How and how to treat calf cramps. What to do if your calf muscle is cramped. What are the types of seizures?

Cramps of the calf muscles are their involuntary contractions. They manifest themselves in attacks and are accompanied by acute pain syndrome. This phenomenon is common among people of different sexes and ages and occurs spontaneously, including during sleep. Complaints of morning leg cramps are also common. This symptom may indicate normal fatigue, but if it occurs too often and is not associated with physical activity, it is worth undergoing an examination to determine its cause. People who suffer from frequent attacks should also familiarize themselves with a simple algorithm on how to quickly relieve them at home.

Types of calf cramps

Cramps in the calves or any other area are the result of spontaneous contraction muscle fibers. A person cannot control movements, so they can occur at any time, including at night.

To diagnose their cause, it is important to determine what type they belong to:

myoclonic - painful minor muscle twitches that can occur rhythmically or randomly;
clonic convulsions are rhythmic - small muscles (tic) or large ones (tremor) can be involved;
tonic - a condition when a certain muscle contracts, accompanied by severe pain;
tonic-clonic - the muscles first tense and do not relax for a long time, and then begin to tremble quickly.

REFERENCE! The pathology that needs to be distinguished from seizures is restless legs syndrome (RLS). Its peculiarity is that a person’s legs tense up due to a feeling of discomfort. The patient can control his movements.

Causes

The human calf muscle is one of the most durable and mobile muscles that experiences significant stress every day. After running or prolonged physical activity, cramps may occur, which disappear after proper rest. An even simpler explanation is hypothermia, as a result of which the vessels spasm and block the flow of blood to the lower extremities. This is accompanied by acute pain and involuntary muscle contraction in the lower leg area.

If calf cramps appear often, they can be an indirect sign of many diseases. There are several possible reasons this symptom:

varicose veins - a disease that affects blood circulation in the calf muscles;
any infectious diseases in the acute stage;
general intoxication of the body, which puts increased stress on the kidneys or liver;
metabolic disorders and pathologies endocrine system, including diabetes mellitus;
neurological disorders;
frequent attacks of high blood pressure.

Cramps at night and in the morning are a common complaint during pregnancy. This is due to an increase in the load on the limbs, as well as a disruption of metabolic processes. A similar mechanism for the development of convulsive syndrome is observed in overweight people.

Spasms of the lower leg muscles are one of the main symptoms of fatigue.

Another reason why people may experience cramps calf muscles, - deficiency of vitamins and minerals. These biologically active compounds not only strengthen the immune system, but also participate in metabolism and energy. With their lack in the body, the processes of neuromuscular transmission deteriorate, which is manifested by cramps and pain in the muscles of the limbs. Thus, in the presence of magnesium, the passage of nerve impulses is restored. Potassium, calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D are also important.

It is very difficult to balance the diet in terms of the amount of all nutrients. Some situations cause a deficiency of these compounds even when they enter the body in the required volume:

pregnancy or increased physical exercise- under these conditions, nutrition should be as complete as possible;
taking certain groups of drugs (Eufillin, drugs against heartburn and poisoning) - they interfere with the absorption of magnesium;
Stressful situations and a high-protein diet are the causes of calcium loss;
hot season - increased sweating contributes to the leaching of nutrients.

Cramps are not a disease, but a symptom of many disorders in the body. The first sign that you need to undergo a more detailed examination: your leg often cramps and does not let go for a long time, which manifests itself at any time of the day. Additionally, other symptoms may be felt that will indicate the cause of muscle contractions.

First aid

It is important to know what to do if you have muscle cramps. First aid methods do not treat the problem, but mask its manifestations. However, it is necessary to relieve the attack immediately in order to restore blood circulation as quickly as possible:

in a sitting position, place your feet on a cold surface;
take your hands to the toes of the leg that is being cramped and slowly pull them towards you, stretching the calf muscles;
if your leg is cramped, just pinch it hard or prick it with a sharp needle, and then rub and stretch the muscles with your hands;
Warming ointments or compresses with the addition of vinegar help well.

After a cramp, when the muscles have been relaxed, you should remain in one position for some time and let your leg rest. If the symptom appears for several days in a row or more, it is recommended to keep your feet warm and apply warming compresses. It is also worth staying in warm clothes at night.

Proper nutrition is the main condition for healthy legs and strong immunity.

Treatment methods

The treatment regimen for seizures depends on their cause. First of all, you should give up narrow, uncomfortable high-heeled shoes. If your legs hurt more often after physical activity, sometimes it is enough to take a break and rest for a few days. If there is a lack of movement and in cases where convulsive contractions are associated with poor circulation or excess weight, it is recommended to perform simple gymnastics.

Replenishing the balance of vitamins

The main way to normalize metabolism and get rid of seizures is proper nutrition. A diet balanced in the amount of vitamins and minerals will allow timely prevention of convulsive syndrome.

Worth checking out the list healthy products and substances that are in their composition:

magnesium: cereals, buckwheat, nuts and soybeans, dried fruits and seaweed;
calcium: milk, fermented milk products, hard cheeses, legumes, sesame seeds, cabbage and celery;
potassium: red fish, pine nuts and oranges, bananas;
B vitamins: liver of any type of animal or fish (especially cod), bran and cereal sprouts.

ADVICE! During the cold season, it is very difficult to get enough vitamins and microelements from food. Immunodeficiencies not only cause cramps and severe pain in the legs, but also colds. The best way prevent them - these are ready pharmaceutical drugs, which contain all the necessary substances in the right dosage.

Useful gymnastics and massage

At home, it is useful to perform simple exercises to improve blood supply and innervation of the lower extremities. Immediately after waking up, it is recommended to smoothly bend and straighten your toes, and then stand on your toes and roll onto your heels. Your legs should not hurt during gymnastics.

Before going to bed or during the day (if possible), you can additionally do the following exercises:

in a sitting position, perform rotational movements with your feet;
slowly bend your toes, maintain this position for a few seconds, and then quickly straighten them and move your toes intensively;
steps in place, with the toes of the raised foot pointing downwards;
from a sitting position on a chair, raise your legs and straighten them at the knees so that your socks are as tight as possible;
roll from heel to toe while standing or sitting;
stand on the toes of one foot, while lifting the second one off the floor and holding onto the support with your hands.

Massaging the calf muscles is an easy way to relax after an active day. This way you can prevent another attack of cramps at night. Using massage movements, you should gently knead the calf muscles, starting with the Achilles tendon. The procedure is performed from the bottom up, along the blood vessels and lymphatic vessels- this will additionally improve blood circulation and relieve swelling of the limbs.

In high-heeled shoes, the processes of blood circulation and innervation of the limbs are disrupted

Prevention methods

wear only comfortable shoes with low heels;
normalize physical activity, give your legs rest during the day;
get rid of bad habits, reduce the consumption of salt, sugar and instant coffee;
balance the diet in terms of the amount of vitamins and microelements;
avoid hypothermia, and while sleeping you can wear warm clothes and socks;
do contrast foot baths before bed.

Leg cramps are an unpleasant phenomenon that is accompanied by painful sensations. They may indicate many dangerous diseases and metabolic disorders. In addition, this symptom can become a signal of poor diet and lifestyle. At home, you can relieve the spasm and even prevent another attack, but it is better to undergo an examination and determine the cause of the seizures.

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Many patients at a doctor's appointment may complain that their calf muscles are cramping. It should be noted that such convulsions can occur at any time of the day, including at night. Why does the calf muscle cramp so much at night during sleep and what should be done? You will read about this and much more in our article.

Why do my calf muscles cramp at night while sleeping?

Cramps in the calf muscles that occur at night cause a lot of trouble for the patient. It is not only painful, but also unexpected. If the leg muscles cramp at night in isolated cases, then this may be normal. But if seizures are frequent, then you need to consult a doctor who will help identify and eliminate their causes.

There are many reasons why calf muscle cramps occur during sleep at night, these include various conditions:

Excessive exercise before bed. Spasm occurs in tired and overstrained muscle fibers;
Insufficient intake of vitamins and minerals into the body. This occurs due to improper nutrition;
Violation of metabolic processes in the body;
Low ambient temperature. If you sleep in the cold, cramps may occur due to severe spasm of blood vessels;
Heavy weight. Obese people have a range of problems that trigger muscle spasms;
Pregnancy, especially the 3rd trimester;
Dehydration of the body due to frequent vomiting and diarrhea;
Disease of the pancreas, liver;
Hormonal disorders;
Stress and nervous overexcitation. This happens especially often in people with an easily excitable nervous system;
Frequent use alcoholic drinks. In this case, it is excreted from the body a large number of minerals;
Sleeping in an uncomfortable position;
Circulatory disorders (pathologies of the veins and arteries of the lower extremities);
Elderly age. Cramps often accompany the aging process in the body.

Causes of leg cramps in pregnant women

Pregnant women often experience leg cramps both at night and during the day. This is often connected precisely with their condition (position). Pregnancy is a difficult test for the body.

Therefore, when any pathological symptoms it is necessary to find out their cause. Most often, cramps at night occur in the second half of pregnancy, however, at the beginning of pregnancy, this unpleasant condition can also occur. A pregnant woman has cramps in the calf muscle the following reasons:

Oscillations hormonal levels that occur from the very beginning of pregnancy;
Dehydration, which occurs against the background of severe early toxicosis. Some women in the first trimester of pregnancy experience severe nausea, repeated vomiting, and lack of appetite. In this case, the liquid is removed from the body quite quickly, and when you try to drink, a new attack of vomiting may occur;
Weight gain which is observed throughout pregnancy. In this case, the load on the lower limbs increases significantly;
Enlarging uterus. This organ begins to compress the large blood vessels of the pelvis, which prevents normal blood flow. Vessels are especially compressed when lying down. This is why night cramps often occur;
Swelling of the lower extremities observed more often in the third trimester. This is one of the symptoms of gestosis (late toxicosis).

What to do if your calf muscle cramps badly at night

If you often experience calf muscle cramps at night, you need to find out the cause of this condition. This is necessary in order to carry out treatment. Therapy for seizures depends directly on etiological factor who called them. Used to treat this condition:

Medicines;
Massage;
Physiotherapeutic procedures;
Diet therapy.

Treatment must be comprehensive, then you can completely get rid of the pathological condition.

First aid

When leg cramps occur at night, severe pain occurs that needs to be relieved. First aid in this case is aimed at restoring blood circulation in the muscle.

There are several ways to help relieve leg cramps:

Sit in bed with your legs straight and try to clasp your feet with your hands. In this case, the toes need to be pulled towards you through the pain;
Rub the shin vigorously. To do this, you can use warming ointments or vodka;
Get out of bed onto the bare cold floor. This must be done carefully and gradually. Therefore, you should first place your feet on the floor, and then carefully stand up. It's better to hold on to something.

For mild cramps, pinching and kneading the muscle while sitting in bed can help. A contrast shower will also help relieve the condition. Therefore, after the attack is removed, it is recommended to take a contrast shower (you should start and end the procedure with warm water). It helps improve blood circulation in the body.

Treatment with drugs

Medicines are prescribed according to the cause of the seizure:

For mineral deficiency and vitamins, drugs are prescribed that improve tissue nutrition: Asparkam, Panangin, Magne B6, Magnelis B6 and others;
For pathology venous system The use of venotonics (Venoruton), ointments with heparin (Troxevasin, Heparin ointment), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Nise, Diclofenac) is indicated:
If the patient has a hormonal imbalance, then hormonal therapy is carried out.

Traditional methods

Traditional methods must be used with caution. You should first consult with your doctor. At home, you can prepare an ointment that, according to traditional healers, will help get rid of muscle spasms.

To prepare it, you need to take 1 part celandine juice and part Vaseline. Mix the ingredients well and apply it to the back of the shin.

Foot baths with sea salt And essential oils helps satiate soft fabrics minerals. Baths should be done regularly, preferably before bedtime.

To reduce the likelihood of seizures, you should follow a number of simple general recommendations:

Shoes should be comfortable. Avoid frequent wearing of high heels;
Improve nutrition. It needs to be varied and correct. The diet must contain all necessary food groups: meat, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, cereals, legumes, vegetable oils;
Observe drinking regime. This is especially important during the hot season;
Give up bad habits (smoking, drinking alcohol);
Moderate exercise;
Use of vitamin and mineral complexes as prescribed by a doctor;
Treat all diseases immediately.

Involuntary contractions of the calf muscle, accompanied by sharp unbearable pain and periodically repeated, can ruin anyone’s life.

Calf muscle cramps

There are 3 types of calf muscle spasms: partial, tonic-clonic and myoclonic.

Partial seizures are single seizures that affect the muscles of the hand, face or foot.

Tonic-clonic spasms, accompanied by dizziness, severe nausea and even loss of consciousness, are usually a manifestation of epilepsy and require immediate qualified medical care.

In most cases, myoclonic spasms that occur at night or during vigorous physical activity can be managed on your own.

Causes of convulsive spasms

The duration of calf muscle cramps can vary over a fairly wide range: from several seconds to several minutes. Sometimes a convulsive spasm disappears on its own; there are frequent cases of its recurrence after a certain period of time.

Modern medicine divides the causes of convulsive spasms into initial and acquired.

Initial causes of seizures	Acquired causes of seizures
Neuroinfections (meningitis, encephalitis, etc.)	Lack of oxygen (hypoxia)
Lesions and malformations of the brain	Low serum levels of glucose, potassium, calcium and magnesium
Increased body temperature	A, D, E and groups B
Feverish state	Violation of water-salt balance
Pathology late dates pregnancy (gestosis)	Sharp narrowing of the blood vessels of the lower extremities due to hypothermia
	Physiological changes in the body ( puberty, pregnancy, menopause)
	Poisoning medicines or alcohol
	Varicose veins of the lower extremities
	Muscle strain
	Impairment of venous blood flow due to prolonged immobile or uncomfortable body position, tight clothing or shoes

Methods for relieving cramps

Usually the spasm affects only the calf muscle, but it happens that the spasm spreads to the muscles of the thigh and toes, cramping the entire limb from the tips of the fingers to the lower back.

The danger of this phenomenon lies in the fact that the total force of all contracted muscles can lead to tendon tearing and damage to cartilage tissue. It is for this reason that spasm of the calf muscle must be relieved as soon as possible.

№	Description of actions
1	Sitting on the floor and holding your hand thumb with cramped legs, forcefully pull it towards you. Flexing the ankle will trigger the work of the antagonist muscles, as a result of which the calf muscle, which is in spasm, will reflexively relax. To achieve a noticeable effect, repeat the described actions several times, then weakening the craving, then strengthening it. To avoid damage to the joints, bend your leg slightly at the knee.
2	If it is difficult or impossible to reach your toes, try bending or straightening your leg knee joint, or even better, carefully take a few steps, placing your foot on your heel. It is advisable to perform this exercise barefoot.
3	Perform a deep massage of the painful muscle, vigorously rubbing it in the direction from the ankle to the knee. Alternate active rubbing with soft stroking movements of your hands
4	Lightly pinch the spasmed muscle, and then lightly tap it with the edge of your palm or fist
5	The last resort is an injection with a needle or pin into the muscle. Use it in cases where all previously taken measures have had no effect. Inject the muscle in a place located slightly above the source of the convulsive spasm. To prevent infectious agents from entering the body, the needle must be sterile. To avoid damaging superficial vessels and nerves, be careful when performing the injection.

Another way to relieve spasm of the muscles of the lower extremities is to press quite firmly with your thumb in the middle of the lower lip for 30 seconds.

Treatment and prevention of seizures

To get rid of seizures, start by treating the underlying disease that led to the occurrence of seizures.

Depending on the clinical picture doctor prescribes antibacterial therapy, anticonvulsants or antipyretics.

Review your daily diet by increasing your intake of natural sources of potassium, calcium and magnesium: poultry and fish, garlic, dried apricots, raisins, dates, prunes, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, buckwheat porridge, beets, milk and fermented milk products, bananas and avocado.

Reduce to a minimum, or even better, stop smoking and drinking caffeine-containing products (tea and coffee).

Throughout the day and liquids.

If you lead a sedentary, sedentary lifestyle, spend more time in the fresh air, take walks, light jogs, and do physical exercise.

Dose loads on your legs. A common cause of convulsive spasms of the calf muscles is excessive stress on the lower limbs in the gym or prolonged squatting in the country or in the garden.

Pay attention to the shoes you wear: they should have a high arch and securely support your ankle. Avoid using shoes and boots with high (more than 4 cm) heels.

Perform self-massage regularly, it will increase blood flow and warm up the leg muscles. The main requirement is that hand movements should be directed from the periphery to the center.

Take care of yourself - always be healthy!

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 the blood in connection for 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.

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 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 the transmission nerve impulse 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 - regularly physical exercise, 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 for drug treatment Calcium, potassium, and magnesium supplements are prescribed. 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, painfully, medicinally use quinine, muscle relaxant drugs (baclofen), anticonvulsants, antiepileptic drugs.

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:

In a standing position, slowly rise onto your toes, carefully stretching upward. Then lower down. Repeat – 5 times.
Heel roll - this is similar to the previous tasks, but after lifting you need to roll onto your heel.
Imitation of walking - do not lift your feet off the floor, only lifting your heels and performing a movement similar to steps in place.
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. A year has already passed 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!