Prolonged spasm of the calf muscle. Cramping of the calf muscles at night. Treatment of calf muscle cramps

Most often, cramps reduce the calf muscle in the lower leg and under the knee. In some cases, the symptom also affects some of the small muscles of the leg.

Often the legs hurt some time after the cramps in them. This mainly applies to the elderly. A third of people over the age of 60 and half of people over the age of 80 experience regular leg cramps and pain after them. Most often, the cause of what is happening lies in the lack of oxygen in the blood in older people. To prevent this from happening, it is recommended to walk more in the fresh air. In this way, the lungs are saturated with oxygen and the blood also receives a sufficient amount of it.

Also, the cause of pain in the legs after cramps may be dehydration of the muscles of the legs. It is also possible that there is a violation of blood circulation due to the overlap of the arteries in the lower leg. In such cases, the risk of frequent leg cramps, which are accompanied by prolonged pain after them, increases.

More rare causes of residual pain in the legs after cramps are cirrhosis of the liver, as well as an excess of lead in the human body.

Leg pain after calf cramp

Understand and be able to distinguish normal reasons pain in the legs after cramps in the calf muscles. Those that do not require additional treatment and medical intervention.

A leg after a calf cramp may hurt after prolonged work. Such a reaction of the body can be attributed to normal. The body thus defends itself by signaling a problem. As a result of strenuous activity, lactic acid accumulates in the muscles, which causes muscle pain after cramps.

There may be some stretching of the calf muscle, which also causes pain after cramps. It also does not need to be treated for this condition, because it is natural. The cause of muscle strains often lies in sudden movements when it is impossible to quickly stretch the muscle fibers after the previous contraction. It happens after fast running, jumping, and also fast walking.

Leg pain after cramps during pregnancy

Pain in the legs after cramps during pregnancy often occurs due to a lack of substances such as potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, and B vitamins in the body of the future mother. This is most often observed in the second trimester of pregnancy. This is a period of active growth of the child and the need for a large amount of minerals and vitamins for its development. Their deficiency can cause leg cramps in a woman at different times of the day. If this happens at night, the woman may not even wake up, but in the morning her legs will hurt.

In such cases, it is mandatory to refer a woman for analysis and consultation with a neuropathologist and endocrinologist. It is also required to adjust the woman's diet and add foods containing large amounts of vitamins of groups D and B to her diet. Fast carbohydrates must be excluded from the nutritious diet. Eating should be fractional, in small portions. It is necessary to gradually increase the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as cereals.

How long can a leg hurt after a cramp

Cramps most often reduce the legs during rest at night. They do not last long and can take only a few seconds. Pain after cramps is much longer and most often lasts up to several days, because the muscles of the legs are stretched during cramps. Fixing the lower leg with an elastic bandage helps to reduce the recovery time after a cramp.

There are some differences between pain after leg cramps and the so-called "restless leg syndrome". The latter condition is associated with prolonged discomfort in the legs, which manifests itself after a long walk. When walking itself, the characteristic crawling sensations in the legs go away. This feeling can last quite a long time, from a month or more. It has nothing to do with pain associated with leg cramps.

The duration of pain after leg cramps is determined by the causes that caused these cramps. Most often, pain in the legs after cramps lasts from several days to two weeks. Special measures can shorten this period of time.

My leg hurts after a cramp, what should I do?

It is desirable to treat pain after leg cramps, since without it, constant recurrences of such sensations are likely. Proponents of acupuncture treatment advise anyone who has this problem to pinch the skin above the upper lip with their fingers, slowly pulling it back with two fingers. On the upper lip there are points, with pressure on which muscle relaxation is stimulated.

1. Standing on the floor, place your legs crosswise, and then lean on the edges of the feet. Stay in this position for ten seconds.
2. Bending your toes for ten seconds, straighten them for the same amount of time. Repeat the sequence three times.
3. Sit on a chair and, raising your legs, make several circular movements with your feet.

What to do if cramped calf muscle?

Quite often, when performing heavy physical work or during intense training, cramps of the calf muscles occur. They are manifested by unbearable pain, which makes you stop any load for rest and complete recovery of the body.

Etiology of the disease

To permanently get rid of this pathology, it is necessary to understand why there are cramps in the calf muscles, that is, one should find out their cause.

• sudden and too intense physical activity,
• thermal effects, such as cold water,
• physiological changes in the body, such as pregnancy or puberty,
• lack of sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium in the blood,
• diseases nervous system,
• stress,
• alcohol abuse,
• spasmophilia,
• epilepsy,
• brain injuries and tumors
• inflammatory processes in the body,
• varicose veins veins,
• flat feet,
• overweight,
• passive lifestyle
• taking certain medications - diuretics, statins,
• nicotinic acid.

Thus, the cause of cramps in the calf muscles can be a serious disease of the whole organism, therefore this symptom should not be missed and should immediately consult a doctor if it occurs.

The main types of seizures

The spasms range in intensity from a tic or twitch to a violent, excruciatingly painful contraction.

• short - last only a few seconds,
• long - can last 15 minutes or even longer.

According to the nature of muscle contractions, convulsions are divided into clonic and tonic.

1. Clonic convulsions are short-term contractions and relaxation of individual muscle groups that quickly replace each other.
2. Tonic convulsions - longer muscle contractions, as a result of which the limbs freeze in a forced position.
3. There are mixed convulsions with a predominance of the tonic component in muscle contraction - tonic-clonic convulsions, and with a predominance of the clonic component - clonic-tonic.

Seizures are divided into idiopathic, which occur for no apparent reason, and secondary, which are symptoms or complications of certain diseases or disorders in the human body.

1. Idiopathic are night cramps that occur in old age or appear after exercise.

The causes of idiopathic seizures have not been determined. Presumably, they are associated with abnormal activity of nerve endings during sleep, which causes muscle spasm.

• In athletes, cramps in the calves of the legs are associated with excessive stress on the muscles during intense physical exercise.
• In the elderly, idiopathic cramps can occur for a completely natural reason - the gradual shortening of the tendons in the aging process. Tendons connect muscle tissue and attach it to the bones of the skeleton. If they become short, then muscle spasm may occur.

Clinical manifestations

Leg cramps usually occur in the morning while stretching in bed.

• on the rear surface lower leg - calf muscle,
• on the back of the thigh - semitendinosus, biceps and semimembranosus muscles,
• on the front of the thigh - the quadriceps femoris muscle,
• on the foot
• on hands,
• on the stomach
• on the chest.

The reduced muscles are firm, dense to the touch, their shape is noticeably changed. Minor tics are manifested by twitches under the skin.

The calf muscle, compared to all other skeletal muscles, most often cramps

Cramps in the calves always cause sharp pain, which is so strong that the muscles remain sensitive for several hours. Prolonged and severe cramps lead to soreness and inflammation, which can persist for several days. In addition to pain, leg stiffness and inability to stand on a full foot are also symptoms of cramps.

First aid for convulsive contractions

If it cramps the calves of the legs, then it is necessary to squeeze the calf muscle and press on its central part with the index finger for about twenty seconds in order to improve blood circulation in it. At this time, you should breathe deeply.

Prevention

Preventive measures are aimed at preventing cramps and spasms in the muscles of the legs and include the following points:

1. Change in diet.

The diet should include a large number of fresh fruits and herbs. Sources of essential minerals are:

• calcium - cottage cheese, cheese, other dairy products, almonds;
• magnesium - walnuts, beans, buckwheat;
• potassium - dried fruits, especially dried apricots, seeds, beets, garlic.

I sometimes get cramps in my calves at night. I try to rub my leg with pinches until the discomfort disappears. It probably takes about three minutes. About the lower lip, that by pressing you can remove the spasm, I have not heard at all. Everything about nutrition is correct. The doctor also advised me to eat more cottage cheese and dried fruits.

I often get cramps like this, especially at night. Doctors said that the reason is a lack of magnesium in the body. Therefore, you have to drink a course once every half a year.

Reduces the calf muscle: possible causes and necessary measures

More than 60% of the world's population periodically experience leg muscle cramps. They can be long-term (tonic) or short-term (clonic). What are the reasons for them? Why does the calf muscle contract? More often, people over 45 years of age are susceptible to these pains, although they can appear at any age, even in newborns. Leg cramps are not a disease, but a symptom. The root causes may be different. Some of the most harmless are hypothermia, bright light, loud sound, fatigue, long stay in an uncomfortable position or overexertion. As a rule, in these cases, reduces the calf muscle for a short time. Seizures are not repeated. But if a cramp occurs regularly, the sensations are painful, other parts of the body are involved, for example, it reduces the abdominal muscles, the process is accompanied by other unpleasant symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor, as they can be manifestations of serious diseases of the endocrine, cardiovascular or nervous system.

If it reduces the calf muscle, it means that your exchange of potassium, magnesium and sodium is disturbed. The reasons for this failure can be different, and only a specialist can diagnose them. The process itself, as scientists have revealed, occurs in the extrapyramidal system of the brain with certain external and internal drops or failures. For example, in cold water it reduces the muscles of the arms and legs due to constriction blood vessels under low temperature. And women have convulsions during sleep lower extremities may occur due to a lack of calcium in the blood serum against the background of varicose veins. Cramps can occur due to physical overload, when the body loses a lot of fluid through sweat, and with it there is a loss of potassium and calcium. Frequent convulsions and flushing of the skin may be symptoms of developing thrombophlebitis. Its root causes may be trauma or disease, which led to complications in the form of inflammation of the vessel membrane, poor blood clotting and slowing of blood circulation. A traumatic brain injury, a violation of the blood supply to the calf muscles, diseases of the spine, and simply a sharp flexion of the foot - everything can respond with a cramp.

If it reduces the calf muscle, first of all you need to see a doctor. But there are times when the cause of the spasms could not be established. In this case, people suffering from seizures should remember that their body lacks substances and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium and vitamin D. You can take dietary supplements that include the above elements, but it is better to adjust the diet nutrition. Calcium is abundant in dairy products, honey, eggs and legumes. Potassium is found in large quantities in sauerkraut, viburnum, various greens and sunflower seeds. Magnesium is included in meat, white bread, cow's milk, cocoa and sprouted wheat grains. And also all the products listed contain sodium and vitamin D. Include them in your daily diet, and the result will not be long in coming.

• - grass crow's feet 1 tbsp;
• - lemon juice.

Causes of seizures

Physical activity (tennis, swimming, long walking);

Magnesium deficiency (in 75% of cases).

Often, cramps in the calf muscles can be symptoms of diseases such as varicose veins, atherosclerosis, cirrhosis of the liver, diabetes, lesions thyroid gland and many others.

Increased hair loss, brittle nails, dental caries;

Body aches, numbness of the limbs, pain in the teeth;

Various arrhythmias, heart pain, increased heart rate;

Chronic fatigue, rapid fatigue;

Memory impairment, weakening of attention, nervous tics;

Spasms of the esophagus, larynx, bronchi, constipation or diarrhea, spasms of the stomach and intestines, abdominal pain.

A muscle bound in convulsions can be pinched or rubbed;

Pull the toes of the cramped leg towards you.

Useful exercises for muscle cramps

The proposed exercises are recommended to be performed barefoot or standing. Gently stand on your heels and bend your raised toes as much as possible. Try to keep your balance in this position for 7-10 seconds. Repeat the exercise 5-6 times.

Cross your legs, gradually transferring your body weight to the outer edges of the foot. Freeze in this position for a few seconds. Slowly return to the starting position. Change legs. The exercise should be repeated 5-7 times.

Gradually raise yourself up on your toes so that your heels are off the floor as much as possible. Drop down hard. Repeat the exercise.

Place a small bar 1 m long and 5-7 cm high on the floor surface. Place your feet so that your toes are on the bar and your heels remain on the floor. Carefully move along the board to the left and right. Repeat the exercise 5-6 times.

Folk recipes

Lemon juice is excellent for cramps. They are recommended to treat the feet twice a day: in the evening and in the morning. After that, it takes time for it to dry. The procedure should be carried out daily for 2 weeks.

From cramps of the legs and hands, rubbing with bay oil helps. To do this, 50 g of bay leaf is crushed and poured into a glass of unrefined sunflower oil. The container is covered with a tight lid and cleaned in a dark place for a day. After that, the bay oil should be filtered. If your arm or leg is cramped, rub the damaged area of ​​​​the body with this oil.

The main prima for relieving cramps

For cramps in the calf muscles, try to change position. Then straighten your leg, pulling your toes up. Point the ball of your foot towards your knee.

Sit in a comfortable position and feel the injured area with your fingers.

Gently stand up, transferring the weight of the body weight to the closed leg. After 5-7 seconds, sensitivity will be restored, and blood circulation will resume.

Rub your cramped leg with any warming ointment or cream.

Massage your calves from heel to knee, feet from toes to heel.

As a preventive measure for calf cramps, regularly massage the muscles under the knees. In case of hand cramps, they should be rubbed from fingertips to shoulder joint. After performing the massage, it is recommended to lie down with a blanket under your feet. This position will prevent repeated convulsions and ensure the outflow of blood.

If convulsions appear systematically, be sure to consult your doctor.

What to do with spasm and cramps of the calf muscle?

Strong sharp pain in the legs twisted so that there is no strength to endure? This makes itself felt cramps of the calf muscles - extremely discomfort located on the back of the leg. What to do if you cramp your leg? How can you help yourself in this situation?

Causes of leg cramps

Why do seizures develop? Every person, at least once faced with a sharp pain in the lower leg, would like to know what is happening to him. Spasm of the calf muscles can be caused by the most various reasons, and it is not always possible for specialists to accurately determine the trigger of pain.

Most often, the appearance of seizures is associated with the following conditions:

• Varicose veins;
• transferred injuries of the calf muscles;
• metabolic pathologies (including diabetes mellitus);
• deficiency of magnesium and calcium.

To accurately determine the cause of the spasm, you should carefully analyze your condition and try to understand what could lead to the appearance of pain. Knowing why it reduces the calf muscle, you can find a way to treat and fix the problem as soon as possible.

Night cramps

Painful spasms can make themselves felt at any time of the day, especially with prolonged immobility of the legs. In this case, a person can predict the development of an attack in advance and take measures to alleviate the condition. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to catch the moment when numbness and tingling of the leg turns into severe pain. Very often, calf cramps appear at night, disrupting the calm flow of sleep. The causes of nocturnal seizures have not yet been studied. It is assumed that a long stay of the leg in one position leads to muscle spasm and causes a person to wake up from severe pain.

Falling asleep, try to get in the most comfortable position for you - this will make it possible to avoid the appearance of pain.

In addition to the calf muscles, a cramp can cover the foot, causing rather long-term discomfort. As a rule, the pain is localized only on one side - the second leg remains unaffected by the cramp. A sudden spasm leads to the appearance of a seal on the back of the leg. Why is this happening? The thing is that during an attack, the calf muscle is torn, and a noticeable edema develops at the site of the injury. Nocturnal calf cramps leave noticeable effects during the day in the form of gait disturbance and painful sensations with every movement. Discomfort decreases when walking and increases again in a stationary position.

Cramps of the calf muscles at night rarely last more than 30 seconds, but all this time a person feels unbearable pain, which makes it impossible to adequately assess their condition. It is good if there is someone nearby who can provide first aid, but often patients have to look for a way to solve the problem on their own. What to do if a cramp cramped your legs, and there is no strength to endure this pain?

First aid for seizures

In most cases, pain appears only on one side, which means that a person retains the ability to control his body. Regardless of the cause of the spasm, you should follow a few simple steps that can quickly alleviate the condition.

• During the spasm, pull the sock towards you. Repeat this action several times until the cramp goes away.
• If within thirty seconds it was not possible to achieve the desired effect, get out of bed. Walk a little on the floor, preferably barefoot - where there are no carpets and other coverings.
• Strongly squeeze the muscles in its central part. Hold your leg in this position for seconds.

Remember to breathe deeply during an attack!

Remember that any cramp rarely lasts more than two minutes, which means that in the near future the pain will recede even without your actions. After removing the attack, massage your feet. You can pinch the muscle slightly - this will help increase blood flow in the shin area and quickly restore mobility to the legs. It would be useful to visit a doctor to find out the cause of seizures and receive recommendations for the treatment of the disease.

Exercise to relieve spasms of the calf muscles

It happens that calf massage does not help to quickly cope with pain. What to do in such a situation? Experts recommend performing a simple exercise that will help relieve an attack. To do this, you need to stand facing the wall, stepping back one step. Feet should be shoulder-width apart, hands resting on the wall above the head. Take small steps back from the wall, keeping your feet on the floor. Why can't you raise your foot during the exercise? It's simple: only in this position, the calf muscles will stretch well, which will eliminate pain in the affected organ.

Move as far away from the wall as possible. During the exercise, there should be no discomfort in the shin area. Stop in the chosen position, stay in it for about a minute. Keep breathing even and calm until the pain subsides. After an attack, unpleasant sipping may remain in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bdamaged muscles for several days.

Seizure treatment

Before dealing with the treatment of painful attacks, you should understand why such symptoms develop. If the cause of cramps is varicose veins, you should seek help from a phlebologist. The appointment of venotonics (drugs that strengthen the vascular wall) in most cases allows you to cope with the problem and forget about the occurrence of leg cramps for a long time.

Treatment of cramps of the calf muscles caused by a lack of calcium and magnesium begins with the intake of vitamin complexes. The course of therapy is about one month. In addition to multivitamins, the patient is advised to diversify his diet with fresh fruits and vegetables. Especially this recommendation will be relevant for pregnant women who are not immune from the development of convulsive leg spasms. In anticipation of the baby, many expectant mothers are deficient in trace elements and vitamins, which can lead to discomfort in the calf muscles.

What to do if following all the recommendations did not give positive result and the cramps come back again and again? First of all, it is worth undergoing a thorough examination of the whole organism, assessing the condition of large vessels and paying special attention to changes in metabolism. Timely detection of the disease will give a chance not only to cope with the problem, but also to avoid the development of various complications.

Prevention

In order to avoid the appearance of new bouts of pain, you should first of all take care of your legs. General massage helps to improve blood flow throughout the body, which means it will be useful for the calf muscles. Regular exercise and sports will not only help keep your body in good shape, but also perfectly strengthen the calf muscles. Proper nutrition with the addition of foods rich in calcium and magnesium to the diet, it will reduce the likelihood of seizures against the background of micronutrient deficiencies. A daily contrast shower will bring some benefit. Pay attention to your legs - and you will forget about pain and muscle spasms for many years.

What to do if the calf muscle has crumpled

Due to muscle spasm, severe pain may appear in the leg. This means that the calf muscle has been reduced. More than 70% of the population suffers from this problem. Often, cramps make you wake up from pain at night, capturing not only the muscle, but also the foot. Then the dream is not in favor. Seizures occur in both the elderly and young people, including teenagers and toddlers.

There are people who experience this sort of thing all the time. But most often these are isolated cases. What to do in these situations? There are methods to help cope with spasms. You can get rid of it by finding out the reasons. But for the treatment to be effective, you will have to change your lifestyle.

1 Why does this happen to muscles?

The gastrocnemius muscle is biceps, located on the back of the lower leg. If it is overstressed, a spasm occurs. Why does the calf muscle contract? Most often, this indicates disorders of the arterial and venous blood supply. Discomfort due to prolonged muscle contractions occurs mainly in the following cases:

• when lactic acid has accumulated in the overworked muscle;
• blood circulation is disturbed;
• there was a nerve disorder caused by maintaining an uncomfortable posture.

Usually cramps the leg when entering ice water, at this time, the blood vessels narrow and the body reacts with muscle strain. If a spasm occurs at the same time, then it is possible that a person has problems with the spine, there is not enough calcium.

Dehydration of the body and leaching of potassium and calcium together with sweat occurs during intense physical work or sports training. Therefore, there are cramps in the calf muscles at night. Those who at the same time pay insufficient attention to the warm-up or allow congestion of a certain muscle group in training are at risk. Spasms can engulf the muscles due to the sudden tension that occurs at night when a person changes positions.

2 Symptom of the disease

Seizures are difficult to treat, because they can be a symptom of a specific ailment. And then you need the help of a doctor, most often a neurologist. It matters at what time it reduces the muscle. If spasm of the calf muscle occurs during sleep with a frequency of several months, then this is a sign of serum calcium deficiency or varicose veins. Causes of seizures in diseases can be as follows:

• hypoxia (oxygen starvation);
• malformations of the brain;
• infectious diseases affecting the nervous system (encephalitis, meningitis);
• deficiency of magnesium, calcium and glucose in the blood serum;
• birth injury;
• physical damage to the skull;
• intracranial tumor lesions;
• epilepsy, fever, high temperature;
• complications of pregnancy (preeclampsia);
• drug poisoning;
• violation of water-salt metabolism.

Other possible reasons convulsions: bright lights, loud music, a sudden change in the weather. Muscle spasms may accompany physiological changes ( puberty, pregnancy, menopause), when the level of substances in the blood changes. A cramp can reduce due to stressful conditions, a sudden change in diet, excessive alcohol consumption.

The hereditary factor is also important: if parents, grandparents suffered from convulsions, then it is likely that this problem will not bypass children and grandchildren.

3 What are seizures?

There are several types of seizures that differ in their duration and intensity.

Tonic-clonic is called a grand mal seizure. It is accompanied by loss of consciousness and a fall.

Partial seizures are both simple and complex, when there is a violation of consciousness and orientation in the surrounding area.

If one muscle or a whole group of fibers is reduced, then we are talking about a myoclonic spasm. Sometimes you can feel that the leg is cramped in a dream, while loss of consciousness does not occur. Myoclonus appears in those patients who have disorders in the totality of brain structures and lack calcium in the blood serum.

4 How to be treated?

For no reason, nocturnal cramps of the calf muscles do not occur. They can be symptoms of varicose veins. Violation venous outflow blood in the legs is manifested, in addition, by heaviness, pain, swelling. With such a pathology, it is necessary to be examined and undergo serious treatment by a doctor.

An injection into a sore spot can be an effective remedy for spasm of the calf muscle. Only it needs to be done by a specially trained person who knows the location of the active points on the leg. It is not recommended to inject yourself with an injection in order to avoid damage to the vessels and nerves located under the skin. In addition, there is a high probability that pathogenic microbes and an infection can enter the body.

An increase in the excitability of nerve and muscle cells occurs due to various disorders of mineral metabolism: salts do not enter the body enough or the process of their excretion is disturbed. Highest value in human life have salts of sodium and calcium. A deficiency of potassium ions can lead to neuromuscular excitability. And then the person will first suffer from weakness in the muscles, increased fatigue, and then convulsions, muscle twitching, spastic contractions of the feet. These manifestations are usually tormented at night, when the normal venous outflow is disturbed due to the uncomfortable position of the legs during sleep or prolonged inactivity. Considering all these factors, treatment will be prescribed.

5 If the calf muscle has cramped

When a muscle suddenly cramps during sports in the gym, there is a chance to immediately help yourself. How to do it?

1. To improve blood circulation, press hard on the muscle, while holding the index finger on the central part for 20 seconds. Breathing should be deep.
2. You can massage the muscles.
3. It is recommended to relieve spasm of the lower extremities for 30 seconds to squeeze the lower lip.
4. The pain can be relieved by stretching the contracted muscle. This is done like this: stand a step away from the wall, put your feet at a distance slightly wider than your shoulders. Put your hands on the wall, they should be above head level. When taking small steps, do not take your feet off the floor. There should be a feeling of stretching of the muscles, but without pain. Then 30 seconds - delay in position. The cramp will pass quickly if the muscle is rubbed and pinched.

6 How to help muscles with exercise?

In order not to reduce the calf muscles, two types of physical exercises are done. The first ones are performed when convulsions occur, they help relieve spasms and remove pain. The second ones are necessary preventive measures to reduce the frequency of seizures.

The following movements relieve spasm:

1. The leg is straightened, the foot is placed with the toe turned towards the knee. Enhance the effect of the girth of the foot with your hands, the sock stretches towards itself.
2. Walking on heels for at least 5 minutes.
3. With frequent convulsions, this exercise prevents spasms: stand facing the wall, touching it with your hand. The feet stay in place. In this position, stand for 5-6 seconds. Then relax. The time for the exercise is 5 minutes. It should be done 3 times a day.

7 Convulsions in a child

A cramp can seize the calf muscle of the child so that he cannot straighten the foot. What is it coming from? There are 3 main causes of persistent seizures:

1. The balance of vitamins and microelements is disturbed, first of all, there is a deficiency of magnesium, which is involved in the process of muscle relaxation. When a child grows rapidly, he needs more vitamins and minerals. If elements such as potassium and calcium are not supplied with food, a baby or teenager may experience leg cramps.
2. Muscle spasms at night can disturb the child due to hyperactivity. Children, unlike adults, can actively move during the day without feeling tired, and then fall asleep in exhaustion. Excessive physical activity can respond to a spasm of the calf muscle in a dream.
3. At the initial stage of flat feet.

The causes of isolated cases of seizures in children are the same as in adults. First aid is that the child should take a position in which the calf muscle will stretch. It is necessary to explain to the baby that the sock should be pulled towards you. It might hurt a lot. Then the leg should be relaxed. The cramp will go away. Otherwise, repeat the leg movement. If this does not help, you should try to take a few steps to normalize the blood flow in the leg.

Then you can massage the sore spot, put a warm heating pad on the muscle, or organize a warming bath. And then it’s better to lie down and raise your legs, this is necessary to improve the condition and reduce the likelihood of a recurrence of convulsions

If the baby is often tormented by such phenomena, it is necessary to show it to the pediatrician. After the examination, the doctor may refer little patient to a narrow specialist (for flat feet - to an orthopedist).

Even if there was a single case of convulsions, parents need to diversify the diet of their child, give him a children's vitamin and mineral complex.

At night, you can take a relaxing bath, do a foot massage with an ointment that you need to choose on the advice of a specialist.

What to do if the child attends the sports section? After the onset of seizures, he needs to reduce the training load. When mom and dad notice the problem in time and try to fix it, their son or daughter will be spared spasms and convulsions.

8 For prevention purposes

To prevent the occurrence of seizures, it is necessary to eliminate the causes of their occurrence. Preventive measures will also help. Cramping of the calf muscles at night will stop if you follow these rules:

1. News healthy lifestyle life by giving up bad habits.
2. Give yourself a moderate amount of physical activity every day, giving up too intense leg exercises.
3. The bed should be comfortable, allowing the limbs to be slightly elevated.
4. Do foot baths. For example, for this you can take 5 liters of water and dissolve sea salt in it (5-6 tablespoons)
5. The warming effect has a general massage, which increases blood flow in the muscles. It is necessary to massage the feet, using special ointments to improve blood circulation.
6. Walk in comfortable and loose shoes, excluding high-heeled shoes.
7. With varicose veins, it is recommended to wear compression underwear (stockings or pantyhose).
8. Take a multivitamin with minerals. Calcium and vitamin D are needed to reduce seizures.

Food must contain everything essential vitamins and micronutrients. You need to eat buckwheat, walnuts and legumes, they have the necessary magnesium. We should not forget to include in the diet dried apricots, raisins, beets, sunflower seeds, garlic, rich in potassium. You can not do without fermented milk products, fruits, oatmeal, liver.

What to do if, despite all efforts, the calf muscles suffer from cramps? Then you definitely need to contact a specialist. After all, such manifestations can be symptoms of damage to the nervous system, which means that timely treatment will be required.

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What to do if the calf muscle is cramped? And is it dangerous?

Hello, my dear readers! My today's article will be devoted to the analysis of the situation in which almost every person fell into - reduced the calf muscle. What to do in this case, how dangerous it is for human health and the main preventive measures for such cases, you will find answers to these questions in this article.

It is difficult to meet a person who, at least once in his life, has not encountered the problem of cramps in the calf muscles. In addition to a feeling of discomfort, a cramp brings quite pain. So what does this painful process that takes place in our legs look like.

A calf cramp is a kind of spasm caused by involuntary contraction of muscle tissue. Speaking in an accessible language, it looks like this: the muscle contracts sharply, but cannot return to a relaxed state on its own. The main problem is the sudden onset of a cramp, accompanied by a feeling of discomfort and pain in any leg.

Causes of seizures

It is often believed that leg cramps can be earned by swimming in cold water or torturing yourself to exhaustion on sports grounds is not entirely true. Yes, the listed factors are among the most common causes of seizures, but besides this, there are a number of other points that you should pay attention to:

1. Hypothermia - here the risk factor is not only cold water, but also corny insufficiently warm shoes
2. Incorrectly selected shoes - at this point, you should pay attention to the shoes that you use in everyday life
3. Flat feet - deformation of the main arch of the foot leads to an incorrect redistribution of the load on the muscles of the legs
4. A large load on the muscles of the legs during the working day - this is usually typical for people whose specific work is associated with constant being on their feet
5. Lack of essential trace elements for the body
6. Stressful condition - often causes muscle tension, leading to convulsions
7. Pregnancy is a purely female “problem”, accompanied by an increased load on the legs

All of the above factors (we leave pregnancy out of the equation) are easily eliminated. It is worth noting that when selecting the necessary trace elements, you should not self-medicate, but you should consult with a qualified specialist who can select the necessary complex, taking into account the individual characteristics of the body.

If convulsions occur in a single amount, then this problem can be dealt with independently. Much more difficult is the situation in which cramps in the calves of the legs are regular. Usually, this indicates the following:

1. Leg vein problems (leg varicose veins)
2. Inflammatory processes in the body
3. Injuries received, not fully healed
4. Problems in the thyroid gland
5. Complex of neurological diseases

If you have problems of a similar nature, you should contact a general practitioner who will prescribe a set of necessary tests to find out the causes of the disease.

Options for emergency (momentary) help with leg cramps

The main advice in this situation is quite banal - try to relax as much as possible. If this does not help, then you should perform a series of actions that will help you relieve painful muscle tension:

• Straighten your legs, lift the reduced leg up, pulling the foot towards you as much as possible.
• Gently massage the calf muscles, paying special attention to the most painful part of the body. During the massage, movements should be done from the bottom up, from the heel to the knee.
• Raise your legs, put a roller or pillow under them. Hold your legs in this state for several minutes.
• One of the most radical methods is an injection into a cramped muscle with a pin or needle. The main thing is not to overdo it.

After you have coped with cramps, you should apply a warm compress for the legs or take a warm bath.

Prevention measures

The main thing to pay attention to is the right choice of shoes. Your shoes should not be too tight; for the winter season, a sufficiently warm version of the shoe must be selected. Regular hypothermia of the legs is the first step to the appearance of cramps.

The next point to pay attention to is the time spent on your feet during the day. If the specifics of your job is to be on your feet for a long time, try to find time during the day for a little massage.

Give a few minutes of attention during the day to the calves, feet, toes and the problem of cramps will disappear from your life. At the end of the working day, do a contrast foot bath. Keep in mind that this option is only suitable for those people who do not have problems with blood vessels. Mint or valerian can be added to the induced water.

Perform a simple set of exercises to strengthen the ligaments:

1. Toes on yourself, hold for 10 seconds in this position, then straighten. Do this exercise several times
2. Get up as high as possible on your toes, and then drop sharply. Execute within seconds
3. Light, jumping movements on the toes

Conclusion

You should also pay special attention to your diet. The occurrence of seizures is usually caused by a deficiency in the body of trace elements such as magnesium, potassium, calcium.

Milk, cottage cheese, legumes are perfect for replenishing calcium deficiency. Walnuts will help solve the problem of magnesium deficiency. Well, fruits and vegetables available to everyone are perfect for replenishing potassium reserves in the body.

For athletes and people actively involved in sports and physical culture, attention should be paid to maintaining the necessary water balance in the body. Avoid possible dehydration in the body, during training and sports, drink the required amount of water.

The implementation of the above tips will allow you to avoid pain and various kinds of inconvenience associated with the situation when you have reduced the calf muscle. Now you know what to do in this situation.

On this I say goodbye to you. I hope that the information obtained from this article will be useful to you. Subscribe to blog updates, share links to this and other articles with your friends. I look forward to your comments. See you soon!

Why cramps the calf muscles at night, when walking and during pregnancy - what to do

It is known that muscle spasm and severe pain often make themselves felt unexpectedly. The condition when it brings the leg together cannot be called pleasant, and some people have to deal with such a phenomenon in a dream. This happens until the cause is found and the correct method of treatment is not selected. So why does the calf muscle cramp at night?

Why do calf cramps occur?

Muscle spasms can have a different nature of origin, but their appearance should definitely be alarming and cause concern. Adolescents and people of mature age fall into the risk group, but the reasons why the calf muscles cramp can be completely different, since they differ from each other in the nature of origin: internal (violation inside the body) or external (environmental influence).

Physiologically, a spasm is an uncontrolled contraction accompanied by severe pain. According to the intensity, the nature of the manifestation and the place, the spasm can take the form of an obsessive rapid movement caused by a short-term contraction, for example, a tic of the eyelid. If the muscles harden, the pain syndrome is clearly expressed, involuntary contractions are observed, then this is a tonic cramp. This type of spasm is local in nature and more often manifests itself in the calves, lower legs, less often in the thighs, feet.

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The main causes of calf muscle cramps at night

Various factors can provoke the appearance of unpleasant sensations. Diseases of the nervous system, excessive physical activity, unbalanced nutrition, lack of vitamins - this is why it reduces the calves of the legs at night and not only. A predisposition to painful spasms can be inherited. Among the unexpected factors that explain why cramping the calf muscles, there are such as a loud sound or bright light. Among traditional reasons, from which it reduces the calves of the legs at night, the following are most often observed:

• deficiency of macronutrients (calcium, potassium, magnesium), vitamins of groups A, B, E;
• lack of oxygen in the blood (hypoxia);
• brain diseases;
• injuries (craniocerebral, birth);
• epilepsy;
• infectious diseases accompanied by fever;
• drug poisoning;
• water imbalance.

Primary

There is a similar form of discomfort for unknown reasons. As the simplest and most likely explanation: a spasm occurs due to an impulse that causes a contraction in a muscle that was already tense before. The primary (idiopathic) type includes nocturnal cramps, and more often athletes and the elderly suffer from them. Since this type of spasm is unexpected, then probable causes may occur as follows:

• excessive physical activity causing overstrain;
• carrying weights;
• passing a long distance;
• prolonged standing;
• circulatory disorders;
• uncomfortable posture;
• the aging process, which leads to shortening of the tendons.

Secondary

Violations of important balances in the human body lead to failure and cause muscle spasms. The normal processes of the human body do not cause painful contractions. Progressive diseases, tumors, lack of useful substances - all this serves as an explanation for why the calf muscles cramp at night. Secondary causes of spasms accompanied by severe pain include:

• lack of magnesium, which is also evidenced by insomnia, frequent headaches, fatigue, heart disease, arthritis, eyelid tick;
• calcium deficiency provokes a situation that in a dream it reduces the calf muscle, the nails become brittle, there is a breakdown, irritability;
• anemia (lack of iron);
• sunstroke, hypothermia, i.e. sharp drop body temperature;
• colds;
• alcohol poisoning;
• diseased vessels;
• heat;
• taking contraceptives;
• overweight.

What reduces calves on the legs in children

A cramp in the calf muscle at night or under other circumstances in children often occurs with the active growth of a young organism, and the second reason that provokes this problem is an active lifestyle of fidgets. Together with these main reasons, the list of why the calf muscles cramp in children at night includes the following:

• flat feet;
• hypothermia;
• uncomfortable posture of the legs and a long stay in it;
• vitamin deficiency.

Learn more about flat feet in children and how to treat it.

Why cramps calves in pregnant women

When a woman in an interesting position in a dream reduces the calf muscle, this does not always indicate serious health problems. Rarely, to eliminate this unpleasant symptom is required special treatment, but you should not ignore the appearance of muscle spasms. Decreased appetite, toxicosis, vomiting are phenomena characteristic of the first trimester, which explain why the calf muscle reduces at night.

Bearing a child is accompanied by a colossal burden on the body and, in order to prevent an unpleasant sensation and relieve spasm, it is necessary to take vitamins on time, massage, apply ointment, avoid sharp sips, walk, but not for long. Pregnancy aggravates the situation when, before its onset, a woman had chronic diseases, for example, varicose veins, which requires a slightly different approach to solving the problem of calf muscle cramps with medication.

Common reasons why expectant mothers can spawn may be the following:

• an enlarged uterus, which causes circulatory disorders, followed by painful pressure on the vessels of the legs;
• tissue swelling;
• hormonal changes;
• excess weight.

Cramps of the calf muscles are classified as pathologies called “myoclonus”. In the same category are spasms of the muscles of the hip region. In all these cases, there is no loss of consciousness with muscle spasms in the legs.

The described phenomenon is caused by all sorts of disorders of the extrapyramidal system of the brain, which are provoked by a low level of calcium in the blood and other concomitant factors.

Causes of cramps in the calf muscles

An unexpected spasm of the calf muscle is always accompanied by severe pain. In addition to the calf muscles, cramps can also reduce the muscles of the foot. The majority of people rarely deal with cramps in the calf muscles, however, someone is constantly faced with such difficulties. Using the means at hand, cramps are easy to prevent, and, with a change in lifestyle, completely get rid of them.

Cramps in the calf muscles can be caused by various reasons, here is just a certain list of them:

• lack of oxygen entering the body;
• disorders in the development of the brain;
• various infectious lesions of the vessels of the brain;
• lack of blood glucose, calcium and magnesium;
• trauma received during childbirth;
• traumatic brain injury;
• epileptic seizures;
• tumors in the brain;
• an increase in body temperature due to fever;
• poor absorption of drugs by the body;
• violations of the water-salt balance of the body.

Cramps of the calf muscles at night: causes

There can be quite a few reasons for the occurrence of cramps in the calf muscles at night - these are diseases of the nervous system and the result of an unbalanced diet, especially this is caused by a constant lack of calcium and magnesium in the body. To thoroughly understand this issue, it is necessary to clearly understand the causes of seizures at night and methods of dealing with them.

At night during sleep, blood circulation slows down, therefore, in the event of a lack of certain trace elements in the body, their delivery by blood to vital organs is slower, which is the cause of cramps in the calf muscles at night. In order to determine the issue of the content of calcium and magnesium in the body, it is necessary to pass special medical tests.

Cramping of the calf muscle, what to do?

To relieve cramps in the calf muscle, you should try to do stretching exercises for this muscle. This effect is achieved by applying the following exercise. You should stand up straight, facing the wall, step back from the wall at a distance of one step and spread your legs slightly wider than your shoulders. Palms should be rested on the wall above your head. Without lifting your feet from the floor, you should gradually move back. It is necessary to retreat until it becomes felt that the muscles are sufficiently stretched.

You should feel the measure, because there should not be any unpleasant sensations. The state of stretched muscles should be kept for about half a minute, after which you can rub and pinch the reduced leg.

When relieving cramps in the calf muscle, massage helps a lot. The point in the middle of the calf muscle must be pressed with the thumb of the hand, evenly increasing the pressure. For a few seconds, you need to press in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe fossa under the knee.

It is not uncommon for a calf cramp to occur as a result of swimming in cold water. It is recommended to do a few warming exercises before climbing into it, since the temperature difference causes vasoconstriction of the muscles of the legs. It is useful to keep a pin or needle with you in order to give an injection to relieve muscle spasm.

Treatment of calf muscle cramps

In order to effectively treat cramps in the calf muscles, you should determine the cause of their occurrence as accurately as possible. Spasms that occur infrequently can be left untreated - just rub the site of the muscle spasm. Sometimes needle pricking is used, this has a sufficient effect for severe convulsions, but we must not forget that this operation must be performed by an experienced specialist, otherwise the desired effect may not occur. Naturally, in the most dangerous moments, acupuncture should be done by the victim himself, for example, this applies to situations when he is in cold water.

Ointment for cramps of the calf muscles

In practice, the treatment of cramps of the calf muscles with the help of ointments of various compositions is used. There are the following varieties.

An ointment based on celandine. For its preparation, celandine juice is squeezed out and mixed with petroleum jelly. One part of vaseline is taken for two parts of juice, mixing well.

This ointment is used when lubricating with massage movements the places where seizures occur. It is recommended to use this composition just before bedtime. The period of use of the ointment for medicinal purposes is two weeks.

Ointment based on mustard. It is effective in relieving the symptoms of calf muscle cramps, as well as in the treatment of the disease itself. Treatment should be carried out for three weeks.

When cooking, one part olive oil is mixed with two parts mustard powder. The ointment should be rubbed into places where convulsions occur.

Laurel ointment. Dry bay leaf weighing 50 grams is crushed and mixed with a glass of unrefined sunflower oil. It is placed in a jar, covered with a lid and infused for two weeks in a dark place. When the deadline comes out, the resulting composition is filtered. When reducing the calf muscle, it is rubbed with this composition.

Calf cramps

Calf cramps are a common occurrence that any person will ever encounter. Very unpleasant sensations arise quite unexpectedly and cause certain troubles. Therefore, it is useful to know more about both the cramps themselves and the methods of dealing with them.

calf cramp during pregnancy

A convulsive attack of the calf muscle in a pregnant woman can occur at any, often the most inopportune moment. It should be understood that this is not a normal state of the body, but a signal that the body is clearly missing something. Cramps in the calf muscles may indicate the presence of any serious diseases, such as complications that occur during pregnancy, so it is best to immediately consult a doctor if they appear.

The main cause of convulsive contractions of the calf muscles during pregnancy is a lack of potassium, magnesium and calcium, as well as vitamins in the body. Also, convulsions can occur with anemia - as a sign of low hemoglobin content.

Cramps of the calf muscles in a child

There are many factors that cause calf cramps in children, but three main causes of this phenomenon stand out from them. Basically, this is a failure of the balance of vitamins and trace elements, primarily a lack of magnesium. Most of the cramps of the calf muscles are associated precisely with the lack of this element, since it is necessary in matters of relaxation of the muscle tissue of the legs and elimination of increased tone.

The lack of calcium and potassium plays a role. Cramps of the calf muscles can pester children during a period of rapid growth, at a time when minerals and vitamins are consumed by the body quite intensively.

Cramps of the calf muscles in a child can occur as a result of prolonged, overly active loads on the legs associated with running, swimming, and football. Unlike adults, children show increased activity, are able to not feel tired for a long time at a time when they are passionate about something. For example, a child preschool age able to spend several hours in the saddle of a bicycle without feeling exhausted. The result is often cramps in the calf muscles.

It is important that cramps of the calf muscles may indicate incipient flat feet.

All of the above are typical for convulsions that continue long time. However, there are also instant spasms of the muscles of the calves of the legs. They result from:

• leg stay in an uncomfortable position or in the case of a long absence of any movement;
• too much cooling of the legs. It is extremely dangerous to swim in a reservoir at a low water temperature in it.

Night cramps of the calf muscles

Spasms of the calf muscles at night occur quite often. Often they occur in middle-aged and elderly people who are practically healthy and do not talk about the presence of a serious illness. There are cramps at night, mainly as a result of the uncomfortable position of the legs during sleep. The situation is aggravated by circulatory disorders and problems with vascular system. Cramps at night occur as a result of a lack of trace elements, B vitamins, nervous irritation and the process of dehydration. The instructions for some medicines provide information about seizures, how to side effect the use of these drugs.

With a nocturnal cramp of the calf muscle, you should carefully unclench the muscle with your hands. At the same time, it must be pulled with one hand from the bottom up, squeezing and unclenching it with the other hand. With severe pain, performing such an action can be quite difficult. It is good if someone from those present in the house at the moment will help to do this.

It's good to prick a muscle with a pin, but it's not a fact that it will be at hand at the right time. It is best to try to sit down and, holding the big toe or all the toes with your hand, immediately pull the foot towards you. After a certain time, the pain subsides.

The easiest way is to put your bare feet on the cold floor and try to walk. Muscles relax more quickly if the floor is cold enough. In order to make it even colder, it is recommended to put a wet towel under your feet. You can make an attempt to pinch the cramped muscle, but this is not easy to do, because at this moment it is like a stone.

The severity of the attack will subside, but the pain in the muscle will remind you of itself the next day. To smooth out pain, it is recommended that the muscle that was struck by muscle spasm be stroked for several minutes with a piece of ice or cotton wool thoroughly moistened with cold water.

Frequent calf muscle cramps

Cramps in the calf muscles often occur as a result of constant and too high physical activity, especially if they occur suddenly, are of a thermal nature (a sharp change in temperature), are possible when the ambient temperature changes.

Frequent cramps of the calf muscles are possible during the course of any physiological changes, whether it be pregnancy, menopause, puberty. The process of biological restructuring of the body occurs against the background of changes in the blood levels of substances such as potassium, magnesium, sodium. Stress and damage to the nervous system are often accompanied by convulsions.

When training, cramps in the calf muscles occur for the following reasons:

• - water leaving the body washes away calcium and potassium;
• - often the cause of frequent cramps is poor-quality warm-up;
• - excessively large training volume can also cause seizures;
• - excessive load on the calf muscles. In this case, a situation is possible in which all other muscle groups will remain unused in the training process.

Calf muscle pain after cramp

Three-quarters of all adults suffer from calf cramps from time to time; anyone knows the condition of a sudden contraction of the calf muscle. Such conditions are accompanied by severe pain that does not go away after the seizures stop, often remaining in the muscles for several days. People of any age are prone to seizures, most often they suffer in middle age or in the elderly.

If pain persists in the calf muscles, after a while after the end of the convulsions, restorative procedures, such as massage or warm baths, should be carried out. These measures help to relax the muscle tissue that has undergone convulsive contractions, restore blood circulation in the limbs and restore muscle functionality.

A sharp, spastic contraction of the muscles, not amenable to conscious will - these are convulsions. They can occur in any group of striated muscles. Cramps of the calf muscles occur in people of any age, gender, regardless of occupation.

Causes and pathogenesis

The patient feels a cramp as a painful contraction of the muscle group, which makes it impossible to move in this area. There is a spasm of the calf muscle, both in men and in women, children, adolescents, less often - people of senile age.

The causes of the state of convulsive muscle contraction may be the following:

• insufficient content of calcium and potassium in the blood serum;
• insufficient amount of the liquid part of the blood;
• the use of drugs that remove trace elements from the body;
• administration of blood and plasma preparations;
• alcoholic liver damage;
• varicose veins;
• thrombophlebitis;
• hyperthermia;
• pregnancy;
• diabetes;
• smoking, especially perennial;
• violation of the formation of the correct arch of the foot;
• intoxication;
• poisoning;
• bites of poisonous insects;
• pathology of the central nervous system;
• trauma.

The pathogenesis of the development of spasms of the calf muscles depends on the cause that caused them. A common factor contributing to the appearance of a painful spasm is a violation of nerve conduction in the zone of innervation.

Low blood calcium leads to insufficient transmission speed electrical impulse at neuromuscular junctions. Calcium is a natural signal speed enhancer. Insufficient calcification of the blood serum leads to the leaching of calcium from the bones of the skeleton. The thinning of the bone tissue makes the usual muscular efforts in this part of the body excessive in relation to it.

Dehydration is dangerous state for any age and gender. In childhood, an insufficient amount of fluid in the body leads to impaired nerve conduction not only in the striated muscles of the skeleton, but also in the heart. Often, dehydration in young children quickly leads to death, as the heart cannot cope with thickened blood. For an adult, blood clotting does not lead to tragedy quickly. However, a small amount of the liquid part of the blood - plasma, makes the heart work hard, blood stagnates in the lower body. Edema appears, which may be accompanied by cramps in the calf muscles.

Uncontrolled and thoughtless use of diuretic (diuretic) drugs, which, together with excess fluid, remove potassium, calcium often leads to cramps in the calf muscles. A special role in the occurrence of seizures is played by an insufficient amount of magnesium not only in the blood plasma, but also deposited in the tissues of the body.

Magnesium can be excreted from the body while taking diuretics or not absorbed enough from food. This occurs during treatment with enveloping and antacid drugs. In order to avoid such a result, it is necessary to simultaneously prescribe the introduction of microelements into the body to compensate for losses.

It is for this reason that we must remember that self-medication is unacceptable. Only a doctor should prescribe any medication!

Alcoholic destruction of the liver contributes to the violation of hematopoiesis and blood destruction, blood circulation through main vessels. These disorders lead to insufficient blood supply to the lower body, which increases congestion, impaired nerve conduction.

During pregnancy, the lack of calcium is especially pronounced. Pregnant women often complain of discomfort caused by cramps in the calf muscles. Also, in the last stages of pregnancy, circulatory disorders appear, which contributes to spasm of muscle groups.

Diabetes mellitus leads to a persistent violation of the peripheral blood supply, especially to the lower extremities. Violations of the absorption of nutrients from the blood in diabetes mellitus lead to irreversible consequences for the vascular wall, nerve endings. The lower extremities may lose sensation, which leads to periodic spasms of the calf muscles.

Regular intake of nicotine into the blood poisons the body, and the action occurs at the level of the small vascular network of capillaries. Often smokers with experience complain of convulsive pain in the calf muscles. This is due to the loss of elasticity of the vascular wall, increased permeability, and malnutrition of the tissues of the gastrocnemius muscle.

Injuries, flat feet physically interfere with the normal flow of blood into muscle tissue. Constant muscle tension or vasospasm, compression of nerve fibers lead to cramps in the calf muscles. They can occur periodically or annoy the patient at night.

Intoxication, poisoning do not always lead to nervous or vascular disorders. However, some poisonous substances have a predominantly nerve-paralytic or spastic effect. This can be expressed at the level of convulsions of any muscle group, including the calf.

Diseases of the central nervous system can be expressed in the blocking of the nerve signal in the muscle fibers. These pathologies can be of tumor origin, which affect certain brain structures responsible for movement. This may be a stroke or ischemia of the structures that coordinate the blood supply or innervation of muscle groups.

Other causes or a combination include many factors such as:

• temperature changes, such as taking contrast showers or baths;
• excessive body weight;
• stress, including physical;
• long stay in an uncomfortable position.

All of the above reasons, their combinations lead to cramps in the calf muscles. Often there is a nocturnal form of manifestation of pathology.

Symptoms

It is customary to distinguish several clinical forms of convulsive contraction of muscle structures: spastic, clonic, tonic, partial, alcoholic, myoclonic. The form of manifestation depends on the cause of the convulsions, the level of the disorder, the muscle group that is affected by the convulsive changes.

Common subjective symptoms for any seizure are:

When a seizure occurs, the patient feels a sharp pain. It is acute, spastic in nature, some describe the sensation as from contraction by a foreign pressing object from the outside. Skin sensitivity is impaired. There comes a feeling of numbness, the ability to produce conscious movements of the limb is temporarily lost.

Movement of the legs in this state is difficult. Patients have a disturbed gait, there may be a violation of coordination, instability in a standing position. They take a forced position of the body until the moment when the convulsive sensation releases.

Extraneous sensations are present in most patients. It can be chaotic spasms, crawling, tingling or tingling sensations. Such manifestations are not always pleasant, they can be quite strong, cause discomfort after the seizure has passed.

Often such symptoms of seizures are accompanied by the course of epilepsy of various forms. The spasm can be of such strength that the patient loses consciousness from pain, faints, involuntary urination and defecation may occur.

Often convulsions are pursued at night. This is due to the fact that at night the control of the brain weakens, the muscles relax, the accumulated metabolic products irritate the fibers of the nervous network. After a spasm, a feeling of pain remains, often quite strong. For some patients, the pain after the attack is much more noticeable than the cramp itself. Muscles hurt after the disappearance of convulsive spasm because pathological decay products accumulate in them, blood stagnation occurs, the muscles do not receive sufficient nutrition.

Treatment

Help should begin with a thorough search for the cause and analysis of the frequency of occurrence of seizures, connection with provoking factors, concomitant diseases. In case of seizures, first aid must be provided:

Treatment should further include the rationalization of the diet. The inclusion in its composition of products rich in trace elements necessary for the normal functioning of neuromuscular synapses. These are vegetables, fruits, sea ​​kale, nuts, pectin products. It is especially important to introduce a sufficient amount of meat, liver, buckwheat, dairy and sour-milk products into the diet.

Physical activity must be brought into line with the needs and capabilities of the body. With their lack, this issue should be given increased attention, in the presence of excessive training or physical labor - reduce the intensity to reasonable limits. Bringing the weight to normal levels will also unload the calf muscles.

Pregnant women should pay special attention to the intake of calcium and magnesium from food. It is necessary to use cottage cheese, cheese, dairy products, nuts, bananas, fish, raisins, dried apricots, at the same time limit carbohydrates, sweets, salty foods.

Be sure to compensate for the lack of trace elements of potassium, calcium, magnesium due to vitamin-mineral complexes, which contain a balanced composition. These drugs are designed in such a way that the amount of vitamins and trace elements contributes to maximum absorption and be in a bioavailable form for integration into metabolic processes.

Treatment of convulsive tendency necessarily involves the treatment of underlying diseases in which convulsions are a secondary symptom. It is necessary to carry out therapy under the supervision of an endocrinologist in the presence of diabetes mellitus. A surgeon's consultation will help to establish varicose veins or thrombophlebitis. With these diseases, it is strictly forbidden to massage to relax the muscles that have been cramped. It is better to bandage the leg with an elastic bandage to provide correct pressure on the venous wall and normalization of blood flow.

Sometimes a person may feel sudden muscle spasms that cause severe pain. Some people experience convulsions on a daily basis. Home remedies can help deal with this phenomenon. But in order to prevent recurrence of seizures, it is important to completely change your lifestyle. Let's take a closer look at what calf cramps are, why they appear, and what to do when they make themselves felt.

Symptoms and types of seizures

Cramps in the calves have the following symptoms:

1. With tonic-clonic spasms, consciousness is suddenly lost, and the pupils become dilated. The convulsions last 10 seconds, the skeleton is tense, the eyes roll up. Then for another 40 seconds, the muscles of the body contract and relax sharply. At the end of the attack, the person falls asleep or feels a short-term stun. There may also be bloody foam flowing from the mouth, excessive salivation and biting of the tongue;
2. Myoclonic spasms affect the entire skeleton, facial muscles, or fingers. Most often they affect children and adolescents. During an attack, a person may be injured when falling;
3. With partial convulsive seizures, a person does not lose consciousness. During such convulsions, it reduces the calves of the legs, hands and face. The person feels pain and strong tension in the muscles.

Factors that cause seizures

If you have had calf cramps at least once, it is important to visit a neurologist, as they can indicate various serious and not very diseases.

The main causes of seizures:

1. Lack of vitamin D, magnesium and calcium;
2. Hypothermia of the legs or the whole body;
3. stressful situations;
4. Getting injured;
5. Inflammation in the body;
6. Varicose veins;
7. neurological problems;
8. Diseases of the thyroid gland;
9. Diabetes.

In addition to these factors, there are also such reasons for the development of seizures as too much excitement, stressful situations, electrolyte imbalance.

Having experienced the symptoms of seizures, you should immediately consult a doctor to determine the exact causes of this defect in the body.

An experienced specialist will find out why convulsions appear and prescribe the correct and effective treatment in a timely manner.

Muscle spasms in children

To identify why calf cramps occur in children, it is important to visit a pediatrician. The appearance of seizures are symptoms of a lack of calcium and vitamin D, the development of serious diseases or epilepsy.

Often cramps calves during sleep. In case of a cramp, it is necessary to rub the child's leg with a warming ointment. The kid should stand on his toes. Be sure the diet of children should consist of cottage cheese, hard cheeses, dried apricots, raisins. What to do in the future with repetition of seizures should tell the doctor. He may also prescribe medication.

How to take action to help yourself

When it reduces the calves of the legs, the question arises, what to do? First of all, it is important to do the following:

1. Ignoring the pain, you need to slowly pull the toes of the clamped leg towards you;
2. Feel or scratch the stiff muscles and rub the leg with strong movements;
3. You can also apply a warm mustard plaster to the convulsive place or send a hot shower to your leg, which your skin can endure.

Having provided first aid to yourself during an attack of spasm of the calf muscle, it is important to call a doctor. The specialist must determine why the convulsion occurred by carefully examining and questioning the patient.

Night cramps

If at night the legs are cramped, the person becomes scared, and he begins to think in panic what to do in such a situation. You need to calm down first! Then try to get up and walk barefoot on the floor. If the spasm has not passed, the legs can be lowered into a basin with hot water or treat them with a warming ointment and put on warm socks. The heat will quickly relieve the cramp. Additionally, you can drink hot tea or milk. When you go to bed, be sure to place your legs below the level of your head.

Traditional medicine and nocturnal leg cramps

To get rid of night cramps of the calf muscles, you can use the following traditional medicine recipes:

Identification of the causes of seizures

To diagnose serious diseases that reduce the calves of the legs, it is enough to check the pressure and take a blood test. In severe cases, the doctor may prescribe full examination of all organs, which will tell you exactly why seizures.

We treat seizures

Having determined why calf cramps occur, it is important to begin treatment. It is necessary not only to train the calf muscles, but also to eliminate the causes that cause convulsions.

Treating calf muscle cramps:

1. If the cause of convulsions is a disturbed mineral metabolism, the treatment will be to change the diet. That is, the patient should consume more foods rich in vitamins and minerals. In serious situations, the doctor is forced to resort to the introduction of special drugs into the body;
2. If the cause of convulsions is varicose veins, it is important to treat the vessels of the venous bed;
3. If the cause of seizures is epilepsy, anticonvulsant drugs are taken. For example, a doctor may prescribe a course of phenobarbital, phenytoin, valproic acid, or lamotrigine;
4. If the body does not receive enough oxygen to relieve the spasm, it is necessary to saturate the blood with oxygen by inhaling it through a special mask;
5. If spasms are provoked by malformations of the brain, anticonvulsants are used;
6. If the patient has suffered from meningitis, antibiotic therapy is performed to prevent the development of seizures;
7. To cope with febrile vascular spasms, it is necessary to take an antipyretic agent that will lower the high body temperature and normalize breathing;
8. With dehydration, convulsions are removed due to the infusion of fluid through the veins. It is important to normalize the volume of circulating blood;
9. In some situations, an experienced specialist to relieve spasms in the leg resorts to acupuncture. During this procedure, all needles must be carefully processed, and the doctor must know how and where to inject the needle.

Treatment and prevention of calf muscle cramps also include special massages that warm up the muscles and increase blood flow in them. To strengthen the muscles of the legs, it is useful to do gymnastics.

If necessary, the doctor may prescribe additionally, take medications that include calcium and vitamin D.

Preventive measures

To prevent the recurrence of calf muscle cramps, it is important to carry out prophylaxis, which consists in the following:

1. Change your menu. Eat fresh fruits and greens. To enrich the body with calcium, it is useful to feast on cottage cheese, cheese, other dairy products, and almonds. To make up for the loss of magnesium, walnuts, legumes and buckwheat are recommended for use. Potassium can be found in dried fruits, dried apricots, seeds, beets and garlic;
2. In addition to a proper and balanced diet, you can drink a vitamin-mineral complex;
3. In order to prevent leg cramps, on the recommendation of a doctor, special exercises are recommended;
4. To relieve pain and discomfort in the legs, you can resort to massage, which you can do yourself or visit a massage therapist;
5. Every day it is useful to walk on your heels for a couple of minutes.

Leg cramps are not dangerous. But, if spasms are repeated systematically, they can signal some kind of serious illness. In this case, why do seizures, the doctor should understand.

There are several versions causes of cramps in the calf muscle or in the thigh muscle. Western scientists, neurologists put forward their theory, according to which it is a protective mechanism of the body. A person may think that he is able to run at a distance of, for example, 10 kilometers. And the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe brain that is responsible for motor activity “asserts” that this person cannot run more than 5 kilometers. As a result, after the 5 kilometers set by the brain, even if a person believes that he has enough strength to run further, the brain sends a signal through the nervous system, ordering the muscle to contract. And as a result - calf muscle cramp.

Another version partially complements the first. It is based on the fact that the nerve impulse entering the calf muscles does not always go smoothly, sometimes they seem to “stumble”. This may be due to a lack of microelement salts (potassium, sodium) in the body. Since these substances are responsible for the passage of impulses, and if there is not the right amount of them, the impulse does not have enough “current”.

The disappearance of trace elements from the body is a rhetorical question. The modern world offers so many incomprehensible foods that it is simply difficult to find useful food there. Salts are washed out of the body along with the outgoing fluid, for example, sweat. Pregnant women are more prone to convulsions due to a lack of trace elements, since all the useful goes to the life support of the fetus.

Another version is based on the fact that cause of calf muscle cramps banal circulatory disorder. That is, the blood goes down the legs through the arteries, and must rise up through the veins. But due to the predominantly sedentary lifestyle and work of a modern person, this does not happen, there is not enough push to the "pump" that would drive the blood through the veins. This can also lead to varicose veins. If you do not stretch your stiff legs in time, then the result is the same - convulsions.

If the legs do not bring down often, literally once every couple of months, then this is not a reason for concern and upholstering the thresholds of clinics. This can be banal fatigue and here you just need to give your legs a rest, for example, raise them above your head. But if this begins to happen more often, then it is worth considering and running to the doctor. Because it could be a sign of a disease. By the way, do not pay attention to cramps that occur in cold water. They carry only the danger of drowning (which should not be forgotten), but are not a sign of a disease. This is due to vasospasm with a sharp change in temperature, there is a violation of blood flow and convulsions.

Treating calf cramps

Deal with what's coming calf muscle cramp possible in different ways. A pin will also help if you stick it into the contracted muscle. It is only worth remembering that the needle may be non-sterile, and there is a risk of piercing some large vessel. Throwing your feet on the wall and just relaxing will help. But this technique will not work with a severe cramp, because it is difficult to relax with severe pain. And it’s not so easy to do this during the day, in an office environment, for example. A simple massage can be a more effective method, because the most important thing when a cramp occurs is to warm up the “problem” muscle. It is also helpful to do stretching exercises.

On the onset calf muscle cramps the most important thing is to restore normal blood circulation in the problem area as soon as possible And not to panic. And try to do something to "let go of the leg."

Night cramps of the calf muscles - the causes of this phenomenon are often hidden in the irritation of the nerve roots as a result of the natural aging of the vertebral bodies. By themselves, such convulsions are not dangerous, however, if they are repeated regularly and for no reason, then you need to think about it, since this may indicate certain diseases. Thanks to a visit to the doctor, you can understand the reasons for calf cramps at night.

calf cramp at night- this is an infrequent phenomenon, but it can bring significant discomfort to a person. This often happens to older people and pregnant women. The fact that a cramp is approaching can be recognized by severe pain in the calf and muscle. Subsequent muscle contractions are also painful and unpleasant, and they can appear in the calf itself, and also spread to the foot. During a cramp, it is problematic to touch the leg, because piercing pain occurs anywhere. In healthy people, this phenomenon is often provoked by a long stay of the leg in the same position, after some time spasms begin. Such cramps are not dangerous, as a rule, they are not frequent, they pass quickly if you rub your leg. And if they occur frequently, without special reasons, then the body may be exposed to any serious disease. The most dangerous are convulsions in the water.

What causes cramps in the calf muscles?

this phenomenon may occur due to excess lactic acid that has not had time to transform; disturbances in blood circulation to the leg muscles;

The response of the human nervous system to a long uncomfortable posture.

How can I eliminate cramps in the calf muscles at night? Treatment of muscle spasms.

Treatment for calf cramps will depend on their cause.. Infrequent, mild spasms can be left untreated at all, you just need to rub your leg and everything will pass. Sometimes you can use acupuncture - this helps with severe cramps, but it is preferable that this procedure is performed by a specialist who knows the correct points on the body to insert the needle. If spasms occur frequently, and they are very painful, they should be examined. Initially pay attention to the circulatory system, since in the case of narrowed or clogged vessels that create a deficiency of muscle oxygen, the problem must be eliminated.

If cramps occur due to a lack of calcium, then initially you need to drink a vitamin complex, as well as more often eat foods that contain this trace element (milk, vegetables, oatmeal, liver and fruits). If spasms persist, an in-depth neuropathological examination is recommended. In this case, the doctor may prescribe the following drugs: Quinine, Baclofen or Diazepam. Massage is also used to treat cramps, which promotes blood circulation in the calf muscle and improves oxygen supply.

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The majority of people with muscle cramps practically do not encounter, however, there are people who are systematically worried about this problem. You need to understand that the muscle hurts for a reason. Gastrocnemius muscle cramps can be cured, but a change in lifestyle will help get rid of the disease completely and prevent the further occurrence of cramps.

During a spasm of the calf muscles, the patient's leg muscle begins to contract sharply.

The muscle begins to contract due to the fact that from heaviness and fatigue, lactic acid accumulates in the muscle. In addition, there is a failure of blood circulation in the lower extremities, nerve dysfunction occurs, which begins when sitting or lying in an uncomfortable position.

The causes of calf muscle cramps can be very different. Some of them, which can occur in people of any age group, are listed below:

1. 1 A small volume of oxygen masses entering the limbs, or in other words - hypoxia.
2. 2 Any malformation in the development of the brain.
3. 3 Neuroinfectious diseases (meningitis, encephalitis, etc.).
4. 4 Lack of glucose and nutrients, calcium, magnesium in the blood.
5. 5 Injury to the child during childbirth.
6. 6 Injury to the brain, skull.
7. 7 Brain cancer or benign brain tumor.
8. 8 epileptic seizures.
9. 9 High temperature regime body.
10. 10 Difficult bearing of a child, gestosis.
11. 11 Poisoning the body with drugs.
12. 12 Impaired salt and fluid metabolism in the body.

It has also been established that the causes that cause cramps in the calf muscles may be hidden in human exposure to very bright light or very loud sounds. The calf muscle can also be reduced due to hereditary predisposition. The risks of development are higher in those people in whom one of the relatives experienced cramps in the calf muscles.

Types of pain

Seizures are divided into three types:

1. 1 Tonic-clonic.
2. 2 Myoclonic.
3. 3 Partial.

If cramps of the calf muscles occur at night, this phenomenon is erroneously called spasms - this is a pathological condition referred to in medicine as "myoclonus". During this attack, spasm occurs, but it does not provoke fainting. Scientists have proven that "myoclonus" develops due to negative changes that have occurred in the extrapyramidal part of the brain and due to a decrease in the level of calcium in the blood. Spasms at night, occurring at least once every 30 days, are a harbinger of the development of the disease. For example, if spasms systematically occur at night in women, then this may indicate the development of varicose veins or calcium deficiency in them.

When cramps develop while the legs are in cold water, this indicates that vasoconstriction or overstrain occurs as a result of exposure to the muscles of a very low temperatures. Often the legs are cramped from cold water in people who lack calcium, or in people with any pathologies of the spine. The muscles of the legs can reduce due to excessive physical exertion. During the period of sports, a person sweats and there is a loss of potassium and calcium, as a result of which cramps of the calf muscles appear. Spasm can also occur during the night's rest. This happens due to the fact that a person lies in an uncomfortable position, and when changing position, the muscle suddenly tenses, which ultimately leads to a spasm of this muscle group.

Therapy of the disease

And there was pain in the calf muscles? Cramping and pain can be symptoms of varicose veins. Usually, cramps are not the only symptom of varicose veins, they are accompanied by other phenomena:

• pain sensations;
• puffiness;
• violation of blood flow in the veins of the lower extremities.

It helps very well with a spasm an injection with a needle into the muscle that has cramped. But only a person who knows a lot about this business can give an injection. The needle is injected into special points, and not just anywhere. Doctors do not advise injecting the muscle on their own, as in this case there is a risk of infection through the injection, which will provoke the development of a serious complication, an infectious disease. In addition, by making an injection on your own, you can disrupt the nerves and blood vessels that are located on the lower extremities close to the skin.

The main reason why the disease occurs is congestion of blood in the lower extremities, as well as a violation of the metabolic process of calcium and sodium, which occurs in muscle tissue.

Muscles are excited when there is a deficiency of potassium ions. A person has a feeling of weakness in the calf muscles, general fatigue of the body, and as a result, convulsions develop, the muscles twitch, and the feet contract spasmodically. Development usually occurs during a night's rest. This happens due to the fact that during sleep, the limbs are in a stationary state or in an uncomfortable position for a long time, as a result of which venous blood flow is disturbed and convulsions occur. Doctors recommend doing prophylaxis - this will not allow new seizures to appear. It is very good to do a therapeutic massage of the lower extremities, as it warms up the muscles and improves blood flow. Physical education helps to avoid the development of seizures. In addition, the diet should be adjusted. The diet should include:

• dairy products;
• fruit products;
• vegetable products;
• porridge from oats.

You can not deprive the body of vitamins and nutrients. You should drink vitamin D, calcium. These elements normalize the level of calcium in the blood, which reduces the likelihood of developing cramps in the calf muscles. The development of seizures can be a sign of the presence of a serious pathology, therefore, as soon as the first symptoms are detected, you should consult a doctor who will conduct an examination and, if necessary, prescribe the correct therapy.

First aid

A slight cramp can be removed with a massage of the calf muscle. It is necessary to gently rub the muscle, this will increase blood flow, and the pain should stop. You can quickly remove the symptoms by pulling the big toe towards you. You can also relieve pain by gently and slowly shifting from foot to foot. Strong and prolonged convulsions are more difficult to remove. In this case, a hot heating pad applied to the muscle can help. If symptoms persist, an ambulance should be called.

Symptoms in pregnant women and children

The development of cramps in the calf muscles can develop in a woman carrying a child. This happens in the 2nd and 3rd trimester, since during this period the weight of the woman increases and the load on the legs increases. In addition, the balance of micro- and macroelements is disturbed in a pregnant woman, which also provokes pain in the calf muscles. All this leads to venous congestion in the legs, and a woman may experience pain both at night and during the day. In addition, during childbearing, there is a decrease in the function of the parathyroid glands, which are responsible for the regulation of calcium in the blood. Naturally, because of this, the ratio of magnesium and calcium is disturbed - convulsions occur. A pregnant woman may suffer from pain due to the fact that she does not have enough glucose in her body. A woman must eat right. It is recommended to include in the daily menu:

• beans;
• buckwheat;
• beets;
• walnuts;
• dried apricot;
• cheese products;
• curd products.

If a child systematically develops spasms of the calf muscles at night, you need to visit a pediatrician as soon as possible. Convulsions in children can be evidence of a lack of vitamin D and calcium in the body. It is important to consult a doctor, as they can be a symptom of the development of such a serious disease as epilepsy. You can notice seizures in a child during sleep. They arise spontaneously. As a first aid, you can try to rub the leg with a special warming ointment and ask the baby to stand on his toes, on his toes. It is good for the child to step from foot to foot. The nutrition of the baby should be balanced. Every day the child should be given:

• dried apricot;
• hard cheeses;
• raisin;
• curd products.

If a child has a cramp in the calf muscle, this signals that it is necessary to consult a doctor. Timely prescribed correct treatment will help to avoid the development of negative consequences and health problems. In no case should you self-medicate, because, as already mentioned, a cramp can be a symptom of development dangerous pathology. The only true solution is a visit to a practitioner who can correctly determine the causes of the problem and prescribe the right treatment.

Sometimes during training, your calves can cramp. What to do in such a situation and how to prevent it? You will find the answer in our article!

Often during training, the calf muscle cramps. Sometimes the pain is so unbearable that you have to stop training to rest and perform recovery exercises. What to do if it reduces the calf muscle and how to prevent it?

A cramp is an attack of involuntary muscle contraction, which is accompanied by their strong tension. According to statistics, about 75% of people suffer from leg cramps, some have isolated cases, some suffer from calf muscle cramps all the time. If spasms occur, you should immediately consult a doctor to find out the causes and treat this condition.

Why do seizures occur?

There are cramps due to physical exertion, especially if they were sudden and too much, thermal exposure (cold water), some people experience cramps even with a sudden change in weather.

Also, seizures can occur when a person undergoes any physiological changes (pregnancy, puberty, menopause). Biological restructuring causes a change in the level of many substances in the blood, such as sodium, potassium, calcium. Seizures sometimes accompany damage to the nervous system and stress.

A change in diet can also trigger this condition, and cramps are often experienced by those who abuse alcohol.

Seizures can be a manifestation of diseases such as spasmophilia, eclampsia, epilepsy, trauma and brain tumors, inflammation.

Since the causes of seizures can be serious illness, if this disease occurs, you should consult a doctor.

Cramps of the calf muscles

It is not uncommon for cramps in the calves to come on in the morning when stretching in bed. There may be several reasons for this: lack of calcium, potassium and magnesium, varicose veins, flat feet. In athletes, cramps can occur due to heavy physical exertion and muscle fatigue. Stress, overweight and a sedentary lifestyle also cause cramps in the calf muscles.

During exercise, cramps can occur for the following reasons:

• along with sweat, water leaves the body, which washes out potassium and calcium;
• insufficient warm-up;
• large volume of training;

What to do if it reduces the calf muscle?

If in the gym you feel that your leg is cramping, your actions should be aimed at improving blood circulation to the reduced muscle. Squeeze the muscle strongly, and for 15-20 seconds, press into its central part with your index finger. Breathe deeply during this.

Spasm of the lower body can be relieved by strongly squeezing (without sharp pain) the middle of the lower lip for 30 seconds.

Also, during a cramp, you can do a massage that will relax the spasmodic muscle, improve blood circulation and relieve spasm.

To quickly relieve pain during a spasm, you should stretch the reduced muscle. To do this, you can use the following exercise: stand facing the wall at a distance of one step, feet slightly more than shoulder width apart. Place your hands above your head and rest against the wall. Take small steps back, keeping your feet off the floor. Pull back until you feel a stretch in your calf muscles.

Stretching should not feel uncomfortable, so stop as soon as you start to feel pain, stay in this position for 30 seconds. To make the cramp pass faster, rub and pinch the reduced muscle.

Three ways to relieve a cramp are demonstrated in the following video by Dr. Agapkin.

Prevention of calf cramps

The most important point in preventing cramps and spasms is taking special supplements and reviewing the diet. As noted above, the lack of potassium, magnesium and calcium in the body provokes the occurrence of seizures. All this happens because a person often does not get food daily dose these substances. For those suffering from cramps, magnesium supplements or medications are recommended. Since this element is better absorbed in the presence of calcium, calcium supplements should also be taken in combination with vitamin D, which improves its absorption.

The diet should be rich in fresh fruits and herbs. Should be eaten daily natural springs calcium, magnesium and potassium. Drinking mineral water will also be beneficial.

• Calcium - milk, cottage cheese, cheese, almonds
• Magnesium - buckwheat, walnuts, legumes
• Potassium - dried apricots, raisins, beets, sunflower seeds, garlic.

How to treat leg cramps

Here are some treatment tips and videos on Dr. Evdokimenko's channel:

The first thing to do is to check the instructions for any medications you have been taking daily, for several months or years. Remember that many drugs (from cholesterol, from pressure, diuretics, hormones) have a side effect in the form of leg cramps. If your legs are cramping from drugs, it is advisable to change the drug.

If it's not about side effects drugs, we begin the phased treatment of leg cramps:

1st stage of treatment

Magnelis B6, or Magne B6, or Magnesium-plus B6, tablets. Buy from these drugs the one that will be cheaper. Adults take any of these drugs - 2 tablets 3 times a day, with meals and a glass of water - for 1 month.

IMPORTANT! These drugs should be discontinued immediately if symptoms of excess magnesium in the blood appear, such as: a strong slowing of the pulse (less than 60 per minute), double vision, a sudden rush of blood to the skin of the face, headache, a strong decrease in pressure, nausea, shortness of breath, blurred speech, vomiting, weakness, severe dizziness.

All this happens when taking magnesium infrequently, however, this must be remembered.

2nd stage of treatment

If, after a course of treatment with magnesium preparations, leg cramps did not stop, we proceed to injections with B vitamins. injections.

But if from 5-6 injections of milgamma or combilipen the legs do not feel better, then we stop these injections, and then proceed to the 3rd stage.

3rd stage of treatment

Calcium preparations, better in the form of carbonate (it is believed that it is better absorbed). For example, Complivit calcium D3. Or Calcium D3 - Nycomed. We buy from them the one that will be cheaper. Adults take:

• Complivit calcium D3 - 1 tablet 2 times a day, preferably with meals. The tablets are chewed or swallowed whole.
• Or use Calcium D3 - Nycomed: take 1 tablet of calcium D3 - Nycomed - forte daily or 2 tablets of regular calcium D3 - Nycomed.
• The course of treatment with calcium preparations is not longer than 1 month. Check contraindications!

4th stage of treatment:

Venotonics: Detralex, Phlebodia, Diosmin, Troxevasin capsules, Troxerutin.

Exercises to treat calf cramps

Certain physical exercises help fight as well as prevent calf cramps. Two types of exercises are used for this:

• exercises that are performed when a cramp occurs to relieve spasm and relieve pain;
• exercises that are performed to prevent seizures and reduce the frequency of their occurrence.

If the leg is cramped, massage and muscle stretching will help relieve pain and discomfort. To relieve spasm, the following exercises are suitable.

• Straighten your leg, place your foot so that the toe is turned towards the knee (for additional stretching of the flattened muscle, clasp the foot with your hands, pull the toe of the foot towards you).
• Walk on your heels for a few minutes.
• If cramps often reduce the leg, you should perform exercises three times a day aimed at preventing spasms of the calf muscle.
• Stand against the wall at a distance of about half a meter. Lean forward, stretch your arms and touch the wall, while the feet remain on the floor. Hold this position for a few seconds, relax. Do the exercise for five minutes.

To prevent cramps, a bodybuilder needs to eat right and take supplements with vitamins and minerals. If you take all the necessary measures for prevention, but convulsions still occur, be sure to contact a specialist.

Sudden muscle spasm contributes to severe pain. A cramp, in addition to the calf muscle, can sometimes reduce the muscles of the foot. Most people rarely experience muscle cramps, but some experience such discomfort regularly. Seizures can be managed with home remedies, and lifestyle changes can help prevent them.

During a calf cramp, a person experiences prolonged, excessive, and unusual muscle contractions. The cause of calf muscle cramps is an excessive accumulation of lactic acid in a muscle that is tired from work, blood circulation is difficult for some reason, nerve dysfunction caused by lying or sitting in an uncomfortable position. In addition, convulsions are a symptom that doctors of various specialties are afraid of, because convulsive syndrome is quite difficult to stop.

Causes of seizures

Causes that may contribute to the occurrence of seizures in different periods age, are quite diverse, here are some of them:

• Hypoxia - or insufficient amount of oxygen entering the body;
• Malformations of the brain;
• Encephalitis, and other neuroinfections;
• Low content of glucose, magnesium, calcium in blood serum;
• birth trauma in a newborn;
• Traumatic brain injury;
• brain tumors;
• Epilepsy;
• Fever, elevated body temperature;
• Gestosis (complication of the course of pregnancy);
• poisoning medicines;
• Violations in salt and water metabolism.

It is already known for sure that a very bright light or a loud sound can cause seizures. Hereditary predisposition can also significantly affect the occurrence of seizures. Individuals whose relatives have once experienced convulsive seizures are at a high risk of having such seizures.

Types of seizures

Seizures can be tonic-clonic, myoclonic and partial.

It is not necessary to call cramps of the calf muscles a spasm that often occurs during sleep. Such a pathology is better characterized by the term "myoclonus", when the muscles of the legs reduce spasm, not accompanied by loss of consciousness.

As scientists have found, with myoclonus, the muscles reduce due to a violation occurring in the extrapyramidal system of the brain and a reduced content of calcium in the blood serum. If muscle spasm occurs once every few months, then this may indicate the first symptoms of the disease: in women, for example, at night it can reduce the calf muscles with serum calcium deficiency, or with varicose veins of the lower extremities of the body. If a spasm of the calf muscles occurs in cold water, then this is due to the narrowing of the blood vessels in the event of exposure to low temperatures or overstrain of the muscle. Quite often, muscle contraction in cold water can be in people with insufficient calcium, or with a disease of the spine.

Muscles can contract during physical exertion, and this happens due to dehydration of the body and the loss of potassium and calcium along with sweat, in case of insufficient warm-up, increase in training volume, or when the muscle group is overstressed.

During sleep, spasms can occur when a person moves from one position to another. In this case, there is a sudden tension of a particular muscle group, leading to a spasm.

Treatment of calf muscle cramps

Cramps in the calf muscles are often symptoms associated with varicose veins, and quite rarely they occur in isolation, without being accompanied by other manifestations caused by a violation of the venous outflow of blood in the legs of a person, such as heaviness, pain, swelling, and so on.

During a spasm of the calf muscle, a needle prick will be a fairly effective tool, only a specially trained person should perform such a procedure - you need to know perfectly the location of the needle injection points. It is not recommended to do such an injection on your own, because. there is a high probability that pathogens can enter the body that can cause all kinds of infectious diseases. In addition, it is quite easy to damage the vessels and nerves located under the surface of the skin.

The main reason for the occurrence of convulsive contractions in the calf muscles are all kinds of sodium and calcium metabolism disorders that occur in muscle tissue, often due to blood stasis. When there is a deficiency in the supply of potassium ions, neuromuscular excitability appears. A person first of all develops weakness in the muscles, increased fatigue, and later on - cramps, muscle twitches and spastic contractions of the feet. Seizures most often occur at night, during sleep. The prolonged absence of any movement and work of the muscle pump, or the not very comfortable position of the leg - all this contributes to the disruption of normal venous blood flow.

Prevention of seizures is done in order to avoid the occurrence of a new attack. General massage helps a lot in preventing cramps, because. during it, all muscles are warmed up, increasing blood flow in the body. Physical exercise Helps strengthen cramped leg muscles. It is advisable to include vegetables in the diet, Dairy products, fruits, oatmeal, liver. It is recommended to take preparations containing calcium and vitamin D, which increases the calcium content in the blood and reduces convulsive manifestations along with neuromuscular excitability. Seizures can be the cause of metabolic disorders and tumor lesions of the nervous system and parathyroid endocrine glands. Therefore, if symptoms are detected, it is necessary to consult with your doctor.