Heavy legs

Heavy legs (French: jambes lourdes) is an alleged medical condition, described as an "unpleasant sensation of pain and heaviness" in the lower limbs. It is of French origin but is occasionally seen elsewhere.

This article is part of a series on
Alternative and pseudo‑medicine
General information Alternative medicine Alternative veterinary medicine Quackery (Health fraud) History of alternative medicine Rise of modern medicine Pseudoscience Antiscience Skepticism Skeptical movement National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Terminology of alternative medicine
Fringe medicine and science Acupressure Acupuncture Anthroposophic medicine Apitherapy Applied kinesiology Aromatherapy Auriculotherapy Bach flower remedies Bates method Biorhythm Black salve Bodywork Bonesetter Bowen technique Breathwork Camel urine Fake COVID-19 treatments Cow urine Cancer treatments Greek cancer cure Charcoal cleanse Chiropractic Chiropractic treatment techniques Vertebral subluxation Christian Science Chromotherapy Colon cleansing Coffee enema Colorpuncture Craniosacral therapy Crystal healing Cupping therapy Detoxification Foot baths Duesberg hypothesis Ear candling Energy medicine Esoteric energy Therapeutic touch Facilitated communication Feldenkrais Method Functional medicine Hair analysis Herbal medicine Holistic dentistry Hologram bracelet Homeopathy Biological terrain assessment Hypnotherapy Iridology Ionized jewelry Lightning Process Lymphotherapy Medical intuitive Mesmerism Magnet therapy Manual therapy Megavitamin therapy Mind–body interventions MMS Myofascial release NAET Naturopathy Oil pulling Orgone Orthomolecular medicine Orthopathy Osteomyology Osteopathy Parapsychology Phrenology Psychic surgery Psychodermatology Radionics Rapid prompting method RBOP Reiki Reflexology Rolfing Scientific racism ThetaHealing Thought Field Therapy Urine therapy Urophagia Vaginal steaming Vision therapy Vitalism Young blood transfusion Zero balancing
Conspiracy theories Anti-fluoridation/Water fluoridation movement Anti-vaccination Vaccines causing autism Big Pharma conspiracy theory COVID-19 pandemic GMO conspiracy theories HIV/AIDS denialism Discredited HIV/AIDS origins theories OPV AIDS hypothesis
Classifications Allopathic medicine Alternative medical systems Mind–body intervention Biologically-based therapy Manipulative methods Energy therapy
Traditional medicine African Muti South African Ayurveda Ayurvedic acupressure Dosha Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health Balneotherapy Brazilian Bush medicine Cambodian Chinese Blood stasis Chinese herbology Dit Da Gua sha Gill plate trade Meridian Moxibustion Pressure point Qi San Jiao Tui na Zang-fu Chumash Curandero Faith healing Iranian Jamu Kambo Japanese Korean Mien Shiang Mongolian Prophetic medicine Shamanism Shiatsu Siddha Sri Lankan Thai massage Tibetan Unani Vietnamese
Diagnoses Adrenal fatigue Aerotoxic syndrome Autistic enterocolitis Candida hypersensitivity Chronic Lyme disease Electromagnetic hypersensitivity Heavy legs Leaky gut syndrome Multiple chemical sensitivity Wilson's temperature syndrome Wind turbine syndrome

Due to the limited recognition it has received, and because of its proliferation in the media and by the alternative health community, many medical practitioners believe it is a sign of hypochondriasis. The symptoms are non-specific, but may indicate venous insufficiency.[1]

It was described by BBC reporter Emma Jane Kirby as "a curiously French complaint... the illness you can only get in health-conscious France."[2]