Heaviness in the legs in the calves is a discomfort familiar to many people firsthand. Especially often, the trouble makes itself felt in the late afternoon. The limbs swell and ache painfully. If it reduces the calf muscles - what is the reason? How to fix the problem? What are the preventive solutions that make it possible to avoid the occurrence of discomfort? Let's look at the causes and treatment of leg cramps at night.
Adinamia
A common cause of heaviness in the calves of the legs is adynamia. The term refers to static loads that end up on the lower limbs for a long time. The phenomenon is due to the following factors:
- Static contractions of the calf muscles are observed among people whose labor activity is associated with constant standing on their feet. This affects teachers, people involved in trade, surgeons, hairdressers.
- Inadequate calf muscle contraction. This happens when conducting a low-activity lifestyle. Drivers, computer operators, and office workers suffer from the consequences of prolonged sitting.
Adinamia leads to a deterioration in the outflow of body fluids from the tissues of the lower extremities. Against the background of the phenomenon, venous pathologies develop. Persons who do not pay due attention to the fact that they regularly stretch their calves begin to suffer from thrombosis, varicose veins, and thrombophlebitis over time.
Excess weight
The heaviness in the legs in the calves pesters people who are suffering from obesity. In the presence of significant excess weight, excessive loads constantly appear on the legs. The muscles of the lower extremities have to hold the overweight body. Circumstances lead to the concentration of significant volumes of interstitial fluids in local tissues. Blood ducts are compressed. Violations of the venous outflow occur.
Myositis
Why reduces calf muscles? What is the reason? Myositis can provoke the occurrence of unpleasant sensations. The essence of the pathology is the development of inflammation in the structure of muscle tissue. The pains are pulling or aching in nature. Chronic inflammation causes muscle atrophy.
Myositis are the consequences of injuries, overstrain of the muscles of the lower extremities. Less often, the heaviness in the calves of the legs when walking becomes the result of the occurrence of inflammation against the background of hypothermia, the attack of viral infections.
Neuritis
Why do my legs hurt without exercise? Discomfort in the lower part of the limbs can be triggered by the formation of neuritis. The pathological condition is caused by damage to the nerves, which are responsible for the transmission of impulses to certain areas of the musculature. In some cases, back diseases are the culprit. Most often, neuritis of the gastrocnemius region is provoked by the clamping of nerve endings with muscle fibers.
Kidney disease
Severity in the calf in the morning is often observed in case of inhibition of kidney function. Characteristic discomfort can pester a person who suffers from nephrotic syndrome. The cause of the negative effect is chronic and acute renal failure. Failures cause a delay in interstitial fluids in the structure of the calf muscles. Swelling is formed, which can gradually spread to other parts of the lower extremities.
Diabetes
A pathological increase in the concentration of glucose in the blood leads to the destruction of the vascular walls. Diabetes mellitus is formed, the consequence of which is the appearance of a feeling of burdening of the calf muscles. Discomfort can alternate with convulsive conditions, expressed by pain. Chronic diabetes without proper treatment causes tissue necrosis.
Cardiovascular disease
The heaviness in the legs in the calves can be felt with the development of serious heart diseases. Most often, such discomfort makes itself felt in the case of the formation of myocardial tissue dystrophy, heart failure. In such situations, the lower legs and ankles swell. Inflamed tissue looks symmetrical on both limbs. Puffiness is cold to the touch.
Uncontrolled intake of pharmacological preparations
A possible cause of heaviness in the legs in the calves can be the unreasonable use of certain medications. There are many drugs whose use is fraught with the occurrence of side effects in the form of fluid accumulation in the structure of muscle tissues of the lower extremities. Especially often, the problem is observed when taking such pharmacological agents:
- Medications that lower blood sugar.
- Antihypertensive drugs.
- Hormonal medications.
- Nonsteroidal drugs that have pronounced anti-inflammatory properties.
Pregnancy
Women who bear a child have to suffer from a feeling of heaviness in the calf muscles. During the formation of the fetus, active production of additional blood volume is observed. Body fluid begins to accumulate in the lower extremities.
Pregnant women quickly gain weight. There are increased loads on the pelvic area. Veins are compressed, which are responsible for the movement of blood to the heart. The consequence is the formation of swelling of the legs. According to statistics, such violations occur in the body of almost half of pregnant women.
Diagnostic measures
How to find out the specific reason for the feeling of heaviness in the legs? For these purposes, resort to instrumental and clinical diagnostics. The doctor must conduct an ultrasound examination of arteries and veins located in the tissues of the lower extremities. These measures are aimed at identifying the symptoms of thrombophlebitis, thrombosis, reducing the patency of the blood ducts, their varicose expansion.
A visit to the endocrinologist will help to find out the cause of discomfort in the calf muscles. A specialist will perform a blood test. It will determine the hormonal state of the body, identify the prerequisites for the development of diabetes.
If there is a suspicion that discomfort in the lower extremities is caused by pathologies of the spine, it is advisable to perform an x-ray of the pelvic-sacral zone. Facilitates the establishment of a correct diagnosis of MRI and computed tomography. As for the detection of myositis, a neuropathologist is able to identify the problem.
Drug treatment
The elimination of the effect of severity and pain in the calves is possible due to the use of pharmacological agents designed to strengthen the venous walls, improve the patency of the blood ducts and the passage of interstitial fluids. For these purposes, doctors can prescribe such drugs:
- Gel "Venoruton".
- Cream "Venitan".
- Ointment "Hepatrombin."
- Gel "Troxevasin".
- Balm "Shungit."
The application of these funds to the skin in the calf helps to remove the effect of gravity, to get rid of pulling and cutting pain. Use of such medicines should be after approval by a doctor. During treatment, it is important to strictly adhere to the requirements of the instructions that are attached to the drugs.
Alternative methods of therapy
Helps to remove the heaviness in the calf muscles performing healing baths using sea salt. A tablespoon of the mineral substance is dissolved in a liter of warm water. The feet are kept in solution for half an hour.
Herbal baths are quite effective. Take a dry collection of chamomile and linden flowers in the amount of several tablespoons. Raw materials are poured with a liter of boiling water. Wait until the liquid has cooled to room temperature. In this composition, sore feet are held several times a day, shortly after waking up and shortly before going to bed.
With swelling of the calves of the legs, folk healers suggest using comfrey tincture. The root of the plant is carefully ground. A tablespoon of raw materials is poured with a liter of strong alcohol. The container with the composition is tightly corked with a lid. The medicine is placed in a dark place for about three weeks. Then the composition is filtered through several layers of gauze. The resulting infusion is diluted with water so that the total volume is about three liters. To relieve swelling from the calf region, the drug is consumed in a tablespoon in the morning and evening, shortly before meals. Therapy is performed according to the specified scheme for a month.
Prevention
The following actions can prevent the occurrence of a feeling of heaviness in the calf muscles:
- Wearing high-quality, comfortable, non-squeezing footwear, rejection of high heels.
- Maintain a normal, healthy body weight.
- Limited use of sweet and salty, absorption of a plentiful amount of liquid during the day.
- Refusal of alcohol and cigarettes.
- Daily morning exercises.
- Saturation of the daily diet with foods that contain an abundance of vitamins and minerals.
- Maintaining an active lifestyle: walking, evening jogging, swimming, cycling.
Physiotherapy
To remove the heaviness in the legs makes it possible to perform several gymnastic exercises. The adoption of a supine position while keeping the lower limbs in an elevated position helps a lot. Legs should be above the chest area. Noticeable relief can be felt approximately 10-15 minutes after maintaining such a posture.
Another effective method to combat weight in the legs is to climb stairs with the transfer of body weight to the toe of the foot. During the gymnastic procedure, the back must be maintained straightened. Keeping balance for 10 seconds, then you need to move the weight to the heel. To relieve discomfort from the calf area, it is recommended to perform 3 repetitions on each leg, resorting to 2-3 approaches.