heavy Legs: Causes & How to Relieve Sore Legs

Q: Why Do My Legs Feel Heavy?

Poor blood circulation, which is commonly found in the lower extremities due to gravity, is the leading cause of heavy feeling legs. Varicose veins, which occur with age, pregnancy, obesity, or genetic predisposition, can also cause heavy legs due to the loss of elasticity and valve strength. Restless leg syndrome, which can be caused by smoking, drinking, or certain medications, can also trigger heavy leg symptoms.

Q: How To Get Relief for Heavy Legs at Home

To relieve heavy legs at home, you can use compression stockings to promote healthy blood flow and combat gravity. Additionally, we recommend implementing a healthy lifestyle to get long-term relief, including losing weight, elevating legs, quitting smoking, and maintaining a healthy diet.

“Why do my legs feel heavy?” Heavy legs can really weigh you down. If it feels like you’re carrying around extra baggage in your legs, then this article is for you. Continue reading to learn about what causes heavy legs from expert vein specialists and how to relieve this feeling.

Table of Contents

Common Symptoms of Heavy Legs

If you are suffering from heavy or sore legs, then you have most likely experienced the following symptoms:

Aching
Swelling
Stiffness
Tiredness
Leg cramping
Bumps, sores, or skin discoloration

In general, heavy legs can be caused by various factors, including lifestyle choices, underlying medical conditions, or temporary factors such as prolonged standing or intense physical activity.

Why Do My Legs Feel Heavy?

Now that you know the symptoms, let’s take a look at the main causes of heavy legs. When your legs feel heavy, there are generally a few possible culprits:

Poor Blood Circulation

Poor circulation is generally the leading cause of heavy legs. Circulation issues are commonly found in the lower extremities. This is because of gravity. Your body must work against gravity to circulate blood back to your heart. If you have poor circulation, your blood may start to pool and gather in your legs, causing them to feel heavy.

Varicose Veins

Varicose veins are large, bumpy veins that appear near the surface of your skin. Enlarged veins lose elasticity and valve strength, which means that your blood won’t circulate as it should. This occurrence can cause your legs to feel tired and heavy. Varicose veins typically appear with age, pregnancy, obesity, or if they are common in your family.

Restless Leg Syndrome

That uncomfortable feeling in your legs could be causing your heavy leg symptoms. Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a condition in which one has feelings of “pulling, searing, drawing, tingling, bubbling, or crawling” beneath the skin, usually in the lower legs area. RLS can be triggered by many risks such as smoking and drinking, or if you take brain chemical-altering medications.

How To Get Relief for Heavy Legs at Home

When your legs feel heavy, you should consider a few self-care measures you can take at home to find relief

Compression Stockings

Compression stockings are a type of hosiery that is designed to provide a gentle, yet firm, pressure to the legs. This pressure can help improve blood flow and circulation, which can reduce swelling, fatigue, and a heavy feeling in the legs.

Compression stockings are commonly used by people who spend long periods of time standing or sitting, as well as those who suffer from conditions such as varicose veins or lymphedema.

By wearing compression stockings regularly, individuals can experience increased comfort and mobility in their legs, and may even be able to prevent or delay the onset of certain health problems.

Elevate your legs

Lie down and elevate your legs above heart level, preferably using a pillow or cushion. This helps to reduce swelling and improve blood circulation.

Implementing a Healthy Lifestyle

The best way to get long-term relief from heavy legs is with healthy lifestyle choices. Smoking, obesity, an unhealthy diet, and other issues like low activity levels can cause your legs to feel heavy. Losing weight if you need to, elevating your legs, quitting tobacco, and eating healthy all contribute to heavy leg relief. Here are some tips:

Regularly massage your legs
Stay active
Maintain a healthy weight
Stay hydrated
Avoid tight clothing
Quit smoking

How To Treat Vein Issues

If your heavy legs are hindering your daily activities, it’s best to get your veins checked. Gilvydis Vein Clinic has performed over 24,000 successful vein treatments that have given patients a new outlook on life.

Sclerotherapy

Sclerotherapy is a non-surgical treatment designed to treat varicose and spider veins. This outpatient treatment involves a solution called sclerosant which is injected into an unhealthy vein. The solution then closes off the vein, shrinks it, and encourages blood to reroute into healthy veins.

Endovenous Laser Ablation (EVLA)

Varicose veins aren’t just a cosmetic issue. Like Sclerotherapy, Endovenous Laser Ablation (EVLA) uses a laser catheter to close off and shrink varicose veins. The blood is then redirected into healthy veins without the need for invasive treatment.

Treat Your Heavy Legs at Gilvydis Vein Clinic

There’s no need to feel down about your heavy legs when Gilvydis Vein Clinic is a call away. Gilvydis is the leader in superior Illinois vein care. Our vein specialists and staff members offer the personalized care you need and deserve to achieve your best possible outcome. Get started with a consultation today.

Call (815) 827-1098 or request an appointment at a location near you.