There are various, provoking the appearance of such an unpleasant phenomenon as leg cramps, causes. Treatment should only begin after you find out why this symptom appeared at all.
Most often, people face this problem in adulthood and old age. And convulsions occur mainly at night, during sleep.
Why do cramps occur?
Of course, only a doctor can make a correct diagnosis in each case, after a thorough examination. However, we will consider the main reasons why cramps in the legs can occur.
In certain cases, they can be a symptom of other diseases. So, regularly recurring convulsions may indicate the onset of atherosclerosis, varicose veins, diabetes mellitus, cirrhosis of the liver and thyroid diseases.
Improper nutrition can also cause problems. If the body lacks some minerals (in particular, calcium and magnesium), it is likely that you will soon encounter such a problem as leg cramps.
The causes, treatment and prevention of such conditions are very important. After all, if you do not pay attention to the problem in a timely manner, it will not disappear by itself, but, on the contrary, will be aggravated.
Another common factor that can provoke painful muscle contractions is local oxygen deficiency. It appears when the vascular function is disturbed in a certain area.
Osteochondrosis of the spine can also be accompanied by convulsions. In this case, they appear when squeezing nerve fibers at their exit from the spine.
Sometimes even practically healthy people are faced with the phenomenon of leg cramps. The reasons, treatment and further preventive measures in these situations are obvious. Convulsions occur after severe stress, physical exertion. Often they torment obese people leading an inactive lifestyle. In order for the unpleasant symptoms to disappear, you need to join a healthy lifestyle and give yourself a rest.
Due to the increase in body weight and load on the legs, cramps occur in pregnant women.
In addition, certain medications (for example, nifedipine, raloxifene, various diuretics and statins, nicotinic acid) can provoke uncontrolled muscle contractions.
An excess of nicotine, caffeine and sugar in the body is another reason that explains leg cramps at night.
How are seizures treated?
First of all, it is necessary to establish the exact cause of their occurrence. After this, the doctor should prescribe a certain diet, and sometimes special medications that will help eliminate the cause of the seizures and get rid of them.
Among the best drugs that help in such situations, it is worth highlighting Orthocalcium + Magnesium and Ortho Taurin Ergo.
Try to regularly eat bean dishes, hard cheeses and cottage cheese. To increase the elasticity of muscles, improve their blood supply and normalize metabolic processes, you should perform special exercises to stretch them:
bend and unbend your toes alternately (10 seconds);
rise a few times on toes, and then abruptly drop down the whole foot;
standing or sitting, put your feet crosswise, leaning on the outside.
It is important to avoid overloads and wear comfortable shoes. In the evenings, you should do a contrast shower or bath for the legs (alternate water with a temperature of 40 degrees and 28-30 degrees).
First aid
Sometimes it helps with cramps to just lower your foot on a cold floor. However, if the unpleasant state is delayed, pinch the sore spot several times, massage it. After that, you can rub your foot with a warming ointment (if there is none, ordinary apple cider vinegar or vodka will do), and then put it on the roller from the blanket.
Now you know what leg cramps, causes, treatment and first aid for these conditions are. Be healthy!