"It's not serious at all," the source said. "His leg has been hurting for two days, which is apparently related to an episode of gout that has caused him a lot of pain."
"He was transferred to the American Hospital in Neuilly for examinations," the source added.
Chirac, aged 81, a center-right head of state from 1995 to 2007, has kept out of the public eye in recent years due to flagging health. His wife, Bernadette, has taken on a more prominent role in political life.
The former president was hospitalized last December for a kidney operation.
(This story was refiled to fix typo in third paragraph)
(Reporting By Sophie Louet; Writing by Nick Vinocur; Editing by Tom Heneghan)