Leg cramps are usually a rather complex reaction to internal or external stimuli. In each case, there may be a reason for the occurrence of this phenomenon.
In fact, a cramp is an involuntary and very painful contraction of the skeletal muscles, which is in the nature of an attack. Similar phenomena can vary in prevalence, intensity, and duration over time. They can be regular and episodic. There are also leg cramps tonic - long contractions, and clonic - short-term, pulsating. Often there are mixed options.
There are many reasons why a phenomenon such as leg cramp may occur. The most basic of them: violation of the electrolyte and biochemical composition of the blood, and the phenomenon can also occur with the loss of a large amount of salts, magnesium or potassium. Seizures of the legs and other parts of the body can occur with a sharp increase in body temperature, which is associated with a disease or heat stroke, for example. These processes occur with prolonged overstrain of a certain muscle group. Indicators can be purely professional, for example, cramps in the hands of musicians, tailors, legs - for those who spend a long time squatting in the garden, and so on. For the most part, the bases are rather frivolous, but it should not be limited to this circumstance, since the cause may be in the existing stimulus in the region of the brain. Often, leg cramps are a sign of an approaching stroke, and can also appear during the recovery period after it. As a rule, cramps of certain muscles completely depend on which part of the brain the stimulus is located. For this reason, with a systematic and unreasonable at first glance repetition of such a phenomenon, it is worth immediately contacting a specialist and conducting the necessary examination.
In order to make it easier to establish the cause of the seizures, it is necessary to exclude the presence of such factors as heat stroke, prolonged physical activity, viral infection, the presence of a disease such as osteochondrosis, which is mostly chronic. If it is impossible to determine the cause on your own, it is mandatory to visit a doctor, in particular an endocrinologist or a neurologist. These processes can occur on the basis of impaired normal functioning of the endocrine glands, as well as the functioning of the nervous system. The most dangerous, because of which it is impossible to allow convulsive phenomena to drift, so the body can signal that a tumor is developing. That is why visiting a doctor with such phenomena is vital.
We figured out the reasons, now it’s worth talking about getting rid of these processes, more precisely - how to get rid of leg cramps.
If the phenomenon has made itself felt, it is necessary to stand on a cold floor, a little walk around. In the case when the problem has found a person lying in bed, which often happens, it is necessary, without getting up, to stretch your leg, and pull the sock slightly towards you. Vigorous rubbing of painful muscles will help. If the process does not go on for a long time, it is necessary to prepare a mixture of two teaspoons of mustard and one teaspoon of olive oil, the mass obtained should be applied to the place of the cramp, take pain medication or aspirin and wait until the condition improves. If such cases are repeated often, but no serious reason has been identified, it is worth changing the lifestyle a bit. Get rid of bad habits, walk more in the fresh air, drink plenty of fluids, review your diet, add vitamins. As a rule, a healthy lifestyle helps a lot with many diseases.