“For several days in a row I get a cramp in the morning. The pain is so unbearable that it makes it difficult to sleep. Why do leg cramps occur and how to deal with them?
“If convulsions occur sporadically and pass quickly, you should think about what kind of life you lead,” says Alla Ganzyuk, family doctor at the family medicine outpatient clinic No. 7 in the Podolsk district of Kiev . — Muscle spasms can occur in a person who eats poorly, adheres to strict diets, drinks little fluid, enjoys black tea and coffee, and also experiences physical overload.
However, a similar symptom often occurs in some diseases. Frequent cramps can bother people suffering from varicose veins, especially when thrombosis begins. Muscle spasms occur with metabolic disorders, diseases of the thyroid gland, for example, hypothyroidism, and problems with the spine. If cramps bother you almost every day for a week or more, you should rush to see a doctor.
— How to reduce pain if a cramp occurs?
- In this condition, the muscle contracts strongly, lactate (a product of glucose oxidation) accumulates in it, which causes pain that can last for some time - a minute or longer. It is recommended to massage the muscle and pat it. You can rub your foot with an alcohol solution or lubricate it with a warming ointment.
— What nutrients might a person suffering from muscle spasms lack?
— Calcium, potassium and magnesium. It is recommended to consume hard cheese, cottage cheese and fermented milk products. But it is better to choose not low-fat ones, but those with at least five percent fat content. There is no calcium in “zero” foods. By the way, it is believed that during stress the body loses calcium, which is necessary for relaxing muscles and the nervous system, so after emotional shocks its supply must be replenished. Potassium is found in dried apricots, baked potatoes, bananas, avocados, as well as in meat and fish. Magnesium is found in nuts, rye bread, oatmeal, and legumes. Foods rich in vitamin D are also recommended: chicken eggs, fatty fish. A person needs to drink at least one and a half liters of liquid. Moreover, after drinking coffee and tea, which remove it from the body, it is recommended to drink a glass of water.
— What can be recommended to prevent seizures?
— Eat nutritiously, do not abuse coffee, tea, or alcohol. It's better to quit smoking. It is important to wear comfortable shoes. Women should avoid wearing high heels. And if you have already put on such shoes, you should not walk in them for a long time. It is recommended to make contrasting foot baths with herbal decoctions, for example, nettle, yarrow. But the temperature should be comfortable. Before going to bed, you can do a little exercise (relaxation exercises) and a light foot massage.
Everyone knows that leg cramps are an unpleasant phenomenon, because each of us has had them. And if you ask in more detail, almost all healthy people are familiar with only one type of cramps - cramps of the calf muscles. The frequency of occurrence of these phenomena in a healthy person is small, and can occur, perhaps, only in one case - while swimming in cold water.
People taking diuretics or diuretics may also experience these contractions of the calf muscles even at rest, and sometimes on both sides. The reasons for this phenomenon will be discussed below. Are calf cramps a serious symptom and how can they be dealt with?
Cramps of the leg muscles, like other striated or skeletal muscles, exist in all warm-blooded animals. The smooth muscles of the internal organs do not have convulsions, but have spasms. In such cases, a person experiences nagging pain, for example, in the right hypochondrium.
Having taken No-shpa, he gets relief because this drug is an antispasmodic. But spasms of the smooth muscles of internal organs are nothing compared to spasms of skeletal muscles, since they are very painful. In addition to pain, there is another unpleasant factor - the inability to control the muscle as usual.
A cramp is a sudden, sharp and complete contraction of all muscle bundles. We can say that a cramp is a 100% muscle contraction. Even a trained athlete is not able to tense a muscle as much as a cramp will.
The physiology of muscle contraction is such that there are tonic and clonic spasms. This phenomenon is classified as tonic, while periodic muscle contractions alternating with relaxation are called clonic.
A calf muscle cramp can begin suddenly, but sometimes certain warning signs arise that give time to relax and change position. Typically, a tonic contraction lasts from a few seconds to 10 minutes. The longer it is, the stronger the residual pain.
The harm of a prolonged cramp is the disruption of blood circulation, the deterioration of the removal of large amounts of lactic acid from the muscle.
This forms a vicious circle: the accumulation of metabolic products in the muscle causes its spasm, and the spasm itself provokes the accumulation of lactic acid in the muscle. In addition, with prolonged cramps, microtears of the muscles and hemorrhages occur.
Basically, everyone is concerned about the same questions: why calves, why at night, and why this phenomenon occurs more often in older people. Let us answer these questions, which for some reason are poorly covered in popular articles on the Internet.
1) Why caviar? — The calf muscles in humans have a special structure. We all know that human hands and feet are not like the paws of animals, which rest on the ground with all four limbs.
The legs and calves are designed for constant and long-term stress, while the arms and forearms are designed for stronger, but short-term and varied. Therefore, the calves do not have such developed bundles and such a good blood supply as the muscles of the forearm, and they are more susceptible to a “nervous breakdown.”
2) Why at night? - Yes, because venous outflow is worse at night than during the day. During the day, muscle contractions activate the valve apparatus of the veins and the blood carries away harmful substances from the muscle tissue. And at night, the valves work worse, and the muscle is less well supplied with blood. In addition, you can additionally “rest” your leg.
3) Why in the elderly? — And in old age, leg cramps intensify at night due to age-related blood supply disorders in the legs, and taking medications that can intensify cramps. Night leg cramps in the elderly are a common cause of insomnia, especially in patients with arterial hypertension, due to improper use of diuretics.
4) About the toes: sometimes tonic contractions of the lower leg muscles continue to the back of the foot, including the toes. These muscles, just like the muscles of the lower leg, are “designed” to perform long-term static loads. By the way, calf cramps can begin with finger cramps, and these two phenomena should be considered interrelated.
Now let's talk about the most important reasons for these painful muscle contractions.
The main factors are a decrease in the concentration of metal ions: potassium, calcium and magnesium, as well as the accumulation of lactic acid. Before listing the reasons, we will describe the symptoms of a lack of these metals.
Since almost all variants of the development of seizures include a lack of potassium, calcium and magnesium, we will present the main symptoms not associated with seizure activity so that everyone can check whether their fears are legitimate.
It manifests itself as severe and rapid muscle fatigue, swelling occurs, and constipation appears. Blood pressure often drops, you feel thirsty, and dry mouth occurs. A symptom such as dry skin appears, and acne may appear. From the side of the heart, tachycardia is possible.
With a lack of calcium, a person becomes irritable and hot-tempered. Sleep is disturbed, insomnia begins to bother you, and blood pressure rises. In different parts of the body, goosebumps begin to run, or paresthesia appears, and areas of numbness appear.
The gums begin to bleed. Gradually, teeth begin to decay and nails peel off. The leaching of calcium from the skeleton is fraught with fractures.
If there is little magnesium, then memory impairment occurs, insomnia also bothers you, the level of anxiety increases, balance problems occur when walking, and hypothermia appears, that is, a decrease in body temperature. From the side of the heart, a heart rhythm disturbance occurs.
The absorption of magnesium in the body is associated with the activity of pyridoxine, or vitamin B6. In case of a deficiency of this vitamin, in addition to a lack of magnesium, anemia, nausea appears, hair begins to fall out, “stubs” appear in the corners of the mouth, or manifestations of angular stomatitis.
We will leave the detailed description to the doctors, who will tell you about them themselves, so we will simply list those situations that can provoke these changes:
when staying in an uncomfortable position for a long time;
Also, the causes of increased convulsive activity in the calf muscles include chronic renal failure, hyperthyroidism, and diabetes mellitus.
Sometimes even local processes can be their cause, for example, pronounced flat feet. At the same time, the muscles of the lower legs are loaded with great excess. Incorrect posture and leg injuries can also contribute to the development of this unpleasant condition, which worsens the quality of life.
Particular attention should be paid to the reasons for the development of seizures in pregnant women.
Leg cramps in pregnant women are a normal, functional condition caused by increased stress on the pregnant woman's body. The main reasons are as follows:
In all cases when these unpleasant symptoms occur during pregnancy, they may be harbingers of electrolyte disturbances. Therefore, you need to immediately consult a antenatal clinic doctor.
If your leg cramps, there are many ways to combat the pain. Some of them are given below:
After the pain subsides, you need to raise your legs to ensure good outflow of venous blood and removal of stagnant waste products from the muscles. These recommendations also work effectively if your leg cramps at night. Now you know what to do.
If such a symptom is quite periodic, you can place a roller massager or applicator near the head of the head, so that it is easy to find with your hand at night, and provide first aid to yourself. When there is nothing like that nearby, the first and second tips in the list above are effective.
For the treatment of leg cramps, in addition to urgent care, we can outline tips that patients suffering from cramps should heed:
1) Stop taking diuretics uncontrollably and talk to your doctor. Sometimes diuretics are included in combination medications for hypertension. Therefore, observe whether there is a connection between taking medications and the occurrence of seizures.
If there is such a connection, and drugs must be taken, then together with the antihypertensive drug you need to take a tablet of “Panangin”, or “Asparkam”, or their analogues, which are sources of potassium and magnesium.
2) Change your diet. You need to eat dried fruits, compote, baked potatoes in their jackets, fresh vegetables and fruits. Seafood, dates, legumes, coarse bread, and seeds are very healthy. There is a lot of calcium in fermented milk products.
To increase the intake of vitamin D into the body, you need to consume egg yolk and cod liver. To replenish potassium, you can eat bananas, chicken, and fish.
3) Walks in the fresh air, subject to sunny weather. Stimulates the production of vitamin D.
4) You need to drink fresh, clean water without denying yourself.
5) With your doctor’s permission, you can start taking vitamin complexes that contain mineral supplements and trace elements.
6) It is necessary to completely eliminate the use of stimulants such as coffee, especially at night. Avoid eating irritating and spicy foods such as peppers, garlic and onions before bed.
Leg cramps at night over the age of 50, the treatment of which with the above measures has not been successful, you can try to treat by prescribing mild sedatives: “Fitosedan”, “Novo-Passit”. Sometimes Corvalol helps.
In the event that there are varicose veins or thrombophlebitis, much depends on the treatment of the underlying disease. To restore venous blood flow and reduce swelling, Phlebodia, Escusan, and preparations containing horse chestnut extract are used. Use compression stockings as prescribed by your doctor. Sometimes an operation is indicated, which in modern medicine is called “endovascular laser correction”.
Of no small importance is the correct choice of orthopedic insoles and shoes in case of flat feet, avoidance of high heels. Physical activity on the legs should be moderate: you need to alternate periods of stress with periods of rest.
Massage and self-massage of the legs will help avoid cramps before bed, and such a remedy, a warm bath or shower will improve sleep. You can also do foot baths with aromatic oils, such as peppermint oil.
Leg cramps at night, the cause and treatment of which we have discussed, are a collective symptom. This means that there is no specific disease that they directly point to. Determining this disease is the role of the attending physician. But the patient can also tell the doctor a lot and take appropriate measures. We hope this short article will help him in this matter.
Leg cramps are manifested by involuntary contractions or muscle strain and acute unbearable pain. This condition can occur in people of all ages, but most often affects people over 50 years of age.
The causes of leg cramps are very diverse, and only a specialist can identify them. Often their appearance is associated with age-related changes in the body, but it happens that painful muscle contraction indicates various pathologies that require mandatory treatment.
Most often, the lower extremities, especially the calf muscles, are affected by pathology. Under the influence of certain factors, a sudden muscle spasm occurs, which can last from a few seconds to 15 minutes.
In patients over 50 years of age, the severity of the cramp varies from minor muscle twitching to a painful spasm. Mild convulsive tics occur with visible subcutaneous pulsation, while during spasm the muscle (or group of muscles) becomes hard, tense, and modified.
Seizures in older people are divided into 2 groups:
Idiopathic seizures, that is, of natural origin, occur under the influence of the following factors:
Convulsive muscle contractions can be a symptom of various pathological processes. Regular nighttime cramps are often caused by the following diseases:
Another reason for leg cramps at night is stress, worry and anxiety, which most elderly people are subject to.
Secondary seizures require mandatory diagnosis to identify the cause of their occurrence. Treatment in this case begins directly with the elimination of predisposing factors.
Idiopathic seizures cannot be completely cured, but an experienced specialist will help reduce the frequency of their manifestations and reduce the intensity of pain.
Treatment for older patients includes:
Deficiencies of vitamins and minerals, which are often observed in older people, can be corrected by following a special diet.
So, the patient’s diet should include:
Important: when normalizing mineral metabolism in the body, it is necessary to remember that calcium absorption occurs only in combination with vitamin D, and the concentration of magnesium in the blood can return to normal only when combined with vitamin B6.
As active supplements, older people are recommended to take vitamin and mineral complexes, such as Calcium D3, Magne B6, Asparkam, etc.
Night cramps can be so severe that even after the spasm disappears, a person experiences excruciating pain in the legs. This leads to sleep disturbances and fatigue during the next day. That is why it is important to know what help you can give yourself or a loved one when a muscle cramps in your leg. There are several tips:
Among the preventive measures to prevent night cramps in an elderly person are:
Nighttime leg cramps are common in people over 50. Experts recommend seeking medical help in a timely manner and following all the instructions of your doctor. Such actions will help reduce the number of attacks and reduce the intensity of pain during spasms.
Dear readers, today we will talk about leg cramps, a very unpleasant, but quite common phenomenon. “My legs are cramping” - this situation is probably familiar to many, or you have heard about it from your relatives and close people. Cramps can take us by surprise at any time of the day, but cramps most often occur at night. We wake up from acute pain in the leg and feel such strong tension in the muscle that the leg literally feels like stone.
I still remember how my grandmother suffered from leg cramps. There were moments when I simply screamed in pain and I remember well the tube of Troxevasin ointment, which was always at hand. And my mother is now suffering from this. We also tried a lot of things to cope with the problem. Apparently, this is hereditary for us.
Cramps are caused by a sudden sharp spasm in any muscle, most often cramping the calves and muscles of the legs, but they can also occur in the thigh, foot, and toes. At a young age, these spasms occur quite rarely, although our children also face this problem (even in infancy). Most often, mature and elderly people are susceptible to seizures. It has also been noted that in the summer, cramps occur more often than in the cold season. But personally, I encountered this problem more often during the cold season.
So why do your legs cramp, what are the causes of leg cramps and how to deal with them? Is it possible to cope with such a problem, is it necessary to cope, and what should we all think about if you have leg cramps? Let's figure this out.
There are quite a few causes of seizures; they can be provoked by venous diseases or flat feet, when normal blood circulation in the lower extremities is disrupted. These could be old injuries or hypothermia of the legs, or there could be severe physical stress on the legs, during which a large amount of lactic acid can accumulate in the muscles, causing cramps.
But most often, the reasons need to be looked for much deeper; these are, as a rule, some kind of disease or serious changes in the composition of the blood. Varicose veins are often the cause of leg cramps.
Kidney failure, hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus, and various nervous disorders can lead to seizures. Reduced amounts of magnesium, calcium, potassium, B vitamins, vitamin D, A, E lead to leg cramps. These microelements and vitamins play an important role in the formation of nerve impulses and significantly affect muscle tone.
Let's take a closer look at the main causes of seizures and why there is a deficiency of certain elements in the body.
Perhaps the main element that influences the normal functioning of our muscles is magnesium. Lack of magnesium in the blood is the most common cause of cramping cramps in the legs. In turn, its deficiency in the body has several reasons:
If there is a deficiency of magnesium, it must be replenished with food; the daily share of magnesium for an adult is 300 mg. Most magnesium is found in buckwheat, nuts, pumpkin seeds, broccoli, all kinds of greens, dairy products, grapefruits and apples.
Lack of calcium in our body . The second most important microelement that affects muscle function is calcium. We all know about the importance of calcium for the proper functioning of the whole body; its deficiency can also provoke leg cramps.
Of the many reasons for calcium loss, several of the most common can be identified:
If there is a lack of calcium and magnesium in the body, you should not neglect vitamin and mineral complexes, which are balanced in composition and contain all the elements necessary for us; it is advisable to drink them in courses in winter or early spring.
The cause of leg cramps may be poor circulation in the extremities . As I already said, this can happen due to varicose veins or flat feet, but there are other reasons.
Sometimes cramps can occur in practically healthy people; in this case, as a rule, no treatment is required; you need to learn how to quickly relax a spasmed muscle and, of course, understand the reasons that provoke the occurrence of cramps.
If convulsions recur frequently, this indicates a problem in the body; you should definitely consult a doctor , undergo an examination to identify the root cause and undergo treatment.
In any case, the first thing you need to do is relieve the spasm, because the pain during a spasm can be simply unbearable. Here are some of the most common ways to get rid of leg cramps.
Recommendations on this problem can be seen above, but let’s note the main points again:
And if you have leg cramps, you must definitely find the reasons for this and try to eliminate them.
There are general recommendations for preventing leg cramps:
I invite you to also watch the video on this topic. Leg cramps. Causes and treatment. Doctors' recommendations.
The exercises are very simple. I highly recommend everyone to do it, take 5-10 minutes of your time, because there is nothing better than our daily work on ourselves in order to strengthen our legs. And there will be less swelling on the legs, and good prevention of varicose veins.
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I wish everyone good health. It is always better for all of us to take preventive measures to avoid problems such as leg cramps. And if they happen, then consult a doctor in time and, again, add simple gymnastics and all the tips that you read in this article to the treatment. I hope that the information was useful and interesting to you.
Cramps are an attack of involuntary contraction of the calf (or other) muscles, during which a sharp, compressive pain appears. From a physiological point of view, cramps are spasms or strong contractions of a muscle, and sometimes several muscles at once.
Convulsions are a complex reaction to some external or internal stimuli, and the mechanisms of this reaction can be very different. And in each specific case there is a reason.
Leg cramps have the character of attacks, which can differ greatly from each other - be episodic or regular.
What types of cramps are there? Muscle cramps can be of two types: tonic and clonic. Tonic spasms are characterized by prolonged muscle tension - when the leg is “grabbed” and does not let go. And clonic spasms are muscle tension, which alternates with relaxation, that is, the leg hurts, and then the pain goes away, and this condition is repeated several times.
If leg cramps are rare, then this should not be too scary. However, leg cramps can impair nighttime sleep and reduce quality of life. It must be said that calf cramps can torment people of different ages: both children and the elderly. However, older people suffer the most from this phenomenon. According to statistics, convulsions occur with varying frequency in 80% of the inhabitants of our planet.
My legs are cramping, why? Causes of seizures? Why do seizures occur? Let's try to answer these questions in more detail.
So, leg cramps can occur for the following reasons:
— micronutrient deficiency (lack of potassium, calcium and magnesium)
- too intense physical activity (muscles are constantly and excessively tense and do not relax enough)
- damage to the arteries (due to damage to the venous arteries in the legs, arterial blood flow deteriorates)
— diabetes mellitus (microdisorders form in the vessels and nerve tissues of the feet, leading to seizures)
– stress (lack of calcium does not allow muscles to relax)
- hidden leg injuries and injuries to the muscles themselves
- flat feet and lumbar radiculitis
In some cases, leg cramps are a symptom of atherosclerosis, liver cirrhosis and thyroid disease. This is why persistent and severe muscle cramps require immediate medical attention.
And in hot weather, leg cramps occur due to the fact that a lot of mineral salts are removed from the body through sweat.
Do your legs cramp during pregnancy? This is quite common. Calf cramps in pregnant women can occur even if they never existed before pregnancy. The fact is that during pregnancy the body experiences a deficiency of glucose, potassium, calcium, sodium and magnesium, which leads to seizures.
Cramps at night can occur as a result of too intense or prolonged strain on the muscles, lack of mineral salts, as well as due to dysfunction of the central nervous system or other diseases. All of the above factors are favorable conditions for the deterioration of blood flow in the extremities, which already slows down at night (during sleep). Thus, the body that suffers from disorders is doubly stressed, as a result, the muscles lack nutrients and spasms occur.
It should be noted that leg cramps are most often observed in practically healthy people due to excessive physical activity and muscle fatigue. Leg cramps are also common in people who are overweight or lead a sedentary lifestyle.
I have a cramp, what should I do? The most important thing is not to panic. If your leg cramps while swimming in a pond, then you need to stop moving your lower limbs and try to move your cramped leg with your healthy leg. A pin prick also helps (so just in case, you should fasten a small pin to your swimsuit).
If you feel like a cramp is starting, you need to sit down, lower your legs down and carefully stand on the cool floor. The legs should be together and the body position should be as straight as possible. After a few minutes, blood circulation in the legs (and therefore normal muscle tone) will be restored.
If you get a cramp while sleeping or resting, you need to take a deep breath, then with both hands grab the toes of the toe that was cramped, and, despite the severe pain, forcefully pull your toes towards you and up, thereby stretching the spasmed muscle. At the same time, you need to make swinging movements of the entire leg. When the muscle begins to release, you need to give a light massage to the contracted muscle.
If there are severe cramps in the legs that do not go away, then you need to pinch the sore spot several times. Then you need to carefully massage the calf and foot, performing rubbing and patting movements in the direction from the tips of the fingers to the heel and from the heel to the knee. Then you need to lie down and put a folded blanket under your feet. Thanks to this position, blood flow will be normal, which will prevent recurrent cramps.
If calf cramps appear during extreme heat, you should add a little salt to the water when drinking, or you can drink mineral water with a high salt content.
If the pain during cramps is very severe, then you can take a painkiller or rub the leg muscles with vodka, apple cider vinegar or some warming ointment.
How to treat muscle cramps? What should be the treatment for leg cramps? First, it is necessary to establish the cause of the seizures, and then neutralize this cause.
If the cramps do not bother you that much and they do not happen so often (once every few months), then in this case there is no need to worry. But if your legs cramp quite often and painfully, then you should definitely consult a doctor, because the causes of cramps can be very different - from simple to very serious. The body can use seizures to signal that immediate treatment is needed. And the sooner it is started, the greater the chance of preventing new seizures.
With this problem, you should contact a therapist, who, after examination, should refer the patient to a specialized doctor. For example, in case of varicose veins, a referral will be made to a phlebologist. If leg cramps occur due to damage to the arteries, then in this case a vascular surgeon will help; for diabetes, the attending physician will be an endocrinologist, and for lumbar radiculitis, a neurologist.
Thus, it becomes clear that seizures, as they say, do not have their own doctor, because they can occur for completely different reasons, and each of these reasons is studied by a separate doctor. A seizure is not an independent disease - it is just a symptom of a large list of various diseases.
1) If you are worried about leg cramps, you can take 2 tablespoons of chamomile, pour 200 ml of boiling water, hold for 10 minutes after boiling, then pass through a sieve and consume 50 ml orally 3-4 times a day on an empty stomach.
2) If you suffer from severe leg cramps at night, you can do the following: pour 1 dessert spoon of birch buds into 200 ml of boiling water, leave for 10 minutes, and then pass through a sieve. Drink 1/3 glass in the morning, at lunch and in the evening on an empty stomach.
3) How to remove muscle cramps? Lemon juice will help. You need to treat your feet with lemon juice 2 times a day - morning and evening - and then let them dry. Then you can put on your shoes. This procedure must be repeated every day for two weeks.
4) To relieve leg cramps, you can do the following: take 50 g of dry bay leaf, break the leaves and pour in 250 ml of unrefined sunflower oil. Then close the jar with the leaves and place it in a dark place for 12 days. Then strain. And if your leg cramps, you need to rub yourself with the resulting oil.
5) If your legs often cramp, then celandine can help. To do this, you need to squeeze the juice out of the celandine and mix this juice with Vaseline. Then you need to take one part of the juice and two parts of Vaseline, mix it all and rub your feet with the resulting ointment every evening. To get a greater effect, you need to massage exactly those places where cramps occur. This should be done every day before bed. And after two weeks the cramps will stop.
6) A good remedy for leg cramps is onion peels. You need to take 1 teaspoon of chopped onion peel, pour a glass of boiling water over it and let it brew for 10 minutes. Drink this remedy at night.
7) To get rid of leg cramps, you can use the following recipe: dry rye bread crackers, pour boiling water over them, leave for 4 hours, strain and add a little yeast. Then the resulting mass should be left to ferment for 6 or 8 hours in a warm place, then the drink should be bottled and refrigerated. Before drinking the drink, add honey to taste. You need to drink 2 glasses a day.
8) Horseradish will help cure leg cramps. For treatment you will need 200 g of fresh horseradish roots. Horseradish must be grated on a fine grater to make a paste. Then you need to mix 0.5 olive oil and 0.5 kg of natural honey and add horseradish there. Mix everything well and put the mixture in the refrigerator (where the mixture will be stored). Take 20 minutes before meals, 1 tablespoon 3 times a day.
9) How to cure leg cramps? In this case, mustard oil can help. You just need to rub your feet with mustard oil at night. This must be done until the leg cramps stop.
10) If you suffer from calf cramps, you can use the following mixture: you need to take mistletoe grass, calendula flowers, as well as leaves and stems of rhubarb, red clover and yellow clover in equal parts. Stir this mixture, then take 1 tablespoon of the mixture, brew 1 liter of boiling water and hold in a water bath for 10 minutes. Then leave for 30 minutes and then strain. We soak a bandage folded in several layers in this infusion and make a compress on the sore spot, hold it for at least five hours.
1) get rid of excess weight
2) avoid prolonged exercise
3) wear comfortable shoes
4) do foot baths with mustard every other day (for 3 liters of water - one tablespoon of mustard)
5) regularly massage your feet with ginger essential oil or chamomile oil
You should also eat vegetables, fruits and foods such as beans, cottage cheese and hard cheeses every day.
To prevent leg cramps, you should take medications that contain magnesium and calcium in sufficient quantities (the daily dose should be from 500 to 1000 mg of magnesium and from 1000 to 2000 mg of calcium). You should also drink a glass of warm water every day with a teaspoon of honey and apple cider vinegar (lemon juice will also work). Potassium deficiency can be corrected by eating oranges and bananas more often.
In addition, you should do contrast foot baths and take a contrast shower before going to bed (however, if you have varicose veins, the contrast should not be strong). You can add herbs to the water such as valerian, peppermint, horsetail, as well as elderberries and raspberry leaves - all of these plants have excellent anticonvulsant effects.
Among a large number of different diseases, there are also pathological functional states that, although not a disease, still disrupt a person’s normal well-being. A typical example is myoclonus or clonic spasms of the calf muscles.
This is a symptom characterized by painful spasm of various muscle groups. The most typical is myoclonus of the feet or legs. Such spastic contractions are subconsciously associated with the name of the famous rock band “Nogu Svelo”.
Clonic seizures are short-lived. In addition to them, there may also be tonic involuntary contractions of the striated skeletal muscles, which are stronger and more prolonged and can last more than three minutes.
The reasons why leg muscle cramps develop lie in disturbances in the electrolyte balance of muscle cells, inadequate blood supply to soft tissues, or neurological problems. These three groups of causes can occur either in isolation or in various combinations, accompanying congenital anomalies or acquired diseases. It is not so important what the patient’s age is, since the mechanisms of development of myoclonus are almost identical for children, adults and the elderly.
Electrolyte disturbances are the largest group of conditions leading to leg cramps. Normally, muscle contraction is possible when a potential difference is created between the cell and the extracellular space, which is determined by the flow of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and chlorine ions in different directions. In any pathology that leads to an imbalance of these substances, muscle contraction is disrupted. In this case, the most important deficiency is sodium and calcium, leading to muscle spasms. Here is a list of some conditions that lead to leg cramps.
(from the second degree and above) the blood thickens, the concentration of sodium in the plasma drops, and leg cramps develop. The causes and mechanism of development of myoclonus from bleeding are similar to dehydration; convulsions develop with a sharp drop in the volume of circulating blood, for example, with heavy bleeding (see uterine bleeding - causes).
especially loop diuretics (furosemide, lasix, torasemide, bumetanide, ethacrynic acid) and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (diacarb), which primarily remove sodium and magnesium. A decrease in the concentration of these ions increases the excitability of nerve endings, which leads to seizures. This is a very typical condition for elderly patients and those losing weight using diuretics. They often experience leg cramps at night and muscle twitching, which are provoked even by a normal change in the position of the limb.
and plasma transfusions, a sharp jump in oncotic pressure leads to electrolyte disturbances and seizures.
often accompanied by calcium deficiency, which is used for the needs of the growing fetus, and may be accompanied by myoclonus of the feet or legs.
in which the balance between albumin and plasma globulins is disrupted and fluid accumulates in the tissues, abdominal, pleural cavity and pericardial sac, can also cause seizures. Read more about liver cirrhosis.
in chronic renal failure it is also often complicated by myoclonus.
Tissue hypoxia leads to the accumulation of under-oxidized metabolic products, such as lactic acid and inflammatory mediators. Tissue ischemia is manifested by spastic muscle contraction and pain. This mechanism can develop with insufficient blood flow in the foot or leg area or with metabolic disorders that reduce the supply of glucose to the tissue (see cerebral ischemia in newborns).
the most typical pathology in which cramps of individual leg muscles occur after prolonged walking or static load (see treatment of varicose veins at home). This problem haunts hairdressers and sellers. teachers, as well as pregnant women in whom increased intraabdominal pressure provokes the development or exacerbation of varicose veins. In addition to spasticity and pain, patients may experience swelling and heaviness in the legs, on which an increased venous pattern appears and even nodes where blood stagnates, which can cause secondary inflammation of the vein (phlebitis) or even thrombosis.
This is the lot of patients with diabetes mellitus and smokers who are plagued by obliterating endarteritis, also called intermittent claudication. In this case, the first place is taken by disorders of arterial blood flow, to which, in diabetes, is also added a violation of tissue utilization of glucose and a state of hypoglycemia during fasting or inappropriately high doses of insulin. Characteristic symptoms include pain when walking, the inability to walk long distances, pallor and coldness of the legs, trophic skin disorders in the form of chronic ulcers and erosions. Diabetes is even characterized by necrotic processes, which are called diabetic foot. Obliterating endarteritis and diabetic foot are the most common causes of lower limb amputation.
and other similar abnormalities of the foot, leading to disturbances in the distribution of load on the ligamentous-articular and muscular apparatus of the leg, can also cause convulsive contractions of the muscles of the foot or lower leg. Both deteriorating blood flow conditions and compression of small nerve trunks play a role here. It is interesting that a similar situation can arise among lovers of fashionable narrow shoes or fans of high heels, when excessive load falls on the toes.
Raynaud's syndrome or disease, in which capillary blood flow is affected, also leads to oxygen starvation of the muscles and, as a result, myoclonus may occur. These two pathologies are characterized by mild chills in the extremities, intolerance to cold air or water, upon contact with which the extremities turn pale or even blue and can react with muscle spasms.
Infectious pathologies (meningococcal, staphylococcal), poisoning with methyl alcohol, cyanide, phosphides, hydrocyanic acid, strychnine, fungi (strings) may cause disturbances in neuromuscular transmission that lead to spasticity of the leg muscles. Rare causes of the same mechanism of action include the bites of scorpions, South American ants, black widow spiders and octopuses, injections of stingrays and sea urchins. In our latitudes, it is more realistic to eat aquatic squash, similar to parsley, and be bitten by a forest ant. In children receiving vitamin D, in case of overdose, spasticity in the legs may also occur as a result of excessive loss of calcium from the tissues.
against the background of cerebral circulation disorders in the acute period, tonic cramps in the legs may also develop. Here the symptoms are supplemented by precursors in the form of a headache, flickering spots in the eyes. At the time of a stroke, there may be loss or confusion of consciousness, asymmetry of the nasolabial folds, and deviation of the tongue from the midline (see signs of stroke in women).
(high temperature) with high convulsive readiness of the cerebral cortex can also lead to cramps in the legs.
or sacral spine, the development of intervertebral hernias due to compression of the motor roots of the spinal cord also often causes leg cramps.
In case of joint injuries or leg fractures, muscle spasticity is a protective mechanism that allows you to limit the mobility of the injured area. However, muscle spasm in response to pain impulses is the main cause of fractures of long bones during falls from a height.
Hypoparathyroidism or decreased production of parathyroid hormones due to radiation damage, trauma, or surgical removal can also manifest as leg cramps. But at the same time, cramps also affect the face and upper limbs, and hair loss and dryness, weakness and fatigue, a tendency to depression, and bronchospasm are also observed.
At night, muscle activity is reduced, however, when sleeping in a stuffy room, lactic acid can accumulate in the tissues of the legs, which causes spasm and pain. Also, after a significant load on the legs during the day, in people with vascular problems, the venous outflow from the extremities is insufficient, and the influx of arterial blood is slowed down, which provokes tissue ischemia and spastic phenomena in the muscles of the foot and lower leg.
Perfectly healthy people can also be susceptible to cramps in the calf muscles. The reasons for this phenomenon lie in strong or prolonged muscle tension; they occur during prolonged forced positions. These can be both domestic and professional loads, for example:
Calf muscle cramps are not a harmless phenomenon, but the most common cause of death on the water.
Another factor is the degree of training of the calf muscles. In untrained people, muscle spasm may occur within a few minutes. We can safely say that this phenomenon is often the main cause of deaths among swimmers. Young, healthy and self-confident people are the main risk group. Many of them had never experienced the phenomenon described above before the tragic moment. Therefore, the first feelings experienced when the calves cramp:
There is a very simple way to escape in such a situation. It is necessary to remember at that moment that you can unlock the calf muscle by strongly pulling the toe of this leg towards the shin. In this case, the foot works like a lever, stretching the muscles and forcing them into working condition.
So, the correct algorithm of actions will be like this:
If a problem such as leg cramps recurs, you should consult a doctor and get tested. The main directions are the exception:
With classic myoclonus, when there are no generalized convulsive seizures and loss of consciousness, it is worth paying attention to the level of fluid intake.
To interrupt the spasmodic contraction of the leg muscles, you can take the following simple measures.