Leg cramps after walking can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'worrying' to 'life-threatening'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.
Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose leg cramps after walking, we could:
Cause | Probability | Status |
---|---|---|
EFA Need | 92% | Confirm |
Low Progesterone | 69% | Possible |
Vitamin D Need | 25% | Unlikely |
Mineral Need | 1% | Ruled out |
Atherosclerosis | 1% | Ruled out |
Intermittent Claudication | 1% | Ruled out |
Do your leg muscles cramp after walking, becoming better after rest?
Possible responses:
→ Don't know→ No → Yes, sometimes/moderately → Yes, often/severely |
Atherosclerosis decreases the supply of blood and oxygen to the legs, causing people with intermittent claudication to experience leg pain after walking a certain distance.
Initial symptoms of intermittent claudication are pain, aching, cramping, or fatigue of the muscles in the lower limbs that develop during walking and are quickly relieved by rest. Symptoms typically occur in the calf but may also be located in the foot, thigh, hip, or buttocks. In more advanced stages, the painful symptoms are present even at rest and are worsened by elevating the legs.