It happens that awakening occurs not in the morning, but in the middle of the night, and the reason for this is not the most pleasant, namely, nighttime muscle pain. Many people have encountered such a problem as muscle pain at night; however, most often, muscle pain goes away on its own and does not require seeing a doctor. Let's look at the reasons why muscles hurt at night.
There are many reasons for muscle pain at night; we will look at the most common ones.
Most often, children complain of muscle pain at night. Of course, parents begin to worry and suspect that the child has a serious illness. But seeing a doctor puts everything in its place, since in most cases, muscle pain at night in children is normal. So why do children have muscle pain at night? It's all about active growth. The exact cause is not yet known, but experts suggest that bones grow more intensely and quickly than muscle tissue, resulting in tension and strain on ligaments and muscles. Some children do not feel it, they have practically no painful sensations, while others at times suffer quite a lot of pain. Particularly common, muscle pain at night occurs in children aged three to nine years. The pain is felt most in the calf muscles. The pain is not sharp and is very different from cramps, it is more reminiscent of muscle pain after intense exercise after a long break. Most often, muscle pain appears at night, during rest and rest, since during the day the greatest load falls on tight muscles during active games. It happens that during the day the child does not notice the pain. Muscle pain at night in children usually occurs spontaneously and periodically and gradually disappears by adolescence. A warm bath and massage can help reduce pain.
More often than others, pregnant women suffer from muscle pain at night, especially in the second and third trimester of pregnancy. The fact is that during pregnancy the body undergoes a restructuring, the load on the muscles increases, especially on the leg muscles, weight increases, and for many, physical activity, on the contrary, decreases. Also, the blood volume becomes larger and causes tissue swelling, which leads to night muscle pain, namely, cramps. Most often, muscle spasms “affect” the muscles of the calves and thighs. If muscle pain at night is physiological, then doctors recommend drinking more water, taking warm foot baths, and taking walks before bed.
Cramps are one of the most common reasons why muscles hurt at night. Sometimes the pain is so severe that its echoes are felt for several days. Here are the main causes of cramping muscle pain at night:
Massage and rubbing, as well as stretching a cramped muscle, will help relieve muscle pain at night. However, it is much better to try to avoid seizures by following simple recommendations:
If muscle pain bothers you for a long time at night, you should consult a doctor, as this may be a symptom or consequence of quite serious diseases.
Even doctors find it difficult to answer this question. If you undergo an ultrasound of your legs, take tests, and come to the doctor with the results, he will say that everything is fine with your legs. This disease was given a definition - Restless Legs Syndrome .
How does it manifest itself? This is such an unpleasant sensation, not like pain or numbness. He just twists his legs so much that he always wants to move them from place to place.
When a person moves his leg, the unpleasant sensation stops, but only for a short time. Constantly moving your legs prevents you from falling asleep, turning it into a nightmare every night.
Based on the number of convulsive movements of the limbs, the level of severity of the disease is determined:
In severe cases, chronic depression may develop, so RLS should not be left untreated.
This disease most often affects women, especially older and middle-aged women.
Causes of restless legs syndrome:
For people whose legs begin to twist in the evening, it is not so important to know the reason; it is more important to know the way to get rid of this scourge. Let's try to find a treatment for each case.
During pregnancy, treatment must be treated with extreme caution. The doctor may prescribe sedatives or iron and folic acid supplements. It is important for a pregnant woman not to worry, to take more walks before bed, to go to bed at the same time, and not to drink coffee or strong tea, especially in the evening.
The cause of RLS in pregnant women may be a lack of vitamins B, C, E. To compensate for the lack of vitamins, the doctor prescribes vitamin preparations.
Simple gymnastics can help:
These exercises should be performed not only by pregnant women, but also by anyone who has pain or aching legs . Be sure to add the bicycle exercise. Contrast baths help a lot.
What to do if Ekbom syndrome begins to plague young children. If you notice signs of this disease in a child, try to help him quickly. Warm baths before bedtime help almost everyone. Pour warm, but not hot, water into a basin and let it sit in it until you feel pleasantly relaxed. You will see by the baby's condition.
If your joints ache at night, the cause may be excess weight, arthritis, arthrosis, or osteoporosis . These are very serious diseases and cannot be left untreated. If a person feels pain in the knee at night, it means arthrosis already exists.
If your joints react to the weather, then most likely you are developing osteoporosis. It is the joints that begin to ache when the atmospheric temperature changes.
If your feet, ankles, or knees hurt, this indicates venous dilatation of the veins or blood clots in the vessels of the legs . If left untreated, this pathology can lead to ulcers and gangrene.
To find out the cause of night pain, you need to undergo a vascular ultrasound, especially for the presence of thrombosis. This is important, since any normal squatting can lead to a blood clot breaking off, which means more serious problems.
If there were injuries to the limbs and your legs ache at night, these are old wounds that remind you of themselves . Proper nutrition and therapeutic exercises will help you.
Muscle cramps can keep you from sleeping. The muscles are deprived of a sufficient amount of oxygen, so they are twisted. Lack of movement can be the first cause of seizures.
If the pain occurs suddenly, do not ignore it. The calves can be very painful with thrombophlebitis, and this is the most dangerous consequence of varicose veins.
Try to notice exactly how your calves hurt.
How to independently determine the degree of the disease:
An accurate diagnosis can only be made by a doctor after a detailed examination of the patient.
The main thing is not to ignore the “bells”; often it is the soreness of the calves that becomes a signal of the development of serious ailments.
You can try to use the methods of our grandmothers.
Heaviness in the calves can be removed by taking a bath: pour a handful of mint or linden blossom into 1 liter of boiling water for 30 minutes. Soak your feet in the infusion. A herbal bath will protect against varicose veins.
Herbs will help with the feeling of heaviness and unpleasant fullness: plantain, nettle, coltsfoot. The infusion is prepared as in the first recipe.
Cottage cheese wrap will help relieve swelling . Mash the cottage cheese without additives, wrap the swollen area, and leave for 4-5 hours. Course - 4-5 procedures.
And if your calf muscles often hurt , put everything aside and definitely visit a doctor.