Leg spasms treatment. Night leg cramps: causes, treatment and prevention of the disease

In the legs is considered one of the most common at the doctor's office. It is noteworthy that absolutely all categories of people can experience leg cramps - young and old, pregnant women and children, with the appearance of absolute health and with already diagnosed pathologies. Most often, patients complain about the appearance of cramps in the legs at night, during sleep - this syndrome causes a person to wake up, he experiences pain and discomfort.

Seizures - what is it

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Cramps are involuntary contractions of one or a group of muscles, which are necessarily accompanied by an intense pain syndrome. Most often, such sudden muscle contractions occur in the legs, and to be more precise, on the back of the lower leg, in the calf muscle.

For some reason, the muscle begins to spasm, and this entails an arbitrary extension of the foot, moreover, to the maximum possible. Naturally, this condition provokes pain.

Why cramps legs

In general, there are a lot of reasons that can provoke the occurrence of leg cramps - from a violation of the diet and diet to insufficient intake of important microelements into the body. But the main reason for the periodic appearance of convulsive contractions of the leg muscles is the lack of magnesium in the body.

Magnesium deficiency in the body can happen only because of poor nutrition - the fact of violation of the absorption of this microelement in the tissues of the body with excessive consumption of coffee, alcoholic beverages, sweet foods and flour products has already been proven. The body, feeling the lack of magnesium, begins to actively "extract" it from the musculoskeletal system - by the way, that is why, when conducting a laboratory blood test, experts determine the presence of magnesium either within the normal range or with overestimated values.

To understand that the cause of leg cramps is precisely the lack of magnesium in the body, it is enough to know other symptoms of such a deficiency. These include:

fatigue, decreased concentration and memory;
profuse night sweats;
feeling of anxiety and feeling of fear;
increased irritability;
limb numbness.

In addition to the fact that magnesium deficiency in the body can become the cause of cramps in the legs, there are other factors that provoke the condition in question. Experts distinguish the following:

Low blood glucose - this usually occurs against the background of diabetes mellitus, when the patient carries out either too aggressive therapy, or ignores the recommendations of dietitians.
Diseases of the thyroid gland.
Vitamin B6 deficiency in the body is classified as hypovitaminosis B.
Diseases of the veins of the lower extremities - varicose veins, thrombophlebitis.

Diseases of the spine of a degenerative-dystrophic nature - for example,.
Excessive physical activity on the lower limbs - for example, prolonged jogging, football, swimming.
Chronic renal failure.
High levels of estrogen in the blood - refers to an imbalance of female sex hormones.
Diseases associated with circulatory disorders in the vessels of the lower extremities and of a chronic nature - for example, atherosclerosis obliterans.
Violations in the psycho-emotional background.
Sleep disorders, .

The most interesting thing is that all of these problems can occur in almost every person - they are the result of a "wrong" lifestyle. For example, the above diseases can lead to:

self-treatment of serious diseases of an infectious nature - for example,;
permanent, the need to solve many problems;
improperly built diet - including snacking on the run, eating semi-finished products;
constant wearing of shoes with high heels - the development of varicose veins and thrombophlebitis is almost inevitable.

Causes of leg cramps in pregnant women

Leg cramps in pregnant women are common, but they are usually not associated with kidney failure or chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system. The reasons for the appearance of the syndrome in question during the period of bearing a child in women can be:

Note:pregnant women may develop eclampsia - increased blood pressure, severe edema, protein is found in the urine. The most dangerous thing in eclampsia is the occurrence of generalized convulsive seizures, which is an unequivocal indicator for urgent delivery.

The appearance of the syndrome in question in childhood is more often associated with the active growth of the child. It is noteworthy that young children cannot describe the pain convulsive syndrome in words, so they report their problem by crying - it is always sharp and piercing. The causes of night cramps in children can be:

severe hypothermia of the lower extremities;
long stay in an uncomfortable position with tucked / bent legs;
flat feet;
lack of potassium and magnesium in the child's body.

It is interesting that the lack of potassium / magnesium will be manifested not by single convulsive seizures, but by regular occurrences.

Leg cramps - what to do

Pull the toe of the foot towards you (as far as possible), then return to its original position and immediately, without interruption, pull the toe towards you again, but with maximum effort.
Get on your feet and take a few steps - albeit with effort. At this moment, the blood flow in the legs increases, which will relax the spastically tense muscle.
Carry out a series of light massage movements in the direction from the center of the spasm to the periphery.
Use a warming ointment or gel, applying the drug to the skin in the area of \u200b\u200bspastic muscle contraction with massage movements.
Strongly pinch the muscle bound by a cramp, as an option - with sharp movements, prick the place of the cramp with a match, a hairpin.

Usually, after using one of the listed methods of relieving leg cramps, relief comes. A person should take a supine position with legs slightly raised - this will accelerate the outflow of blood from the lower extremities, which will serve as a prevention of the occurrence of re-convulsions.

Seizures - diagnosis, treatment and prevention

If leg cramps bother you with enviable regularity, the above recommendations do not help to quickly relieve a spastic attack, then this is a reason to seek professional medical help. First you need to visit a therapist (or a pediatrician in case of leg cramps in a child) - he will conduct an initial examination of the patient and refer him for additional consultation to narrower specialists (neuropathologist, endocrinologist). Only after that, the treatment of the underlying disease will be prescribed - with positive dynamics, leg cramps will occur less and less, and then they will completely disappear.

If no pathological changes in the body are detected, then the doctor will give recommendations on eliminating the possible causes of the appearance of convulsive syndrome in the lower extremities. As a rule, they are as follows:

Organize proper nutrition:

a day you need to eat at least 5 times;
portions for each meal should be small;
let complex carbohydrates be the basis of nutrition - cereals, pasta, fruits and vegetables;
fats must be on the menu - it can be a small piece of fatty fish (for example, a type of salmon) or 50 g of butter daily;
in the menu you need to enter nuts, bananas, dried apricots, dairy products, seaweed, carrots, greens.

Lead a healthy lifestyle, do not avoid physical activity. The only thing that doctors warn about is that a minimum load should be given to the lower limbs.
You need to sleep in a comfortable bed, it is imperative to raise the lower limbs slightly above the axis of the body and head.
Every evening you can do foot baths with sea salt (3 tablespoons per 5 liters of warm water) - they have a relaxing effect.
Before going to bed, you can and should do rubbing the feet with an ointment that has a warming property.
If venous insufficiency was previously diagnosed, then it is imperative to wear compression underwear.

Note:compression underwear has different sizes and different degrees of pressure on the lower limbs. Therefore, such underwear should be selected by the doctor in whom the patient is being treated.

Cramps are involuntary muscle contractions. They are usually accompanied by pain. If the leg is cramped, the reason for this may be various factors. There are external and internal causes. In the first case, to get rid of cramps, methods such as exercises, techniques for influencing a flattened muscle, and traditional medicine are used. If the convulsive syndrome is a symptom of serious diseases, then drug treatment is required.

Kinds

There are several types of seizures:

Causes

Seizures can occur at any age. To successfully combat it, it is necessary to identify the true cause. It can lie in a violation of the electrolyte or biochemical composition of the blood, caused by a deficiency of potassium, calcium, magnesium, vitamins A, D, E and group B. Trace elements and vitamins important for the muscle structure are washed out due to various factors:

1. Stressful situations. They stimulate the production of cortisol, which negatively affects the absorption of calcium in the gastrointestinal tract and activates its excretion by the kidneys.
2. Taking medication. Adsorbent, diuretics can reduce the absorption of calcium, magnesium and potassium.
3. Pregnancy. Uncontrolled muscle contractions are typical for pregnant women due to a lack of vitamins and minerals, especially in the later stages of bearing a child. This is also due to the fact that the fetus compresses the blood vessels that are suitable for the legs, which is why their blood supply is disturbed.
4. Lack of glucose. It is excreted in the human body from carbohydrates. If the diet contains a small amount of carbohydrates, then the glucose deficiency is replenished due to the breakdown of fats. This process takes place with the accumulation of large amounts of ketones in the blood, which contribute to the excretion of calcium from the urine.
5. Excessive sweating. Potassium is washed out with sweat, so its deficiency can be observed in the hot season or after active sports.
6. Not spending enough time in the sun. This provokes a lack of vitamin D, which is necessary for the absorption of calcium by cells.

Convulsive syndrome can be a symptom of various diseases and conditions:

excessive physical activity;
radiculitis;
thyroid disease;
varicose veins of the legs;
diabetes;
circulatory disorders in the lower extremities;
stretching of the muscles in the groin;
chronic kidney disease;
muscle damage;
hypothermia.

The etiology of the occurrence of seizures can be suggested by the time and place of the onset of the convulsive syndrome. If your leg is brought together in a cold pool or water, then this indicates hypothermia. When a person experiences physical activity unusual for him during the day, then in the evening his legs hurt, and at night - the calf and femoral muscles are greatly reduced.

Night cramps also occur with circulatory problems, because during the day the vital organs are actively working, and at night natural processes slow down. If such phenomena are rare, then it is not necessary to treat convulsions.

How to get rid of cramps?

Leg cramps significantly impair the quality of life. If they appear during the day, then pain negatively affects mood, performance decreases, mobility is limited. Spasms in the lower extremities at night provoke the development of insomnia, the nervous system suffers.

When the cause of convulsions is external influences (increased load, hypothermia, unbalanced diet), folk remedies and exercises will help to cope with them. If they were provoked by pathological changes in the body, it is unlikely to get rid of them without the help of official medicine.

Folk remedies

If you suffer from night cramps, then you can use the means of traditional medicine. The following recipes are popular:

1. Express method. In case of severe cramps and pain, hold several salt crystals in your mouth for 1-2 minutes.
2. Lemon juice. This drink has a similar effect. You need to hold a spoonful of lemon juice under the tongue. It can also be used to rub a contracted muscle.
3. A mixture of bread kvass. You need to add 1 teaspoon of yeast to 200 ml of kvass, leave for 6 hours, then drink it throughout the day before meals in equal portions. To make the taste better, add a spoonful of honey. Treated with this remedy for a month.
4. Tincture of wormwood. It is necessary to fill a jar with a volume of 0.5 liters with wormwood balls, pour vodka and insist for 20 days. The resulting remedy is used to rub the legs before going to bed every evening until the cramps stop bothering.
5. Kefir and honey. Every morning for 2-3 weeks they eat a tablespoon of honey and drink a glass of kefir. After that, they take a two-week break and resume the course. These two products will help maintain the required level of vitamins and minerals.
6. Pharmaceutical chamomile medicine. You need to take 2 tablespoons of raw materials, pour 500 ml of boiling water. Means to drink as a tea after each meal and before going to bed. This drink has a calming and relaxing effect.
7. Ointment from celandine. You should squeeze the juice from a fresh plant, mix with petroleum jelly. Use proportions 1:2. Rub the resulting ointment on the legs in areas where cramps occur for two weeks.
8. Infusion of thyme and yarrow. Herbs are taken in equal proportions, they are stuffed into a glass bottle, poured with alcohol and insisted in a dark place for 2 weeks at room temperature. The resulting product is used for rubbing the legs in the morning and evening.

If folk remedies are ineffective, you should consult a doctor. This may indicate that the convulsive syndrome is a consequence of serious diseases.

Medicines

There are no specific medications for seizures. Therefore, drug treatment is established only after determining the causes of the convulsive syndrome.

As a rule, doctors prescribe:

1. Valparin. The remedy stabilizes the nervous system, thereby allowing you to restore a night's sleep and get rid of seizures.
2. Difenin. This drug relaxes muscles, reduces the duration and pain of convulsive attacks by stopping spasms of nerve fibers caused by neuralgia.
3. Xanax. Normalizes the emotional background of a person, eliminates anxiety and insomnia. Has a calming effect. It is intended for getting rid of convulsions that have arisen due to somatic (bodily) diseases.
4. Panangin / Propanorm. Restore the balance of nutrients. These drugs are designed to replenish magnesium and potassium.
5. Keppra. It is a medicine for relieving seizures caused by diseases of the brain. The remedy helps to stop seizures provoked by neurogenic outbreaks.
6. Actinerval. An antiepileptic drug prescribed for neuralgia.

If convulsive spasms occur due to varicose veins of the legs or thrombophlebitis, then Diosmin, Troxevasin or Normoven are used. They help restore blood circulation. This group includes Heparin ointment, but it is used externally.

To replenish the balance of microelements and vitamins, special complexes are recommended:

Complivit;
Magne-B6;
Pyridoxine;
Calcemin;
Neurovitan;
Vitrum.

Even these complexes must be prescribed by a doctor. You should initially determine which vitamins and minerals are in insufficient quantities in the body. Hypervitaminosis can also provoke night cramps.

Exercises

If at night it reduces the leg, then the simplest thing to do is to pinch the contracted muscle or prick it sharply with a needle. When the pain does not let go, they use another method - to stand on the injured limb and transfer all their weight to it.

How to eliminate cramps in the calf muscle

If the leg is crumpled and it hurts for a long time, then the following complex is used:

1. Sit on a chair, lean on the back. You need to raise your legs and stretch your toes, trying to achieve a position in which the hips, shins and feet are in one line. After that, the fingers are parted and pulled up the socks. In this position, you need to linger for 5-7 seconds. After that, they take the starting position and perform transitions from heel to toe, lingering in each position for 10-12 seconds.
2. Stand on your feet, lean your hands on the back of the chair. You need to rise on the toe of one leg, and bend the other at the knee. In this position, they lean on one leg and try to sit down. Each exercise is repeated 7-10 times.

To prevent cramps, you must perform the following set of exercises daily:

1. Stand up, lean on the outer part of the foot. After that, slowly lower yourself to a full foot, rise on your toes and drop sharply again.
2. In a sitting position, slightly stretch your legs, put them on your heels and perform flexion and extension with the effort of your toes.
3. Starting position - the same, tear off the heels from the floor. You need to rotate your feet first in one direction, then in the other. After that, rotate, pointing your toes away from you and towards you.
4. In a sitting position, take turns lifting your knees, resting one foot on the floor. After that, rest with both feet and actively move your fingers. At the end of the exercise, get up from a chair and walk in place with a drill step, each time raising your knees higher.

Each exercise is repeated 5-7 times. This complex is intended mainly for people with a sedentary lifestyle, who, due to their activities, do not move much. For those who lead an active lifestyle, relaxation exercises can be advised, for example, lie down in the evening, placing a pillow under your feet so that your feet are higher than your torso.

Content

The involuntary contraction of a group of muscles, accompanied by sharp, sharp pain and numbness, is called a cramp or spasm. Leg cramps are a problem for many men and women that require a diagnosis and mandatory treatment. Numerous causes of muscle spasms are well studied by medicine, are easily corrected, and are quickly treated. If you are constantly suffering from contractions of the limbs, then be sure to consult a doctor who will help you solve this problem. What causes cramps in the left or right legs?

Causes of leg cramps

In medicine, tonic muscle spasms are distinguished, characterized by prolonged muscle tension, and clonic - short-term contractions alternating with relaxation. Leg cramps are in the first category, occurring in the feet and calf muscles. Spasms of the lower extremities are accompanied by sharp, painful sensations of petrification of a part of the body, appear suddenly, the pain syndrome lasts from 2 to 5 minutes, and disappears only after muscle relaxation.

Causes of leg cramps:

Lack of vitamins and minerals- magnesium, calcium, potassium, responsible for the transmission of nerve impulses to the muscles. The lack of micro and macro elements can be caused by an unbalanced diet, an excess of harmful substances (nicotine, caffeine, tannin, sugar), a protein diet, and taking medications that prevent their absorption.
Dehydration. With active sweating, there is a significant loss of trace elements that ensure the healthy functioning of the muscles. Therefore, it is so important to drink up to 2.5 liters of water per day, especially during the hot summer season and during active sports.
Temperature changes. Hypothermia during swimming or in the cold causes a sharp contraction of the muscles of the limbs, the appearance of muscle cramps. Therefore, it is important to monitor body temperature, to prevent temperature drops of up to 10 degrees.
Diseases. Incorrect metabolism, vascular disease, limb injuries are a common cause of muscle cramps. To eliminate spasms, consult with a specialist (endocrinologist, neuropathologist, phlebologist, orthopedist), undergo the prescribed treatment.
stress. During emotional stress, there is an intense load on the entire human body, primarily on the nerve endings responsible for contractions of the muscles of the body. An excess of the stress hormone (cortisol) leads to an imbalance of micro and macro elements, leads to a lack of calcium in the body, which is necessary for healthy functioning, muscle tension and relaxation.

muscle cramps

Muscle cramps in the legs seize due to a violation of the transmission of a nerve impulse to the muscle for relaxation. These spasms affect the muscles of the lower leg, front and back of the thigh. The intensity of the cramp can vary from a slight twitch to a significant contraction accompanied by severe pain. Spasmodic muscles are like a stone: hard, tightly compressed, stand out sharply on the body. A seizure lasts from 1 to 15 minutes, with several repetitions of spasms over a period of time.

Toe cramps

Toe cramps are a syndrome of metabolic disorders or diseases of a different nature. Occur in diseases of the joints, venous insufficiency, diabetes. It can be observed in people whose activities are associated with a long stay on their feet, long walking in uncomfortable shoes. Frequent attacks of toe cramps require a mandatory consultation with a specialized doctor who will help determine the cause of the symptom and prescribe the correct treatment.

feet

Spasms of the muscles of the feet are associated with the presence of flat feet or neurological disorders. If you often experience cramps in the area of the feet, consult an orthopedist or neurologist for advice. Refusing to wear uncomfortable shoes, reducing the intensity of the load on the lower extremities, taking vitamins and trace elements that help normalize the functioning of the muscles of the musculoskeletal system helps to reduce the number of attacks.

Why often cramps legs at night

The main cause of nocturnal muscle cramps is slowed blood circulation, which reduces the absorption of nutrients necessary for the muscles, and an uncomfortable position during sleep. With frequent nocturnal spasmolytic attacks, increase in the diet foods with a high content of calcium, potassium, magnesium. Eat buckwheat and oatmeal, lentils, legumes, dried fruits, nuts, sea kale, sour-milk products more often.

To improve the blood vessels and circulatory system, reduce or completely abandon nicotine, caffeine, and sugar. Reduce the amount of animal protein you consume by opting for lean poultry. Spend more time outdoors, combining leisurely walks with a little physical activity on the muscles of the body. Pay close attention to the quality of your sleep. A comfortable bed with an orthopedic mattress will help you reduce the number of muscle cramps at night.

What is the reason for this phenomenon during pregnancy

Muscle cramps during pregnancy can be caused by many reasons: from a violation of phosphorus-calcium metabolism to a variety of complications caused by circulatory problems. If you often experience leg cramps during pregnancy, it is important to identify and address the cause of your muscle cramps in consultation with your healthcare provider.

Consider the main prerequisites for the development of muscle cramps in pregnant women:

lack of B vitamins, magnesium, calcium, potassium;
decrease in hemoglobin (anemia);
increase in blood sugar levels;
vascular disease, varicose veins;
violation of the venous outflow in the legs;
excess caffeine;
sedentary lifestyle.

A balanced diet, additional vitamin complexes, moderate physical activity will help to avoid muscle cramps during pregnancy. If the attacks are often repeated, do not disappear, then this is an additional reason to seek advice from your doctor. Timely treatment, correct diagnosis help to remove spasmolytic attacks, prevent negative consequences from muscle cramps during pregnancy.

What to do with a sudden cramp - first aid

There are several ways to provide first aid for muscle cramps:

conduct a session of intensive massage of the affected area;
try to stretch the tense muscle:

calf, foot muscles - sitting, straighten the limbs, grasp the big toes with your hands, pull towards you;
front of the thigh - stand up straight, bend the affected leg at the knee, grab the ankle with both hands, pull the foot to the buttocks;
the back of the thigh - stand up straight, put the leg with the affected muscles forward one step, put it on the heel, bend the healthy one at the knee, lean on it with your hands, gently start stretching the patient, pulling the pelvis back, as if trying to take off the patient’s shoe;

make a cold compress.

Use these methods to relieve the main pain syndrome during a cramp. They help to relax a tense muscle, increase blood flow in the legs, and reduce pain. After eliminating the main pain, ensure good blood flow in the affected area: lie on your back, put a pillow under your legs so that the limbs are at an angle of 60 degrees, try to relax as much as possible. Stay in this position until all pain from muscle cramps has gone.

Methods of treatment outside the attack

The main task of the preventive treatment of muscle cramps outside of spasmolytic attacks is to improve the condition of the vessels and the circulatory system. Review your diet by enriching the diet with essential vitamins, micro- and macroelements, giving up unhealthy, unhealthy foods. Reduce or completely eliminate alcoholic beverages, fast food, industrially processed foods, excessively salty and sweet foods, carbonated drinks from the diet. Give up smoking.

To prevent the treatment of muscle cramps, do not allow dehydration. Drink during the day 2 - 3 liters of liquids in the form of drinking water without gas, green tea, fresh juices, natural fruit drinks, homemade compotes. Reduce the amount of coffee, black tea consumed. These drinks have a diuretic effect, so in addition to water, useful trace elements will be washed out of the body.

To reduce the likelihood of muscle cramps, play sports or other active activities that will help restore blood circulation in the legs after sedentary work, improve blood circulation in the lower body. Before going to bed, it is advisable to do daily stretching exercises, yoga, Pilates, which will relieve stress and tension, stretch tired muscles. A good prevention against night cramps is a warm shower or bath with aromatic oils: roses, lavender, mint, ylang-ylang.

Medications

Based on the diagnosis, for the treatment and prevention of muscle cramps, drugs of various activities are used: correcting metabolism, improving the condition of blood vessels and the circulatory system, helping to recover from injuries. Additionally, complexes of vitamins, microelements are prescribed, which replenish substances important for the body. It is important to remember that it is necessary to use tablets for the medical treatment of muscle cramps only after consulting a doctor.

Folk remedies

Folk remedies for muscle cramps help reduce the number and frequency of spasms, reduce pain during an attack, improve blood circulation in the limbs, and increase the elasticity of the vascular system. The use of folk methods is a good prevention and addition to the main treatment regimen for painful muscle cramps prescribed by a doctor.

Popular treatments for seizures include:

cold compresses with lemon juice on the feet, 2 times a day for 2 weeks;
oil based on bay leaf, used during self-massage with muscle spasm;
put an ordinary magnet on a cramped muscle group, after 1 minute the attack will pass;
a compress for the night for 1 week: a horseradish leaf smeared with honey, sprinkled with salt is applied to the sore spot, wrapped with a cotton towel on top;
ointment based on celandine: mix the juice of the plant with petroleum jelly, rub the problem parts of the body before going to bed for 2 weeks;
daily self-massage of the feet with mustard oil.

Physiotherapy

A special set of exercises will help you from cramps in the limbs. Performing therapeutic exercises promotes better vein patency, develops and improves muscle mass, promotes muscle contraction / relaxation training, strengthens ligaments and joints, relieves stress and emotional tension. By performing special exercises, you reduce the likelihood of attacks of spasms in the limbs, prevent varicose veins, arthritis and arthrosis.

A complex of therapeutic exercises for muscle cramps:

standing position:

circular rotations of each foot in different directions, 30 times;
rolls from toe to heel, 30-50 times;
rise on toes and sharply lower the heel, 30 times;
swing legs in different directions, 20 times.

in the supine position:

rotate your legs, imitating cycling;
alternate swings with limbs, 30-40 times;
swing legs crosswise, 20 times

Constantly performing simple exercises of therapeutic exercises 1-2 times a day, you will get rid of cramps in the muscles of the limbs, feet and fingers. After completing the complex, take hot and aromatic oils that improve blood circulation, dilate blood vessels and relax muscles: basil, eucalyptus, sage, geranium, lavender, mandarin, sandalwood, neroli.

Video: how to get rid of leg cramps

Leg cramps: causes and treatment 3 days. Answer

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Anonymous 976

The phlebologist wrote out so many things that half of the salary would have gone only for medicines. The pharmacist at the pharmacy advised me to take Angiorus as a replacement, this is our venotonic and is sold at half the price. I have been taking it for about two weeks, the result is really felt - the legs have become lighter. The medicine is well tolerated, I did not notice any side effects

3 days Answer

Muscle cramps or spasm is an involuntary contraction of muscle groups. In this case, there is a strong, sharp and acute pain, accompanied by numbness. The muscle lacks oxygen and nutrients.

Leg cramps are not uncommon. Both men and women suffer from them.

According to statistics, every person at least once in his life faced with such a problem. The causes of spasms must be determined and treatment prescribed. Many of them have long been known, studied and amenable to rapid treatment.

General information about the problem of seizures

What are convulsions

We have already figured out that cramps represent uncontrolled muscle contraction.

Muscle spasms in medicine are divided into several types:

Myoclonic when muscle contraction is short-term without pain.
clonic. Longer, muscles contract rhythmically with repetitions.
tonic. They are characterized by prolonged muscle tension. It can cramp any part of the body or the entire torso. Seizures sometimes cause loss of consciousness.
Tonic-clonic. A combination of two types of spasms.
Partial that appear rarely and do not pose a threat to health.

With spasm of the legs, a pain syndrome appears - acute, painful, with a feeling of petrification of the body. It appears suddenly and lasts up to 5 minutes. As soon as the muscles relax, the symptoms go away.

Causes

Vitamin and macronutrient deficiency

Namely - calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin D. They are necessary for the full functioning of the nervous system and the transmission of impulses to the muscles.

If the body lacks them due to an unbalanced diet, the use of harmful substances, a large amount of protein, drugs, then similar problems appear.

Dehydration

When there is increased sweating with a large loss of beneficial trace elements responsible for the functioning of the muscular system, convulsions appear.

To avoid this situation, it is necessary to drink water up to 2.5 liters per day. This is true in the hot summer and with active sports activities.

physical overload

Often, during sports training, the body receives an uneven load. Perhaps an insufficient warm-up was performed, the muscles were not warmed up.

Overstrain of the muscle group is typical for people engaged in hard work. All these indicators lead to disruption in the functioning of muscle mass. If you do not give the muscle a rest, then it is depleted and, as a result, convulsions.

Temperature spikes

For example, swimming in cold water causes the muscles to contract, so you should be aware of the temperature.

Diseases

These include improper metabolism, vascular pathologies, leg injuries. Usually, consultations of narrow specialists are necessary for treatment - a neuropathologist, endocrinologist, phlebologist, orthopedist.

Obliterating atherosclerosis

I would like to single out this pathology separately, since it has become the scourge of the modern world. It spreads with an increase in the standard of living of the population.

The reason is excessive smoking, diet, sedentary lifestyle. This leads to blockage in the vessels and the formation of plaques. The most commonly affected are the iliac, femoral and popliteal arteries and muscles that lack oxygen.

Interestingly, smokers are 5 times more likely to have seizures.

stressful situations

When a person is emotionally stressed, a nervous breakdown occurs. At this time, the body experiences an intense load and, first of all, the nerve endings suffer.

A large amount of the stress hormone, also known as cortisol, disrupts the balance of micro and macro elements, which leads to calcium deficiency. And as a result, muscle cramps appear.

Types of seizures

Muscle spasms

Muscles are reduced due to improper transmission of the nerve impulse to the muscle for relaxation.

First, the nerve signal appears in the brain and goes through the nerve to the muscle, after which the electrical impulse passes to its surface.

Through special tubules, the signal spreads throughout the muscle tissue. Excitation reaches the tanks, which are cellular formations with a large amount of calcium ions.

As a result, calcium enters the intracellular space and starts the process of approaching actin and myosin filaments. When they come together, the entire muscle contracts.

The muscles of the lower leg, anterior and posterior thighs suffer from such spasms.

The strength of convulsions is different and can vary from a simple twitch to the most powerful pain contractions.

Muscles in spasm are like stone - hard, tight and bulging. An attack can last from 1 to 15 minutes. Repetitions are possible.

Most often suffer from seizures:

- athletes;
- movers;
- sellers;
- swimmers;
— surgeons.

Contractions of the toes

When toes suffer from muscle contractions, then the problem is most likely a metabolic disorder and the presence of other pathologies.

Often this is a signal of the body in case of joint diseases, venous insufficiency, atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus. As a result, the muscle excitability threshold decreases and contractions appear.

If you walk in the wrong shoes for a long time, then such symptoms may also appear. When seizures become frequent, it is necessary to see a doctor to determine the real cause and treatment.

Often, after excessive exercise and muscle fatigue, metabolites accumulate in the tissues, including lactic acid. This leads to spontaneous convulsions at night.

Foot cramps

Feet suffer from muscle contractions due to flat feet or neurological pathology. Be sure to consult an orthopedist or neurologist.

You can reduce the number of attacks by reducing the load on the legs, taking vitamin complexes, changing shoes to the right one.

Why cramps disturb at night

The answer is simple. Because blood circulation slows down at night, and the muscles receive fewer nutrients. The body is at rest during this time. Always work - the heart, lungs, diaphragm and brain, and the muscles relax. Or maybe it's just because of the awkward position of the body.

In addition, the brain works hard during sleep during REM sleep. Even a small excitation of nerve cells causes muscle spasms.

When cramps occur several times a night, it is recommended to increase the content of calcium, potassium and magnesium in the diet. These are buckwheat, oatmeal, lentils, legumes, dried fruits, nuts, seaweed, dairy products.

In order for the vessels of the circulatory system to function at full strength, you will have to give up nicotine, caffeine and sugar. It is preferable to replace animal protein with dietary poultry meat.

It is useful to walk a lot at a slow pace, sleep on a comfortable bed with a good mattress.

Seizures during pregnancy

Complaints of muscle spasm during this period are not rare. In the 1st trimester, the cause is toxicosis, with which potassium, calcium, and magnesium are washed out. In the 2nd and 3rd trimesters - an increased lack of vital trace elements.

In the later stages, due to the pressure of the enlarged uterus on the inferior vena cava, the outflow of venous blood from the lower extremities is difficult.

The abdominal aorta and inferior vena cava are compressed. And with the growth of the child, the pressure increases, circulatory disorders in this area progress. Stagnation of blood and edema is formed.

Tissue nutrition is disturbed, oxygen deficiency appears and, as a result, an increase in the risk of seizures.

There are actually many reasons for the appearance of spasms during childbearing:

- violation of phosphorus-calcium metabolism;
- anemia - a decrease in the level of red blood cells, which affects the gas exchange between air, blood and tissues;
- deficiency of vitamin B, magnesium, calcium, potassium;
- high blood sugar levels;
- varicose veins - thinning of the venous wall and protrusion beyond the normal contours. Appears in patients with heart failure, obesity associated with standing hours of work;
- vascular pathologies;
- a large amount of caffeine;
- insufficiently mobile lifestyle;
- violation of blood circulation;
- thrombophlebitis, which is an inflammation of the veins.

As soon as convulsions appear, they must be eliminated. A balanced diet, vitamins, physical activity in small quantities is recommended. When seizures are frequent, the doctor prescribes treatment to find out the cause of their occurrence.

Harbingers of muscle spasm

Even healthy people can develop muscle cramps for no apparent reason. This does not require any special measures.

Usually, before the muscles spasmed, they were preceded by the following events:

unusual physical activity for people with a sedentary lifestyle;
stress can be very susceptible for some people, and this includes not only negative, but also positive emotions;
exacerbation of pathologies, since during such a period the whole body suffers, especially weak points, for example, muscles;
poor climatic conditions, characterized by a deficiency of vitamins and minerals, which leads to convulsions.

Seizure treatment

First aid for seizures

To help yourself or another person get rid of excruciating pain during a muscle spasm, you need to:

When the back of the thigh was injured, also from a standing position, put the leg forward 1 step on the heel, bend the second healthy one at the knee and slowly begin to stretch the injured by pulling the pelvis back. The exercise is similar to the situation when you need to take off your shoes.

Cooling compress.
Attempting to pinch or prick a muscle with a pen or fork. Of course not much!
Once the spasm is relieved, stroking or light massage will help achieve maximum relaxation.

These tips will help get rid of muscle cramps in a short time by relaxing a tense muscle, blood flow to the legs and getting rid of pain.

When the muscle has returned to its normal state, it needs to be looked after. To do this, lie on your back, put a pillow under your legs, creating an angle of 60 degrees and relax.

Therapy

Therapy and prevention of muscle spasms is to normalize the performance of the vascular and circulatory system. It is important to reconsider nutrition, to include more vitamins, macro and microelements in it. Limit junk food and drinks in the form of alcohol, fast food, pickles, smoked meats, sweets, carbonated drinks.

It is recommended to monitor the amount of fluid in the body.

You need to drink 2-3 liters per day of water without gas, green tea, compotes, juices, fruit drinks.

But, black tea and coffee should be limited due to their diuretic properties.

It is useful to go in for sports, especially with the nature of sedentary work. Before going to bed, it is recommended to do stretching exercises, yoga, Pilates. At the same time, it will help relieve stress for the day.

You can treat yourself to a bath with aromatic oils - rose, lavender, mint, ylang-ylang.

Medical therapy

Treatment with drugs is prescribed by a doctor. These can be means for correcting metabolism, restoring the functioning of blood vessels and the circulatory system, vitamins, microelements.

To eliminate the cause of seizures, barbiturates, Phenazepam, Magnesium sulfate, Aminazine, Urokinase, and iron are used.

Therapy is needed for a partial or epileptic seizure, which is a type of seizure. Typically, such patients are prescribed benzodiazepines, GABA derivatives, trace elements, anticonvulsants.

Folk recipes

Folk methods effectively reduce the number of seizures and relieve pain, help improve blood circulation in the legs, and make the vessels elastic.

Treatment with folk remedies is an additional measure to the main therapy.

The most used means:

Gymnastics

A special medical gymnastics complex has been developed to help get rid of leg cramps.

This contributes to good vein patency, makes muscles work, trains them to contract and relax, strengthens the ligamentous and articular apparatus, and relieves stress and emotional tension.

Also, such gymnastics is an excellent prevention of varicose veins, arthritis and arthrosis. Consists of the following exercises:

Standing performed:

Lying are performed:

leg movement - bicycle;
swing legs - 30 times and crosswise - 20 times.

Gymnastics is very simple and even doing it once a day, you can forget about cramps in the legs, feet and fingers. It is recommended to complete the set of exercises by taking a hot bath with salt and aromatic oils.

If you need to lift a heavy weight, it is better to divide it into parts.
Carry the load with a straight back.
Take a break after 30 minutes of work.
The lunch break should not be less than 1 hour.
A warm shower is recommended before going to bed.
Sleep should be at least 6 hours a day.
You need to fall asleep and wake up at the same time.

Compliance with the regime of work and rest, proper nutrition and stress on the muscles will prevent, and this is better than treating convulsions.

is called compressive sharp pain in the calf muscles or other muscles that appears suddenly. From the point of view of physiology, this is a spasm or a strong contraction of the muscle (

). In the event that convulsions are rare enough, this should not be very scary. But seizures can significantly reduce the quality of life, worsen night sleep. Convulsions can torment both children and the elderly, but the elderly suffer the most from this phenomenon. According to statistics, this unpleasant phenomenon is observed in 80% of the inhabitants of our planet with different frequency. Convulsions can occur with acute pain.

Pills and injections for seizures

The involuntary contraction or excessive tension of one or more muscles is medically called a cramp. In fact, this is a short-term muscle spasm, which significantly reduces the mobility of the limb, causes pain and acute internal discomfort. One or more muscles located in the arms, legs, abdomen, and neck are involved in the pathological process. In order to return the normal movement of the legs and restore restful sleep, it is important not to delay the search for the root cause, the beginning of a comprehensive treatment.

If at retirement age the appearance of night cramps is associated with a lack of trace elements in the body, intensive vitamin therapy will help to fill the imbalance. The intake of any medications must be discussed with the attending physician in advance, since in the presence of chronic internal diseases, drug interactions with the main medications are not excluded.

To be in the fresh air, to take long walks without the participation of extraneous support for the body.
Change the daily diet, enrich it with products with a capacious content of magnesium, potassium, calcium.
Timely treat the underlying diseases, which just provoke the regular appearance of night cramps.
Distribute the physical load on the spine, in the daytime in every possible way to avoid stress and nervous shocks.
Use alternative medicine methods strictly on the recommendation of your doctor, such as taking a foot bath with a decoction of thyme or preparing a sedative for the stress hormone (cortisol) from valerian root.

Aging is accompanied by various pathologies and diseases that can significantly overshadow the existence of a person. These symptoms include leg cramps. The elderly often cramp their legs at night, it is very difficult to find out the causes of this phenomenon and prescribe a treatment that can alleviate suffering.

Elderly people suffer from sharp spasms caused by involuntary muscle contraction. The main signs of leg cramps include excruciating, unbearable pain, which makes it impossible to move. Elderly people may experience cramps not only in the legs, but also in the arms, as well as other parts of the body.

Finding out the causes of the disease in old age is very difficult. The opinion of experts on this issue is fundamentally different. World statistics confirm that after 70 years, convulsions become permanent. The main and main cause of seizures in the elderly can be called a general weakening of the body and the inevitable deterioration of health.

However, in some cases, the cause of seizures may be malnutrition or excessive exercise.

It is worth noting that treating seizures on their own is not recommended for older people. You should seek help from a specialist who will understand why he is cramping his legs, but at night in the elderly and prescribe the appropriate treatment.

There are no specific drugs and ointments aimed at eliminating seizures. The patient is prescribed a specialized diet that can improve his diet. Diseases such as varicose veins or flat feet, which can cause the onset of the disease, will also be eliminated.

In case of excruciating spasms, the following rules should be followed to avoid their occurrence:

It is worth noting that night cramps do not pose a serious threat to health. However, they can cause insomnia and pain, which are especially undesirable in old age.

Therapeutic exercises against seizures are recommended not only for people suffering from such a disease, but also for everyone who wants to protect themselves from its appearance. It does not cause any special difficulties and does not require impressive efforts. Gymnastics can be easily performed at home.

The following exercise is effective in the fight against seizures in the elderly:

You will need a small stand, which will need to be placed under the socks. In the absence of a stand, you can replace it with a regular step.
Feet must be kept strictly parallel to each other.
Socks need to be pressed to the stand and try to reach the floor with your heels. It is necessary to hold out in this position for about 10-20 seconds.
The exercise should be repeated one more time, keeping the heels apart and the socks close.
After that, you need to repeat the exercise again, changing the location of the toes and heels.

The following exercise has a positive effect on the course of the disease and allows you to get rid of cramps:

It is necessary to perform the exercise in a standing position.
Rotate each foot 30 times.
Raise and lower the toes 30 times, making a sharp landing on the heel.
15 times to do swings with the leg to the side.

One of the simplest and most effective cramp-fighting exercises involves a stick or rolling pin. It can be done while sitting at home. You just need to roll the stick with your feet.

Yoga is a great option. Gentle exercises that do not require much effort are great for older people who want to get rid of cramps.

In some cases, the cause of seizures can be called malnutrition. Sometimes the blame for everything is excess weight, which has serious harm to the elderly body. In this case, urgent help is required from a specialist who can prescribe a diet that will improve the situation and allow the elderly person to get rid of discomfort.

Therapeutic diet is not always aimed at reducing body weight, although, in most cases, this is its main goal. Nutrition is a very important part of the life of the elderly, because they need a huge amount of vitamins and nutrients. Their absence seriously affects the state of human health.

The diet of foods that an elderly person must consume usually includes the following:

Cottage cheese, milk, cheese;
Oats, buckwheat;
Fish;
Greenery;
Vegetables and fruits;
Nuts.

The lack of substances necessary for the body can be the reason that older people cramp their legs at night. It is possible to replenish them with the help of healthy products that are included in the therapeutic diet. A balanced diet is the key to a healthy body. The presence of seizures can be directly related to malnutrition and lack of vitamins in the body.

Proper nutrition is very important in the fight against such an ailment as leg cramps in the elderly. Mineral balance can be adjusted only by completely changing the diet.

Older people are subject to irreversible metabolic changes. Trace elements and vitamins are more difficult to digest with food. Metabolic processes in the vessels of the extremities are disturbed with age, which leads to local disturbance of blood circulation.

Physiological causes of seizures in older people:

Age-related changes in the vascular bed. The presence of plaques and blood clots on the walls of blood vessels.
Degeneration of muscle fibers. Their shortening and loss of elasticity.
Taking certain medications (diuretics and hormones).
Slowdown of metabolism.
Stress.

Pathologies in the elderly, leading to convulsions:

hypertonic disease;
diabetes;
osteochondrosis;
kidney failure;
liver disease;
phlebeurysm.

For older people, it is important to maintain a good diet and daily routine. It will be useful to take vitamin and mineral complexes. It is necessary to treat comorbidities in a timely manner to prevent convulsive syndrome.

Before starting drug treatment of seizures, you should find out the cause of their occurrence. In the absence of a serious pathology, doctors recommend eliminating the lack of important minerals in the blood and improving the condition of the veins with the help of venotonics. Such a common name is given to drugs whose action is aimed at strengthening the walls of blood vessels and increasing their elasticity.

Venotonics:

Troxevasin;
Troxerutin;
Venarus;
Venoflebin;
Diosmin;
Detralex.

These same drugs will be useful to use topically in the form of ointments or gels, rubbing into the skin of the legs.

Magnelis;
Magne B6;
Magnerot;
Calcemin.

In the process of regulating nerve impulses and muscle activity, useful microelements that the body receives daily are more involved. With a lack of vital substances, some functions are disturbed and an imbalance of the electrolyte and biochemical composition of the blood occurs. This factor is the main cause of leg cramps at night.

When identifying the causes of spasms, it is important to take into account the individual characteristics of the body. For example, in children, seizures often occur due to excessive activity, and not just due to a lack of nutrients. During pregnancy, spasms are considered one of the typical manifestations of changes that are carried out by a woman's body.

Some of the most common causes of leg cramps include:

stressful conditions that contribute to the release of the hormone cortisol by the body, blocking the process of calcium absorption;
active absorption of proteins, which also block the beneficial effects of calcium on the body;
excessive activity that contributes to increased sweating;
diuretic and antacid drugs that actively remove potassium and magnesium from the body;
deficiency of vitamin D, calcium, magnesium and potassium due to malnutrition;
leg injuries;
chronic diseases associated with circulatory disorders;
thyroid disease;
pregnancy;
diabetes;
radiculitis;
infectious diseases;
hypothermia.

Development mechanism

Each cell that makes up muscle fibers has an electrical charge. This is possible because inside the cells are covered with potassium ions, and outside with sodium. In order to maintain a balance between potassium and sodium, cells have special pumps. It is this charge that allows the cells to contract.

When exposed to nerve impulses, the charge of the cell weakens, then calcium ions enter it.

It is thanks to this substance that the cell performs its function. The muscle fiber cell contracts. Along with the penetration of calcium, sodium enters the cell and potassium is excreted. During the period when the cell is filled with calcium ions, it spasms.

Cell relaxation occurs when:

release of calcium using special pumps,
purification of the cell from sodium and the introduction of potassium into it by other types of pumps.

The pumps use about 40% of the energy produced by the cell.

Varieties

If leg cramps are regularly disturbed at night, such an unpleasant symptom should not be ignored. More often, the muscles of the calves and toes are involved in the pathological process, which do not experience similar discomfort during the daytime. The phenomenon is temporary, but dangerous; scares systematic recurrence.

Tonic convulsions. If the patient takes an uncomfortable position of the legs and does not change it for more than 4 minutes, the control of the limb is significantly limited, and acute pain syndrome prevails.
Clonic. Spasm predominates in case of accidental or forced stretching of muscle structures, has a short duration.
Localized. The focus of pathology is single - only one muscle suffers, while others are not involved in the pathological process.
Generalized. This is a consequence of a serious pathology of the entire muscular system of the leg, while such an unpleasant symptom worries a long time interval.

Whatever form of the disease prevails, in any case, it requires timely diagnosis and subsequent treatment. If the calf muscles suffer, the causes can be physiological and pathological, and in the latter case they require a comprehensive examination at the hospital. To quickly suppress convulsions at night, it is necessary to start treatment with a visit to the local therapist.

Causes

Why at night? Sleep, rest reduces blood circulation, as the muscles rest and do not participate in this process, and blood due to various reasons (thickening, varicose veins, thrombosis) cannot freely move through the veins. Moreover, the muscle is not elastic, does not give free blood circulation. And all this is superimposed by other factors, below about them in more detail.

There are a lot of reasons that provoke nocturnal spasm. They can be divided according to etiology.

Violation of electrolyte metabolism (potassium, calcium, magnesium), it is the most common.
Associated with general and chronic diseases.
When taking medications.
Physiological.
Neurological.

In addition, it is worth distinguishing between convulsions that occur with pathologies of the nervous system and myogenic (trigger points).

To understand why it cramps the muscles of the lower leg at night, you need to dwell on each point in more detail.

A cramp is always accompanied by a sharp pain that lasts for quite a long time. Some sources advise using a needle or pin as a quick way to eliminate crampy - you need to prick into a tense muscle, especially when hitting a trigger point. But this method is not safe, and it is rather problematic to look for a sharp object in the dark during severe pain.

But the method with a needle works effectively with convulsive contraction during swimming, helping to quickly return to duty. One minus - a prick with a non-disinfected needle can lead to infection, but swimmers pin a pin to their swimming trunks in order to help themselves in time.

There is an experience of a folk remedy to sleep with a wrench in the legs instead of a kitten. The cold body of the metal does not allow convulsions to manifest in the night. Helps a lot.

The best solution for relieving cramps is massage and stretching, especially before bed. To relieve tension, you should stretch the muscle well, making passive movements.

The causes of spasm are very diverse, so the therapy and prevention of cramps are reduced to the elimination of the factors of occurrence. It is recommended to change your lifestyle - exercise regularly, become more active. It should be remembered that all loads should be increased gradually so as not to provoke the appearance of spasm from overvoltage.

- Establishing a sleep schedule - you need to go to bed when there is a desire to sleep. Be sure to ventilate the room before going to bed, and the atmosphere should also be as comfortable as possible for you. It is necessary to exclude the use of psychostimulating substances at night (alcohol, coffee).
- Rational diet - it is desirable to add foods rich in calcium and potassium to the diet. Enter fatty fish varieties to compensate for the deficiency of phosphorus, vitamin D, an excellent replacement for fish oil in capsules.
- Relaxing warm foot baths at night with light massage.
- It is also recommended to carry out daily self-massage and stretching exercises.

The video shows cool exercises, the 4th most effective, I do it every day.

Studies have shown that using these techniques significantly reduces crampy episodes. It takes only 3 minutes to complete the complex, which includes repetition of stretching exercises 3 times with breaks of 10 seconds. It is desirable to involve not only the muscles of the calf, but also the muscles of the back of the thigh.

To prevent spasm of the calf muscles during sleep, stretching exercises should be used 3 times a day (10 seconds each with 4 repetitions and a rest of 5 seconds).

Symptomatic treatment of neurological diseases is used, as well as correction of somatic diseases, treatment in this case is prescribed strictly individually, based on the results of the examination.

With cramps of unknown etiology, especially those that occur frequently, with severe pain, quinine, muscle relaxant preparations (baclofen), anticonvulsant, antiepileptic drugs are used painfully and medicinally.

Cramps in a dream in women occur for a number of reasons, all of which are significant and, with the regular appearance of pain, require medical attention:

More often, nocturnal muscle cramps are observed in people over 50 years old, but sometimes even a child is noted. Sometimes the cause of seizures is banal - taking certain medications (for pressure, hormones, statins, diuretics).

In women, excessive sweating can provoke muscle spasms, because it causes the excretion of potassium from the body. If the problem appeared after an injury to the left or right leg and is observed constantly, there may be damage to the nerve roots. In young girls, legs often begin to twist when following strict diets, against the background of prolonged stress, with too heavy menstruation.

Taking hormonal contraceptives, constantly wearing shoes with heels, being overweight also greatly increase the risk of seizures at night, in the morning or during the day.

Short-term nocturnal cramps most often last no more than 1 minute. This may indicate a wrong lifestyle. Most often, such phenomena are observed in people who lead a sedentary lifestyle, abusing smoking.

Doctors believe that the main cause of tonic seizures is an insufficient amount of minerals in the blood. Because of this, the transmission of nerve impulses to the muscles is disrupted. Often for this reason, convulsions bother pregnant women. All trace elements during the period of bearing a child go to its formation. The body of a woman begins to experience a shortage.

In addition, the causes of leg cramps at night can be:

Dehydration – Even mild dehydration can cause nighttime cramps. This is due to the fact that the necessary substances come out of the human body with water. Increased sweating can also cause seizures at night.
Arbitrary excitation of motor signals in the brain. This occurs at the initial stage of a stroke or during the rehabilitation period, with infection of the nervous system, as well as with alcohol poisoning.
Hypoxia of a local nature - it provokes the work of blood vessels in certain areas.
Seizures can occur with a sharp increase in body temperature. This can occur as a result of a serious viral illness or sunstroke.
Leg cramps at night disturb patients with osteochondrosis. In such a situation, the nerve fibers are compressed, the action of individual nerves is disrupted. The whole process is accompanied by reflex muscle spasm.
Spasms can occur as a result of a long course of taking hormonal drugs, diuretics, which remove potassium from the body.
protein diets.

Very often, cramps torment elderly people at night, this is due to a metabolic disorder in their body.

The first aid in the event of severe leg cramps is massage and a special set of actions. After pain relief, it is recommended that you first take a few steps, and then rest for a while. A common situation is when spasms are caused by ordinary external factors - the leg has been in one position for a long time, you have made too sudden a movement or have become too cold.

The following steps will help you quickly cope with leg cramps at night:

active movements of the feet in a circle and sipping socks on themselves;
massage movements of the spasmodic area;
pinching of the skin of the affected area;
raise the legs above the body to normalize the flow of blood;
placement of mustard plaster on a spasmodic area of \u200b\u200bthe skin.

More drinking and less coffee

lack of mineral salts,
too intense or prolonged load on the muscles,
dysfunction of the central nervous system or other diseases.

In no case do not panic, no matter where the cramp seizes,
If you cramped your leg during your stay in a pond, you should stop moving your lower limbs and try to move your cramped leg with a healthy one. A pin prick also helps. Therefore, you can fasten a small safety pin to your swimsuit just in case,
In extreme heat, you should add a little salt to drinking water or use mineral water with a high salt content,

Stand up immediately and take off your shoes and socks. It's better if the floor is cold under you,
On the contrary, you can take a horizontal position and pull the toes of the affected leg towards you,
Rub well and pinch the affected muscle,
You can gently prick it with a pin,
If the pain is severe, a pain medication may help.

What is the reason for this phenomenon during pregnancy

in the first trimester of gestation. Not only the calf muscles can contract, but also the muscles of the hands and face. A similar unpleasant phenomenon is observed during going to bed, and sometimes during daylight hours during daytime rest.

The cause of seizures is a change in the level of trace elements in the body of the expectant mother. For good health, it is important to maintain a balance between the molecules of minerals located inside the cells and in the intercellular space. If the balance is disturbed, many changes develop, including convulsions.

The body of the expectant mother requires more mineral salts than before. Moreover, many have vomiting with toxicosis. With vomit, a lot of useful substances come out, and those that are in the digestive enzymes produced by the body. Some women lean on certain foods during pregnancy, completely forgetting about a balanced diet. The body is not getting what it needs.

Others, at the end of pregnancy, suffer from edema and try to prescribe diuretics on their own. With urine, many essential substances are excreted from the body. During pregnancy, anemia is not uncommon. It also creates favorable conditions for convulsive muscle contractions.

If the pregnancy is multiple, convulsions may develop against the background of inferior vena cava syndrome. The syndrome is associated with the fact that in the supine position on the right side or on the back, the uterus compresses the inferior vena cava. Thereby inhibiting the movement of venous blood from the lower extremities. To prevent the development of this syndrome, it is necessary to sleep on the left side or on the back, lifting the left half of the buttocks with a small pillow. This will balance the weight of the uterus and reduce its effect on the inferior vena cava, which is located to the right of the spine.

Consider the main prerequisites for the development of muscle cramps in pregnant women:

lack of B vitamins, magnesium, calcium, potassium;
decrease in hemoglobin (anemia);
increase in blood sugar levels;
vascular disease, varicose veins;
violation of the venous outflow in the legs;
excess caffeine;
sedentary lifestyle.

If it reduces legs at night, the cause is pregnancy, treatment can be aimed at increasing the concentration of hemoglobin and glucose in the blood.

Treatment options for seizures during pregnancy:

take vitamin and mineral complexes;
Healthy food;
monitor body weight;
alternate rest with physical activity;
observe the drinking regimen in order to prevent edema.

In the later stages, due to the pressure of the enlarged uterus on the inferior vena cava, the outflow of venous blood from the lower extremities is difficult.

Tissue nutrition is disturbed, oxygen deficiency appears and, as a result, an increase in the risk of seizures.

There are actually many reasons for the appearance of spasms during childbearing:

- Violation of phosphorus-calcium metabolism;
- anemia - a decrease in the level of red blood cells, which affects the gas exchange between air, blood and tissues;
- deficiency of vitamin B, magnesium, calcium, potassium;
- high blood sugar levels;
- varicose veins - thinning of the venous wall and protrusion beyond the normal contours. Appears in patients with heart failure, obesity associated with standing hours of work;
- vascular pathologies;
- a large amount of caffeine;
- insufficiently mobile way of life;
- violation of blood circulation;
- thrombophlebitis, which is an inflammation of the veins.

As soon as convulsions appear, they must be eliminated. A balanced diet, vitamins, physical activity in small quantities is recommended. When seizures are frequent, the doctor prescribes treatment to find out the cause of their occurrence.

Local treatment and exercises

In addition to drug therapy, it is possible to treat a pathological condition with the help of traditional medicine. Thanks to such recipes, you can significantly reduce the frequency of seizures, and in some cases completely get rid of them.

The following recipes are considered the most effective:

to relieve convulsive contraction, it is necessary to apply slightly warmed honey to the calf area, on top of which a layer of cling film is applied, and then a heater. The holding time of such a compress on the leg is no more than half an hour, after which the remnants of honey are washed off with warm water;
with cramps against the background of varicose veins, rubbing the legs with apple cider vinegar is recommended, as well as taking apple cider vinegar inside 2 times a day, after dissolving 2 tbsp. tablespoons of vinegar in 200 ml of slightly warmed water. The general course of treatment is at least 1 month;
so that the legs do not cramp, it is recommended to mix 1 egg yolk with 1 tbsp. spoon of apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon of turpentine. After thorough mixing, this solution is rubbed into the calves at bedtime;
to prevent the development of seizures, you can rub your feet with mustard powder or freshly squeezed lemon juice;
celandine juice (1 part) is mixed with 2 parts of vaseline and applied to the legs when a convulsive attack begins, which allows you to stop it at the initial stage.

Despite the sufficient effectiveness and safety of folk recipes, you should consult with your doctor before using them, as there may be cases of individual intolerance to some herbal ingredients.

In most cases, it is almost impossible to cope with the disease without medical treatment. Most often, doctors prescribe various ointments that can have a positive effect on the course of the disease and relieve convulsions. There are no drugs that can permanently cure a person of seizures.

In some cases, traditional medicine, combined with medications, gives excellent results and almost completely eliminates seizures. But it should be remembered that you should not completely rely on folk methods. There are several proven and safe ways to cope with such an ailment as leg cramps.

If the phenomenon bothers you often, you need to seek the advice of a doctor. To prescribe methods of therapy, you need to establish why it reduces the calves of the legs at night. First of all, the doctor prescribes a blood test to determine the level of magnesium and potassium. If the cause of cramps at night is a disease, treatment will be aimed at eliminating it.

The patient is assigned a comprehensive examination, consultations of an endocrinologist, a neurologist. It is necessary to exclude the presence of flat feet, for this you need to undergo an examination by a surgeon and an orthopedist.

Since he often brings his legs together at night due to the onset of the development of varicose veins, you need to get a consultation with a phlebologist to check the condition of the veins.

After establishing the reasons why he cramps his legs at night, the doctor may prescribe medications:

Detralex is a remedy that is prescribed to increase the tone of the veins, relieve convulsions. The drug not only relieves unpleasant symptoms, but also eliminates their cause. He is prescribed a course of at least 60 days.

Diosmin - the drug eliminates leg cramps if they are associated with venous insufficiency. It is recommended for the treatment of varicose veins. The active substance of the drug strengthens the walls of the veins, increase their tone. Thanks to the action of the drug, the inflammatory process is removed, blood flow improves. Taking the drug can cause an allergic reaction, in this regard, it is contraindicated in pregnant women and children under 18 years of age.

Venoflebin - is prescribed if it reduces legs at night due to varicose veins.

Troxevasin - helps to relieve the heaviness of the legs, is prescribed for chronic venous insufficiency, varicose veins, trophic disorders.

If convulsions occur due to heart failure, blood circulation disorders, Digoxin may be prescribed. If cramps are caused by anemia, iron-based supplements should be taken.

Patients are often prescribed sedatives. This is necessary if convulsions are caused by stress, nervous strain.

Before treating leg cramps, it is imperative to find out the causes of their occurrence. Do not self-medicate, you should consult a doctor. First you need to be examined by a therapist who will give a referral to a specialist. If convulsions are caused by varicose veins, then a phlebologist will deal with damage to the arteries - a vascular surgeon, diabetes - an endocrinologist, sciatica - a neurologist. Find out what to do with the diagnosis - varicose veins of the lower extremities.

To prevent the treatment of muscle cramps, do not allow dehydration. Drink during the day 2 - 3 liters of liquids in the form of drinking water without gas, green tea, fresh juices, natural fruit drinks, homemade compotes. Reduce the amount of coffee, black tea consumed. These drinks have a diuretic effect, so in addition to water, useful trace elements will be washed out of the body.

If cramps in the legs are a symptom of an existing disease, then first of all it is necessary to get rid of the main disease. Seizures will automatically stop bothering you after the cause of their appearance is eliminated. Specialists and a therapist will help to identify the presence of deviations in the functioning of the body. The treatment of leg cramps is not limited to a simple massage, but consists of a whole range of actions.

Seizure treatment complex:

change in diet;
introducing a large amount of complex carbohydrates into the diet;
essential addition to the daily diet potassium-rich foods, magnesium, calcium and vitamins of groups D and B;
massage with warming cream;
foot baths with sea salt;
taking multivitamin preparations;
avoid wearing uncomfortable shoes.

Simultaneously with such actions, it is necessary to actively get rid of concomitant diseases, if any. For example, if you have flat feet, then with a massage you will only temporarily relieve yourself of torment. Your main goal should be getting rid of the underlying disease. If your body is depleted and you are constantly exposed to stress, then the main actions should be to actively replenish the supply of vitamins and bring the nervous system back to normal.

Ointments and creams are used mainly for the vascular nature of the symptoms. With diagnosed varicose veins on the legs twice / day, you need to apply the following ointments:

The frequency, strength of spastic contractions after the start of the use of such drugs quickly decreases, pain and swelling disappear, because the blood and lymph flow is activated. Traumeel homeopathic ointment can be used to massage calves or other muscles - after a month of use, you can notice a significant improvement in blood circulation in the limbs.

Against spasms, you need to lie on the bed, stretch hard, point your toes towards yourself. Muscles during this exercise should be tense. You can also stand on your toes, then abruptly roll over on your heels, this will also help against an attack.

Be aware that leg cramps can be

1. Calcium pantothenate, one tablet twice a day for one and a half weeks.2. With a night cramp, you should get up - this will improve blood circulation and the pain will go away.3. If the cramp has already passed, but the muscle still hurts, wrap the calf with an elastic bandage.

Three times a day, 30 minutes before meals, drink 100 ml of brewer's yeast for several months.

Take one tablet once a day after meals

The course of treatment is five days. Sometimes just one tablet is enough.

Massage the contracted muscle with mustard oil.

Twice a day, treat the feet with lemon juice or rub with a piece

Leave to dry and put on stockings. The duration of treatment is 14 days.

Treat the feet with nine percent vinegar.

Eat potatoes boiled in uniforms or baked with skins.

Brew two tablespoons of chamomile in 200 ml of boiling water, hold for 10 minutes after boiling, pass through a sieve and consume inside 50 ml three to four times a day on an empty stomach.

One dessert spoon of birch buds pour 200 ml of boiling water, leave for 10 minutes, pass through a sieve and drink a third of a glass in the morning, afternoon and evening on an empty stomach.

Cramping of the toes

The most common cause of toe cramps is chronic venous insufficiency or lack of electrolyte salts in the body.

Therefore, it is necessary to

condition of the leg veins. The diagnosis includes an ultrasound examination or Doppler. Based on the results of the examination, the phlebologist will determine the treatment regimen.

If everything is in order with the veins, it is necessary to do a blood test for biochemistry, taking into account electrolytes (sodium, potassium and calcium), and also to determine the level of glucose in the blood. In order for the results of the analysis to be reliable, you do not need to start taking any vitamin and mineral drugs. Taking a number of medications or dietary supplements (for example, to cleanse the body or lose weight) can cause a decrease in the amount of electrolytes in the blood, anemia and convulsions. And another reason that you can try to eliminate on your own is uncomfortable shoes or weight gain.

wearing tight shoes;
hypothermia of the lower extremities;
prolonged vertical position of the body;
stagnation of blood in the vessels of the legs due to hypodynamia.

Leg cramps - treatment

Alternative medicine methods in the successful treatment of leg cramps play only a secondary role, they are able to suppress an unpleasant night attack only at an early stage of the disease. Such home therapy causes fewer side effects, the main thing is to first make sure that there is no allergic reaction to the main ingredient in the body.

Dissolve in 1 tbsp. water 2 tbsp. l. apple cider vinegar, mix well. After that, intensively rub the calves before going to bed, be sure to provide the so-called warming effect (you need to wrap your legs in a blanket). It will be treated in such a folk way for a month, after taking a break for a few days. Unpleasant symptoms disappear already on the 3rd - 5th night, the once disturbed phase of sleep is normalized.
In one container, you need to combine raw egg yolk (after having loosened it), 1 tsp. turpentine, 1 tbsp. l. apple cider vinegar, mix thoroughly until a yolk foam forms on the surface of the medicine. The finished therapeutic composition is required to intensively rub the legs before going to bed in those areas where night cramps occur. The course of intensive therapy - 2 - 3 weeks.
It is necessary to combine 1 part of fresh celandine juice and 2 parts of vaseline, mix intensively until smooth. Apply the finished composition for night cramps, intensively rub into the skin until completely absorbed. After that, be sure to wrap your feet with a warm blanket.
In the absence of an allergic reaction to the waste products of bees, it is recommended to rub sick eggs with liquid honey (apply a thin layer and grind well), then wrap it in cellophane and warm it with a warm blanket. The procedure is carried out before going to bed, and in the morning after waking up, you need to take a shower.

Treatment with folk remedies is designed to activate blood circulation in the limbs and improve the elasticity of blood vessels. You can evenly combine mint leaves and anise and fennel seeds, pour a tablespoon of the mass with a glass of boiling water, leave for an hour. Drink throughout the day in small sips. Also prepare an ointment for spasms:

Inside, you can also drink infusions of linden, birch buds, chamomile, thyme, black elderberry. In the people, these plants are considered effective remedies for convulsions of any origin.

If it reduces legs at night, you can use alternative methods of treatment. But these methods should be used in combination:

Every day before each meal, you can eat two teaspoons of honey.
Chamomile effectively helps to cope with muscle spasm. It can be used as a decoction or as an oil. To prepare a decoction, you need to pour 4 tablespoons of the dried plant into a glass of water and boil for 10 minutes. The resulting decoction is taken in a third of a glass three times a day. Chamomile oil can be rubbed on painful areas.

You can get rid of pain with the help of wormwood. Wiped change should be poured with olive oil in proportions of 1 to 4. The resulting product is taken diluted with sugar, 2 drops each.
Mustard oil can be used as a local remedy for spasm of the calf muscles. They need to rub areas where problems are observed.

It is important to understand that all these methods will help to remove only the manifestation of seizures. If a person is diagnosed with a serious illness, an integrated approach to solving the problem is necessary.

Prevention

Prevention of the occurrence of frequent night cramps is limited to simple actions - the right diet and preventive massage. In the presence of some situations, it is almost impossible to prevent spasms, for example, due to the approach of old age or the presence of pregnancy. Excessive sports, constant hypothermia and wearing uncomfortable shoes also lead to painful sensations in the legs.

A set of preventive measures:

regular contrast baths;
dividing the diet into fractional six meals a day;
calf massage;
the use of compression stockings;
exercises aimed at stretching the muscles of the legs;
drinking enough fluids;
getting rid of bad habits;
exclusion of excessive physical activity;
reducing the amount of coffee and alcohol consumed;
compliance with the rules of a special diet based on supplementing the diet with foods high in magnesium, calcium, potassium and phosphorus.

Drink plenty of fluids and cut down on coffee and alcohol, both of which have a strong diuretic effect.
Adhere to a daily routine and a healthy lifestyle: do not overwork, take enough time to rest and sleep, pay attention to reasonable physical activity and walking in the fresh air, get rid of bad habits.
Create comfortable conditions for a night's rest: purchase a comfortable mattress, ventilate the room before going to bed, maintain an optimal temperature and humidity level in it, refuse any caffeinated drinks in the evening. Also, in order not to disturb the circulation of blood in the legs at night, it is better to go to bed in loose clothes made of natural material.
Reconsider the diet: eat more foods rich in calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and vitamin D. If this is not enough, eliminate the deficiency of vitamins and trace elements by taking special preparations, such as fish oil capsules or vitamin-mineral complexes.
Give time to self-massage daily, and before going to bed, do a little stretching of the muscles, take relaxing baths with sea salt or decoctions of medicinal plants that have anticonvulsant effects (peppermint, valerian, horsetail), and apply warm compresses to the calves. Also, before going to bed, it is useful to briefly raise your legs as high as possible and lie down in this position to normalize blood flow.
Refuse uncomfortable and hard shoes in favor of orthopedic. And with frequent nighttime leg cramps in women, forget about high heels and platforms.
During the day, and especially during sleep, try to choose the most comfortable position for the legs, avoiding positions that are fraught with blood stasis.

But if, despite all the measures taken, convulsions at night continue to bother you, you should not postpone a visit to the doctor. The main thing is to understand the causes of muscle spasms as soon as possible and start treatment in order to avoid much more serious health problems.

To exclude the unexpected occurrence of night cramps and a decrease in the duration of the sleep phase, doctors recommend taking preventive measures in a timely manner, changing your usual lifestyle and individual habits. This is especially true for people with a genetic predisposition to periodic spasms of the calf and other muscles of the limbs. Here are the preventive measures we are talking about:

completely abandon bad habits (do not smoke, do not drink alcohol, control the intake of medications, do not self-medicate);
it is important not to eat at night, to avoid systematic overeating (it is advisable to adhere to a lean therapeutic diet);
timely treat underlying diseases, for example, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, pathologies of the cardiovascular system;
evenly distribute the load on the spine during the daytime, avoid stress, emotional overstrain, shock conditions;
take vitamins and multivitamin complexes, especially during the period of seasonal beriberi (we are talking about the intake of potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron into the body);
especially useful massage of the calf muscles after a hard day, you can additionally use ointments and creams such as the drug Troxevasin.

How to warn?

choose shoes carefully
reduce the amount of sugar and coffee in the diet,
walk or run less
quit smoking,
Eat more foods that are high in calcium and magnesium
do gymnastics for the legs and massage (not possible with),
after a working day, do alternating cold and hot baths or dousing your feet. If there are varicose veins, the difference between temperatures should be less. It is very good to use a decoction of relaxing herbs instead of water: valerian, mint, horsetail,
going to bed is useful in socks made of pure wool.

You can normalize the level of minerals in the diet with the help of

or medicinal products. So, with frequent convulsions, you should increase the amount of food rich in calcium, magnesium and vitamin

Foods rich in magnesium:

parsley, green onion, dill,
dates, dried apricots, prunes, figs,
bran,
beans, peas, beans,
seaweed.

In order for magnesium to be better absorbed, it should be combined with a vitamin

Which is abundant in fish, buckwheat, walnuts, liver, meat.

For better absorption of calcium, it is useful to drink 200 ml of slightly warmed water with a teaspoon every day.

and lemon juice.

If mineral salts in the body have not been enough for a long time, one healthy diet may not be enough. But you can use any medications only as prescribed by a doctor.

Calcium preparations and vitamin D are usually prescribed. You should know that after 6 pm the body absorbs magnesium worse, so it is preferable to drink magnesium preparations before lunch. And magnesium is better absorbed by those who are engaged in light exercise. Medicines containing calcium and vitamin D, on the contrary, are preferable to drink closer to the night, at this time the bones “absorb” calcium faster.

Exercise to prevent cramps

This exercise is best done immediately after waking up.

Stand up and cross them, stand on the outer edges of the feet. Stand for ten seconds, become straight, then repeat the exercise.

Sit on a chair, curl your toes and hold the position for ten seconds. So much for relaxation and repeat.

Get on your feet and stretch on your toes. Fix the position and "fall" on the heels.

Each exercise should be repeated at least 5 times.

And these exercises are suitable for relaxation after a working day: 1. Sit on a stool, raise your legs and twist your feet.2. Intensely tighten your fingers and immediately straighten them. Move them actively.3. It is not quick to walk in place, stretching the toe of the raised leg.4. Lean on the wall with two palms, move away from the back in small steps without moving the torso.

What are convulsions

A sharp painful contraction can occur in any muscle of the human body and last from a few seconds to 10 minutes. Localized cramps most often affect the calf muscles and toes.

In the medical classification, convulsions are usually divided into clonic, tonic and mixed. The latter type is characteristic of generalized convulsions.

Diseases that cause seizures

The presence of a serious pathology is one of the causes of seizures.

Seizures are caused by diseases such as:

kidney failure;
atherosclerosis;
phlebeurysm;
thrombophlebitis;
diabetes;
hyperthyroidism;
epilepsy;
ischemia;
stroke;
brain tumors;
hernia of the spine;
staphylococcal and meningococcal infections;
flat feet.