Everyone has experienced leg cramps at least once in their life. Moreover, they always appear unexpectedly, together with mild or unbearable pain, as if the muscle on the leg is about to explode from tension. Often, such a pathology occurs at night, preventing sleep and causing discomfort. Why do leg cramps appear?

What is a seizure and what are the causes of its occurrence

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

• clonic;
• tonic;
• generalized.

The first type is sharp and fast muscle contractions, like a nervous tic, which are sometimes the result 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. It happens that the toes, both feet and thighs are affected. Generalized convulsions are the most unpleasant and dangerous when all muscle fibers come into tone and contract sharply. A person may lose consciousness, then urgent hospitalization is necessary.
There is a convulsive syndrome 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 there is a deficiency of potassium, magnesium, calcium or vitamin D, A, E and all components of group B. 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 excretes it by the kidneys.
• When taking certain drugs, for example, a diuretic, adsorbents that reduce the full absorption of calcium, as well as trace elements such as potassium and magnesium.
• During pregnancy. The body of the unborn child takes vitamins and microelements if the mother consumes them insufficiently. In this case, convulsions in women also occur with a deterioration in the movement of blood through the vessels of the legs.
• As a result of excessive protein intake, calcium is lost. Glucose in the human body comes mainly from carbohydrates. With their shortage, cells take it from fats, and the amount of ketones in the blood increases, causing calcium to be washed out through the urine.
• With excessive sweating, potassium is lost. Doctors have noticed that convulsions often appear in the summer and after active sports.
• If there is not enough vitamin D, which is produced by the skin under the influence of sunlight, and it is directly involved in the absorption of calcium by cells.

The most painful of all is the calf cramp. You can't be prepared for her arrival. 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:

• radiculitis;
• excessive physical activity;
• varicose veins on the legs;
• thyroid diseases;
• diabetes;
• violations of blood flow in the vessels of the legs;
• flat feet;
• muscle damage, including trauma;
• chronic kidney disease;
• hypothermia.

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

What to do if you suddenly have a cramp

The person himself can urgently help himself with an upcoming severe cramp. At the first discomfort, it is better to relax the leg as much as possible. With a spasm of the toe, the feet are pulled towards themselves, gradually weakening the traction and straightening the foot, and again make such a movement. After a cramp, you can get up and walk on a hard surface, removing your shoes.

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

Important! The spasmodic area, if the cramp has not passed, is pinched or even pricked with a needle. After the muscle is released, it is better to lie down, lifting your legs up so that the blood moves away from the painful place, and the spasm does not reappear.

Read more about first aid for leg cramps -.

Why do night cramps occur?

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

In mobile people, convulsions appear with prolonged inactivity and, conversely, in those who lead a sedentary lifestyle, they occur at night after vigorous physical activity.

Frequent spontaneous convulsive activity at night can also be caused by exacerbations of chronic diseases - endocrine pathology, varicose veins, thrombophlebitis, prolonged stress. A relative deficiency of essential minerals, as well as valuable vitamins, also leads to its appearance.

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 the body of a woman is due to the manifestation of toxicosis - often profuse and prolonged vomiting.

Subsequently, the consumption of important trace elements by the growing fetus increases. In the later stages, it “presses” on the blood vessels that go to the legs, and blood circulation in the lower extremities is disturbed. The outflow of blood is also disturbed, especially if you lie down.

Note! Improper nutrition also leads to cramps during pregnancy, when glucose levels decrease. Therefore, it is important to eat right and balanced, as well as wear a bandage and special tights that improve blood circulation.

Diagnostics of the convulsive syndrome

Before treating cramps in the femoral 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 complex diagnostics, which includes:

• blood sugar test;
• urine analysis general and according to Nechiporenko;
• Ultrasound of the vessels of the legs;
• blood biochemistry.

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

Medical treatment

To stop an unpleasant condition, its cause is identified. Often, convulsive syndrome in the legs occurs with varicose veins, then ointments and tablets are prescribed:

• "Troxevasin";
• "Vazoket";
• "Diosmin";
• "Troxerutin".

Special compression underwear helps to reduce the primary symptoms of seizures, as well as improve blood circulation.

To compensate for the lack of magnesium and potassium, the drug Asparkam is prescribed in ampoules or tablets, which helps muscle structures to function correctly. It can not be used for more than 10 days without a doctor's prescription. You can compensate for the loss of essential trace elements with the help of the Ortho Calcium + Magnesium preparation. From the name it is clear what trace elements the medicine contains, plus vitamin D.

Ortho Taurine Ergo is also recommended to eliminate muscle spasms in patients with hypertension and. It includes vitamins E, B, zinc, lipoic and succinic acid. The action of such drugs is aimed at protecting muscles from damage, accelerating the process of their recovery.

Folk remedies for the treatment of leg cramps

Effective means to eliminate convulsive syndrome are:

• adonis tincture;
• decoction of birch buds;
• decoction of goose cinquefoil;
• tincture with linden flowers;
• decoction of walnut, white mistletoe, lily of the valley, dill, barberry, blackberry, chamomile and black elderberry;
• a mixture of olive oil and crushed wormwood seeds;
• decoction of chamomile;
• alcohol tincture with thyme;
• decoction of poppy petals with milk and honey.

With cramps in the legs, especially in the calves, lubricate the legs with chamomile, garlic or bay oil or mustard powder. Often, traditional healers recommend rubbing the soles of the feet with fresh lemon juice or saffron and egg white ointment before going to bed and in the morning. With a lack of potassium, which causes convulsions, it is recommended to take yeast with honey. A yeast drink is obtained by fermenting rye crackers in boiling water with the addition of dry yeast. Plus, homemade honey is useful in such a drink.

Diet for leg cramps

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

• cereals, especially buckwheat and oatmeal, rich in zinc, potassium, magnesium and calcium;
• homemade milk, fermented baked milk, kefir, cottage cheese, hard cheese and other dairy products;
• eggshell, ground into powder;
• quail eggs;
• chamomile tea;
• strawberries, oranges, avocados, bananas;
• beets, spinach, all varieties of cabbage, carrots;
• mushrooms;
• beef and fish;
• green leafy vegetables, herbs;
• whole grains;
• sardines, cod and salmon;
• figs and dates;
• seaweed;
• butter and egg yolk;
• pumpkin seeds and wheat germ;
• almonds and sunflower seeds;
• soya beans;
• dried fruits.

Important! You should avoid drinking coffee, tea, all kinds of alcohol and sweet soda, as well as quit smoking.

Leg cramps and how to deal with them (video)

How to help with leg cramps? From what they arise and how to eliminate such an unpleasant pathology, we learn from the video.

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Prevention of leg cramps

• To eliminate an unpleasant pathology, it is important to normalize physical activity, avoiding powerful loads on the muscles, but also do not forget about training to improve venous blood flow in the legs.
• Elimination of vitamin deficiency. Vitamin-mineral complexes contribute to the normalization of metabolism, compensate for the lack of trace elements, the absence of which causes muscle contraction disorders.
• Normalization of water balance. We must not forget about the quantity and quality of the fluid consumed. It is best to drink pure artesian water to avoid swelling as well as dehydration.
• Acceptance of soothing fees. Herbal remedies help relieve stress, excessive nervousness, fatigue, which directly affects the nerve endings in the legs.
• Wearing comfortable shoes, preferably without heels or with very small heels, but stable, so that the legs are not overloaded during the day.
• or foot baths before bed. It is useful to add a decoction of valerian, mint, horsetail to the water.
• Proper and balanced nutrition. The menu should be designed in such a way as to fully compensate for the lack of all vitamins and essential elements responsible for the development and proper functioning of the human muscular system.
• Foot massage, which improves lymph flow, normalizes blood circulation, helping to increase the elasticity of veins. The massage of the muscles itself trains them, allowing them to automatically relax / contract.

Elimination of cramps in the legs is a complex issue, which must be resolved after identifying the causes of such a pathology. Whether a simple diet, vitamins, or medications are needed, as well as treatment of the underlying disease, the doctor will say. On your own, you can only relieve pain when seizures appear with massage and carry out a set of measures for their prevention.

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