Leg pain can be caused by a variety of different condition including lower back problems, affecting the sciatic nerve which runs down your legs. Many athletes’ and sports players also have leg pain caused by damage to the hamstring. The hamstring can become damaged from running, sprinting and also playing sports like basketball and soccer. A pulled hamstring is an injury to one or more of the muscles at the back of the thigh. Non-surgical treatment is usually adequate to fix a hamstring injury.

In severe hamstring injuries, surgery may be required to correct the injury, if the tendon has actually pulled completely away from the bone. If a muscle has torn away from the bone, surgery may be required to repair a tear in the muscle. To repair a tendon avulsion, the surgeon must pull the hamstring muscle back into place and remove any scar tissue. Large stitches or staples are used to reattach the tendon to the one and then complete rest is required while it heals.

Another cause of leg pain can be from a lower back problem and patients are often unaware that it is their back causing the leg pain. Chiropractic treatment can often fix lower back associated leg pain followed by some physical therapy and some simple exercises, that the patient can do at home.

Shinbone fractures, especially in children can cause leg pain especially if the fractured bone is not realigned properly. Growth plate fractures are also common in children and can cause prolonged leg pain and uneven growth of the leg if it is not treated properly.
Orthopedic surgeons are continuing to research new ways to reduce complications for leg fractures and to identify fractures that are prone to long term problems after the initial healing process. It is important to always rest the legs after a fracture by using crutches for several weeks and having physical therapy and periodic x-rays to check that the bone has reunited properly.