A disease that starts with leg pain is peripheral artery disease.
Peripheral artery disease is a condition in which your arteries which carry blood to your legs and your arms become blocked or narrowed due to plaque buildup.
When the arteries that carry blood to the legs and arms become blocked or narrowed as a result of the plaque buildup it reduces blood flow and results in various symptoms as well as potential complications.
The symptoms of peripheral artery disease include cold feet or toes, cramping or numbness in your legs and pain, especially during exercise, shiny, smooth skin on your legs, weak or absent pulses in your feet or legs, woulds or ulcers on the feet or legs that are slow healing and foot discoloration, like redness or blueness.
The risk factors for peripheral artery disease include age, family history of heart disease or peripheral artery disease, obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and smoking.
Diagnosis for peripheral artery disease includes a physical exam, including checking your pulses and skin changes and an ankle brachial index test, which compares the blood pressure in your arms and legs and a doppler ultrasound or angiography to visualize your arteries.
Treatment for peripheral artery disease includes lifestyle changes like exercising regularly, losing weight and quitting smoking if you smoke.
Other treatments for peripheral artery disease are medications like statins which lower your cholesterol, blood pressure medications and antiplatelet drugs as well as possible angioplasty or surgery to open up blocked arteries and in severe cases amputation may be needed.
Other conditions that starts with leg pain are deep vein thrombosis, sciatica, spinal stenosis, electrolyte imbalances, arthritis and even peripheral neuropathy.
Even varicose veins, circulatory problems, multiple sclerosis, ALS, muscle strains and sprains and overuse of the legs can result in leg pain.