Often leg cramps what to do. Leg cramps - causes and effective treatment. Causes of seizures in men

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. Designed to get 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 up, 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.

Each of us has come across a situation where a sharp movement of the foot or a long stay in an uncomfortable position provoked the development of convulsions - unpleasant and very painful involuntary muscle contractions.

About how to quickly and effectively deal with a cramp, and we'll talk further.

1. First aid for convulsions

Leg cramps occur suddenly and mostly at night. What to do in such a situation?

Tip #1: Get out of bed and walk barefoot around the apartment.

Tip #2: As you walk, shift your body weight onto the cramped leg, rolling from heel to toe.

Tip #3: In a standing position, pull the sock forward (away from you), trying to stretch the cramped muscle as much as possible, and then pull the sock towards you. Do this exercise until the pain syndrome decreases or does not go away at all.

Tip #4: Lean on the back of a chair or wall and slowly rise on your toes, then slowly lower yourself (you should feel a stretch in the muscles of the lower leg).

2. Pin prick for convulsions

Many advise prick the caviar with a pin or needle if the leg cramped. This method, of course, will help relieve spasm, but it is far from always rational. Why?

Firstly, before pricking the caviar, it is necessary to disinfect the pin, which is not always possible. Otherwise, the risk of infection is high, which is much more dangerous for the body than convulsions.

Secondly, the pain during convulsions is so severe that you are unlikely to remember the pin in the first place, and if you do, it can take a long time to find it.

Third, if a leg cramps in the water, then even with a pin (and experienced swimmers attach it to swimming trunks especially for such cases), it is extremely difficult to quickly navigate in such a situation, unfasten the pin and pierce the caviar.

What to do, you ask?

Better several times strongly pinch the calf muscle area folded leg.

3. Exercise for cramps

If walking and pinching do not help eliminate cramps, use a set of special exercises that will help quickly eliminate spasm and relax the calf muscles.

If a cramp cramped your calves or feet, take a sitting position, grasp the cramped sock, and gently, but at the same time, pull it strongly towards you. Be prepared for the fact that the pain will intensify, but after 1 - 2 minutes you will forget about it.

With a cramp in the front of the thigh in a standing position:

bend your leg at the knee
tightly wrap your arms around your ankle,
pull the foot to the buttocks.

If a cramp occurs in the area of the back of the thigh:

enter the sore leg forward, while the support should fall on the heel,
bend the other leg at the knee and lean on it with your hands,
gently move the pelvis back, thereby stretching the limb affected by the cramp.

With proper exercise, a tense muscle quickly relaxes, and the cramp goes away.

4. Massage for cramps

In any case, involuntary muscle contractions cannot be ignored, since they can indicate serious pathologies, including:

deterioration of blood circulation in the limbs;
lack of vitamins and minerals in the body;
disruption of the musculoskeletal system and spinal cord;
malignant formations;
diseases of the central nervous system;
malfunctions of the endocrine system;
gestosis (specific spasms that occur in pregnant women);
infectious diseases.

Take care of your feet! After all, even the ancient sages said that human aging begins with the legs!

What to do if you cramp your leg?

Leg cramps are considered to be sudden painful involuntary contractions of the leg muscles. A spasm often lasts for a few minutes or a few seconds. Rarely, however, they can last up to 10 minutes. It is very important to understand the specifics of leg cramps, treatment will mainly depend on the etiology of the problem.

In many cases, the cause of seizures is never found, and are considered harmless. It happens, however, that they may be associated with an underlying disorder such as diabetes or peripheral artery disease.

As a person gets older, they become more prone to feeling leg cramps - about 1 in 3 people over the age of 65, and half of people over 85 experience regular leg cramps.

Pregnant women are more likely to experience nocturnal leg cramps than non-pregnant women. Approximately 45% of people who have leg cramps experience this phenomenon at least four times a week. A number of cases are noted when they happen daily.

Unexplained etiology(idiopathic muscle cramps) - in many cases, there are no underlying causes and doctors don't know why. The theory is that when a muscle is tensed for an extended period, causing the muscle to contract, it is stimulated to contract, causing it to spasm (convulsions) if it contracts further.

This happens most often while a person is sleeping, because the natural resting position is knees bent and legs pointing down ( contraction of the calf muscles). But the fact that stretching helps correct this phenomenon makes the theory compelling. Secondary Causes - Leg cramps are caused by the underlying disease. When secondary causes cause leg cramps, treatment should be directed at the cause. Secondary causes include:

exercises - if the muscle is under strong tension or used for a long time, a leg cramp can occur during or after a strong load. Athletes commonly suffer from leg cramps, especially when they have to work longer hours than expected, which can happen in football matches that go into extra time.
a situation where the air temperature is high and a person sweats excessively and loses a large amount of sodium (salt), increases the risk of developing muscle cramps.
Edison disease .
alcoholism or alcohol abuse.
cases liver cirrhosis .
dehydration .
diarrhea .
diuretics .
exposure to low temperatures, especially cold water.
sarcoidosis - a phenomenon that characterizes the process when granulomatous ( small sprouts or lumps) cause inflammation or swelling of tissues in any part of the body.
other medical conditions, such as blood flow problems ( peripheral artery disease), kidney disease, thyroid abnormalities, and multiple sclerosis.

Standing on a hard surface for a long time, sitting for a long time, or placing your legs in awkward positions during sleep also affects the frequency of seizures.

Insufficient amounts of potassium, calcium and other minerals in the blood are also thought to be the cause. Taking certain medications such as antipsychotics, birth control pills, diuretics, statins, and steroid medications causes cramps.

You will probably have to try several different ways to eliminate muscle cramps before you find an option that works perfectly for a particular case.

Muscle massage is considered effective. It is also advised to take a warm shower or bath to relax the muscles. Often a heating pad located on the muscle also helps.

It is worth trying to use ice or cold lotions. But it is worth keeping the cloth between the skin and the ice. Sometimes pain medicine such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), or naproxen (Aleve) helps. You have to be careful with medications.

Before use, it is better to carefully study the instructions. If your doctor prescribes medications for muscle cramps, take them exactly as prescribed.

stretching

It is necessary to learn how to relax convulsive muscles. Stop any activity that could cause cramps and slightly stretch the muscle, gently fixing the leg in this position. You can even massage the muscle during or after the stretch, and perhaps apply a heating pad to the area after the stretch.

Magnesium

When a person has leg cramps, treatment usually begins with magnesium. This is the first recommendation for patients suffering from this problem. Magnesium is used to treat muscle cramps in pregnant women, but more research is needed in such cases. It is worth discussing everything with your doctor before taking any supplements.

If a person regularly suffers from leg cramps that are not related to a more serious condition, magnesium supplementation can be tried. Nuts and seeds are considered the best sources of magnesium.

Hot lotions

Many professionals, such as personal trainers and physical therapists, also recommend external magnesium in the form of Epsom salts. This old-school remedy is used as a lotion: a damp cloth with magnesium should be pressed tightly against the muscle. In fact, such a remedy provides relief for many, with or without the use of Epsom salt.

You can also use a heating pad. The heating pad should first be warm, then gradually it is worth changing the heating pad to a hotter one until the pain and spasm disappear. If a person has diabetes, a spinal cord injury, or another medical condition that can prevent them from feeling warm, then a heating pad is not appropriate.

Hydration

When there are cramps, treatment must necessarily include hydration. It may take a little longer to get over the pain, but if you always have water or a sports drink with electrolytes, you can prevent another cramp.

Although pain relievers can be helpful in reducing pain, they take time to achieve a good rate of effectiveness. By the time they start working, the leg cramp will probably go away.

Therefore, they are probably not always useful. If a person has had severe cramping pain in the leg and the muscle has become softer since then, an over-the-counter pain medication may help.

Quinine - Some laboratory studies have shown that a large percentage of people benefit from the use of quinine. No information is currently available on the safety of quinines and their long-term efficacy. Some experts consider the use of quinine necessary when stretching does not stop the pain, or when attacks occur too often and affect the quality of life of a person.

The course of therapy often lasts from five to seven weeks - the patient uses the drug before bedtime. Pregnant women should not take quinine. Persons who have had a previous reaction to quinine, with previous hemolytic anemia, optic neuritis, or glucose-8-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, should not take quinine.

Since the dosage of quinine is quite low, side effects are rare. In some individual cases, a person may develop a blood plasma disorder. Some people report the development of cinchonism after prolonged treatment with this drug, this can cause vomiting, nausea, blurred vision and / or hearing problems and dizziness.

One of the common problems in women and men are muscle spasms in the lower extremities. They appear for a variety of reasons and depend on many factors. Today, this pathology is well studied by doctors, its treatment is carried out in several ways.

leg cramps

Continuous contraction of muscle tissue, which is not amenable to voluntary relaxation - these are convulsions. Often such spasms "attack" the lower limbs: thigh, lower leg, feet, fingers. Leg cramps are accompanied by painful sensations, because with muscle spasm, there is a lack of nutrients and oxygen. In medicine, there are two types of such a problem: tonic convulsions - prolonged muscle tension, clonic - short-term contractions that alternate with relaxation. Leg cramps are classified as the first type.

Why cramps legs

Painful muscle tension is provoked by various factors. Here are some of the main reasons why leg cramps can occur frequently:

change in the balance of ions;
dehydration;
pregnancy;
muscle fatigue;
phlebeurysm;
lack of vitamins in the body;
endocrine diseases;
hidden injuries;
inflammatory processes of a local nature.

During pregnancy

Often, pregnant women cramp their legs with a strong cramp - what to do, how to deal with the problem, why this happens, it is important to understand. The phenomenon is considered the norm, associated with a high load on the female body. When convulsions occur during pregnancy, this can signal problems such as:

excess body weight;
swelling of blood vessels, tissues, caused by an increase in blood volume;
lack of useful trace elements, vitamins;
hormonal changes;
tendency to varicose veins;
violation of normal blood circulation due to an increase in the uterus, which presses on the nerve endings and vessels of the lower extremities.

To eliminate cramps during pregnancy, you need to follow these steps:

grind well, pinch the reduced muscle;
massage by squeezing and straightening your fingers;
after pain relief - walk a little to activate blood circulation.

At night

Often cramps bring legs together at night. All body processes proceed more slowly, as it rests. Blood continues to supply organs such as the brain, heart, lungs and diaphragm at the same level. All other organs and systems are relaxed. When local blood flow is impaired or reduced by a number of factors, then, under the condition of a lack of oxygen in the tissues, sharp nocturnal spasmodic attacks can manifest themselves. Uncomfortable posture or overexcitation before going to bed can also cause muscle cramps.

Reduces calves

As a rule, cramps in the calf muscles are the most unpleasant, painful. This part of the lower extremities is very often overcome by spasms, unlike other muscle groups. The main causes of seizures:

venous insufficiency;
frequent swelling;
the use of diuretic drugs;
atherosclerosis;
lack of trace elements, vitamins;
diseases of the lumbar spine.

Toes

Some people often cramp their toes. Such attacks begin suddenly, cramps may appear in one or more fingers at once. Possible sources of the problem:

avitaminosis;
hypothermia of the lower body;
wearing uncomfortable shoes;
circulatory failure in the human foot.

Leg cramps - treatment

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.

Tablets

When he often cramps his legs - what to do, and what methods of therapy help get rid of seizures? After visiting the doctor and determining the cause of muscle spasms, you can begin therapy. The doctor will explain what to take for leg cramps. For certain purposes, medications are prescribed, the type of which depends on the diagnosis. For therapeutic and prophylactic effects, the following means are used:

tablets with anti-inflammatory or analgesic effect;
neuroleptics, relaxing muscles;
barbiturates or other drugs for leg cramps with a hypnotic effect;
pregnant women are prescribed folic acid, which prevents seizures;
mineral-vitamin complexes or preparations with magnesium, potassium help out well.

Ointment

Sometimes a remedy for leg cramps is prescribed in the form of ointments, creams, gels. Medicines of this type are used locally, they lubricate (or rub) the desired part of the leg two to three times a day. Such drugs perfectly reduce the frequency and strength of muscle cramps, help relieve pain, activate the outflow of lymph and blood, strengthen blood vessels well. The most effective, popular means: Troxerutin, Troxevasin, Miaton, Heparin ointment, Traumeel.

Folk remedies

To significantly reduce the frequency, the amount of muscle tension, folk remedies for leg cramps are used. Natural medicines reduce pain, accelerate blood circulation, increase the elasticity of blood vessels. Below are some effective recipes for dealing with muscle spasms:

It is necessary to prepare a tincture of cumin fruits (a tablespoon), peppermint leaves (two tablespoons), one tablespoon of anise and fennel. Two teaspoons of the mixture are poured with boiling water (liter), infused for half an hour. Strain through cheesecloth, consume all day in small portions.
Cramps legs - what to do? Mix vaseline and celandine juice (2 to 1). Mix the components until a homogeneous consistency is obtained. Treat the lower limbs with the resulting ointment once a day. The course of treatment is two weeks.
Combine dry bay leaf (50 grams) with unrefined vegetable oil (glass). The mixture is insisted for two weeks in a jar under a closed lid. The medicine is filtered, applied to a specific area when a spasmodic attack occurs.

What to do if you cramp your leg

There are some topical tips on what to do with leg cramps. You need to do the following:

Conduct an intensive massage of the tense area.
Apply a cold compress.
First aid for leg cramps is stretching the affected area:
- feet, calves: while sitting, straighten the lower limbs, pull the thumbs towards you;
- anterior femoral part: standing, bend the limb at the knee, clasp the ankle with your hands, pull the foot towards the buttocks;
- back of the thighs: put the sore leg forward, put it on the heel, bend the other limb at the knee and lean on it with your hands, carefully stretch the reduced limb, pulling back the pelvic part.

How to get rid of cramps

To prevent the occurrence of spasmodic attacks or reduce their number, it is worth resorting to preventive measures. Here are some tips on how to get rid of leg cramps. Need:

proper nutrition;
a reasonable regime of rest and work;
wearing comfortable, high-quality shoes;
rejection of bad habits;
before physical activity, it is necessary to perform a warm-up;
the use of vitamins, minerals;
timely diagnosis, treatment of ailments that cause convulsions;
performance of special gymnastics.

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

We recommend reading:

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.