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Cramps in the leg and calf

14 May 18

Cramps in the calves

Cramps in the calves are a common and quite common phenomenon. According to statistics, every second inhabitant of the planet encounters them at least once. Our conversation will not be about cramps caused by diseases to which they are characteristic (epilepsy, convulsive syndrome), but about those sudden conditions when a strong nagging pain suddenly appears in the calves, which after some time goes away on its own. It happens that the pain disappears without a trace, and in some cases patients complain that the calf hurts for several hours after a cramp. Cramps in the calves can occur at any time of the day, but more often there are situations when cramps in the calves occur at night. Middle-aged and older people, as well as pregnant women, are susceptible to it.

Causes of cramps in the calves?

The causes of cramps in the calves can be very different, there are quite a lot of them. Here are the main ones:

  • Hypothermia
  • Increased stress on the legs during sports
  • Increased stress on the legs during pregnancy
  • Flat feet, varicose veins
  • Poor circulation in the lower extremities
  • Endocrine system diseases
  • Taking certain medications - diuretics, statins, etc.
  • Deficiency of magnesium, potassium, calcium
  • Why do my calves cramp at night?

    Why do my calves cramp at night? The fact is that it is at rest, during night rest, that blood circulation slows down, and therefore the muscles of the limbs receive less of the microelements they need. At night, leg cramps in the calves in older people can also occur due to short tendons (tendons shorten in people with age). Cramps in the calves during pregnancy also more often occur at night - expectant mothers are not only overweight, which causes stress on their legs, but also give up all their reserves of necessary microelements to the future baby.

    How to deal with cramps in the calves?

    We seem to have figured out why my calves cramp. Now let's move on to methods of getting rid of them. If your calves cramp during prolonged hypothermia or while swimming, just warm up and they will go away on their own. But if your calves often cramp, then medical attention is needed. What do doctors offer to treat this unpleasant condition? If you have undergone a medical examination and found out that everything is fine with your potassium, magnesium, and calcium, then the following recommendations will suit you:

  • Wearing comfortable shoes
  • Quitting smoking and drinking coffee
  • Elimination of high loads on the legs
  • You can massage your legs on your own, take contrast baths for the lower extremities - these activities will increase blood circulation, and cramps in the calves will no longer bother you.

    Treatment for cramps in the calves, like any other disease, is to eliminate the cause that caused them. For example, if a person takes diuretics that wash away the necessary potassium and magnesium from the body, the doctor will prescribe him drugs that make up for this deficiency - asparkam, potassium orotate, panangin. Pregnant women are recommended to take complex vitamin preparations with microelements for the same purpose. It is necessary to review your diet and include foods rich in potassium and magnesium. The most potassium is found in the following foods:

  • Dried apricots
  • Raisin
  • Parsley, green onions
  • Legumes
  • Peaches, oranges, melon
  • Jacket potatoes
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Yogurt
  • Carrot
  • The leaders in the amount of magnesium are the following products:

    Don't forget about different dairy products. Every day, include calcium-rich milk, cottage cheese, kefir, sour cream in your diet - and the question of why leg cramps occur in your legs will no longer bother you. Lead a healthy lifestyle, love yourself and take care of your health.

    Why do leg cramps occur in the calves?

    Surely sudden leg cramps in the calves have taken each of us by surprise. But do not worry if such an unpleasant phenomenon is temporary and one-time in nature. However, not everyone is so lucky, because there are quite a lot of people who suffer from this deviation constantly, which not only brings great discomfort, but also interferes with a normal lifestyle. To figure out how to get rid of this phenomenon, you need to find out why it occurs in the first place.

    Cramps in the calves: causes that require medical examination

    As practice shows, the presented deviation can suddenly arise at any age in any person. However, most often adults or older people suffer from calf cramps. The most serious causes of these phenomena can be:

  • any hidden injuries;
  • neurological and other diseases;
  • diabetes;
  • any inflammatory processes;
  • damage to the thyroid gland, etc.
  • If you constantly experience leg cramps in the calves, and you suspect the development of any of the above diseases, then you should urgently undergo an examination and then visit a neurologist, phlebologist or endocrinologist. As a rule, as a result of timely and effective treatment of the underlying disease, such symptoms disappear very quickly.

    Reasons that do not require specialist intervention

    Leg cramps in the calves are quite often provoked by simple physical overexertion, wearing uncomfortable shoes (especially if you have flat feet), hypothermia in the cold or in cold water while swimming, frequent stress and emotional overload, as well as intense strength exercises in the gym. If such factors really occur and affect the condition of your lower extremities, then you should temporarily or permanently exclude them from your life.

    Most likely reason

    Leg cramps in the calves, most often occurring at night, indicate that your body lacks beneficial elements and vitamins that are involved in transmitting nerve impulses to muscle cells. If this is indeed the case, then you should stock up on magnesium, calcium and vitamin D. It is especially worth noting that today there are quite a few factors that contribute to the rapid loss of these substances. The most common causes of mineral deficiency in the body include:

  • Medicines, the use of which significantly complicates the absorption and absorption of magnesium (for example, Almagel, Eufillin, Maalox and Insulin).
  • Pregnancy period. The expectant mother should definitely take additional calcium and magnesium.
  • Severe stress also leads to calcium loss.
  • Protein diets make it quite difficult to absorb minerals.
  • Increased sweating. As you know, the body loses a lot of magnesium through sweat. That is why in the summer season people often complain that they are bothered by constant cramps in their calves. Treatment of this problem should be carried out with the help of regular consumption of foods containing beneficial microelements, as well as additional intake of a complex of vitamins.
  • What causes leg cramps at night?

    Leg cramps at night: cause and treatment, prevention is the topic of this article. Sharp and aching pain is often a signal that there is a certain pathology in the body that causes its appearance.

    For effective treatment, first of all, you need to find out the nature of the ailment.

    Why do spasms occur?

    Cramps of the calf muscles at night - uncontrolled contractions of muscle fibers during rest, accompanied by severe pain - are a consequence of:

  • ongoing inflammatory processes;
  • elevated sugar levels;
  • abnormalities in the thyroid gland;
  • hidden damage;
  • preferential consumption of protein foods.
  • Often occurring spasms in the calves of the legs are provoked by a lack of useful substances in the body - vitamin deficiency. For example, a lack of vitamin D reduces the body's absorption of calcium. This problem is especially typical for residents of northern regions, where the duration of sunny days throughout the year is negligible.

    Of particular importance is magnesium, which is involved in the process of transmitting nerve impulses to cells. A deficiency of an important microelement can occur, for example, in pregnant women, since the need for nutrients during fetal formation increases sharply.

    The "evil night guest" - a cramp in the calf muscle - often signals anemia. Even a slight lack of iron in the body causes cell starvation (especially during physical exertion), which results in short-term convulsions. Pathologies in the endocrine system can also lead to a painful syndrome.

    If your legs cramp repeatedly during sleep, you should pay attention to the functioning of the endocrine gland (thyroid). Low levels of thyroid hormones - thyroxine and triiodothyronine - can slow down the metabolic rate, which leads to cramps.

    The “culprit” of the pathology can also be a disease of the nervous system – polyneuropathy, in which peripheral nerves are damaged. As a result, “restless legs” syndrome occurs and cramps appear.

    Children tend to writhe during the active period of growth. Babies can signal discomfort by crying or asking to rub (stroke) their legs. Soreness often appears due to hypothermia, lack of potassium and calcium in the body, congenital foot defect, or the leg being in an uncomfortable position for a long time. Parents should definitely consult a pediatrician if nighttime leg cramps are spontaneous and recurring.

    In most cases, convulsions are observed in the calves, but it happens that the thigh muscles and tendons are affected. In this case, myoclonus spreads to the thigh and foot. The ankle and knee joints are so overloaded that the total force of tense muscles can injure the cartilage and damage the tendon.

    Why at night?

    During rest, not only breathing slows down, but also the work of the heart muscle. This leads to the fact that at this time the cells do not receive enough nutrition, including magnesium.

    When we are in the arms of Morpheus, the nervous system and the brain continue to function. Excessive physical activity during the day turns into heavy dreams at night (fights, falls, escaping from criminals), which can activate tired muscles.

    Dealing with trouble

    It is very difficult to predict when spasmodic strain will occur in the leg muscles. You should know how to take simple and effective actions to help yourself and your family overcome convulsions:

  • In case of myoclonus of the calf muscle, prick it with a pin (needle, hairpin, straightened paper clip).
  • Lie on a flat surface and pull your heels forward and toes towards you. Then release the tension a little and repeat the exercise 3-4 more times.
  • Pinch the painful area, and then massage it well with stroking and tapping movements.
  • Inhale slowly and deeply, grasp your toes tightly and quickly pull them up and then towards you.
  • Rub the painful area with vodka (diluted vinegar) and make a warm, damp compress.
  • Stand with your bare feet on the prickly “mat” - Kuznetsov’s applicator.
  • Place an iron object on the tense muscle.
  • Varicose veins of the lower extremities - the cause of pathology? In this case, you cannot massage the limbs. Before going to bed, apply Troxerutin ointment to them. Don't rub!

    If you cannot understand what causes leg cramps and what to do to prevent the disease from recurring, seek help from specialists. After determining the causative factor, you will be prescribed basic complex therapy.

    The causes and treatment of spasms in the lower extremities are closely interrelated with each other: once the source of the ailment is identified, it is easy to choose a treatment method that will give the expected result in the shortest possible time.

    If the cause is vitamin deficiency

    If, cramps of the lower extremities are associated with a lack of vitamins and minerals in the body - vitamins B6 and D, magnesium and calcium, potassium, etc. - The diet should be reconsidered.

    In any supermarket it will not be difficult to find products containing magnesium (Mg). You can use them to prepare dishes that even small children will like. These products include:

  • whole grains and buckwheat;
  • soy and pistachios;
  • seaweed and barley;
  • oatmeal and millet;
  • figs and prunes.
  • It is easy and pleasant to replenish calcium deficiency with the help of:

  • sesame and cabbage;
  • hard varieties of cheese and cottage cheese;
  • celery and fresh cucumbers;
  • beans and green peas.
  • By eating oranges and pine nuts, bananas and melons, salmon and cod, beef, you will saturate your body with potassium, and sprouted grains and bran, liver and yeast – with pyridoxine (vitamin B6).

    We use folk remedies

    1. At night, thoroughly lubricate your feet with lemon (lime) juice and let them dry without wiping.
    2. Mix unrefined sunflower oil with vodka (1:1). Shake the cocktail well before using. Rub problem areas every evening.
    3. Regularly apply compresses with infusions of thyme, walnut, chamomile, blackberry, lily of the valley, and dill to vulnerable areas.
    4. Prepare mustard ointment from one teaspoon of olive oil and two spoons of mustard powder. Apply the ointment to the areas affected by cramps for 21 days.
    5. Before meals, eat two teaspoons of honey.
    6. Gently dry the poppy petals, grind them in a mortar, and prepare a decoction with milk and honey. Drink 2-3 tablespoons before bedtime.
    7. Brew two teaspoons of birch buds in a glass of boiling water. Drink in three doses.
    8. Cut the green tomato in half. Place one half under the knee, and the other on the inside below the ankle. Do the procedure for 10-12 days.
    9. Prepare an onion drink: pour boiling water over the onion skins and leave for 10-15 minutes. Drink 0.5 cups before bedtime.
    10. Make peppermint ice from the water infusion. Before going to bed, wipe problem areas with it.
    11. It has been noticed that our furry Murkas can have a healing effect during painful attacks. Thanks to their strong biofield, cats are able to relax, warm and relieve pain. The fur of “meowing doctors” has a slight static charge and has a stimulating effect on active points, which are located in significant numbers on the limbs.

      We use medications

      You cannot select medications for leg cramps on your own, relying only on how you feel. They should be prescribed by a doctor after accurately identifying the root causes of the convulsions that occur. The most commonly used products are D3 Calcium Nycomed and Calcemin Advance.

      Let's look at which pills for leg cramps will cope with the disease. Magnesium preparations for leg cramps are used for hypomagnesemia. They have proven themselves to be excellent:

    12. Magne B6 (Magnelis),
    13. Komplivit magnii (Complivit magnesium),
    14. Magnii plius (Magnesium plus).
    15. Asparkam or Panangin pills are prescribed by doctors for potassium deficiency. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, it is allowed to use the drug “Elevit” and vitamins “Materna”.

      The medicine Orto-Kaltsiy-Magniy (Ortho Calcium + Magnesium) is useful during physical activity, since a significant amount of magnesium “leaks” when sweating. The drug Orto-Taurin-Ergo (Ortho Taurine Ergo) copes well with spasms. It contains zinc and B vitamins, vitamin E. Both drugs enhance each other’s actions, improve sleep, and relieve painful attacks at night.

      Prevention of spasms

      You should take care of your “tireless vehicle” even before the onset of painful (sometimes unbearable!) muscle spasms. We suggest including a simple workout in your daily routine that will help keep your feet healthy:

    16. Sitting on a chair, place your feet parallel to each other, leaning on their outer sides. Sit in this position for 30 seconds, relax and repeat the exercise.
    17. Curl your toes, slowly count to 15, straighten them, repeat the count.
    18. Stand on your toes so that your heels do not touch the surface, sharply return them to the starting position.
    19. Place a board (bar) 5-10 cm high on the floor. Place your feet so that your toes are on a hill and your heels are on the floor. Slowly “step” left and right.
    20. Remember that the exercises are performed barefoot, each 5-8 times.

      After a working day, try to relieve accumulated tension with the following exercises:

    21. Slowly bend your toes down and then quickly straighten them.
    22. Walk on the outside and inside of your feet.
    23. Sit on a bench, raise your feet and “write” the numbers 1 to 10.
    24. If during rest you feel that your legs are cramping, do the indicated exercises. Take care of yourself and be healthy!

      What causes leg cramps and what to do about the pain?

      What is a cramp and what are the reasons for its occurrence?

      Cramps are involuntary muscle contractions that are usually accompanied by pain. They are divided into several types:

      The first type is sharp and rapid muscle contractions, like a nervous tic, which are sometimes a consequence of overexertion. Tonic cramps often occur at night, when the leg muscle seems to harden and a sharp pain is felt. Such spasms usually occur in the calf muscles or lower leg. Sometimes the toes, both feet and thighs are affected. Generalized cramps are the most unpleasant and dangerous when all muscle fibers become toned and contract sharply. A person may lose consciousness, in which case urgent hospitalization is necessary.

      Convulsive syndrome occurs at any age, and it is important to determine the causes of this phenomenon. This may be a violation of the electrolyte, as well as the biochemical composition of the blood, when a deficiency of potassium, magnesium, calcium or vitamin D, A, E and all components of group B occurs. These trace elements and vitamins are washed out:

      • In stressful situations, when the hormone cortisol is actively produced. It negatively affects the absorption of calcium in the gastrointestinal tract and actively secretes it by the kidneys.

      • The most painful of all is the calf cramp. You cannot be prepared for its appearance. It occurs suddenly at any time, often at night, forcing a person to rub the sore muscle and take painkillers. Often convulsive syndrome is a symptom of:

        Such diseases must be correctly diagnosed and treated in order to get rid of leg cramps.

        What to do if a cramp suddenly appears

        A person himself can help himself urgently when a severe cramp occurs. At the first unpleasant sensation, it is better to relax your leg as much as possible. During a spasm, the toes of the foot are pulled towards themselves, gradually weakening the pull and straightening the foot, and again make this movement. After a cramp, you can stand up and walk on a hard surface, taking off your shoes.

        Relieve cramps by massaging the painful cramped muscle. To enhance the effect, rub in a warming ointment.

        Read more about first aid for leg cramps here.

        Why do night cramps occur?

        In most cases, convulsive muscle contractions occur at night, when all natural processes in the body, including blood circulation, slow down. The main organs responsible for vital functions continue to work actively. These are the lungs, heart, diaphragm, brain. The human muscles are relaxed. If, as a result of any pathologies, blood circulation in the legs has worsened due to metabolic disorders, overload, hypoxia, then spontaneous cramps are felt at night. If this is a rare occurrence, then treatment is not necessary.

        Leg cramps during pregnancy

        Uncontrolled muscle contractions with pain often appear during pregnancy, especially in the last months. Their main reason is clear - lack of potassium, calcium, magnesium. In the first trimester, their leaching from a woman’s body is due to the manifestation of toxicosis - often profuse and prolonged vomiting.

        Subsequently, the consumption of important microelements by the growing fetus increases. In the later stages, it “puts pressure” on the blood vessels leading to the legs, and blood circulation in the lower extremities is disrupted. The outflow of blood is also impaired, especially if you lie down.

        Diagnosis of convulsive syndrome

        Before treating cramps in the thigh and calf muscles, feet of both legs and fingers, it is necessary to identify the factors that provoke them. First of all, you need a consultation with a therapist, laboratory and comprehensive diagnostics, which includes:

      • blood sugar test;

      If leg cramps are caused by a chronic or acute disease, then the direct route is to the appropriate specialist.

      Drug treatment

      To relieve an unpleasant condition, its cause is identified. Often, cramps in the legs occur with varicose veins, then ointments and tablets are prescribed:

      Special compression garments help reduce the primary symptoms of seizures and improve blood circulation.

      Folk remedies for the treatment of leg cramps

      Effective means to eliminate convulsive syndrome are:

      For cramps in the legs, especially in the calves, lubricate the legs with chamomile, garlic or bay oil or mustard powder. Traditional healers often recommend rubbing the soles of your feet with fresh lemon juice or an ointment made from saffron and egg white before going to bed and in the morning. If there is a lack of potassium, which causes cramps, it is recommended to take yeast with honey. The yeast drink is made by fermenting rye crackers in boiling water with the addition of dry yeast. Plus, homemade honey is useful in this drink.

      Diet for leg cramps

      Diet therapy is another way to relieve leg cramps. The diet must include:

      Everything about legs, leg diseases and their treatment

      How to Treat Calf Cramps

      Sometimes a person may feel sudden muscle spasms that cause severe pain. Some people experience convulsions on a daily basis. Home remedies can help cope with this phenomenon. But in order to prevent recurrence of seizures, it is important to completely change your lifestyle. Let's take a closer look at what calf muscle cramps are, why they appear, and what to do when they make themselves felt.

      Symptoms and types of seizures

      Cramps in the calves have the following symptoms:

    25. During tonic-clonic spasms, the person suddenly loses consciousness and the pupils become dilated. The convulsions last 10 seconds, the skeleton is tense, the eyes roll up. Then, for another 40 seconds, the muscles of the torso sharply contract and relax. At the end of the attack, the person falls asleep or feels briefly stunned. You may also experience bloody foam coming from the mouth, excessive salivation, and tongue biting;
    26. Myoclonic spasms affect the entire skeleton, facial muscles or fingers. Most often they affect children and adolescents. During an attack, a person may be injured by falling;
    27. With partial convulsive seizures, a person does not lose consciousness. During such cramps, the calves, hands and face cramp. A person feels pain and severe tension in the muscles.
    28. to contents ^

      Factors that cause seizures

      If you have experienced calf cramps at least once, it is important to visit a neurologist, as they can indicate various serious and not so serious diseases.

      The main causes of seizures:

    29. Lack of vitamin D, magnesium and calcium;
    30. Hypothermia of the legs or whole body;
    31. Stressful situations;
    32. Getting injured;
    33. Inflammation in the body;
    34. Varicose veins;
    35. Neurological problems;
    36. Thyroid diseases;
    37. Diabetes.
    38. In addition to the listed factors, there are also such reasons for the development of seizures as too much excitement, stressful situations, and disturbances in electrolyte metabolism.

      Having experienced the symptoms of seizures, you should immediately consult a doctor to determine the exact causes of this defect in the body.

      An experienced specialist will find out why convulsions occur and promptly prescribe correct and effective treatment.

      Muscle spasms in children

      To determine why calf cramps occur in children, it is important to visit a pediatrician. The appearance of seizures is caused by symptoms of calcium and vitamin D deficiency, the development of serious diseases or epilepsy.

      Often cramps in the calves during sleep. In case of a cramp, it is necessary to rub the child’s leg with warming ointment. The baby should stand on his toes. Children's diet must necessarily consist of cottage cheese, hard cheeses, dried apricots, and raisins. The doctor should tell you what to do in the future if seizures recur. He can also prescribe treatment.

      How to act to help yourself

      When your calves cramp, the question arises, what to do? First of all, it is important to perform the following activities:

      1. Ignoring the pain, you need to slowly pull the toes of the pinched foot toward you;
      2. Feel or scratch the stiff muscles and rub your leg with strong movements;
      3. You can also apply a warm mustard plaster to the cramping area or direct a hot shower onto your leg, which your skin can tolerate.

      After providing first aid to yourself during an attack of calf muscle spasm, it is important to call a doctor. The specialist must determine why the convulsion occurred by carefully examining and interviewing the patient.

      If your legs cramp at night, a person becomes scared, and he begins to panic and think about what to do in such a situation. First you need to calm down! Then try to stand up and walk barefoot on the floor. If the spasm does not go away, you can put your feet in a bowl of hot water or treat them with warming ointment and put on warm socks. Heat will quickly relieve the cramp. Additionally, you can drink hot tea or milk. When you go to bed, be sure to place your feet below head level.

      Traditional medicine and night leg cramps

      To get rid of night cramps in the calf muscles, you can use the following traditional medicine recipes:

    39. You can drink thyme infusion for 30 days. A tablespoon of herb should be poured with a glass of boiling water. Leave for a couple of hours and strain. Drink 15 grams three times a day;
    40. After a month of taking thyme infusion, you can drink linden blossom tincture. Fill a glass jar with linden flowers and fill it with vodka. Leave for 21 days, shaking occasionally. When the tincture is ready, you need to strain and drink a teaspoon twice a day. Before going to bed, you need to drink another 15 grams of infusion;

  • To rub your feet, you can prepare this warming rub. Mix camphor oil with grated garlic in a 1:2 ratio. Let it brew for at least ten days. The garlic should be removed and the resulting product should be rubbed onto the calves as needed;
  • Mix barley (20 grams) with oats (10 grams), peeled acorns (30 grams) and rye (30 grams). Then add chicory root (15 grams) and dandelions (15 grams). The resulting herbal mixture is prepared like natural coffee. Honey is added to the drink instead of sugar. Tasty and healthy!
  • Identifying the causes of seizures

    To diagnose serious diseases that cause cramps in your calves, it is enough to check your blood pressure and take a blood test. In serious cases, the doctor may order a full examination of all organs, which will accurately tell why seizures occur.

    Treating seizures

    Having determined why calf muscle cramps occur, it is important to begin treatment. It is necessary not only to train the calf muscles, but also to eliminate the causes that cause convulsions.

    Treatment for calf muscle cramps:

  • If the cause of seizures is impaired mineral metabolism, treatment will consist of changing the diet. That is, the patient should consume more foods rich in vitamins and minerals. In serious situations, the doctor is forced to resort to introducing special drugs into the body;
  • If the cause of seizures is varicose veins, it is important to treat the vessels of the venous bed;
  • If the cause of seizures is epilepsy, anticonvulsant medications are taken. For example, a doctor may prescribe a course of phenobarbital, phenytoin, valproic acid or lamotrigine;

  • If the body does not receive enough oxygen to relieve the spasm, you need to saturate the blood with oxygen by inhaling it through a special mask;
  • If spasms are caused by brain developmental defects, anticonvulsants are used;
  • If the patient has suffered due to meningitis, antibacterial therapy is carried out to prevent the development of seizures;
  • To cope with febrile vascular spasms, it is necessary to take an antipyretic drug, which will lower high body temperature and normalize breathing;
  • When dehydrated, convulsions are eliminated by infusion of fluid through the veins. It is important to normalize the volume of circulating blood;
  • In some situations, an experienced specialist resorts to acupuncture to relieve leg spasms. During this procedure, all needles must be carefully cleaned, and the doctor must know how and where to inject with a needle.
  • Treatment and prevention of calf muscle cramps also include special massages that warm up the muscles and increase blood flow in them. To strengthen your leg muscles, it is useful to do gymnastics.

    If necessary, the doctor may prescribe additional medications that contain calcium and vitamin D.

    Preventive measures

    To prevent the recurrence of calf muscle cramps, it is important to carry out prevention, which consists of the following:

  • Change your menu. Eat fresh fruits and greens. To enrich the body with calcium, it is useful to enjoy cottage cheese, cheese, other dairy products, and almonds. To replenish the loss of magnesium, walnuts, legumes and buckwheat are recommended for consumption. Potassium can be found in dried fruits, dried apricots, seeds, beets and garlic;
  • In addition to a proper and balanced diet, you can drink a vitamin-mineral complex;

  • In order to prevent leg cramps, special exercises are recommended on the doctor’s recommendation;
  • To relieve pain and discomfort in the legs, you can resort to massage, which you can do yourself or visit a massage therapist;
  • It is beneficial to walk on your heels for a couple of minutes every day.
  • Leg cramps are not dangerous. But, if spasms are repeated systematically, they can signal some serious illness. In this case, why convulsive attacks occur, the doctor must figure out.

    Now you know why cramps occur in the calves, what they are and how they are treated.

    The main thing is to promptly seek help from experienced specialists in order to alleviate the condition and begin proper treatment, which will help prevent further recurrent seizures.

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    • inability to move easily and comfortably;
    • unpleasant crunching, clicking not of your own accord;
    • inflammation in the joints and swelling;
    • causeless and sometimes unbearable aching pain in the joints.
    • Causes of pain in the calf muscles

      Pain in the calf muscle can be caused by a fairly large number of reasons, from minor ones that do not require treatment to pain caused by serious abnormalities in the human body. That is why it is important to know why the calf muscles hurt, and to be able to correctly take measures to eliminate pain.

      Moreover, if the pain begins to recur constantly, intensifies more and more, or convulsions appear, it is necessary to contact specialized medical institutions for examination and treatment.

      Causes of pain that do not require specialized intervention

      The most common reason why the calf muscles may hurt, which does not require special treatment, is stagnation of lactic acid. This occurs due to increased, unusual activity of muscle tissue. Therefore, if you know that a muscle hurts precisely because of the increased load on the lower limbs, you should not be afraid, since this is a kind of protective reaction of the body to unusual loads. Thus, he notifies that he needs rest.

      After the legs have rested, the pain goes away on its own, as the lactic acid gradually dissipates. The process of disappearance of pain caused by this cause can be accelerated. To do this, you need to raise your legs up; you can lie down near the wall, press your buttocks against the wall and raise your legs, resting them against the wall. Thanks to this condition, blood circulation in the legs improves and blood flows from them, as a result of which lactic acid is processed at a faster pace and pain disappears faster.

      Additionally, pain caused by overuse can be relieved by soaking your feet in cool water.

      The second reason that may have caused pain in the calf may be a muscle strain that occurs due to poor positioning of the leg, sudden movement or, for example, running. The pain syndrome arising for this reason also does not require treatment. In this case, the leg must be given rest and peace.

      The calf muscles hurt after running due to the fact that unprepared muscle tissues do not have enough time to relax from previous contractions, and the person is already performing the following movements. This causes muscle strain. That is why it is necessary to warm up before any sports activities. Only after a proper warm-up will the muscle fibers of the legs be able to properly respond to the processes occurring in the body during running.

      In this case, as a rule, the calf muscles hurt after running, and not during the run.

      Causes requiring medical intervention and their symptoms

      Every person needs to know why pain occurs in the calf muscle, its causes and how to treat it. Since pain in the calf muscles, with the exception of causes caused by temporary overload of the legs, is a fairly serious symptom, as a rule, often symbolizing serious health problems.

      The most common reasons that provoke pain in the calves or a feeling that the calf muscle of the right or left leg is being pulled:

    • varicose veins;
    • side effects of medications;
    • damage to the nerve tissue of the legs;
    • inflammation of the venous wall of the legs;
    • thrombosis of the veins of the leg;
    • atherosclerosis of the arteries of the leg;
    • calf muscle diseases;
    • disturbances in the normal functioning of the musculoskeletal system and other reasons.
    • If the muscle in the calf area hurts due to varicose veins, it is quite easy to understand. Since this disease has a pronounced external character, that is, it manifests itself in the form of swollen peripheral veins, easily visible under the skin due to protrusion. Veins with varicose veins become very swollen, tortuous and blue in color, and compaction is also observed in the calf muscle.

      If pain in the calf muscles is caused by varicose veins, then the following symptoms of the disease will help detect it: pain occurs mainly after lunch, swelling appears in the ankle area, fatigue and pain in the legs are felt.

      However, these symptoms often occur even before the veins become visible. This is important to know, because the sooner you start treating varicose veins, the more effective and safe the treatment will be.

      The reasons why the calf muscles hurt are sometimes not serious, that is, they often do not require serious treatment. Such reasons include damage to the nerve tissues of the legs. The pain syndrome provoked by this reason is not permanent, but occurs unexpectedly and disappears after a short time. Damage to nerve fibers is also often accompanied by a feeling of numbness or heat in the lower limb where the nerve is damaged.

      Inflammation of the venous walls and thrombosis of the veins of the lower leg are characterized by severe pain in the calves.

      With chronic inflammation of the venous wall (phlebitis), the skin over the inflamed vein becomes red and hot. Often this disease is accompanied by a rise in temperature, and the person begins to feel weak.

      Vein thrombosis (thrombosis) is expressed in the appearance of blood clots, which begin to interfere with free blood circulation. Here you can notice such a main symptom as large swelling of the leg, which also takes on a dark red color with a bluish tint. With this disease, the calf muscle hurts very much.

      Treatment of phlebitis and thrombosis mainly takes place in hospitals, since these are quite serious diseases that require immediate medical intervention.

      Atherosclerosis of the arteries of the leg is a disease of the arteries of the leg, resulting from a disorder of lipid and protein metabolism. It is often accompanied by deposits of cholesterol and various lipoproteins in the lumen of blood vessels, as a result of which blood circulation in the legs is impaired.

      This disease can be detected by the following symptoms:

    • the skin of the lower leg becomes drier than the rest;
    • muscles begin to atrophy;
    • hair loss occurs in the lower leg area;
    • Fungus appears on the feet.
    • More advanced disease often leads to gangrene. Another characteristic feature of this disease is that the person begins to limp and often stops while walking, as the movements cause him pain in the calf muscles.

      Diseases that provoke the appearance of pain in the calf area include:

    • myositis is an inflammation of the calf muscle tissue;
    • trichinosis is a disease caused by worms that can penetrate any tissue of a living organism;
    • rheumatic fibromyalgia - a disease that affects muscle tissue and tendons;
    • myopathy is a neuromuscular disease characterized by muscle damage, often provoked by the use of drugs.
    • In cases of dysfunction of the musculoskeletal system, and more specifically the spine, it is also often found that the muscle on the right leg hurts, less often in the left.

      The occurrence of pain is caused by such pathologies and diseases as osteochondrosis, intervertebral hernia and various kinds of pathological curvatures and injuries. This is caused by the fact that due to pathologies, for example, the appearance of a tumor, the calf muscle is pinched by pressing on it. This pathology is characterized by the onset of pain after sudden movements, and, as a rule, it affects only one lower limb and pain often occurs in the lumbar region.

      Moreover, all these disorders can provoke not only ordinary pain, but also so-called cramps.

      What are calf cramps?

      Leg cramps are uncontrollable contractions of muscle tissue, accompanied by severe pain and a feeling that something is tightening the leg muscles.

      This symptom occurs suddenly and, as a rule, goes away quite quickly on its own.

      In addition to the above reasons, factors such as dehydration of the body, lack of useful vitamins, rapid climate change, prolonged overstrain of the muscle tissue of the legs, and disruption of the thyroid gland can also provoke it.

      You can also note a number of factors that contribute to the occurrence of seizures, the distinctive feature of which is that they occur at night during sleep, such as hypothermia and muscle strain.

      During such attacks, the calf muscle becomes rock-hard and deformed, and there is also a feeling that all the leg muscles have been tightened and that a vein may burst.

      The reasons why you feel a pull in the calf muscles of your legs for several days are precisely the past cramps. This is caused by the fact that the muscle fibers are stretched during the attack. It is recommended to use an elastic bandage to quickly get rid of this feeling.

      It is necessary to treat pain in the calf region of the legs only after the cause of its occurrence has been established. To do this, you need to undergo an examination, take blood and urine tests, undergo an MRI, computed tomography, x-ray and other studies of the body, which the doctor will prescribe based on your complaints and description of the pain that has arisen.

      But until you contact a specialist, you don’t need to get lost when your calf muscles hurt, suffering along with the pain with the question of what to do. At the first appearance of severe pain, as well as cramps, you can do a light massage of the calves by lightly rubbing or pinching the area where the pain occurs. It is also recommended to put your feet on a cold floor or pour cold water over them, which will help restore normal blood circulation in the veins.

      After the first manifestations of pain in the calf muscles, so that subsequently there is no need for treatment or the treatment is less painless, it is necessary to walk only in comfortable shoes that do not deform the legs (without heels, etc.), and you can also use elastic bandages.

      Acupuncture or other similar methods should never be used to relieve pain. They can only be carried out by a specialist with special knowledge in this field.

      It must be remembered that the calf muscles of the legs do not hurt without a reason, which is why, if such pain occurs, you need to undergo diagnostics and take measures for treatment.

      Leg cramps at night: causes, treatment

      What do we mean by convulsions in this case? We are not talking about convulsive seizures - we mean what is popularly called “cramped leg,” that is, an involuntary contraction of a muscle group or one muscle, accompanied by noticeable pain. Typically, cramps can occur during swimming or from hypothermia - such cramps are not a health problem, they occur extremely rarely and do not indicate the presence of any disease.

      But cramps at night are a completely different matter.

      Pain in the legs at night, involuntary muscle contractions, cramps - every second of us can boast of such a set of nightly troubles. Such spasms are accompanied by pain in the limbs and can last from a few seconds to ten minutes. Most often, such cramps occur at night or during rest. Mostly cramps are noted in the calves, although there are a number of cases where cramps occurred in the muscles of the foot. The most unpleasant thing is that, in addition to the fact that the cramps themselves are very painful, the muscles remain sensitive for a long time after contractions.

      Basically, night cramps are observed in pregnant women, the elderly, and also in those whose bodies are deficient in potassium and calcium. Why do such cramps occur at night? Because it is at this time that the blood circulation processes in the human body slow down, which means that the necessary microelements stop flowing to the muscles, as a result of which cramps occur.

      Causes of night leg cramps

      The causes of night cramps can be so diverse and unexpected that it is quite difficult to list them all. Depending on the causes, there are two types of seizures.

      Idiopathic seizures are those whose causes are unknown or those that occur without cause, and secondary seizures are usually a consequence of a specific disease. Seemingly causeless idiopathic cramps, of course, do not arise just like that: presumably, they can be associated either with too much activity of the nerve endings, as a result of which muscle spasms occur, or with too much stress on the leg muscles during sports training in athletes. In some cases, the cause may be a violation of blood flow to the leg muscles. In old age, a natural process occurs in a person - the tendons become shorter, and cramps can occur for this natural reason.

      As for secondary convulsions, their causes can be injuries, tissue diseases, or inflammatory processes. Conditions such as diabetes and thyroid disorders may also cause leg cramps. Common causes of cramps are flat feet and varicose veins. Interestingly, convulsions can occur in humans as a result of stress.

      In pregnant women, cramps occur due to the fact that body weight increases, that is, additional stress occurs on the muscles. Convulsions can be a consequence of intoxication of the body, lead or mercury poisoning, and can also be caused by toxins entering the bloodstream due to liver disease.

      The causes of seizures often lie in neurology: diseases of peripheral neuropathy, disorders of motor neurons, as a result, damage to nerve cells that cease to perform their functions - this is a fairly common cause of night cramps.

      There are also infectious diseases that cause seizures: such diseases include tetanus. When the composition of the blood changes as a result of dehydration for a variety of reasons, the amount of electrolytes in the blood decreases, and seizures also occur quite often.

      It is noted that seizures can be a reaction of the body to certain medications. Some drugs that can trigger seizures include raloxifene, nifedipine, nicotinic acid, statins and diuretics.

      As a result of hypothermia, convulsions are common, as well as as a result of the formation of a deficiency of vitamins and microelements in the human body - vitamin D, magnesium and calcium. If cramps occur due to a lack of microelements and vitamins, then you should know that your body in this case lacks magnesium, potassium and calcium. This suggests that the diet should be enriched with foods rich in potassium, that is, bananas, oranges, apples, watermelons, avocados, legumes, pumpkin and dried apricots, foods rich in calcium, that is, hard cheeses, cottage cheese, nuts, seaweed, dried fruits , as well as foods rich in magnesium - whole grain bread, oatmeal, prunes, beans, avocados, dates, buckwheat and cocoa.

      Night cramps can also be caused by an excess of caffeine and nicotine in the body, as well as an excess of sugar. Try to eliminate all of the above reasons and note how much the number of cramps at night has decreased.

      Treatment of night leg cramps

      Treatment of seizures should be aimed, first of all, at eliminating the actual cause that provoked the appearance of seizures. But there are a number of recommendations regarding what to do exactly at the moment of a cramp. As soon as you feel it approaching, carefully get out of bed onto the cold floor. The body position should be strictly straight, and your feet should be placed together. Gradually, the tone in your leg muscles will be restored. Here's something else you can do: take your toes with your hands, the muscles of which have been pulled by a cramp, take a breath and pull the toes towards you with force, so that you swing the entire leg.

      As soon as the spasm subsides, massage the muscles. If the spasm drags on and the above methods do not help, then the sore spot should be pinched several times, then also massage the foot and leg. After the massage, the legs should be placed on a cushion made from a blanket, and the muscles should be rubbed with a warming gel or ointment. If you don’t have such preparations on hand, you can rub your feet with vodka or apple cider vinegar. If cramps recur constantly, then you can practice moist, warm compresses.

      Categories : Treatment methods

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