The muscles of the shins and feet are prone to involuntary contractions, called spasms or tonic convulsions. This condition is accompanied by acute pain, which can last 3-5 minutes, and a feeling of strong tension, the "fossils" of the muscles. Cope with spasms easily, if you know their causes and several effective methods of treatment.
Why does my legs cramp?
Muscle contractions can occur in healthy people and in those with severe chronic illnesses. In the first case, the causes of convulsions are as follows:
- strong and prolonged stress of a certain group of muscles;
- prolonged stay of the leg in one position;
- low temperature of ambient air or water;
- a sharp increase in the load with weak training;
- seasonal deficiency of microelements and vitamins.
In healthy adults, seizures in the legs occur rarely and quickly pass without repeating in the future. If tonic spasms appear regularly and are characterized by a duration of several minutes, it is necessary to look for provoking factors in violations of the internal organs and systems. There are 3 variants of dangerous causes, from which the legs cramp:
- water-electrolyte imbalance;
- improper blood circulation in soft tissues;
- neurological diseases.
Independently to find out, why there are muscle contractions, it is difficult. To make a diagnosis, you will have to visit a specialist, describe in detail the clinical signs accompanying seizures, and hand over the prescribed tests. At the consultation it is important to specify at what time of day the problem appears, how often, and to name the muscle group that hurts more.
Cramps in the legs at night - causes
Intensive spasms in soft tissues indicate the accumulation of lactic acid in them. Its number increases if a person sleeps in a hot and cramped room with a lack of oxygen. Another common reason why the legs cramp at night - vascular disorders in combination with muscle overload the day before. Because of their overexertion, the outflow of venous blood during sleep decreases, and the inflow of biological fluid in the arteries is slowed. This causes spasmodic phenomena, pain syndrome and the feeling of "petrification" of the limb.
Cramps cramp my legs
The shins are subjected to involuntary contractions more often than other muscles, since they experience a heavy load during the day. Tonic cramps in the legs may occur for the following reasons:
- dehydration;
- cirrhosis of the liver;
- varicose veins;
- hemodialysis;
- plasma transfusion;
- inadequate treatment with diuretics;
- chronic renal failure;
- intoxication of the body against bacterial or viral infection;
- Raynaud's disease;
- impaired cerebral circulation;
- epileptic seizures with convulsions;
- osteochondrosis;
- injuries of knee joints and fractures of bones;
- spastic paralysis;
- heavy bleeding;
- endocrine pathologies;
- improper rehydration therapy.
Short spasms of the leg muscles are also observed in pregnant women, especially in the second and third trimester. For full growth and formation of fetal bone structures, increased intake of calcium and potassium is required, so many future mothers have a concentration of these trace elements in the body and short-term spasms occur.
Fingers on legs are cramping
Reduction of the muscles of the feet appears either because of a worsening of blood circulation in small arteries and capillaries, or against the background of anomalies of ligaments and joints. Cramps of the foot and toes are observed due to such factors:
- obliterating endarteritis ;
- diabetes;
- transverse flatfoot;
- smoking;
- violation of tissue utilization of carbohydrates;
- increased load on the toes.
What to do with cramps in the legs?
Methods of emergency stopping spastic contraction:
- active limb massage;
- careful stretching of the muscles of the foot or lower leg;
- relaxation of tissues.
Sometimes the attack is felt beforehand. A person feels tension, numbness and growing pain in the legs - cramps start with these symptoms. If there are listed signs, you need:
- Change the position of the limb, rotate it.
- Try to relax your leg muscles as much as possible.
- Normalize blood circulation in the legs and feet.
Legs cramp at night - what should I do?
The fastest method of combating spasms involves stretching the muscle. To eliminate the nocturnal cramp in the legs, hands should be pulled by the toes. At the same time, you should try to unbend the knee completely so that the soft tissues relax. There are also too frequent leg cramps at night - what to do:
- Quickly take upright position or sit down, placing your feet on the floor. It is advisable to walk on a cool surface.
- Gently rub the tight muscle. Strokes, pats on the leg and shaking will help.
- Raise the limbs by placing a high pillow or a folded veil under the heels.
How to remove cramps in the legs?
To emergency treatment options for tonic spasms is a strong tingling of the contracted muscles and a pin or needle prick. These methods instantly remove both night leg cramps, and sudden attacks during the day. If the tight limb is sharply pinched, bitten or pricked, the activated nerve endings reflexively switch to another stimulus and the muscle relaxes at once.
How to get rid of cramps in the legs?
Regular or daily cramps of the shins and feet should be treated in a comprehensive manner. Continuous use of the above-described emergency methods can only cope with the symptoms of pathology. To find out how to remove cramps in your legs for a long time, you need to undergo diagnostics and determine the causes of the appearance of tonic contractions of the muscles, consult with doctors.
Cramps in the legs - treatment
A single therapeutic scheme that allows you to get rid of tonic spasms has not been developed. To choose the optimum way how to cramps in legs, it is possible after finding-out of all factors provoking a pathology. First you need to consult a therapist and give a general blood test to assess the general condition of the body, muscles and circulatory system. When the diagnosis is made and the cause of the seizures is identified, further consultations are conducted by specialized specialists. The treatment is provided by a cardiologist, neuropathologist, phlebologist or endocrinologist.
Home therapy for leg cramps is to observe several important rules:
- Monitor the water and electrolyte balance. In the hot season, increase the amount of fluid consumed.
- Choose the right shoes with good support for the ankle and a sufficient lift. High heels better replace with stable heels 3-4 cm high.
- Daily to do an independent foot massage. It is useful to rub muscles from the toes to the knee even if there are no cramps.
- Do not overload the limbs. When you feel a strong fatigue in the legs, the appearance of puffiness and numbness of the muscles, relax, massage soft tissues.
- Periodically take preventive doses of vitamins, calcium and potassium. This is especially necessary for pregnant women.
Cramps in the legs at night - treatment
If spasms occur during sleep, you should consult a cardiologist or a vascular surgeon, and do dopplerography. The doctor will help to identify and eliminate the causes of stagnation of venous blood and worsening of blood circulation in the arteries. To alleviate and prevent cramps in the legs at night can be through the following activities:
- Receiving contrasting trays or alternately dousing the skin with hot and cold water before going to bed. To improve blood flow, it is recommended to use decoctions of medicinal plants that remove convulsions - mint, field horsetail, valerian.
- Correction of the diet. Prevent spastic muscle contractions by enriching the menu with products containing magnesium, calcium, vitamin D and potassium. These substances are present in greenery, beans, dried fruits and bran. In addition, it is necessary to include the liver of cod fish, dairy products, avocados in the diet.
- Performing gymnastics from seizures. Every morning you need to do simple exercises - walking "on socks", on the heels, the outer and inner surfaces of the feet, wiggling your toes, bending and unbending your knees. Increasing the elasticity of muscles will help to avoid the recurrence of spasms.
Cure for leg cramps
There are no special medicines intended for the therapy of sudden muscle contractions. Any drugs are selected by the specialized doctor on the basis of the diagnosis and the studies performed. The only common cure for leg cramps is pills containing mineral and vitamin complexes. In addition, the doctor can advise the reception of funds with magnesium and muscle relaxants to relax the muscles.
Drugs from leg cramps
Effective vitamin and mineral complexes:
- Alphabet;
- Calcium-D3 Nycomed;
- Magne-B6;
- Complivit;
- Alfadol-Ca.
Effective preparations of magnesium, allowing to prevent cramps in the legs:
- Magneroth;
- Straight Kalm;
- The Diaspora;
- Asparks;
- Magnistad;
- Solgar with magnesium citrate;
- Magnelis B6.
- Muscle relaxants:
- Tolperisone;
- Baclofen;
- Midokalm ;
- Sirdalut.
Special local medications for spasmodic muscle contractions also do not exist, so the pharmacy does not sell ointment from cramps in the legs. To alleviate the symptoms of pathology will help any drug with a warming and irritating effect. Exceptions are situations where the problem arises from varicose veins. With this diagnosis, the phlebologist prescribes special local remedies that restore blood circulation, preventing the formation of thrombi and the appearance of muscle cramps.