A cramp is an involuntary painful contraction of muscles. The limb becomes numb and hurts for some time. Contractions vary in duration, strength and extent. More often appear at night. Doctors classify them by type, look at the longevity and the location of the muscle spasm.
There are a number of reasons for the appearance of spasms, which are individual in nature. Spasms sometimes do not require treatment and occur rarely. It is worth observing the body - if the spasm appears constantly, special treatment is required.
The type of cramps that occurs at night is considered painful. A sharp and unexpected spasm will wake you up and the affected muscle will ache. Causes of cramps at night:
Some doctors believe that spasms at night appear due to an uncomfortable sleeping position. More often, a person falls asleep in a position with bent knees, which causes cramping of the leg muscles.
A cramp cramps one finger or all at the same time. Causes of toe cramps:
To treat neurological diseases and pain, you should contact a proven rehabilitation center that uses modern methods of physiotherapy.
A couple of minutes before the spasm appears, a slight tugging of the muscles is felt. The favorite place for cramps is the calf muscle. At night the pain becomes more intense. When the muscle contracts, severe pain is felt. The legs are tense, it is impossible to step on the foot, the muscles are hard and painful when touched.
The main reason is considered to be a lack of microelements and severe fatigue, if the lifestyle is too active, the day is spent on your feet. Atherosclerosis and excessive swelling of the legs are considered to be the causes of painful contractions in the calf muscles. Spinal diseases become the cause. In 70% of cases, cramps arise from heavy work on the legs.
The appearance of such idiopathic seizures is influenced by tense muscles as a result of overload of the body. People who abuse physical activity and neglect rest are sensitive to this type of muscle contraction. Due to a malfunction of the muscles, the likelihood of contractions occurring is too high.
Wearing tight shoes, poor blood flow, advanced age, and poor sleeping position are good reasons for idiopathic causes of cramping.
Due to a lack of vitamins, cramps appear in the human body. Lack of microelements and overwork are secondary causes. This type is considered a symptom of a number of diseases and the main cause of disruption of the body.
A lack of magnesium, which is necessary and important for normalizing muscle contractions, appears from poor nutrition. The appearance of magnesium deficiency is affected by diseases that prevent the microelement from being absorbed into the body as it should be. It is not difficult to understand that there is not enough magnesium. A person gets tired quickly, has difficulty falling asleep, and is characterized by a low mood that turns into depression. Constant back pain and migraines are symptoms of magnesium deficiency.
Calcium is considered similar to magnesium; deficiency of the element is a secondary cause of seizures. Calcium performs similar beneficial actions to magnesium. Signs of calcium deficiency:
Due to a lack of calcium in the body, changes appear in the biochemical composition of human blood.
Let us consider the composition of secondary characteristics. Glucose deficiency, which occurs due to constant uncorrected diets and the use of sugar-lowering drugs. Anemia is a lack of oxygen saturation of blood cells. A sharp change in temperature means short-term and actual convulsions. Diseased vessels of the legs - there is a disturbance in blood flow, the tissues do not receive the required amount of oxygen, and hypoxia appears. The causes are diseases of the lower part of the spine, when the muscles are pinched and sensitivity is impaired.
When the area of the brain responsible for proper and uniform muscle contraction is damaged, leg cramps appear. Damage to the brain area occurs subsequently:
Damage to the brain area
A common reason is being overweight. Possible muscle fatigue, constant tension and severe stressful situations, endocrine diseases and disruption of the nervous system. If you have persistent and extremely painful cramps, immediately consult a doctor and start treatment immediately, otherwise incurable and serious diseases will appear.
90% of pregnant women tell doctors about the occurrence of cramps. Common sites include the feet and toes. But while a woman is carrying a child, this is considered a normal condition, about which there is no need to worry too much, and in this case the seizures cannot be treated. The spasm manifests itself in the presence of excess excess weight, which is recorded in every expectant mother. An enlarged uterus, putting pressure on the nerves, is also considered the cause of constant cramps.
Increased swelling due to increased blood volume and increased circulation causes contractions. The causes of leg cramps are a predisposition to varicose veins, lack of vitamins and hormonal changes in the body.
If a child experiences contractions periodically, there is no talk about illness. More often this happens due to the growth and development of the child and the body. It is worth tracking the amount of vitamins and replenishing the deficiency.
Flat feet or cold cause painful tension in the legs. Make sure your child sleeps properly; an uncomfortable position over time can lead to unintentional contractions.
Cramps a child's limbs
It is important and necessary to consult a doctor immediately after their appearance in order to find out and eliminate the cause. If the spasms are regular, it is worth carrying out the necessary treatment with the use of a special medicine. Before starting treatment, it is recommended to consult a therapist. The doctor will conduct an initial examination and give directions for the required tests. After the manipulations have been performed, you will be offered to see an endocrinologist, neurologist or cardiologist.
If the cause is a disease, then it must be treated immediately. Special treatment will help prevent illness and spasms. If there are no diseases or a muscle spasm occurs once, simple tips to eliminate further occurrence of cramps will suffice.
In any case, it is necessary to treat painful sensations. The main thing is to find and remove the cause of its appearance. Time will pass, and the cramps at night will leave memories. Tips for avoiding cramps: correct and review your diet, do not overdo it with training and exercise, take diuretics only as prescribed by your doctor in the right dose, periodically do simple exercises, stretching your leg muscles.
If you experience leg cramps at night, don’t panic. You need to relax, try to take deep, even breaths and exhales. Stand on the cool floor and straighten up. Then you will have to be patient: standing on your feet, lift your toes up, it will be painful and unpleasant. The muscles stretch, the spasm goes away.
If the cramp does not subside, simply pinch the sore spot on your legs where the spasm is localized. After relaxing the muscles in the cramped area, place a cushion of a blanket or pillow under your feet so that your limbs are higher than the level of your heart and head.
Leg spasms also appear when swimming in the sea. Be careful, especially if swimming in deep water. Follow the rules: immediately roll over onto your back and try to pull your foot toward you with your fingers. If that doesn't help, pin a pin to your swimming trunks to lightly prick the cramped area. If you are swimming in the pool and feel that your legs are cramping, stop swimming immediately and go to the surface. The reason is the water temperature is below 20 degrees.
Often your legs cramp at night or in the middle of the day - fight it. If no danger occurs, follow the tips below:
If the advice is followed, there is a chance you will not find out about the unpleasant muscle contraction at night.
The vast majority of us are familiar with sudden, sharp pain in the leg that makes us lose our composure. This pain can overtake anyone - a child and an adult, an old man with a bunch of diseases and a successful athlete.
It appears at any time of the day, mainly at night. Painful sensations, both short-term and long-term, can be localized in any area of the limb, but more often in the foot and lower leg. So why do my legs cramp at night?
The phenomenon of sudden contraction of various muscle groups is called a cramp. It is not classified as a disease, but is classified as a functional pathological disorder. Depending on the reasons that caused them, cramps can go away quickly and painlessly, within a few seconds, and in severe cases they can last for a long time - up to 10 minutes - causing a person to experience incredible pain in suddenly hardened muscles and feel complete helplessness.
It is customary to classify seizures into clonic and tonic:
Characterized by rapid movements of individual muscle groups. Involuntary, random muscle contractions are called myoclonus. An example is short-term twitching of the face or eyelids during nervous tics. Myoclonus is often observed in the area of the feet and legs, appearing both during movement and during rest.
If muscle contractions look like shudders when scared or falling asleep, they are not considered a serious pathology and, in most cases, are considered normal due to the absence of signs of illness.
If muscle contractions are sudden and occur frequently, then this type of myoclonus belongs to the category of hyperkinesis and clarifying its nature requires diagnostic measures.
Characterized by painful paroxysmal contractions of striated muscles. Such cramps, mainly affecting the calf muscles, last from one minute or more. They can occur during sleep and rest, during prolonged walking and playing sports.
Cramps can be the result of many reasons: from poor nutrition to serious diseases of the body. Based on the nature of the reasons, they are combined into 3 groups:
For proper intercellular electrolyte balance in the blood there must be a certain ratio of microelements and vitamins, in particular calcium, magnesium, potassium and vitamin D. These essential microelements come to us from food with proper nutrition.
However, intense exercise, hormonal imbalances, strict diets and bad habits do not contribute to their absorption.
Convulsive muscle spasms are especially provoked by a lack of magnesium, calcium, B vitamins, as well as a decrease in blood glucose levels - hypoglycemia.
Blood flow problems are a common cause of seizures. With various pathologies - varicose veins, sclerotic lesions of blood vessels, osteochondrosis, a sedentary lifestyle, blood stagnates in the vessels and tissue ischemia is provoked. With tissue hypoxia, metabolic products accumulate, including lactic acid and inflammatory mediators, which cause painful muscle contractions.
Damage to the body by various infections (staphylococcal, meningococcal), poisoning cause disturbances in neuromuscular conduction and lead to spasticity of the leg muscles. With epilepsy, stroke, diabetes, and brain tumors, the nerve fibers are compressed. Not only sensory nerves are disrupted, but also motor ones, so in addition to pain, involuntary muscle contractions also occur. Convulsive reactions are also caused by severe stress, overwork and staying in a stuffy room. For some, seizures may occur due to a hereditary predisposition to react nervously to various stimuli.
Why do my calves, feet and toes cramp at night? Experts explain this in different ways. Some attribute this mainly to the fact that a relaxed body is conducive to a sharp shortening of muscles. Others blame flat feet, physical muscle strain and vascular disorders. Still others see the reason in the lack of calcium and magnesium - it is their lack that leads to muscle excitability, which ends much later with muscle twitching.
Cases of cramps in the calves and toes during pregnancy are explained by the fact that the need for microelements for the expectant mother and the growing fetus increases sharply, and dietary restrictions, medications, toxicoses or other unfavorable factors do not help maintain the required concentration in the blood. In addition, the nutrients entering the body are redistributed in favor of the growing fetus, and not the mother.
Calcium deficiency especially often accompanies pregnancy, which is caused by reduced function of the parathyroid glands, and which must be replenished not only with a balanced diet, but also with medications.
In the presence of degenerative-dystrophic changes in the spine: intervertebral hernias, spondylolisthesis, lumbosacral spondylosis, those motor roots of the spinal cord that are responsible for the neuromuscular excitability of the lower extremities are compressed. As a result of a distortion in the transmission of these nerve impulses to the leg muscles, cramps of varying intensity occur.
A common cause of painful muscle contractions is cardiovascular pathology.
Diseases of the cardiovascular system lead to chronic disturbances in blood flow, primarily in the vessels of the lower extremities, and especially in the feet and legs. It is the stagnation of blood that provokes a decrease in muscle tone, which eventually leads to regular cramps.
The most common type of vascular pathology, in which cramps are common, is varicose veins , characterized by bluish skin color, heaviness and pain in the legs.
The walls of the veins cannot cope with the increased load, they stretch, forming nodules on the veins that disrupt normal blood circulation, which contributes to the occurrence of cramps.
Obliterating diseases of the arteries of the legs also cause cramps. This pathology is characterized by a narrow lumen in the vessels, weakened blood flow, pallor of the skin of the affected leg and severe pain when walking.
The period of active growth of babies is often accompanied by night cramps. Unfamiliar and sharp pain makes children feel anxious and cry, and parents feel confused and afraid.
The main causes of night cramps in a child include:
It is important to take into account that regular and long-lasting convulsions are caused mainly by the last two reasons.
Frequent seizures in children may indicate the presence of serious diseases, such as epilepsy, so the child should be examined by a doctor immediately.
During cramps, to relieve pain, rub the child's leg with warming ointment, lightly massage and try to stand him on his toes.
If you are suddenly struck by severe pain in the calf muscle, it is recommended to take the following simple steps:
There is no need to panic for those who have seizures sporadically, up to 2-3 times a month. You need to organize a balanced diet, check the condition of the veins in your legs, leave a sedentary lifestyle and take control of bad habits.
Symptomatic therapy for mild types of seizures usually consists of prescribing magnesium preparations, complexes of vitamins with microelements and muscle relaxants.
However, frequent manifestations of seizures require a visit to the doctor, who will prescribe an examination and make a diagnosis. Self-medication in this case is unacceptable. Only by eliminating the root cause of the pathology can we hope to get rid of troubles forever.
Convulsive muscle contractions should not be taken lightly, since in all cases they signal the need to protect the body from internal or external irritants. They affect not only carriers of pathologies, but also completely healthy people, in particular athletes.
According to statistics, calf muscle cramps are the most common cause of death on the water . Therefore, organizing preventive measures aimed at maintaining the correct work and rest regime, sports activities, diet, and giving up bad habits is the task of every individual who cares about their health.
A cramp is an involuntary contraction or excessive tension of a muscle or several muscles. This condition is always accompanied by quite severe pain, and can last from a few seconds to a quarter of an hour, all the time causing unbearable discomfort. Night leg cramps are an extremely common phenomenon; according to studies, 8 out of 10 people periodically experience it. In this article, we will find out what provokes such an unpleasant condition and how to deal with it correctly.
In addition, there are a number of diseases that increase the risk of leg cramps:
According to the nature of the process, convulsions can be divided into two types: clonic and tonic. With the first type, the muscle contracts quickly and also quickly relaxes, while with the tonic variety, the tension persists for a longer time. Such attacks can be caused by the same reasons, which will be discussed in more detail below.
The occurrence of calf muscle cramps at night in some cases remains a real mystery, since the phenomenon can occur even in absolutely healthy people. However, experts identify a number of conditions that can provoke such tension:
Hypothermia can also trigger a cramp - this often happens at night in poorly heated rooms or while sleeping with an open window in cool weather. As a result, it can not only cramp, but also twist your legs at night.
Such localization of cramps occurs as a signal that the muscles of the fingers are not receiving enough attention in terms of load.
Calf cramps are frequent unwanted companions during pregnancy. They may begin to bother you from the first months due to frequent vomiting (with toxicosis), as this creates dehydration. Reasons related to mineral metabolism take on new dimensions during pregnancy:
The source of the problem can also be reduced hemoglobin and inferior vena cava syndrome (this is typical for the third trimester of multiple pregnancy).
Seizures in childhood should attract special attention from parents, as they may be evidence of a developing disease. Night contractions of the leg muscles most often occur in a child’s life during a period of active growth, and such attacks often frighten children - they begin to cry and complain of severe pain in the leg. The source of the problem may be:
In addition, the phenomenon may be a symptom of the diseases discussed earlier. In children, repeated and frequent seizures usually indicate circulatory problems, which require immediate intervention from specialists.
The big difficulty is that a cramp is a source of significant discomfort, which must be dealt with here and now. Undoubtedly, if the seizures become “enviable” constant, then seeing a doctor is simply necessary, but regardless of the cause, the spasm that occurs must be fought. To do this, you can use the following tips:
It is worth trying to minimize the risk of this problem by wearing low-heeled shoes, using massage mats to improve blood circulation in the legs, as well as wearing anti-varicose stockings and putting on warm socks on cold nights.
It is worth understanding that if seizures are a symptom of a disease, then they can only be gotten rid of through complex treatment of the cause. But there are ways to help effectively deal with the symptom itself.
Cramps are most often provoked by a deficiency of vitamins and microelements, so one of the treatment methods is to compensate for the existing deficiency. Complexes containing the following components will be relevant:
In this case, taking medications is usually directly related to the underlying disease. So, if the problem is caused by dehydration, then preparations with vitamin elements, for example, Orthocalcium plus magnesium or Ortho Taurine Ergo, will be useful. In some cases, Asparkam will be effective.
The following folk recipes may be useful and effective in eliminating leg cramps:
Recently, more and more often, completely healthy people suffer from such an unpleasant manifestation as convulsive muscle contractions at night, which interferes with normal sleep. Cramps are usually accompanied by numbness and pain. Unfortunately, it is observed not only in older people, but also in children and the younger generation.
The cause and root of the problem may be different, and in order to understand their nature and exclude the development of serious diseases, you should contact a qualified specialist. Only he will help you figure out what can affect the convulsive contractions of the leg muscles and prescribe treatment.
Leg cramps during sleep are a very unpleasant phenomenon. During sleep, the whole body weakens, the activity of muscle tissue decreases and lactic acid accumulates in the calf muscles, which contributes to the occurrence of cramps. A person is forced to wake up from sharp pain and take action to eliminate the disorder. The following types of leg cramps are distinguished, depending on the location of the pain.
When the toes cramp, the pain manifests itself sharply and intensely, and it can tighten one toe or all at once. Why does my legs cramp:
Calf cramp is the most unpleasant phenomenon, which causes maximum discomfort and occurs more often than other types of cramps. In this case, ankle pain is accompanied by: excessive tension and “petrification” of the calf muscle, and the inability to stand on the foot.
The calf muscles are subjected to incredible stress every day, which leads to muscle clogging and cramps.
Cramps usually occur at night. The reasons can be very diverse, and in order to determine them, you need to think about which of the daily procedures can provoke an unpleasant manifestation and eliminate their negative impact.
However, if leg cramps interfere with your normal life and occur too often, you should find out why your calves cramp at night. Let us highlight the main reasons leading to night cramps:
Sometimes cramps are one of the many symptoms of progressive pathologies and disorders in the body; here it is important not to ignore the manifestations that bother you, but to seek help for a comprehensive medical diagnosis of the body in order to find out why your calves cramp at night. Possible diseases that are characterized by this symptom include the following:
Diagnostic measures in this case will consist of a thorough examination, questioning for additional complaints other than night cramps, and testing. If the presence of any disease is detected, treatment measures will be aimed at eliminating the root cause, after which the seizures should disappear. If everything is not as serious as it seemed to you at first glance, and seizures occur for less compelling reasons, it is enough to simply follow preventive measures.
What to do if you are faced with this unpleasant problem? First of all, if you experience a cramp at night, do not panic, relax and breathe deeply to improve air flow to the muscle tissue. Follow these steps:
To eliminate the symptoms of convulsive manifestations, the therapist may prescribe the following medications:
If leg cramps do not go away for a long time and are accompanied by additional dangerous symptoms, you need to call an ambulance in order to prevent dangerous complications if something happens.
The most effective folk methods are:
To eliminate unpleasant manifestations, you should first of all find out the reasons that led to them. Many people try to relieve pain on their own, but this does not lead to the desired effect. What to do to prevent calf cramps? In this case, it is best to identify the original cause of the disease and prescribe appropriate treatment. The main procedures for the prevention of convulsive manifestations are:
Frequent leg cramps at night in most cases are one of the symptoms of some disease. There is no disease that they specifically point to. Determining the disease and undergoing treatment is the first and main task of the patient. To prevent the problem of muscle spasms, preventive measures should be followed initially. After all, it is easier to prevent any disease than to suffer with treatment afterwards.
Cramps - muscle contractions - are quite unpleasant and painful sensations that everyone has to deal with at least once in their life. And if your leg cramps at night - away with sleep and rest. Doctors know the cause of the disease and how to overcome it.
Doctors differentiate cramps by duration, location of formation, and degree of muscle involvement. Everyone's legs cramp from time to time for various reasons, but if this happens with enviable consistency, you need to think about treating the process.
What a shame when a sound sleep is suddenly interrupted by sudden contractions of the leg muscles, which are accompanied by sharp pain. The first time a person panics, suffering from severe pain.
There is an opinion that sleeping position with legs bent at the knees leads to involuntary muscle contraction.
Leg cramps at night in both children and adults, the latter suffer more often due to age-related reasons. A child’s body is more stable, it grows and develops, but the older generation accumulates unfavorable physical burden.
When your toes suddenly cramp, a person involuntarily grabs his feet and begins to pull them in different directions, take your time and figure out why your toes are cramped.
Causes of toe cramps:
Such spasms are the most painful of all others; the calves of the legs most often cramp. In this case, the person cannot stand on his entire foot and experiences severe tension and a feeling of “stone” muscles.
Leg cramps occur when swimming in cold water; wear a pin in your swimsuit to urgently get rid of the spasm.
Quite often, calf cramps occur due to intense physical exertion; this muscle group bears the main burden of “responsibility”.
Causes of calf cramps:
The body of a pregnant woman works for two, so it is not surprising that the expectant mother experiences many inconveniences, one of which is night cramps.
Causes of cramps in pregnant women:
It is important to know how to quickly get rid of leg pain during night cramps. The main thing is not to panic, there is nothing terrible in this phenomenon.
Remember the following procedure:
In order not to encounter this unpleasant problem, it is enough to lead a healthy lifestyle, wear comfortable shoes of your size with low heels, and do not overwork your feet. To learn how to choose the right heel height, read our publication. Morning exercises with exercises for the feet and knee joints will be a good preventive measure.
A varied diet supplies the body with calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron, without which strong blood vessels and good blood circulation are impossible.
Periodically, it is recommended to massage your feet and take a contrast shower so that blood circulates well in your feet. Try not to abuse diuretics. Follow these tips and you will forget about cramps.
If night cramps recur and have become a real problem for you, you should urgently consult a doctor to determine the cause of the disease. The doctor will examine you and prescribe special tests.
In case of seizures, it may be necessary to consult a neurologist, cardiologist or endocrinologist.
What abnormalities are secondary causes of seizures? Once you have a diagnosis, you will know how to deal with it.
Medical markers of night cramps:
Having recovered from the disease that became the main cause of night cramps, you will forever forget about the unpleasant sensations. The main thing is to adhere to the recommendations of doctors throughout your life. Eat right and exercise, take care of your feet. Movement is life!