How common is the symptom Limb pain among people with endometriosis?
74,75% of people with endometriosis reported Limb pain as a symptom of endometriosis in our survey.
How common is the symptom Limb pain among people with endometriosis compared to the non-affected group?
11,32% of people with endometriosis suffer from the symptom Limb pain very strong compared to a prevalence of 1,26% among non-affected individuals.
The following table shows the symptom Limb pain in people with endometriosis compared to non-affected individuals. The scale ranges from 1 (not at all) to 5 (very strong).
| Symptom severity | Endometriosis | Non-affected | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| not at all | 25,25% | 53,46% | -28,21% |
| slightly | 16,35% | 20,13% | -3,78% |
| moderate | 25,77% | 18,87% | 6,90% |
| strong | 21,32% | 6,29% | 15,03% |
| very strong | 11,32% | 1,26% | 10,07% |
Based on the datasets, we calculated the Kendall correlation. The following symptoms could be related to Limb pain.
| Symptom name | Correlation |
|---|---|
| Joint pain | strong correlation (58,00%) |
| Leg pain | moderate correlation (42,00%) |
| Numbness in legs | moderate correlation (33,00%) |
| Shoulder pain | moderate correlation (33,00%) |
| Back pain | moderate correlation (31,00%) |
| Kidney pain | moderate correlation (30,00%) |
| Dizziness | weak correlation (29,00%) |
| Shortness of breath | weak correlation (28,00%) |
| Chills | weak correlation (28,00%) |
| Numbness in hands | weak correlation (28,00%) |
| Headaches / Migraine | weak correlation (28,00%) |
| Exhaustion / Fatigue | weak correlation (28,00%) |
| Abdominal pain outside the lower abdomen | weak correlation (28,00%) |
| Nausea | weak correlation (25,00%) |
| Taste changes (e.g. iron taste) | weak correlation (24,00%) |
| Pain during urination | weak correlation (23,00%) |
| Chest pain | weak correlation (23,00%) |
| Hot flashes | weak correlation (23,00%) |
| Feeling cold / shivering | weak correlation (22,00%) |
| Belching | weak correlation (21,00%) |
| Depression | weak correlation (20,00%) |
| Urge to urinate without passing urine | weak correlation (20,00%) |
| Frequent urination | weak correlation (20,00%) |
| Hearing loss | weak correlation (20,00%) |
Limb pain is a very non-specific symptom. You might describe the discomfort as a pulling or stabbing pain, or as an unpleasant heaviness of the limbs. Limb pain can affect all limbs—arms and legs—equally, or only the legs, and sometimes just a single leg. There are many possible causes of limb pain. It most often occurs in connection with a cold or another viral illness. However, other conditions, such as endometriosis, can also be responsible for limb pain. The reasons why endometriosis triggers limb pain can vary.
If you have endometriosis, so-called endometriosis lesions typically form primarily in the pelvis, but they can also occur beyond it. These are clusters of cells composed of tissue similar to the uterine lining. Because they are subject to the hormonal cycle, they first grow and then bleed. If the blood cannot leave the body, this often leads to inflammation and, as a result, adhesions, scarring, and cyst formation. Endometriosis lesions can either grow superficially on organs or infiltrate deeply into the tissue. In addition to organs such as the bladder, ovaries, and bowel, nerves like the sciatic nerve and the sacral roots can also be affected.
Endometriosis can trigger limb pain in the following ways:
Important: Sudden onset of limb pain in one leg can be a sign of deep vein thrombosis. In this case you should always contact your primary care physician; outside office hours, the nationwide medical on-call number.