Leg cramp - what to do? Causes, first aid, treatment

Everyone knows that leg cramps are an unpleasant phenomenon, because each of us had them. And if you ask more in detail, then almost all healthy people are familiar with only one type of seizure - it's cramps calf muscles. The frequency of occurrence of these phenomena in a healthy person is small, and there can be, perhaps, only one case - this is during a bath in cold water.

People who take diuretics or diuretics can also experience these contractions of calf muscles even at rest, and sometimes, on both sides. The reasons for this phenomenon will be described below. Are cramps of calf muscles a serious symptom and how can they be combated? Legs

Leg cramps - what is it?

Cramps of leg muscles, like other striated muscles, or skeletal muscles, exist in all as warm-blooded animals. The smooth muscles of the internal organs have no cramps, and there are spasms. In such cases, a person experiences painful pains, for example, in the right hypochondrium.

Adopting No-shpu, he gets relief, because this drug is antispasmodic. But the spasms of the smooth muscles of the internal organs are nothing compared to the spasms of skeletal muscles, since they are very painful. In addition to pain, there is another unpleasant factor - it's impossible to control the muscle, as usual.

Seizure is a sudden, sharp and complete contraction of all muscle beams. We can say that a spasm is a 100% muscle contraction. Even a trained athlete can not so strain his muscles as a cramp will do.

The physiology of muscle contraction is such that there are tonic and clonic convulsions. To tonic and carry a real phenomenon, and clonic are called periodic muscle contraction, alternating with relaxation.

Cramp of the calf muscle can start suddenly, but sometimes there are certain harbingers that give time to relax, change the pose. Typically, the tonic reduction lasts from a few seconds to 10 minutes. The longer it is, the stronger the residual soreness.

Is the seizure harmful?

Harm of prolonged convulsion consists in violation of blood circulation, deterioration of the removal from the muscle of a large amount of lactic acid.

This forms a closed vicious circle: the accumulation of metabolic products in the muscle causes its spasm, and spasm itself provokes accumulation in the muscle of lactic acid. In addition, with prolonged convulsion, there are micro-ruptures of muscles and hemorrhages.

Features of leg cramps at night and in the elderly

Basically, everyone cares about the same questions: why caviar, why at night, and why in people aged this phenomenon manifests itself more often. We will give an answer to these questions, which for some reason are poorly covered in popular articles on the Internet.

1) Why the eggs?- The calf muscles in man have a special structure. We all know that the hands and feet of a person are not like the paws of beasts that rest on all four limbs on the ground.

Legs and calves are designed for permanent and prolonged exercise, and arms and forearms are for a stronger, but short in time and varied. Therefore, eggs do not have such developed bundles and such a good blood supply as the muscles of the forearm, and they are more exposed to a "nervous breakdown".

2) Why at night?- Yes, because the venous outflow at night is worse than during the day. In the daytime, muscle contractions activate the valvular apparatus of the veins and blood carries away harmful substances from the muscle tissue. And at night the valves work worse, and the muscle blood supply is worse. In addition, you can additionally "otlezhat" leg.

3) Why in the elderly?- And in the elderly, leg cramps at night increase due to age-related violations of blood supply in the legs, and the intake of medications that can increase seizures. Night cramps in the legs in the elderly are a common cause of insomnia, especially in patients with hypertension, due to improper use of diuretics.

4) About toes: sometimes tonic contractions of the calf muscles continue on the back of the foot, grasping and toes on the legs. These muscles, as well as the calf muscles, are "so arranged" to carry out a prolonged static load. By the way, cramps of calves can begin with finger cramps, and these two phenomena should be considered interrelated.

Now let's talk about the most important reasons for these painful muscle contractions.

The main factors are a decrease in the concentration of metal ions: potassium, calcium and magnesium, as well as accumulation of lactic acid. Before listing the reasons, we describe the symptoms of the shortage of these metals.

Why the legs cramp - check yourself

Since almost all the options for developing seizures include a lack of potassium, calcium and magnesium - we will give the main symptoms not related to convulsive activity, so that everyone can check whether his fears are legitimate.

Potassium deficiency

It is manifested by the expressed and fast fatigue of muscles, there are edemas, there is a constipation. Often the pressure decreases, you want to drink, dry mouth arises. There is such a symptom as dry skin, possibly the appearance of acne. From the heart is possible tachycardia.

Calcium deficiency

With a lack of calcium, a person becomes irritable, quick-tempered. The sleep is disturbed, the sleeplessness starts to disturb, the arterial pressure rises. In different parts of the body begin to "goosebumps," or manifest paresthesia, there are areas of numbness.

Gum bleeding begins. Gradually begin to break down teeth, to crack nails. Elimination of calcium from the skeleton is fraught with fractures.

Hypomangiemia

If there is little magnesium, memory problems occur, insomnia also worsens, anxiety level increases, there are imbalances in walking, hypothermia appears, that is, a decrease in body temperature. From the heart there is a violation of the heart rhythm.

The absorption of magnesium in the body involves the activity of pyridoxine, or vitamin B6.In case of deficiency of this vitamin, besides lack of magnesium, there is anemia, nausea, hair begins to fall out, there are "zaedy" in the corners of the mouth, or manifestations of angular stomatitis.

Causes of development of leg cramps

We will leave a detailed description to the doctors who will tell you about them, so we simply list those situations that can provoke these changes:

• The main causes of cramps in the legs at night in age is the washing out of the body of potassium and magnesium ions, which increase the convulsive activity of the muscles. This can be caused by the intake of such diuretics as Furosemide, Lasik;
• Taking anti-ulcer drugs and sorbents can also reduce the absorption of potassium and magnesium. Therefore, in patients with peptic ulcer and heartburn, muscle contractions may also occur;
• In a strong heat the body sweats, and then potassium is lost - this causes hypokalemic convulsions. Therefore, you need to be careful, for example, at high loads during a hot time, or with frequent visits to the sauna;
• Chronic stress and depression. With these conditions, the production of cortisol increases, and this hormone of the adrenal cortex reduces the degree of calcium absorption in the intestine, which provokes convulsions;
• In winter, when there is a shortage of sunlight, vitamin D is produced in insufficient quantities, and as a result, calcium enters the body in insufficient quantities;
  for a long time in an uncomfortable position;
• When dehydrated. The reason again is the deficit of metal ions. This can occur with prolonged vomiting, diarrhea and occurs in poisoning and foodborne infections;
• When exposed to a number of specific neurotoxins, for example, in tetanus or a bite of certain snakes and insects;
• With certain neurological diseases, for example, the pathologies of the extrapyramidal system - Parkinson's disease, stroke;
• Mental disturbance: cramps in hysteria, with deep and frequent breathing( hypercapnic convulsions);
• This symptom is also possible with hyperthermia and severe hemorrhages in the cavity of the ventricles of the brain, when there are hormometonic convulsions;
• Varicose veins of the lower extremities and, in general, chronic venous insufficiency. Seizures occur because of poor work of the veins, which can not in time remove harmful substances accumulated in the muscles.

Also to the causes of increased convulsive activity in gastrocnemius muscles include chronic kidney failure, hyperthyroidism, diabetes mellitus.

Sometimes even local processes can be their cause, for example, pronounced flatfoot. In this case, the muscles of the shins are loaded with a large excess. Incorrect posture, leg injuries, can also contribute to the development of this unpleasant condition, which worsens the quality of life.

Especially it is necessary to tell about the reasons of development of seizures at pregnant women.

Leg cramps in pregnant women

Convulsions in pregnant women in the legs - this is a normal, functional condition caused by increased stress on the pregnant woman's body. The main reasons are as follows:

• Increase of daily requirement for ions and microelements, because the body of the baby is built from them;
• Possible vomiting attacks, which sometimes disturb the expectant mother at first. Along with vomiting, the body loses a mass of ions, water and microelements. They need to be replenished to avoid the manifestation of nocturnal cramps.
• Disturbance of the diet. It is important to pay attention to milk, cottage cheese, fruit and vegetables, which contain the necessary substances;
• Sometimes self-administration of diuretics can cause sudden muscle contractions, so a pregnant woman can not fight swelling without the permission of a doctor.

In all cases, when these unpleasant symptoms occur during pregnancy, they can be harbingers of electrolyte disturbances. Therefore, you need, without delay, to see a doctor of a woman's consultation.

What should I do when my legs cramp?

In the event that the leg cramps, there are many ways to resist the pain. Some of them are listed below:

1. If you feel that the cramp is close, try to massage and relax the muscle;
2. It is necessary several times with increasing force to pull the sock to yourself and back, swinging the foot for the thumb. Sometimes helps flexion - extension of the leg in the knee joint;
3. You can barely walk barefoot on the floor, putting your foot on the toe;
4. You can stroke and massage the gastrocnemius muscle using a warming ointment, for example, "Fastum-gel";
5. Roll on the muscle with a roller massager, or attach a needle applicator;

After calming down the pain, you need to raise your legs to ensure a good outflow of venous blood and the removal of stagnant decay products from the muscles. These recommendations work effectively and in the event that the leg is cramped at night. What do you now know.

If such a symptom is sufficiently periodic, you can put a roller massager or an applicator near the head of the bed so that at night it was easy to find by hand and provide yourself first aid yourself. When there is nothing like this, the first and second advice in the list above is effective.

Treating leg cramps

For the treatment of leg cramps, in addition to emergency care, advice can be indicated to which patients with cramping should listen:

1) Stop taking diuretics uncontrollably, talk with the doctor in charge. Sometimes diuretics are part of the combined funds from hypertension. Therefore, observe whether there is a connection between taking medications and the appearance of seizures.

If there is such a link, and preparations should be taken, then together with the antihypertensive drug, you need to take a tablet of "Panangin", or "Asparkam", or their analogues, which are sources of potassium and magnesium.

2) Change your power. You need to eat dried fruits, compote, baked potatoes in uniforms, fresh vegetables and fruits. Very useful seafood, dates, legumes, coarse bread, seeds. Calcium is abundant in fermented milk products.

To increase the intake of vitamin D in the body, you need to eat egg yolk, cod liver. To replenish potassium, you can eat bananas, chicken, fish.

3) Walking in the fresh air, provided the sunny weather. Stimulate the production of vitamin D.

4) It is necessary to drink fresh clean water without refusing yourself.

5) With the permission of the doctor, you can start taking vitamin complexes, which include mineral supplements and trace elements.

6) It is necessary to completely eliminate the use of stimulants, such as coffee, especially at night. Do not eat irritating and spicy foods - pepper, garlic and onions before bed.

Cramps in the legs at night at the age of 50, whose treatment with the above measures failed, you can try to treat with the appointment of soft sedatives: "Phytosedan", "Novo Passit".Sometimes Corvalol helps.

In the event that there is varicose or thrombophlebitis - much depends on the treatment of the underlying disease. To restore venous blood flow and reduce edema, apply "Flebodia", "Escuzan", preparations containing horse chestnut extract. They use compression jersey according to the doctor's prescription. Sometimes an operation is shown, which in modern medicine is called "endovascular laser correction".

Of no less importance is the correct choice of orthopedic insoles and shoes in case of flat feet, rejection of high heels. Physical load on the legs should be moderate: you need to alternate periods of exercise with rest periods.

Massage and self-massage of the shins will help to avoid seizures before going to bed, and such a means, a warm bath or a shower will improve sleep. You can also make foot baths with aromatic oils, for example, with peppermint oil.

Cramps in the legs at night, the cause and treatment of which we have been examined, are a collective symptom. This means that there is no specific disease, to which they directly point. To determine this disease is the role of the attending physician. But the patient can also tell a lot to the doctor, and take appropriate measures. Hopefully this small article will help him in this matter.