Lately, I've had a lot of leg pain, especially when sitting at my desk or standing in line at the store. Should I be concerned about this new aching?

New, persistent leg pain certainly warrants a visit to your doctor for evaluation. Leg pain can have many causes, but your description of aching after prolonged standing or sitting suggests a possible buildup of fluid in the leg veins (chronic venous disease, venous insufficiency).

Chronic venous disease occurs when the valves in your leg veins don't work properly to keep blood moving efficiently from your legs to your heart. Instead, blood pools in your legs and feet, causing pain and swelling. The pain is typically described as a burning or cramping sensation, mainly in the calf.

Past inflammation of a vein (phlebitis) may damage the valves and lead to chronic venous disease. Poor function of the valves in the leg veins also contributes to varicose veins — distended veins visible just beneath the skin. Varicose veins also may lead to chronic venous disease.

Wearing knee-high compression stockings may be worth a try to ease discomfort associated with fluid buildup in the legs. Ask your doctor for a recommendation.

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Sept. 21, 2022 See more Expert Answers

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  2. Addison's disease
  3. Adrenal fatigue: What causes it?
  4. Antidepressants for chronic pain
  5. Arteriosclerosis / atherosclerosis
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  7. Back surgery: When is it a good idea?
  8. Behcet disease
  9. Blood thinners: Can I still get blood clots?
  10. Broken leg
  11. Buerger disease
  12. Chronic pain: Medication decisions
  13. Claudication
  14. Cold and flu viruses: How long can they live outside the body?
  15. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
  16. Fibromuscular dysplasia
  17. Flu shots
  18. Flu: When to see a doctor?
  19. Growing pains
  20. Hamstring injury
  21. Herniated disk
  22. Bulging disk
  23. High-dose flu vaccines: How are they different from other flu vaccines?
  24. Influenza (flu)
  25. Leg pain
  26. Legg-Calve-Perthes disease
  27. Mayo Clinic Minute: Restless legs syndrome in kids
  28. Mayo Clinic Minute: Why getting vaccinated for the flu is doubly important this season
  29. Myofascial release therapy: Can it relieve back pain?
  30. Paget's disease of bone
  31. Polio
  32. Porphyria
  33. Restless legs syndrome
  34. Rickets
  35. Sacroiliitis
  36. Salt craving: A symptom of Addison's disease?
  37. Shin splints
  38. Sleeping positions that reduce back pain
  39. Swollen knee
  40. Tailbone pain
  41. Nutrition and pain
  42. Pain rehabilitation
  43. Self-care approaches to treating pain
  44. Varicose veins
  45. Endovenous thermal ablation
  46. Warfarin side effects