- these are involuntary, not controlled by the will, strong contractions of one or more muscles. Such spasms can be in any part of the body, but the legs most often suffer from this. Seizures are quite common, almost every person has experienced this painful sensation during his life. It is especially frustrating that the spasms mostly occur at night, causing an abrupt awakening. But they can be in the morning, during exercise or swimming.

Pregnant women and the elderly most often suffer from seizures. But they can occur in a child and even in healthy young people. The danger is that such spasms develop very quickly and catch a person at the most inopportune moment, depriving him of the ability to move and causing excruciating pain. In this regard, the question of how to treat cramps in the legs is very relevant.

Why do seizures occur

Usually this condition does not cause concern in people. The spasm lasts about a minute and in most cases goes away on its own. But sometimes after a cramp, severe muscle pain persists for several days. Yes, and a sharp awakening from sleep is also not very pleasant, especially since many cannot fall asleep after this. Therefore, it is important to treat leg cramps as early as possible, especially if they occur frequently and cause severe pain.

But you must first find out why such spasms appear. After all, the choice of treatment methods will depend on this. The most common causes of seizures are associated with a violation of the mineral balance in the body or with muscle strain. This happens in such cases:

• after performing the same work;
• with overwork;
• due to stress or nervous tension;
• with hypothermia;
• due to lack of calcium, magnesium, potassium, B vitamins or other trace elements;
• with dehydration;
• due to circulatory disorders of the lower extremities, for example, with varicose veins.

It is necessary to treat leg cramps, even if they do not cause much discomfort.

Features of treatment

Single spasms, recurring no more than 3-4 times a month, usually should not cause concern. They do not require special treatment, except, perhaps, massage in the evenings and gymnastics to stretch the muscles. But if a person often has muscle spasms, it is important to see a doctor. It will help determine the causes of leg cramps. For this, an examination is carried out, blood tests are taken. You may need to contact several specialists, as some diseases can be the cause of spasms.

Be sure to also consult a doctor if seizures suddenly appear after taking any medication. Most likely, it will be necessary to change the drug to an analogue or reduce its dosage.

In most cases, seizures can be cured without medication. But treatment should take into account the causes of spasms and include several methods. Only complex therapy will help normalize muscle function. Leg cramps are usually treated at home with the following methods:

• dosed physical activity, special exercises;
• prevention of overstrain and hypothermia of muscles;
• normalization of water balance in the body;
• elimination of micronutrient deficiencies;
• folk remedies;
• massage;
• normalization of sleep;
• medicines.

What to do if you cramp your leg

Cramps usually appear at night or when the person is resting. And in order to quickly get rid of painful sensations, you need to figure out in advance what to do for this. Many people think that it is necessary to stand up and put a flattened foot on the heel. But in most cases it is difficult. The pain can be so severe that sometimes it is impossible to get the affected limb out of bed. With such spasms, you need to try to calm down, relax and breathe deeply. Holding your breath or panicking only makes the spasm worse.

Next, you need to try to stretch the calf muscle. To do this, grab your thumb and slowly pull it towards you. For the same purpose, you can use a towel or gown belt - what is at hand. This method also helps in the case when the foot is affected by a cramp. Often it is also recommended to rub the spasmodic muscle, pinch it or even prick it, but not with a needle, but with something not very sharp, for example, with a pen.

If you managed to get up, you need to take the reduced leg back, without lifting your feet from the floor, and carefully stretch the muscle, leaning forward. You can also stand on your heels, walk. The main thing is that the affected muscle is stretched. Sometimes reduces the muscles of the anterior surface of the thigh. In this case, you need to stand up, take the leg behind the ankle joint and press the heel to the buttock.

What else can be done for cramps? In order for the spasm to pass faster, you need improve blood circulation in the muscle and relax it. For this, massage helps well, but it is not recommended to rub the leg very hard. Many are saved by putting their foot under a stream of hot water or applying a heating pad to the muscle.

With a cramp, you need to rub the muscle well

If a cramp seized during training, walking or swimming, you need to grind the muscle, try to stretch it. A warming ointment may help, as well as drinking a tonic with quinine.

How to fill the deficiency of trace elements

Modern man often experiences a lack of various vitamins and minerals. This can happen with the use of diuretics, dehydration, malnutrition, or pregnancy. Due to the lack of trace elements often cramps legs. Indeed, for normal muscle contraction, the participation of many substances is necessary. And if spasms happen often, you need to make up for their deficiency. To do this, it is recommended to establish nutrition, since basically a person receives microelements from the outside.

• To compensate for the lack of vitamins B 1 and B 6 it is recommended to eat legumes, whole grain cereals, bran, meat, brewer's yeast.
• Often seizures are due to the fact that in the body lack of potassium and magnesium. In this case, baked potatoes, raisins, dried fruit compote, bananas should be introduced into the diet.
• With a lack of calcium, which is also often manifested by muscle spasms, it is recommended to consume more dairy products, as well as crushed eggshells mixed with fish oil.

Often the lack of trace elements necessary for normal muscle function is observed with an excess of other substances in the body. The absorption of magnesium, calcium and potassium slows down due to the large amount of caffeine, phosphates, animal proteins. Bad habits also contribute to the lack of essential minerals.

Most often, in the treatment of seizures, drugs are prescribed to compensate for the lack of magnesium and potassium.

Medicines for treatment

Often a person who is very tormented by convulsions goes to a pharmacy and asks for an “anticonvulsant” remedy. But such drugs include drugs for the treatment of epilepsy, which are dangerous to drink without a doctor's prescription. There are no special remedies for preventing periodic spasms in the legs. But if you consult a doctor, he will help you choose a medicine that will eliminate the causes of seizures. Most often, vitamins are prescribed for leg cramps, sedatives, and means to normalize blood circulation. The most effective medicines that help to cope with spasms are:

• "Panangin" or its cheaper counterpart "Asparkam" contain magnesium and potassium necessary to prevent seizures;
• other magnesium preparations, for example, Magne B 6;
• products containing calcium together with vitamin D 3, without which it is not absorbed, for example, "Calcium D 3 Nycomed";
• in case of circulatory disorders in the limbs, Troxerutin is used in capsules;
• earlier, "Quinine" was used to treat spasms, but it causes many side effects and using it without consulting a doctor can be dangerous;
• if the leg hurts a lot after a cramp, which happens often, you can drink a tablet of Paracetamol or Ibuprofen.

Exercises to Prevent Seizures

Muscle spasms are associated with a violation of their blood supply and nutrition. Therefore, one of the most effective methods is their training. Special exercises help to improve muscle nutrition, oxygen supply and venous outflow. They need to be performed several times during the day: walk on toes, then on your heels, roll from heel to toe, sitting on a chair, rotate your feet, it is especially useful to pull the toe towards you.

With frequent cramps, you need to do stretching exercises in the evenings.

• become so that the socks are on a slight elevation, and the heels are on the floor, stand for at least 10-20 seconds;
• repeat the exercise, but first bring the socks together, then the heels;
• stand at a distance of 60-90 cm from the wall, move the body forward and lean on the wall with your hands, while keeping your heels off the floor.

Cramps with varicose veins

Cramping in the legs is a common occurrence with varicose veins. Without treatment, this disease will not only cause unpleasant and painful sensations, but may be complicated by thrombophlebitis and other vascular lesions. Therefore, it is so important to consult a doctor when discomfort occurs for a diagnosis. Only a doctor can determine what needs to be done to prevent seizures in this condition.

Most often, it is recommended to do contrast foot baths daily, wear compression stockings, and give up high heels. With varicose veins, you should avoid standing for a long time and putting a lot of stress on your legs. In the evenings, and preferably during the day, it is advisable to lie down with your legs up on the pillow or back of the sofa.

The doctor prescribes and special drugs for the treatment of varicose veins. Most often they are available in the form of ointments or gels. In addition to normalizing the state of the vessels, such remedies help in the case when the legs often cramp. Such drugs are effective: Troxevasin, Troxerutin, Diosmin, Rutaskobrin, Vasoket.

As an auxiliary method of treatment, folk recipes can be used.

Folk methods of treatment

In order to prevent the occurrence of seizures, complex therapy is needed. Often, various homemade recipes are used in this case. But such alternative treatment only helps to relax the muscle, improve its blood supply. These methods are mainly external, so they do not compensate for the deficiency of trace elements. Therefore, with severe convulsions, it is better to consult a doctor about treatment. But sometimes, in addition to vitamin preparations, diet and exercise, it is recommended to use homemade recipes. There are a lot of them, but some of them are the most popular, as they help better.

The most common folk remedies for leg cramps are:

• grease the eggs with warmed honey and wrap them warmly for half an hour;
• before going to bed, lubricate the feet with lemon juice, do not rinse;
• with varicose veins, caviar is rubbed with natural apple cider vinegar;
• with frequent convulsions, prepare an ointment: egg yolk, a teaspoon of turpentine and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar - rub it overnight;
• during spasms it will help if you rub the muscle with petroleum jelly mixed with celandine juice;
• such a mixture for compresses is also effective: 200 g of grated horseradish, half a kilogram of honey and half a liter of olive oil;
• many are helped by glycerin or even ordinary toilet soap applied to the muscle.
• rubbing the muscles in the evenings with tincture of wormwood is also effective.

Leg cramps should be treated in any case, especially if they occur in a child or a pregnant woman. After all, they can be a symptom of serious health problems. But it is also important for a healthy person to take measures to prevent spasms in order to improve the quality of their life.