Why do cramps occur in the calf muscles? Why does a calf muscle cramp occur and in what cases does a doctor need help? Calf muscle cramps

Sharp, painful symptoms, the inability to stand up or move the fingers of the lower limb - all this means that your calf muscle cramped at night. Such spasms most often occur during sleep, because at this time the muscle corset is completely relaxed, and when the body lacks essential minerals such as potassium, calcium and magnesium.

Pregnant women and teenagers suffer from this in seventy percent of cases during puberty. However, when this often happens in other people, then most likely this means the onset of a disease - the so-called

Possible reasons

Cramps are a fairly serious disease; they are always preceded by something that cramps the calf muscle at night. The reasons for this phenomenon are quite extensive: violations of any metabolic processes, as a result of which useful minerals are not absorbed, gradually developing epilepsy, hypoxia, meningitis or any complications during pregnancy.

All kinds of stress and too much excitement can lead to the fact that electrolyte metabolic processes in the body are disrupted, and this, in turn, causes the convulsive syndrome itself. If you feel that your calf muscle has cramped at night, but there are no diseases listed above, then you need to urgently consult a doctor, most likely your body has chosen this method to warn you about an internal “malfunction”.

Wrong sleeping position

Another reason for this may be an uncomfortable position in which sensitivity is lost and nerve endings are pinched. If this happens constantly, then the body may not have enough calcium, which leads to varicose veins in the lower extremities.

Poor blood circulation

The condition when the calf muscle cramps at night occurs when the blood vessels narrow very sharply and, thus, do not allow blood to circulate. In this case, the muscles are usually overstrained. The leg can also cramp during excessive physical activity. Every athlete knows that you always need to warm up and prepare your muscles first before you start exercising. With increasing loads, the calves cramp quite often. Therefore, before you start exercising, ask your trainer to show you a few warm-up exercises.

We are always interested to know why our calf muscles cramp at night. There are quite a few reasons for this. However, only a doctor can tell you exactly which of them is your option, and even then only after conducting a series of studies and tests.

Another reason

During pregnancy, the risk of a nighttime “surprise” doubles. This mainly happens in the third trimester, the woman’s weight increases, as a result of which the load on the legs becomes greater. In addition, due to the growth of the uterus, blood does not flow well into the lower extremities, because The vena cava is partially compressed. Therefore, pregnant women often complain that their calf muscles cramp at night.

Eat potassium and magnesium, consult a specialist if necessary, and don’t get sick!

Instructions

In order to relieve pain and discomfort, it is necessary to stretch the cramped muscle. To do this, stand a step away from the wall, facing it. Place your feet slightly wider than your shoulders. Place your palms against the wall above your head. Move backwards in small steps, without leaving the floor. Do these movements until you feel that... Do not overdo it, do not lead to the appearance of unpleasant sensations. Stay in this position for approximately . Then pinch and rub.

During cramps in the calf muscles, massage. With your thumb, press the point in the middle of the muscle, gradually increasing the pressure. After this, press on the area in the popliteal fossa for a few seconds. This massage is contraindicated for pregnant women.

If the spasm appears when swimming in cool water, do some exercise. In general, you should warm up your muscles to increase blood flow to them. It’s good if you have a pin or needle with you. Stab her where it hurts. This irritation of the muscle will stop the spasm.

To prevent cramps, apply freshly squeezed lemon juice to your feet every day for two weeks. A hot infusion of crow's feet herb will also help. To prepare it, pour a tablespoon of herb with a glass of boiling water and leave for an hour. Take a third of a glass before meals three times a day.

note

There are many reasons for the occurrence of such seizures. Cramps can be symptoms of certain diseases, as well as complications during pregnancy in women. Therefore, it is better to consult a doctor in order to identify and eliminate the cause of their appearance in time.

Helpful advice

Do leg exercises regularly, try to get rid of excess weight, strengthen your ligaments, give up uncomfortable and tight shoes, and do not overload your feet.

Many people know firsthand about foot diseases. Among the leaders in terms of unpleasant sensations in the calf. After all, when the leg muscles cramp, it is very painful - you can’t turn around, stand up, or sit down. All actions are accompanied by tension and unpleasant sensations. And there are many reasons for such diseases.

Pregnant women often suffer from pain. Due to the increasing stress on the body and the double consumption of beneficial salts and minerals, mothers show insufficient amounts of calcium. This leads to cramps and pain in the legs. As a rule, the situation is corrected by taking vitamins and additional mineral complexes. The so-called potassium supplement also helps in this case, when you need to eat more bananas, kiwi and honey. In addition, muscle cramps can also be observed in cases where a person develops chronic venous insufficiency. As a result, the veins become pinched, function poorly and become strong in the calves - this is a signal that there is overstrain or a blood pressure disorder. Such manifestations can be relieved by a properly balanced diet with a high content of greens, fruits and dairy products. Normalize your blood pressure and relax. And the pain will go away. In addition to treatment, you can relieve emerging pain with additional means. For example, massage. Gently stroke the cramped limb. Then gradually massage your leg with very light pressure. This is needed to relieve vasospasm. Alternatively, try to relieve pain with a bath of warm water. To do this, fill the bathtub with water up to knee level and place your feet in it. Stroke them lightly under water. The moisture will relax the muscles and relieve spasms. Which in turn will eliminate pain. Drinking herbal teas is also recommended. You just need to drink them very carefully. Choose only those that do not have a diuretic effect, otherwise you risk leaching out even more calcium, thereby worsening your leg problems.

The cramp cramps the calves, thighs from the inside above the knee, feet (feet), toes. Muscle spasm is accompanied by severe pain. Muscle fatigue, dehydration, illness, deficiency of vitamins and minerals, disorders, nervous overstrain are common causes of leg cramps at night. Treatment of diseases that cause cramps, relieves spasms.

Illness or deficiency are common reasons why calves, thighs, and feet cramp at night. What to do in this case? If the muscles often tighten for a long time, especially at the age of 50 years and older, contact a specialist in a specific disease.

Fatigue and clubfoot

• feels dizzy or has a headache;
• lethargy, depression, fatigue;
• irritability, anxiety;
• constipation;
• burning or cramping in the calves, feet, and toes.

At the age of 50 years and older, you want to drink less water. The reason is a dulling of the feeling of thirst, although the body’s need for moisture remains the same.

Fluid deficiency dehydrates cells, making them perform functions worse. At night, cramps in the calves, thighs, above the knees, feet, toes.

Some doctors believe that not drinking enough water during the day is no less harmful than smoking.

A simple and affordable remedy for eliminating the cause and treating nighttime leg cramps, especially over the age of 50, is a sufficient supply of clean water during the day, up to eight glasses (1.6 l).

Water improves performance, relieves anxiety, normalizes sleep, keeps skin smooth, and promotes metabolism.

There is serious doubt about the connection between post-exercise dehydration and leg cramps.

Decreased ATP production

A decrease in the body's production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate, adenosine triphosphoric acid), the main carrier of energy, worsens metabolic processes within the calf muscles, thighs and feet, disrupts the balance of excitatory and inhibitory signals, increases the reflex to contraction, and reduces the ability of muscles to relax.

To eliminate this cause of cramps at night and treat the leg muscles so that they do not cramp, they are used.

The drug stimulates metabolic and energy processes in the body, mobilizes, quickly restores strength, relieves pain in overtrained or tired muscles, and accelerates the regeneration of muscle tissue.

Medications are the cause of seizures

Legs cramp at night due to abuse of laxatives, hormonal, antihypertensive (lower blood pressure) drugs.

One of the reasons for cramps in the calves and thighs at night is treatment with diuretics, they are prescribed for heart failure.

With urine, the body loses a lot of sodium, which is involved in the contraction and relaxation of leg and other muscles and the transmission of nerve impulses.

Magnesium deficiency

Signs of deficiency: dizziness, fog before the eyes, brittle nails, decreased energy levels, anxiety, no mood. Sleep is disturbed, restless dreams, difficult awakening, nervousness and irritability, lack of energy during the day. Rapid heartbeat (tachycardia). Excess reduces the elasticity of blood vessels, develops atherosclerosis and anemia (anemia). The flexibility of the joints is impaired, the functioning of the gallbladder and pancreas is impaired. Excessive absorption of calcium is the cause.

If magnesium deficiency is the cause of cramps at night, treatment of the leg muscles so that they do not cramp at night is carried out with pharmaceutical vitamin-mineral complexes, they help within a few days.

The following foods eliminate the lack of magnesium in the body: wheat, pumpkin, sunflower, flax seeds, pine and walnuts, chocolate, cocoa powder, beans, sprouted wheat seeds.

To treat nighttime cramps in the calves, thighs, feet, and toes, the cause—sodium deficiency—is eliminated by adding sodium chloride to foods.

What to do if your legs cramp at night and your body doesn’t have enough sodium?

Easy way:

• Place a little table salt on the tip of your tongue and keep your mouth open for a while.

Potassium deficiency

Potassium maintains water-salt balance. Deficiency causes rapid fatigue, metabolic disorders, changes in blood pressure, and slower wound healing. Dull, weak hair, dry skin, women have difficulties with pregnancy, premature birth, and sometimes infertility.

Lack of potassium disrupts neuromuscular conduction - the cause of cramps in the calf muscles, thighs, and feet at night. Treatment is carried out by taking pharmaceuticals to eliminate potassium deficiency.

It is useful to include the following foods rich in potassium in your diet: buckwheat, millet, rice, wheat bran, meat, fish, seafood, poultry, legumes, nuts, sunflower seeds, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, raisins, prunes, cherries, currants, dairy products.

Anemia

Anemia (anemia) is a symptom of a health pathology caused by a decrease in blood levels; it is accompanied by a decrease in the number of red blood cells in the blood.

Symptoms of anemia: sleep disturbance, rapid fatigue, excessive whiteness of the skin, “blueness” of the lips, dizziness, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat (tachycardia).

If low hemoglobin levels are the cause of leg cramps at night, treatment is prescribed by a hematologist.

For some people aged 50 years and older, their leg muscles cramp at night due to the toxic effect of alcohol on the liver - one of the causes of anemia.

Anemia is associated with vitamin B9 () or B12 (cyanocobalamin).

Iron deficiency

With anemia, due to a lack of iron, the appetite is distorted - you want to eat clay, chalk. It gives pleasure to inhale unpleasant odors. Hair falls out, the skin is dry, cracking, nails are concave and brittle, the mucous membranes are inflamed, it is constantly cold - the upper and lower extremities are frozen.

To eliminate iron deficiency and increase low hemoglobin levels - the cause of night leg cramps - the drugs Sorbifer Durules, Fenyuls, Maltofer are used in treatment.

There is a lot of iron in pork and beef liver, kidneys, veal, seafood, raspberries, legumes, buckwheat, whole grains, parsley, rolled oats, pomegranates, prunes, plums, peaches, dried apricots, baked potatoes in their skins, black currants, nuts.

Folate deficiency

Anemia, the cause of which is a lack of vitamin B9 in the body, is manifested by weakness, increased fatigue, irritability, increased heart rate, lack of appetite, memory loss, and headaches.

The causes of deficiency are long-term intake of goat's milk, which is poor in vitamin B9, intestinal surgery, long-term use of drugs for seizures (Phenobarbital), and alcohol consumption.

To treat cramps in the calves, thighs, feet, and toes at night, the cause - B9 deficiency - is eliminated by using pharmaceutical vitamin complexes.

The lack of folic acid in the body is eliminated by foods: liver, legumes, parsley, spinach, walnuts, kidneys, porcini mushrooms, wheat, rye, cabbage, oatmeal, corn, pumpkin, tomatoes, potatoes, eggs, oranges, grapes.

Cyanocobalamin deficiency

With anemia caused by a lack of blood, coordination is impaired, movements are constrained, clumsy, and gait is changed. It seems that the skin is tingling, the tongue is bright red, “varnished”.

If cyanocobalamin deficiency is the cause of cramps, treatment of the leg muscles so that they do not cramp at night is carried out with pharmaceutical preparations.

The lack of vitamin B12 in the body is eliminated by foods: liver, liver sausage, beef heart and tongue, rabbit meat, lamb, beef, chicken, eggs, dairy products, herring, mackerel, sardine, trout, chum salmon, sea bass.

The study says there is no evidence of a link between leg cramps and anemia, blood levels, thyroid function, or kidney disease, although it cites limited evidence of the success of treating nighttime leg cramps with exercise, stretching, magnesium supplements, and vitamin B12.

Magnesium, vitamin B12 are useful in reducing night cramps in the elderly.

Spider veins

Persistent dilation of blood vessels within the skin is called telangiectasia. The shape of the stars is different: simple, tree-like, arachnid, spotted.

They are more common in women and do not cause discomfort. But a cosmetic defect signals the appearance of diseases - the causes of leg cramps at night - the treatment of which is carried out after diagnosis by a doctor.

Leg cramps at night:

• if the blood supply is disrupted, there is a decrease in the supply of oxygen to the muscles (hypoxia);
• when blood viscosity changes - metabolic processes slow down inside the slow leg muscles.

Spider veins appear on the skin, thrombophlebitis develops, and atherosclerosis is the cause of night leg cramps. Treatment of these diseases is performed by doctors: phlebologist, angiologist, neurologist, cardiologist.

The appearance of spider veins may signal a disruption in the intestinal processes of synthesis or absorption of vitamins and minerals. If they are deficient, it also cramps the calf and other leg muscles.

In women, a possible cause of spider veins and nighttime muscle spasms is the use of contraceptives, an imbalance of sex hormones, including those that contribute to the dilation of blood vessels in the legs, changes in the amount and composition of blood that flows into the thighs, calves, and feet.

Varicose veins

When the disease occurs, the veins are dilated, the blood stagnates, stretching their walls. The reason is hereditary predisposition, sedentary lifestyle, metabolic disorders, excess weight, hormonal changes, regular long-term standing work.

If you do not start treatment, after some time vein nodes are visible under the skin, they swell, there is constant heaviness and fatigue in the legs, the calves and feet swell, the lower limbs and toes often cramp, the spasm is accompanied by severe pain.

If varicose veins are the cause of leg cramps at night, treatment is carried out by a phlebologist. He prescribes a special gel and a course of vitamins to strengthen the walls of blood vessels.

During pregnancy, hormones soften the veins, and compression of the venous plexuses by the uterus disrupts the outflow of blood. In the later stages, the vessels of the thighs and calves are dilated. Venous insufficiency is the cause of leg cramps at night, sometimes from the sixth month of pregnancy, all goes away after childbirth.

The article concludes that there is a risk of prolonged standing on your feet and the development of varicose veins and night leg cramps.

Hepatitis

The cause of the disease is a virus:

• infection with hepatitis A (Botkin's disease) occurs through household means, through food and water;
• hepatitis B infection occurs through the blood;
• hepatitis C is the most dangerous; it is often detected in the later stages, with maximum tissue damage.

Prolonged inflammation can cause irreversible tissue degeneration (cirrhosis of the liver).

With an inflammatory process in the liver, belching, nausea, lack of appetite, darkening of urine, yellowish color of the sclera and skin. Sometimes itchy skin, temperature up to +37.5C, cold extremities, sweating, redness of the skin of the thumbs or little fingers.

If inflammation of the liver tissue is the cause of night cramps in the calf muscles and toes, treatment is prescribed by a therapist, infectious disease specialist, or hepatologist.

The study confirms the connection between vascular diseases, liver diseases and night leg cramps.

Hypoparathyroidism

The parathyroid glands are located in the neck. The parathyroid hormone they produce regulates the metabolism of calcium and phosphorus in the body. With its deficiency in the blood, the calcium content is reduced and the phosphorus content is increased.

Disturbances in the mineral balance and permeability of cell membranes are manifested by increased neuromuscular excitability and cramps of the flexor muscles. They arise spontaneously or are provoked by mechanical, acoustic, thermal stimuli, or increased ventilation.

At first, the muscles go numb, become stiff, there are “goosebumps” on the upper lip and fingers, tingling and coldness in the legs and arms. Then it brings together symmetrical muscle groups - first the upper, then the lower extremities. The skin turns pale, blood pressure increases, heart rate increases, nausea, loose stools, and some people lose consciousness.

In a mild form of the disease, muscle spasms occur 1-2 times a week and last for minutes. In severe form - repeatedly during the day for several hours.

If hypoparathyroidism is the cause of muscle cramps in the legs, when the foot cramps and flexes, treatment is prescribed by an endocrinologist.

Calcium deficiency is manifested by brittle nails, weakened immunity, memory impairment, and decreased blood clotting. The element is especially necessary during pregnancy, during teenage development, and enters the body with milk, cheese, nuts, cabbage, parsley, cream, yogurt, beans, and cottage cheese.

For better absorption of calcium, it is necessary, they are rich in cod liver, herring, tuna, cheese, cottage cheese, egg yolk.

Patients with low parathyroid hormone levels who undergo hemodialysis have a lower than expected incidence of leg cramps.

How to relieve a cramp with exercises

Fast way:

• If your leg cramps at night, immediately get up and start walking, pressing your feet firmly into the floor.

The spasm quickly goes away.

For prevention, before going to bed, perform exercises to stretch the calf muscles:

1. stand with your toes on an old book, heels in weight, feet shoulder-width apart, hold on to a wall, a stable table or chair to maintain balance;
2. simultaneously press your heels to the floor for 10-20 seconds;
3. bring your toes together, heels apart, repeat the exercise;
4. bring your heels together, toes apart, repeat the exercise.

When a cramp approaches, pull your toes toward you to stretch and relax your calf muscles.

What to do if your calf cramps?

• Stand up, move the tight leg back, place your toes on the floor and gently apply pressure with your body weight to relax your calf.

What to do for leg cramps at home

Lemon juice:

• Lubricate your feet with fresh juice and let it absorb.

Treat for 1-2 weeks.

• Apply warm honey to the calves and wrap them up.

Wash off after 30 minutes.

Mustard powder:

• Rub the leg muscles with mustard powder overnight.

Bay oil:

• Rub bay oil onto areas of your legs that cramp at night.

Sagebrush:

• Pour 2 tbsp. chopped dried herbs 100 ml vegetable oil, stir constantly, bring to a boil over low heat, let cool, carefully drain.

Warm slightly before applying and store in the refrigerator. In summer, apply crushed fresh leaves at night.

The study confirms that there is no evidence that non-medicinal treatments are effective in treating or reducing muscle cramps.

What to do for night leg cramps - folk methods

Warm:

• Heat helps to quickly eliminate muscle spasms - place a cramped leg in hot water so that you can endure it, it goes away immediately.
• Another way: place a hot heating pad on the muscle that is cramped, the spasm gradually releases.

Cold:

• Ice helps relieve the condition; it is applied to cramped calves, feet, fingers - take a bag of any frozen product from the freezer.

Magnet:

• Magnets help relieve pain; they are often used to decorate refrigerators.

Soap:

• Place a small piece of soap on the cramp-prone muscle overnight.

Menovazin:

• In some cases, rubbing with Menovazine helps to quickly relieve muscle spasms.

No-shpa:

• For some, one tablet of No-shpa helps to quickly eliminate pain during a cramp.

Modified: 07/07/2019

Many people experience cramps in the calf muscles at night; the causes and treatment for this phenomenon are related and can be varied. Sudden muscle spasms during sleep, pain and the inability to sleep and rest cause a person not only physical, but also psychological discomfort. Therefore, this problem, the reasons for its occurrence and methods of treatment should be considered in more detail.

Etiology of the disease

Many patients may wonder why the calf muscles cramp? Cramps that cramp the calves at night, especially if they occur quite often, indicate certain changes in the body and a pathological condition. Such night cramps can bother a patient of any age group, but for the most part they are typical for people of middle and older age categories.

Common causes of seizures:

• hypothermia and diabetes mellitus;
• lack of certain vitamins, macro- and microelements in the body, in particular magnesium and calcium, vitamin D;
• the inflammatory process occurring in the legs or the body gives off negative symptoms in the form of cramps in the calf muscles;
• previous trauma or its consequences;
• problems in the functioning of the endocrine system, namely the thyroid gland, nervous system;
• varicose veins diagnosed in a patient, poor functioning of the circulatory system, disruption of blood flow.

Of the reasons listed above, there are 3 most popular ones. When the calf muscles cramp at night, doctors first of all point to a lack of an element such as magnesium in the body. It is this element that plays the main role in the transmission of nerve impulses to muscle cells.

Doctors call blood stagnation in the lower extremities another reason why the calf muscle cramps. Manifesting itself as a spasm at night, it may be a consequence of poor blood flow or decreased muscle tone.

As another reason why the calf muscle cramps at night, doctors identify a malfunction in metabolic processes in the body: pathologies in the endocrine system, insufficient functioning of the thyroid gland and, as a consequence, a decrease in the level of thyroid hormones in the blood, which are precisely responsible for metabolism .

Types and risk factors

Today, doctors in their practice distinguish 2 types of cramps when the calf muscle cramps at night.

In the first case, night cramps of the calf muscles are called idiopathic. Most experts cite severe physical overload and a sudden disruption in blood flow to the lower leg and foot as the reason for their appearance. Such seizures can be diagnosed in patients of all age groups.

The second group of calf muscle spasms includes the so-called secondary cramps. As a rule, the root cause in this case may be neurological in nature, it can also be health problems or peripheral neuropathy, liver problems, dehydration and any type of poisoning of the body.

Speaking about certain risk factors that contribute to the fact that the calf muscle will cramp at night, doctors point to belonging to the age group over 50 years old, physical activity and pregnancy, flat feet and deformation of the legs, and a course of taking certain medications. These reasons and factors also lead to the patient’s calf muscles cramping.

Symptomatic manifestations

What symptoms characterize spasms of the calf muscles at night? First of all, the patient is struck in the calf area by sharp attacks of pain, the nature of which is a spasm or a feeling of compression. At the same time, the pain itself can vary in intensity from barely felt to very severe attacks.

When a patient has cramped calf muscle, the structure of the latter becomes dense and hard, it lends itself perfectly to palpation during examination, its shape changes. If the leg cramp is mild, the patient may feel a slight twitching of the muscles for several seconds.

If the muscles contract sharply, the pain attack will be pronounced and may reach the point where you have to take painkillers. Frequently recurring attacks of convulsions and severe pain lead to exhaustion of the body and lack of normal rest - in this situation, you should immediately visit a doctor and begin treatment.

Therapeutic measures

The treatment itself depends on the underlying cause. It is the cause of calf muscle cramps that is worth finding out, and treatment should be prescribed accordingly. If the reason is severe physical stress on the legs, which athletes often experience, then all training and sports should be reduced to a minimum, allowing the legs to rest.

When the root cause of a calf muscle cramp is a lack of macro- and microelements and minerals in the body, then the only treatment is to enrich your own diet with essential vitamins. It is enough to review your own diet and introduce more foods rich in magnesium, potassium and calcium, vitamin complexes B6 and D.

1. Among the foods that supply magnesium to the body are buckwheat and nuts, dill and parsley, soybeans and whole grain products, kelp and figs, prunes and dates.
2. Potassium will be supplied to the body in sufficient quantities by bran and dried apricots, raisins and nuts.
3. Fermented milk products and cabbage contain calcium.
4. Vitamin B6 is contained in liver and sea fish, meat and buckwheat, peanuts and bananas.

Vitamin complexes are also useful.

When the cause of calf muscle cramps is a problem with internal organs, at the very beginning it is worth undergoing a full examination to identify such pathologies and diseases. In this case, treatment is aimed at eliminating the disease that led to the cramp of the calf muscles. This is often enough to eliminate the problem with spasms of muscle tissue in the calves.

Traditional medicine in the fight against disease

As for the treatment of cramps and spasms of the calf muscles with folk remedies, such remedies are effective, efficient and have been tested for centuries. Despite their apparent simplicity, they can not only eliminate pain and spasms, but also not harm the patient’s body, which is especially important, for example, for pregnant women or elderly people with chronic diseases, and so on.

1. At the very beginning, a simple infusion of Adonis can help eliminate leg cramps. It is enough to pour 10 g of the crushed plant with a glass of boiling water and take this volume throughout the day, dividing it into 3 parts: morning, lunch and evening.
2. An excellent remedy would be to take a decoction of birch buds. It is enough to brew 2 tbsp in a glass of boiling water. l. kidneys, leave the decoction for half an hour and take it morning and evening for 2 days.
3. Linden has the same effect. It is enough to steam 50 g of flowers in 0.5 liters of boiling water, leave for half an hour and take it morning and evening as tea, adding honey, which enhances the effect of linden as a natural antispasmodic.
4. Ingestion of the following prepared decoction helps to quickly and effectively relax muscles and relieve spasms. Mix anise and fennel fruits in equal proportions, adding caraway fruits and mint or lemon balm leaves. Next, brew 2 tbsp in 1 liter of boiling water. l. mixture and let it brew for about an hour. Strain and take the infusion throughout the day, drinking it in small sips.
5. Wormwood is also considered a natural antispasmodic - it successfully relieves attacks of pain and muscle spasms. In the first version of the recipe from the arsenal of traditional medicine, you can pour 2 tbsp. l. wormwood seeds 200 ml of any vegetable oil and leave for about 10 hours. Take 5 drops, which are dripped onto the sugar and eaten like that.
6. The second recipe for using wormwood against spasms in the calf muscle suggests that to prepare it, take the root of wormwood, pour it into 0.5 liters of light beer and heat it a little over low heat. Take 50 g 3 times a day.
7. An effective remedy for eliminating cramps in the calf muscles is a decoction of chamomile flowers. It is enough to steam 0.5 tbsp in a glass of boiling water. l. chamomile flowers and leave for half an hour. After straining, then take 1/3 glass per day, after meals.
8. A decoction of tartar also gives an excellent effect in the fight against spasms of the calf muscles: 20 g of the plant is steamed with a glass of boiling water and allowed to stand for 20 minutes. Afterwards, take it one third of a glass three times a day.
9. Common thyme, an aromatic medicinal plant, can soothe tired muscles while providing an anticonvulsant effect. You can prepare it in two ways. In the first option, it is enough to steam 15 g of fresh herb with a glass of boiling water and take the infusion in a third of a glass in the morning, lunch and evening.
10. The second recipe for using thyme involves preparing an alcoholic tincture at home: just pour 10 g of the plant with 100 g of vodka or pharmaceutical alcohol and leave for about 7 days. Take this infusion 15 drops three times a day.
11. Poppy decoction, or more precisely, its dried petals, has no less positive effect in eliminating pain and spasms. The dried material is ground into powder. Next, to prepare the decoction, take milk and honey, mix them together, and heat them until warm over low heat. Without bringing it to a boil, add poppy petal powder and let it brew for 5-10 minutes.

Against cramps and spasms in the calf muscles, there is a folk sweet delicacy: honey. It is enough to take 25 g of it before meals, three times a day for a week. This will not only deliver a sufficient amount of useful vitamins, macro- and microelements to the body, but will also relieve spasms.

How to apply ointments?

In the arsenal of folk medicine, prepared ointments are an excellent remedy against cramps in the calf muscles. At the very beginning, such an ointment can be simple chamomile oil: just rub it on your calves, and to enhance the effect, wrap your leg in a warm stocking. If you don’t have chamomile oil, mustard oil is an excellent substitute - it has a warming effect and perfectly relieves spasms and cramps in the calf muscle tissue.

Fresh lemon juice is used as a remedy for external use against cramps in the calf muscles. It is enough to smear it on your heels and let it dry naturally, after which you need to put on a simple sock. This should be done for 2 weeks.

First aid for a cramped leg

If the patient feels that a convulsive spasm in the calves of the legs begins, it is enough to take off their shoes and stand barefoot on the cold floor.

Standing straight will help improve blood flow and restore muscle tone.

Next, you should take a deep breath, bend over, wrap your fingers around your toes and gently pull them towards you - this technique will gently stretch the calf muscle and allow you to relieve the spasm. In this case, you can smoothly make rocking movements with your foot, moving it from heel to toe.

Massage also helps a lot against spasms; you can do it yourself, or you can sign up for a professional massage course. As a warming and relaxing remedy, you can rub the tense area of ​​the calf with either a warming ointment or apple cider vinegar or vodka, after which you should wrap your leg in heat.

Leg cramps at night, the cause and treatment of such an unpleasant situation, will be discussed in detail in the article below. Muscle spasms in the calves should not be ignored. Firstly, they cause inconvenience and disrupt sleep. And secondly, they are the first “alarm bells” of some pathologies. Most of us, at least once in our lives, have experienced the extremely unpleasant sensation of cramping our legs. This symptom is accompanied by sharp pain in the muscles of the limb. It cannot be controlled in any way and most often the attack occurs at night. In medical terminology, the process is called cramp syndrome. Science and medicine are still looking for the exact causes.

Crampy (painful spasm) is a fairly common phenomenon. It is accompanied by ischemic pain from a sharp muscle contraction and an equally sharp decrease in blood flow in the arteries.

Nerve impulse - connection with muscles and nerves endings If the impulse does not pass with the command to relax, the contracted muscle remains compressed and petrified for some time until the signal is activated.

In the legs, clonic spasms form in the striated tissue.

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

There are many reasons that provoke night spasms. They can be divided according to etiology.

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

In addition, it is worth distinguishing between convulsions that occur due to pathologies of the nervous system and myogenic ones ().

To understand why the leg muscles cramp at night, you need to look at each point in more detail.

Disorders of electrolyte metabolism

The main cause of night cramps is a lack of potassium, calcium, and magnesium. These elements play an important role in transmitting nerve impulses to muscles, and are directly responsible for contraction; when their concentration in the blood decreases, a spasm occurs.

Metals are easily excreted in urine, sweat, and prolonged diarrhea. Therefore, their control is very important.

After removing the cramp, you need to carry out stroking massage movements in the direction from the foot up. This will help relieve swelling and restore blood circulation.

After the painful sensations have disappeared, it is advisable to place your leg on an elevation (a bolster, a pillow).

Leg cramps at night - treatment

The causes of spasms are very diverse, so therapy and prevention of cramps come down to eliminating the factors that cause them. 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 spasms from overexertion.

• • Establishing a sleep schedule - you need to go to bed when you want to sleep. Be sure to ventilate the room before going to bed, and the environment should be as comfortable as possible for you. The use of psychostimulants at night (alcohol, coffee) should be avoided.
  • Rational diet - it is advisable to add foods rich in calcium and potassium to the diet. Introduce fatty fish to compensate for the deficiency of phosphorus and vitamin D, an excellent replacement in capsules.
  • Relaxing warm foot baths at night with a light massage.
  • It is also recommended to carry out daily self-massage and stretching exercises.

The video shows great exercises, number 4 is the most effective, I do it every day.

Research has shown that using these techniques significantly reduces episodes of cramps. You only need to carry out the complex for 3 minutes, which includes repeating stretching exercises 3 times with breaks of 10 seconds. It is advisable to involve not only the calf muscles, but also the muscles of the back of the thigh.

To prevent spasms of the calf muscles during sleep, you should use stretching exercises 3 times a day (10 seconds each, repeated 4 times and rest for 5 seconds).

Leg cramps at night: causes, treatment, pills - all these factors are closely related. First of all, calcium, potassium, and magnesium supplements are prescribed for drug treatment. Usually it helps enough. But there is an opinion that you shouldn’t drink Ca in supplements at all, there is enough of it in the body, it simply is not absorbed, but is deposited in the form of salts everywhere. confirmed its significance in long-term studies on Ca absorption.

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 examination results.

For cramps of unknown etiology, especially those that occur frequently, with severe pain, quinine, muscle relaxants (baclofen), anticonvulsants, and antiepileptic drugs are used painfully and medicinally.

Exercises for leg muscle cramps at night

Causes and treatment are undoubtedly important points for eliminating spasms. But it is best to carry out timely prevention, which helps eliminate an important factor in the appearance of cramps - low activity.

Exercise therapy complex:

1. In a standing position, slowly rise onto your toes, carefully stretching upward. Then lower down. Repeat – 5 times.
2. Heel roll - this is similar to the previous tasks, but after lifting you need to roll onto your heel.
3. Imitation of walking - do not lift your feet off the floor, only lifting your heels and performing a movement similar to steps in place.
4. Scissors and a bicycle are well-known gymnastics since school days. It is important to perform them slowly, stretching the toe.

Although spasm of the calf muscles at night, the causes and treatment of which we discussed in detail in our article, is an unpleasant phenomenon, it does not have serious complications or an unfavorable prognosis.

Cramps can significantly reduce the quality of sleep, leading to chronic sleep deprivation. It is imperative to carry out a diagnosis to determine the factors that provoke the appearance of unpleasant sensations, since they can be early symptoms of serious diseases.

In conclusion my story

I was tormented by nighttime cramps in the calf muscles when I was a child, about 14 years old, I didn’t even tell my parents, I dealt with it myself. She wrapped her arms tightly around the tense shin and squeezed tightly until it went away. The duration was not long, maybe 30 seconds. Then, during my first pregnancy and breastfeeding, I was 20 years old, the cramps recurred several times, but they were on one leg.

Many years have passed and I’m already 50, and I remembered the sensations of spasms during the day, during sleep, and even on both legs in turn. I woke up with severe pain in the calf muscle of my right leg. It lasted, it seemed to me, forever, about 3 minutes. I could not straighten my leg to pull the toe. I called my husband to bring him anything from the freezer (I got some currants). I applied it to my calf and was slowly able to get to my feet and do some stretching to restore blood circulation. It let go, I sighed with relief and relaxed. She lay down on the bed, when suddenly the second attack on the other leg repeated the hellish pain. Using the same method with ice currants and stretching, the spasm went away. It's been a year now and I can't forget it.

The situation was provoked by a large loss of potassium, calcium, and magnesium during a long business trip in the heat. I drank little (to go to the toilet less often), sweated a lot, plus varicose veins were present. Now, for prevention, I regularly stretch my calves. And I definitely drink it twice a year (in the heat of summer and in spring).

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And most importantly, take care of yourself and your loved ones!