Causes and treatment of spasms of the calf muscles. Cramp muscle cramps at night: causes

Doctors hear complaints of patients about spasms of the calf muscles regularly. Such discomfort is experienced by persons of completely different categories. Both young and old people, children and pregnant women are susceptible to the phenomenon. At the same time, all patients note that it is at night that the sensations are so strong that they force one to wake up and experience all the unpleasantness of the moments. What is the treatment for spasms of the calf muscles? At night, these manifestations can seriously disturb the rest.

What is a phenomenon?

Everyone knows what cramps are. This is when it brings together one or more muscles, that is, they contract by themselves. Moreover, this phenomenon is accompanied by pain. Most often, cramps appear in the legs, in their calf region, on the back of the leg. A spasm that suddenly engulfs a muscle causes the foot to fully straighten out like a person stands on tiptoe. Sufficiently strong pain accompany cramps of the calf muscles at night. Treatment with this phenomenon, even to the patient himself, seems to be the only way out.

Causes of Seizures

Effective treatment of any disease is possible only after finding out its sources. Thus, initially it should be considered what lies, if we are talking about spasms of the calf muscles, causes. Treatment is possible only after finding out the factors that provoke unpleasant discomfort.

The main causes of this pathology are:

• unsystematic strong physical activity;
• exposure to cold;
• various changes in the work of the body;
• lack of minerals in the blood;
• nervous diseases;
• stressful situations;
• the use of alcohol in large quantities;
• increased neuromuscular irritability;
• epileptic syndrome;
• tumors and brain injuries;
• various inflammations;
• thrombophlebitis;
• varicose veins;
• flat feet;
• obesity;
• immobility;
• drug therapy with diuretics or statins, taking Niacin, etc.

How to provide first aid?

Actually, the question arises about the need to begin treatment of spasms of the calf muscles at night. After all, it was at this time that the strength of their manifestation was maximum. Leave the question of combating the disease until morning and consider how to provide yourself first aid.

1. If the calf has been reduced on the leg, then it must be squeezed strongly and at the same time crushed with the index finger on the central region for twenty seconds. This will help improve blood circulation in the muscle. Breathing throughout the procedure should be deep.
2. Another way to eliminate the cramp involves a strong compression within half a minute of the central region of the lower lip.
3. A small massage will also help, thanks to it the muscles will relax due to the flow of blood to the area in which the spasm occurred.
4. A special exercise will stretch the cramped area. This will have an analgesic effect. A person should stand facing the wall, the position of the legs - shoulder width apart. The hands are at the level of the head, abutting against the wall. You need to try to move away from the wall so that the soles of the feet do not come off the floor, and movements are slow. Exercise continues until the calf muscles begin to stretch, and ends when pain appears. To eliminate it, you should rub the place covered with spasm. Such treatment of spasms of the calf muscles at night will effectively get rid of discomfort.

Drug therapy

It is important enough to remember the promise made at night and go to the doctor's appointment. Until the appropriate treatment for calf muscle cramps is selected, medications and certain procedures can help get rid of discomfort.

So, there are several ways to fix this problem:

• You can exercise a little on an exercise bike or treadmill.
• Make a complex for stretching followed by massage a couple of minutes before bedtime.
• Do not take drinks and foods that have a diuretic effect, as well as those that contain caffeine and alcohol (to avoid dehydration).
• Take magnesium moderately.
• The use of vitamin B12 will help, but only if it is not enough in the body.
• You can try to take drugs that reduce muscle tone that accompanies cramps of the calf muscles. Treatment (drugs and procedures) is better to initially discuss with your doctor. Quite effective means is "Midokalm".
• Help drugs that eliminate the pain of a neuropathic nature. For example, the drug "Gabapentin."
• With caution drink drugs that block calcium channels. These are medicines used for migraines and hypertension. However, the insidiousness of these funds lies in the risk of hypotension.
• If the physical activity is intense, then an additional intake of a large amount of water is necessary. With a lack of calcium, appropriate preparations can be included in the intake of funds. For supporters of all natural, sesame oil, any dairy products are suitable.

However, compliance with all these rules does not replace the advice of a specialist.

Cramps in children at night

During the period when the child grows especially intensively, he may have the above-mentioned cramps at night. Of course, the baby does not understand what is happening to him, which is why these involuntary contractions in the muscles occur. Often, he begins to behave very restlessly, afraid and cry. Why do these phenomena occur?

Night cramps in a child are due to the presence of the following factors:

• the baby’s leg was in an uncomfortable position for a long time;
• the child is too cold;
• the body lacks vital elements;
• the baby suffers from flat feet.

If convulsions occur regularly and for a rather long time, then, most likely, the last two factors became their causes.

Additional reception of macronutrients

It is very important to understand what provokes spasms of the calf muscles at night. Treatment, if the body needs macronutrients, may consist in a proper diet.

1. Potassium is easily replaced if you include more fruits, such as grapes or prunes, apricots, bananas and cherries. Legumes are rich in them, especially beans and lentils. And also cereals, such as oatmeal. The source of potassium is fish, meat and dairy products.
2. Everyone knows that calcium is more found in all kinds of dairy products, such as cheese, cottage cheese and kefir. In addition, there is a lot of it in nuts, cabbage, watercress, soybeans and sesame seeds.
3. Sources of magnesium are various greens, cereals, such as oatmeal, buckwheat, and barley. There is a lot of it in bran and legumes, in seaweeds and all kinds of dried fruits.

Establishing diagnosis

If convulsions have become a frequent occurrence and have been going on for quite some time, you should seek the help of a doctor.

The first specialist should be a therapist or pediatrician if the child is sick. The doctor will make a preliminary examination, if necessary, appoint an examination. If necessary, he will be referred to another narrower specialist, for example, a neurologist.

Remember that a cause of unpleasant discomfort can be a serious ailment. For example, the treatment of gastrocnemius muscle cramps with varicose veins should be carried out only by an experienced specialist. No homemade or self-prescribed drugs can save the source of the disease. And, therefore, the relief you receive will not be long.

If the disease is caused by problems with the somatic nervous system, then with proper treatment, involuntary contractions of the leg muscles will soon stop.

If, according to the results of the examination, it turns out that the cause of the disease was not any serious pathology, then the doctor will give tips that will help in the very near future improve the patient's condition.

Food

Treatment of spasms of the calf muscles at home begins with a change in diet.

The basic rules are:

1. Eating is necessary in small portions up to six times a day.
2. At the heart of the daily diet, priority should be given to complex carbohydrates, such as various cereals, whole grain pasta, as well as fruits and vegetables.
3. You can not do without fats, they are also responsible for muscle contractions. The daily rate is contained in a small piece of sausage or red fish, as well as butter.
4. The daily diet can not do without foods rich in magnesium, which are already listed above. It is better to combine them with those that contain vitamins from group B.

How to prevent cramps?

There is a set of measures, compliance with which will prevent the development of this disease:

• It is necessary to introduce healthy habits and abandon bad ones. For example, moderate physical activity, excluding too intense exercises for the legs.
• You need to sleep in a comfortable bed, while the limbs should be raised in relation to the entire body.
• Foot baths are another effective way to avoid cramps. In five liters of warm water dissolve several tablespoons of sea salt.
• The feet are massaged using ointments that improve blood circulation in the tissues.
• The heel height in everyday shoes should not exceed 5 cm. Shoes in which the patient feels uncomfortable should also be excluded.
• If there are problems with veins on the legs, then wearing special compression underwear is shown - stocking or tights.
• It is necessary to eliminate flat feet, if any.
• It is necessary to take vitamin-mineral complexes.

Such simple measures will allow you to quite effectively complement the treatment prescribed by your doctor for cramps of the calf muscles, manifesting at night.