A deficiency that causes leg pain at night is a magnesium deficiency.
Magnesium is essential for muscle relaxation and low magnesium levels in the body can result in muscle cramps, including muscle cramps in the legs.
Other deficiencies that cause leg pain at night and other times include potassium deficiency, calcium deficiency, vitamin D deficiency and carnitine deficiency.
Carnitine is a nutrient that helps your body burn fat for needed energy and deficiencies in carnitine can result in muscle fatigue and cramps.
Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium and deficiencies in vitamin D can cause muscle weakness and cramps.
Calcium is also necessary for proper muscle contraction and low calcium levels can contribute to muscle cramps, especially at night.
And potassium is another electrolyte which plays a role in muscle function and deficiencies in potassium can cause cramps and muscle weakness.
Other causes of leg pain at night and at other times include electrolyte imbalances, dehydration, peripheral neuropathy which is damage to nerves in your legs, certain medications like statins and diuretics and even underlying medical conditions like thyroid disease or kidney disease.
A disease that starts with leg pain is peripheral artery disease.
Peripheral artery disease is a condition in which your arteries which carry blood to your legs and your arms become blocked or narrowed due to plaque buildup.
When the arteries that carry blood to the legs and arms become blocked or narrowed as a result of the plaque buildup it reduces blood flow and results in various symptoms as well as potential complications.
The symptoms of peripheral artery disease include cold feet or toes, cramping or numbness in your legs and pain, especially during exercise, shiny, smooth skin on your legs, weak or absent pulses in your feet or legs, woulds or ulcers on the feet or legs that are slow healing and foot discoloration, like redness or blueness.
The risk factors for peripheral artery disease include age, family history of heart disease or peripheral artery disease, obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and smoking.
Diagnosis for peripheral artery disease includes a physical exam, including checking your pulses and skin changes and an ankle brachial index test, which compares the blood pressure in your arms and legs and a doppler ultrasound or angiography to visualize your arteries.
Treatment for peripheral artery disease includes lifestyle changes like exercising regularly, losing weight and quitting smoking if you smoke.
Other treatments for peripheral artery disease are medications like statins which lower your cholesterol, blood pressure medications and antiplatelet drugs as well as possible angioplasty or surgery to open up blocked arteries and in severe cases amputation may be needed.
Other conditions that starts with leg pain are deep vein thrombosis, sciatica, spinal stenosis, electrolyte imbalances, arthritis and even peripheral neuropathy.
Even varicose veins, circulatory problems, multiple sclerosis, ALS, muscle strains and sprains and overuse of the legs can result in leg pain.