Why does the legs cramp at night and how to heal

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Cramps at night are a common occurrence. The condition cannot be ignored, since it can be a harbinger of serious pathologies of internal organs. Therefore, it is important for everyone to know why the legs cramp at night and what to do to eliminate discomfort.

Types of leg cramps at night

In medicine, cramps are understood as involuntary contractions of the muscles (mainly striated) of the legs. They are paroxysmal in nature, differ in pronounced soreness.

There are several types, depending on the location and type of spasm:

1. Tonic type. This is observed in people if a person is in an uncomfortable position for a long time. As a result - impaired limb mobility, sharp, shooting pain.
2. Clonic seizures. This type of condition is much less likely to explain why the legs cramp at night, as it is the result of muscle strain, forced or accidental. This happens more often during the day, at night it is rather rare. Pain syndrome, as a rule, passes quickly and the answer to the question of what to do and what treatment is required is “nothing and nothing”. Clonic seizures go away on their own.
3. Localized type. The cramps involve a specific muscle, not a group.
4. Generalized type. The consequence of pathological damage to the muscular system of the lower limb. Pain in this case can be observed for a long period of time.
5. A particular type of seizure is caused by one cause or another. To draw up a holistic diagnostic picture, the doctor must understand all aspects of the pathological condition.

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Why does it bring legs down at night

There are many reasons for the appearance of convulsive syndrome. Most often, it affects adult patients, but medicine is also known for cases when involuntary muscle contraction of the lower extremities was diagnosed in children.

Among the reasons, experts call chronic diseases of the musculoskeletal system. For example, with a hernia of the spine, there is a violation of the blood circulation of the lower extremities, the tissues and muscular apparatus do not receive enough oxygen and nutrients.

That is why, with this pathology, the legs cramp. And what to do in this case should be decided exclusively by a specialist. Self-treatment threatens the development of dangerous consequences. Especially if the hernia has reached the stage of protrusion or even prolapse.

During pregnancy, the legs also cramp and there are several reasons for this:

1. Lack of minerals.
2. Iron deficiency anemia.
3. Varicose veins.
4. Compression of the vena cava.
5. Decreased glucose concentration.

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The answer to the question of what to do will be several recommendations: contact the gynecologist leading the pregnancy, adjust the diet and lifestyle.

The child may also have leg cramps at night. And the main reasons are:

1. Excessive physical activity.
2. Flat feet.
3. Oxygen starvation of leg tissues.

Often, convulsions occur against a background of high temperature, its jumps. This can disrupt the functioning of the brain. Therefore, every mother should know what to do in case of a condition.

First aid for leg cramps at night

The pain that a person experiences during the contraction of the muscles of the lower extremities can be pronounced. This negatively affects your well-being, so it is important to know what can be done to eliminate the condition:

1. Massage your legs or rotate your feet several times.
2. Arrange warm foot baths with the addition of sea salt.
3. If convulsions occur against the background of an elevated temperature in a child, an ambulance should be called immediately. The same recommendation is relevant for patients with a diagnosed spinal hernia.

The further state of health directly depends on how quickly and efficiently the first aid will be provided. If the seizures are frequent, the visit to the doctor should not be postponed.

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Treatment of leg cramps with folk remedies

After it is precisely established why the legs cramp at night, they begin to treat the disease. The use of folk remedies is also permissible. What you can do:

1. Consume honey (1 tsp) every morning. You should first make sure that there is no allergic reaction to this product.
2. Reception of echinacea tincture according to the instructions. It is important to remember that such manipulation is prohibited for boys who have entered puberty due to a high risk of developing infertility.
3. Tea made from chamomile and birch buds helps to saturate the body with minerals, cleanse blood vessels and kidneys.
4. Mustard oil massage.
5. Applying laurel oil to areas of the legs, in which convulsive syndrome is most often noted.

Any of the recommendations should not be construed as the only one possible. In the absence of objections from the attending physician, contraindications to at least one ingredient, folk remedies can complement the main therapy.

Treatment with drugs

In adult patients, after establishing why the legs cramp at night, complex therapy is carried out. The doctor will explain what can and cannot be done. What is suggested most often to treat:

1. Venotonic drugs. Helps eliminate acute attacks of pain. Not accepted independently.
2. Anesthetics. Recommended for cases where seizures are recurrent.
3. Anticonvulsant ointments. The main groups of drugs prescribed for convulsive syndrome are given. If the condition develops against a background of chronic diseases, symptomatic therapy will be required.

Prophylaxis

In order to prevent the development of spasms, it is recommended to take foods that contain a large amount of potassium - dried fruits, seafood, citrus fruits. In general, food should be varied, saturating the body with important elements. In addition to preventive measures, include:

• wearing shoes at low speed;
• regular exercise;
• massaging the feet after heavy loads;
• exclusion of dehydration.

Seizures are a painful phenomenon that can signal the development of dangerous pathologies. If they are observed systematically, a doctor's consultation is required.