People with diabetes may experience leg pain, this can be a symptom of diabetic neuropathy (nerve pain), peripheral arterial disease or another health condition.
Some people, like Megan have reported leg pain as a sign they have diabetes, before they are diagnosed. Learn more about leg pain and diabetes and what can help.
What is diabetes leg pain?
People with diabetes can have leg pain for several reasons. The type of pain you have will feel different depending on what is causing it. Read more about the symptoms of diabetes below.
Causes of diabetes leg pain
Leg pain can be a symptom of diabetic neuropathy, this is when diabetes causes damage to your nerves. It can affect different nerves in your body, including in your legs. Neuropathy is one of the long-term complications of diabetes.
Leg pain can also be a symptom of reduced blood flow in the legs. This is called peripheral arterial disease or peripheral vascular disease. It’s when fatty material, called atheroma, can build up inside the arteries of your legs. This process is called atherosclerosis. Over time, your arteries may become narrow, stopping enough oxygen rich blood getting to your legs and feet.
Pain in your leg could also be related to leg ulcers, as well and other health problems. For example, arthritis or an injury.
What are the symptoms of diabetes leg pain?
You may feel tingling, burning, discomfort or shooting pains in your legs. These sensations can be worse at night.
Some people may also have muscle cramps in their legs.i Cramps are when your muscle suddenly tightens, making it hard to move. Cramps can be uncomfortable or sometimes painful.
If your leg pain is caused by peripheral artery disease, you may have pain when your walk or do other activity. This type of pain usually goes away when you rest. You may also have painful cramping in the hip, thigh or calf muscles.
Problems with your legs such as ulcers can also be painful or itchy.
Long-term impact of pain
Living with any type of long-term pain can be very distressing. Pain can have a negative impact on your mental health and general wellbeing.
If you are experiencing regular pain which you are struggling to cope with you should contact your GP or diabetes team for advice and support. You can also contact our helpline or reach out on our forum.
What is the screening for diabetes leg pain?
Everyone with diabetes should have certain checks and tests every year. This should normally involve being checked for signs of neuropathy and reduced blood flow to the feet, which can be a cause of leg pain
But there is no specific screening for leg pain. So, it’s important that you talk to your GP about any new pain or worsening pain symptoms, so that you can get the help you need.
Your doctor or diabetes nurse will screen you for the signs of diabetic neuropathy during your annual review. This will include:
- checking the feeling in your feet and your reflexes with special equipment
- checking blood fats, known as cholesterol, and blood pressure which can affect your risk of developing neuropathy or peripheral arterial disease
- asking questions about other symptoms you may be having.
Treatment for leg pain
What treatment you have depends on your symptoms and what is causing the pain. Your healthcare team should talk to you about how severe your pain is and how it is affecting your life.
Medications
Your healthcare team may suggest medication to help with the pain.
Paracetamol or ibuprofen does not tend to help with nerve pain. Instead, you may be prescribed other medications that can help with pain caused by nerve damage. Your doctor will explain the benefits and side effects of these medications. They will normally start you on the lowest dose, see if that helps and increase it if needed. If one medication doesn’t work well for you, you should be able to try another one.
If your leg pain is caused by peripheral arterial disease, you may be given medication such as clopidogrel or aspirin, as well as an exercise programme to help with the blood flow.
Some people may need a procedure to restore the flow of blood through the arteries in their legs. This is known as revascularisation. The NHS has more information about treatment for peripheral artery disease.
Topical treatment
If you find it difficult to take tablets, and you have leg pain in one area you could try a topical treatment. This is a cream, lotion or gel that you rub on.
Other ways of managing leg pain
There are other things that can help with leg pain:
- Physiotherapy to improve your strength and balance
- Referral to a specialist pain service. This could be if your pain is severe and means you can’t take part in your normal activities. If your healthcare team don’t refer you, you could ask your GP to.
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) may help reduce pain caused by neuropathy.1 This is a way of relieving pain that uses a mild electrical current, that is delivered via a TENS machine. The NHS has more information on TENS.
Complementary and alternative medicine
There is not enough evidence to show that taking supplements, like vitamins and minerals, can help with pain caused by neuropathy.
Some medication used to treat diabetes such as metformin can cause low levels of vitamin B12, known as vitamin B12 deficiency.
Ask your GP for a blood test if you have leg pain and are taking metformin.
If you are low on B12 then taking a B12 supplement may improve leg pain caused by neuropathy but you should talk to your healthcare team to see if this treatment is suitable for you before starting any supplements.
There is some limited evidence that having acupuncture alongside medical treatment can improve pain caused by diabetic peripheral neuropathy.2 But we need more research to confirm this.
How can I reduce my risk of diabetic leg pain?
Alongside going to your annual health checks, you can help prevent leg pain by:
- Giving up smoking if you are a smoker. This is one of the best things you can do to help prevent neuropathy and peripheral arterial disease. You can get help to quit smoking from your GP.
- Getting the right support to help manage your diabetes. This includes keeping your blood sugars as close to target as possible. And managing blood fat levels and blood pressure to help protect the blood vessels and nerves. Getting and staying active and healthy eating can help.
Coping with leg pain
We are here for you if you need support in dealing with pain.
Call our helpline
Whether you’ve got a specific question about your symptoms, treatment, or you just want to have a chat with someone who knows about diabetes, give our helpline a call. You’ll be able to speak to a highly trained advisor in confidence. They can take the time to talk you through your concerns or how you’re feeling.
Use our online forum
There are other people with diabetes who have had experience with pain and reaching out to them can help. You can read their experiences on our forum and sign up to take part in the conversations yourself. There are national charities that can help with further information and support about pain. These include Pain Concern and Action on Pain.
