If your knees and legs feel hot, it could be due to inflammation caused by an injury or intense exercise. In some cases, warmth or a burning sensation in the legs can be caused by exposure to extreme temperatures or toxic substances.
Disorders that can cause a burning sensation or warmth in the knees and legs include:
- Arthritis
- Peripheral neuropathy or paresthesia (damage to the nerves)
- Peripheral artery disease (narrowing of the arterial supply to the legs)
- Meralgia paresthetica or Bernhardt-Roth syndrome (compression of the nerve in the thigh)
- Venous insufficiency or reflux (pooling of blood in the leg veins)
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Multiple sclerosis (due to faulty nerve signals in the brain and spinal cord)
Further analysis may be needed to confirm the exact underlying cause of the burning sensation, which may be associated with tingling and numbness in the legs.
What causes burning legs?
- Burns
- Chemical burns
- Electrical burns
- Thermal burns, such as sunburn
- Inflammation
- Ankylosing spondylitis (a type of arthritis leading to inflammation of the spine)
- Bursitis (inflammation of the protective closed, fluid-filled sacs around the joint)
- Chondromalacia (softening and breakdown of the kneecap cartilage)
- Gout (a painful type of arthritis caused by the accumulation of uric acid in the joints)
- Infectious arthritis (joint inflammation caused by an infection)
- Osteoarthritis (joint inflammation due to wear and tear of the joint cartilage)
- Psoriatic arthritis (arthritis associated with the autoimmune disease, psoriasis)
- Rheumatoid arthritis (a chronic autoimmune and inflammatory disease characterized by inflammation in the joints)
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (an autoimmune disease, wherein the body attacks its healthy cells and tissues)
- Neurological causes
- Nerve entrapment or compression
- May occur due to:
- Back injuries
- Age-related degenerative changes of the spine
- Use of chemotherapy drugs
- Exposure to toxins
- May occur due to:
- Nerve entrapment or compression
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Occurs due to damage to the peripheral sensory nerves connecting the spinal cord to the extremities.
- Diabetes and alcohol abuse are the two most common causes.
- Other conditions that may cause peripheral neuropathy include:
- Chemotherapy drugs
- Hereditary diseases
- Autoimmune disorders
- Exposure to toxic chemicals
- Infections
- Kidney failure
- Nutritional imbalances (vitamin B12 deficiency, malabsorption syndrome)
- Tarsal tunnel syndrome
- Morton’s neuroma
- Occurs due to the thickening of the nerve tissues between the bones at the base of the toes, resulting from:
- Tight shoes
- Sports injuries
- Stress on the foot
- Abnormal position or movement of the foot
- Occurs due to the thickening of the nerve tissues between the bones at the base of the toes, resulting from:
- Vascular causes
- Peripheral artery disease
- When the arterial supply to the legs is compromised, it leads to inadequate oxygen delivery to the tissues in the legs.
- It is characterized by claudication (leg pain while walking) and a burning sensation in the legs.
- Peripheral artery disease
- Endocrine issues
- Diabetes mellitus
- Hypothyroidism
- An underactive thyroid gland can lead to the sensation of burning in the feet, along with weight gain, dry skin, or fatigue.
- Infections
- Athlete’s foot (tinea pedis)
- This infection is caused by fungi called dermatophytes, which thrive in moist, warm areas of the skin.
- Damp shoes and socks and humid environments are most favorable for the fungi to grow and spread.
- Athlete’s foot (tinea pedis)
SLIDESHOW
See SlideshowWhat other symptoms can occur with a burning sensation in the knee or legs?
Depending on the underlying cause, other symptoms that may accompany a burning sensation in the knees or legs include the following:
- Localized symptoms
- Joint stiffness
- Leg pain and swelling or numbness
- Muscle weakness
- Redness or warmth in the affected joint
- Skin blistering or oozing fluid
- Tingling sensation in the extremities
- General symptoms
How is burning in the legs diagnosed?
Most cases of burning legs have an obvious cause (such as diabetes). The diagnosis of burning feet due to neuropathy is straightforward and additional testing is generally not required.
In a few cases, however, if the burning sensation is sudden or has no explainable cause, further testing may be needed to make a correct diagnosis. These tests may include:
- Physical examination and history: Involves taking a detailed medical history, asking about physical symptoms and current medications, and a physical examination of reflexes and signs of infection and injury.
- Blood tests: Measure blood glucose level or screen for nutritional deficiencies or endocrine disorders
- Nerve function tests:
- Electromyography: Measures the electrical activity of a muscle in response to nerve stimulation
- Nerve conduction velocity test: Assesses the speed at which electrical impulses move along a nerve
- Nerve biopsy: In rare cases, a doctor may suggest cutting a piece of nerve tissue and examining it under a microscope
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How is burning in the legs treated?
Treatment of burning in the legs depends on the underlying cause and may include:
- Medications
- Analgesics: Oral or topical narcotic or nonnarcotic medications to relieve pain
- Antidepressants: Tricyclic antidepressants to help relieve chronic pain associated with neuropathy
- Anticonvulsant drugs: Gabapentin, carbamazepine, and pregabalin to treat chronic pain
- Insulin or oral antidiabetic drugs: To control blood glucose levels in people with diabetes
- Nutritional supplements: For people with vitamin deficiencies
- Antifungal drugs: Diflucan (fluconazole), Sporanox (itraconazole) and Naftin (naftifine) to help relieve burning feet caused by athlete's foot
- Oral thyroid hormone medicines: For hypothyroidism
- Self-care
- Physical therapy and exercise
- Dietary modifications
- Soaking your feet in cool water for at least 15 minutes for a temporary relief
- Avoiding exposure to high heat or extremes of temperature
- Elevating your legs and feet
- Taking over-the-counter pain medicines (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, ketoprofen, or naproxen, for temporary pain relief)
- Limiting alcohol consumption
- Wearing compression stockings for venous insufficiency
What are the potential complications of burning sensation in the legs?
Burning sensation in the legs can be due to serious diseases, and failure to seek treatment can result in serious complications and permanent damage:
- Joint deformity
- Permanent loss of sensation
- Chronic pain
- Disability
- Decreased quality of life
If your symptoms appear suddenly or get worse, contact a doctor as burning legs could be a sign of an underlying medical condition.
Health Solutions From Our Sponsors
Burning Feet Syndrome (Grierson-Gopalan Syndrome). https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/17773-burning-feet-syndrome-grierson-gopalan-syndrome
Burning Feet. https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/burning-feet-causes-treatments
Burning Thigh Pain (Meralgia Paresthetica). https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/burning-thigh-pain-meralgia-paresthetica/
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