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Is Leg Pain a Symptom of Diabetes Mellitus?

Diabetes mellitus, or diabetes for short, is a growing concern for many Americans. According to the American Diabetes Association, "there are 23.6 million children and adults in the United States, or 7.8 percent of the population, who have diabetes." Of these 23.6 million people, 5.7 million are unaware that they have diabetes. Early detection and action is important to prevent diabetes progression; this leaves many Americans wondering if leg pain or other seemingly benign symptoms could be indicators of diabetes.

  1. General Diabetes Information

    • You receive a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus when your body is unable to produce or use insulin properly. Without proper insulin levels in the body, sugar is unable to be converted into energy. The American Heart Association explains that "this causes sugars to build up too high in your blood." Specifically, "a blood glucose level of 126 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or more" is indicative of diabetes. Lower blood glucose levels that are very close to 126 mg/dL are associated with "pre-diabetes" patients--people who are at high risk for the disease and can sometimes even begin exhibiting symptoms.

    Leg Pain and Diabetes

    • The bodily effect of diabetes is far-reaching, affecting nearly every aspect of a person's health. Diabetes patients are more prone to many related illnesses and intermittent pain. According to the New York Times, leg pain itself can be caused by many factors, including muscle cramps, stress fractures, inflamed tendons and diabetes mellitus. A group of disorders definitively linking leg pain and diabetes mellitus are called "diabetic neuropathies." The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC) explains that diabetic neuropathies are a "family of nerve disorders caused by diabetes." This nerve damage can go unnoticed in some people, but for others it can have drastic implications. Diabetic-induced nerve ailments most likely affect the extremities--including the legs--but nerve ailments caused by diabetes have also been known to influence the body's vital organs. Whether in the legs, other extremeties or bodily organs, diabetic neuropathies cause "pain, tingling or numbness" at the effected area. The pain can be excruciating, and the numbness can render a body part useless.

    Diabetic Neuropathies

    • Diabetic neuropathy and associated leg pain is diagnosed in numerous ways. A medical doctor can check a diabetic patient's foot for obvious signs of peripheral neuropathy. A doctor will touch pressure points on the foot to see if the patient is overly sensitive or experiences pain; additional tests involve gauging a patient's movement and balance. Other methods include electromyography tests, heart rate monitoring and ultrasound imaging, according to the NDIC. If such tests are not utilized to catch the neuropathic disorder early enough, the patient may suffer permanent nerve damage -- in severe cases, undetected and untreated diabetic neuropathies can result in the amputation of a nerve-damaged extremity, commonly the foot or leg.

      Treatment varies based on the individual symptoms. For a patient exhibiting leg or foot pain symptoms, the first step is usually aimed at better managing blood sugar, then pain management is addressed through lifestyle changes or medication and finally, proper foot care must be exercised to minimize permanent nerve damage.

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