What helps with leg cramps? Pills, vitamins, gymnastics and folk remedies - all this is actively used not only for momentary elimination of unpleasant sensations, but also for their further prevention.
general information
From cramps in the legs, the pills help very well. But before presenting them to your attention, you should talk a little about the disease itself.
Cramps can annoy a person at any age. However, most often they occur in elderly or middle-aged people.
With such a deviation, a person can feel painful cramps of muscle tissue of the lower extremities (for example, calf muscle). As a rule, these sensations are symptoms of the underlying disease or are idiopathic signs.
What to do?
Leg cramps should only be prescribed by experienced professionals. After all, before taking this or that pill, you must correctly diagnose and identify the true cause of such a deviation.
Most of the causes of muscle spasms have long been studied by modern medicine. They are easily corrected and quickly treated.
If you regularly suffer from discomfort in the lower extremities, then you should definitely consult your doctor.
Nature of pain
So, in what cases should you use drugs for leg cramps, and in which cases you can do banal gymnastics? To answer this question, you must undergo a medical examination.
Currently, tonic spasms of muscle tissue are distinguished, which are characterized by prolonged muscle tension, and clonic, that is, short-term contractions, which alternate with periods of relaxation.
Leg cramps belong to the first category. As a rule, they are characterized by unpleasant sensations in the feet and calf muscles. In this case, an acute and painful feeling occurs, lasting from 3 to 5 minutes.
Also, with seizures, petrification of body parts is observed, which occurs only after muscle relaxation.
Reasons for the appearance
An improperly selected cure for leg cramps can only temporarily eliminate the symptoms. Therefore, before proceeding with the treatment of this disease, it is necessary to identify the cause of its appearance.
Leg cramps can occur due to:
- A lack of vitamins and minerals (e.g. magnesium, potassium, calcium, vitamin D), which are responsible for the transmission of nerve impulses to the muscles.
- Dehydration of the body. With severe sweating, a significant part of the trace elements is lost, which ensures the healthy functioning of all muscle tissues.
- Physical activity. Excessive physical activity can lead to overstrain of muscle tissue and malfunctioning of the muscles, which will contribute to the appearance of seizures.
- Temperature differences. Hypothermia very often causes a sharp contraction of the muscles of the limbs, as well as the appearance of seizures in them.
- The disease. The most serious causes of this deviation can be hidden injuries, thyroid damage, diabetes, neurological diseases, inflammatory processes and so on.
- Stress With emotional shock, a very strong load on the human body, including the nerve endings, which are responsible for the contraction of muscle tissue.
The cure for leg cramps
Cramps in the legs, in particular in the calf muscles, quickly pass on their own and do not require any special treatment. In most cases, patients get a lower limb massage, as well as a contrast shower or gymnastics. In this case, the standard drug for leg cramps is inappropriate. This is due to the fact that the pain will pass faster than the drug will act.
However, very often such painful sensations last a long time. In these cases, patients still have to take pills for muscle cramps.
According to experts, such funds do not eliminate the convulsions themselves, but make them painless.
So which drugs are most effective for muscle cramps? Their list will be presented to your attention right now.
Quinine Pills
Such pills for cramps in the legs during pregnancy are prohibited. The drug "Quinine" is prescribed only in extreme cases. This is due to the fact that it has many side effects.
The medicine "Quinine" is used only when the pain of seizures is so great that it interferes with a normal lifestyle.
Potassium-containing products
What remedies help for leg cramps? Potassium tablets can solve your problem pretty quickly. Indeed, the deficiency of this element in the human body very often leads to night cramps, especially in the lower extremities.
If such pills for cramps in the legs and hands do not help, then experts recommend consuming more foods that are rich in potassium. For example, good natural sources of this element are:
- dates, nectarines, apricots, bananas, grapes and raisins;
- broccoli, white cabbage, as well as other representatives of this family;
- grapefruits and oranges;
- pork, sea fish and lamb.
Magnesium-containing products
Magnesium preparations for leg cramps are often prescribed for pregnant women. This is due to the fact that such representatives of the fair sex quickly exhausted the reserves of the mentioned element, and, as you know, it is it that contributes to the normal functioning of the body and development of the fetus.
Magnesium preparations for leg cramps can be purchased at any pharmacy. As a rule, they include various vitamin complexes designed specifically for pregnant women, as well as dietary supplements.
Calcium blocking agents
Such a remedy for leg cramps does not allow calcium to enter the walls of blood vessels, as well as inside different types of cells.
Despite the fact that the main purpose of this medicine is to fight high blood pressure, it is very often used to eliminate nightly muscle spasms.
To determine the dosage, as well as obtaining a prescription, you must visit your doctor.
Non-drug methods
As mentioned above, from cramps in the legs, tablets effectively help only if they have been selected correctly and used in a strict dosage. However, there are other ways to get rid of the unpleasant sensations that occur in the lower extremities. Which ones, we will consider right now.
Hot compress
If a pharmacy cure for leg cramps (tablets, capsules, vitamins, dietary supplements) does not help, then you can use a hot compress. To do this, use either a bottle filled with water or an electric heating pad. It is placed directly on the muscles and held for about 10-15 minutes. In this case, the muscles completely relax, and the cramp goes away.
If you do not have an electric heating pad, then some patients use a warming ointment such as VapoRub as a hot compress. They rub it into her legs and put a gauze bandage on top .
After warming up the muscles, a cooling effect occurs, which subsequently eliminates the cramp.
Drinking water
Sometimes leg cramps can occur due to lack of water in the body. Therefore, you need to make sure that you drink enough fluids throughout the day.
According to experts, the fairer sex should drink about 2.2 liters of water per day, and men - at least 3 liters.
How can you tell if you are drinking enough or not? To do this, look at the transparency of your urine. Light urine indicates that the water balance in your body is not disturbed. If it has a dark yellow or even brownish color, then you should drink more liquid.
By the way, with cramps in the legs, alcohol consumption should be avoided. This is due not only to the fact that alcohol removes water from the body, but also to the fact that it itself contributes to the appearance of muscle cramps.
Folk remedies for seizures
About which pills for cramps in the legs help best, we described above. However, it should be noted that proponents of alternative medicine try to avoid taking medications. They prefer to solve the problem using natural and proven means.
Soapy piece
During seizures, place regular toilet soap under the spot where the spasm is observed. You can also apply soapy water to the skin and the skin itself. After waiting a few seconds, you will immediately notice that the painful cramp has passed.
Cow's milk
According to reviews, drinking cow's milk during cramps can both help and do harm. Theoretically, such a product removes excess calcium from the body, helping with night cramps. On the other hand, it contains high concentrations of phosphorus. Entering the body, such an element can contribute to the emergence of even more convulsions.
Primrose oil
Primrose oil is used for various diseases: from eczema and acne to heart disease and high cholesterol. Perhaps this remedy will help you with cramps caused by blockage of blood vessels.
Brewer's yeast
Brewer's yeast improves circulation in the lower extremities. This happens due to the fact that they contain a large amount of B vitamins.
It should be noted that some experts brewer's yeast is prescribed very often. Although clinical studies do not give a definite answer, they help with convulsions or not. Try to use them one dessert spoon a day and watch how you feel.
Gymnastics
To eliminate, as well as prevent the further occurrence of leg cramps, doctors recommend regular gymnastics. Exercises should be aimed at stretching the calf muscles, Achilles tendon, gluteus muscles, etc.
So that the result from the gymnastics is noticeable and you are never bothered by leg cramps, it is recommended to do it 4-5 times a week for 6-12 months.
If the exercises do not help, then most likely you have a serious illness that requires medical attention to treat. In this case, you should consult a doctor and undergo a full examination.