Cramps in the calf muscles at night treatment. Cramping of the calf muscles at night. Spasmodic contractions of the leg muscles with varicose veins

Sudden muscle spasm contributes to severe pain. Convulsions, in addition to 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 cramps in the calf muscle 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

The reasons that can contribute to the appearance of seizures at different periods of 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);
Drug poisoning;
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 lower extremities 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 temperature 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, increased training volume, or excessive stress on this muscle group.

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 quite 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 that can cause all kinds of infectious diseases will enter the body. 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 sorts 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 in the future - 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 to strengthen the muscles of the legs prone to spasms. It is desirable to include vegetables, dairy products, fruits, oatmeal, liver in the diet. 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 cause metabolic disorders and tumor lesions nervous system and parathyroid endocrine glands. Therefore, if symptoms are detected, it is necessary to consult with your doctor.

About why sudden and sharp pain can occur in the calf muscles, told neurologist at Polyclinic No. 3 Irina Tsyzyrova.

Twists because...

Almost all people at least once in their lives have experienced convulsive muscle contraction. This happens especially often at night. Painful spasms that last from a few seconds to a few minutes are called Crumpy's syndrome.

Most often they develop in the muscles of the foot and lower leg, less often in the muscles of the shoulder or the extensors of the fingers. As a rule, short-term convulsions are not dangerous. The main cause of convulsive contraction of one muscle or entire groups is the insufficiency of local blood circulation and muscle strain against the background of high physical activity.

People who play sports or visit regularly gym, the cause of seizures may be a lack of salts: due to increased sweating, they have disturbances in the water-electrolyte balance. Long-term non-physiological muscle tension in diseases of the spine and joints, alcohol abuse, smoking and chronic sleep deprivation, and excessive use of drugs can provoke night cramps of the limbs. Often, the muscles of the hands reduce when performing monotonous monotonous movements, for example, while working at a computer.

If convulsions are long and frequent, then this can be a manifestation of serious diseases - lesions of the peripheral nervous system (osteochondrosis, poliomyelitis, myositis), central nervous system, internal organs, muscle diseases, endocrine diseases, iron deficiency, hypokalemia (occurs with the abuse of diuretics and hormonal drugs).

And don't be nervous!

There are several types of nocturnal leg cramps.

Tonic (when the muscles are fixed in the wrong position for a sufficiently long period of time from four minutes or more, this limits the movement of the limbs and brings significant pain).

Clonic (convulsions in which there is a delay in specific muscle groups, last a few seconds).

Localized (a cramp is observed in a certain muscle, and the pain is fixed in this place, other muscles are not affected).

Generalized (the entire muscular system of the limb undergoes a cramp, this, as a rule, indicates the manifestation of a more serious disease).

To get rid of this scourge, you must stop smoking and do not abuse alcohol. Constantly do gymnastics and rub your legs (if there are no varicose veins). Try to enrich your daily diet with food with calcium, potassium and magnesium. Do not overload your legs, especially if

you are over 40 years old. Try to take contrast foot baths every evening, take enough time for a good, restful sleep, and succumb to stressful situations as little as possible.

Attention!

First aid

If the cramp happened at night, you need to sit up in bed, stretch your leg with spasm as much as possible and pull the foot towards you.

Do a calf massage. Good massage with noble laurel oil helps.

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 spasm also brings quite painful sensations. 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 in the following way: 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 on sports grounds, is not entirely correct. 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:

Hypothermia - here the risk factor is not only cold water, but also corny insufficiently warm shoes
Incorrectly selected shoes - at this point, you should pay attention to the shoes that you use in Everyday life
– deformation of the main arch of the foot leads to an incorrect redistribution of the load on the muscles of the legs
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
Lack of essential trace elements for the body
Stressful condition - often causes muscle tension, leading to convulsions
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 need to consult with a qualified specialist who will be able to 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:

Leg vein problems varicose veins legs)
Inflammatory processes in the body
Injuries received, not fully healed
Problems at work thyroid gland
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 your calf muscles Special attention focusing on 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 correct selection 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 contrast baths for legs. 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.

Fulfill simple complex exercises to strengthen ligaments:

Toes on yourself, hold for 10 seconds in this position, then straighten. Do this exercise several times
Get up as high as possible on your toes, and then drop sharply. Perform within 45-60 seconds
Light, jumping movements on the toes

Conclusion

You should also pay special attention to your diet. The occurrence of seizures usually leads to a lack in the body of trace elements such as,.

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

For athletes and people actively involved in sports and physical education, 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!

Sincerely, Vladimir Manerov

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Cramps can occur in any part of the body where there are muscles. But in this article, we will discuss why cramping the calf muscles at night or during the day, as well as the causes, treatment and prevention of this condition.

First, a little theory so that everyone understands how and why painful muscle spasms develop. Muscles have two states: relaxed and contracted. A spasm is the transition of a muscle into a contracted state. Muscles are relaxed when all their fibers are stretched. When a muscle performs work, calcium enters the muscle cells, and sodium leaves the cell, which causes the fibers to contract, the muscle stretches and does its job. This is not a problem in the short term when the muscle is doing what it's supposed to do. But when the muscle remains contracted without doing work, sharp and intense pain occurs.

Why cramps the calf muscles at night?

Before we learn about the treatment of calf cramps at night, let's talk about their causes. The main mechanism of convulsive syndrome is a decrease in the supply of oxygen to the tissues. When muscle work outstrips blood flow and oxygen supply, the muscles contract. This does not occur in the normal condition of the legs, even with significant stress. But if the blood supply to the leg muscles is compromised, namely by the buildup of cholesterol plaques in the arteries, the muscles will spasm.

Cramping of the calves during exercise or walking is called lameness, which indicates the presence of peripheral arterial disease. But this condition is usually active time days. Sometimes, during yawning or stretching, spasms of the abdominal muscles can develop! During sleep, the muscles don't do any work.

Why does it cramp the calf muscles of the legs at night? Basically, the cause of cramps in the calf muscles at night is an imbalance in the body.

An imbalance can manifest itself due to a violation of the water-electrolyte balance with severe sweating during overheating, high body temperature, and uncontrolled use of diuretics.

Why does he cramp his legs at night? Effects

Imagine waking up in the middle of the night with sudden, severe cramps in your calf muscles. This pain is so intense that you scream and cry.
Your screams wake up a loved one who is nearby.
Cramps in the feet and legs at night can completely drive away your sleep and cause insomnia.
The next morning you will wake up with nagging pains in your legs that will disrupt your ability to work and mood, possibly for the whole day.

This is how patients describe their symptoms when seeking medical help. 50% of the adult population experienced such discomfort. let's discuss calf muscle cramps at night, causes and treatment this state in more detail.

Explicit causes of nocturnal cramps in the calf muscles are often absent. Painful contractions in the legs, feet, and toes can come and go suddenly with little muscle tension. Here are the main complaints that patients suffering from leg cramps at night make: involuntary spasms in the muscles of the legs that occur throughout the entire leg, including the foot, sudden, acute, sometimes lasting for several minutes, often occur during a night's sleep.

Medicine is still not entirely clear why cramps cramp calves at night. Therefore, such muscle spasms are often called idiopathic. This means that the patient has no apparent reason for the occurrence of such a condition. However, the most common known causes for chronic leg cramps are:

It is important to know if you suffer from any of these risk factors for calf cramps. Then it will be much easier to cure the disease.

If you do not have reasons for the development of convulsive syndrome in the legs, then you need to go a slightly different path. Unfortunately there is currently no curative treatment muscle spasms in the legs. In the past, patients were offered various vitamin complexes, eating bananas, etc., but all these recommendations turned out to be ineffective. The formerly used quinine is now banned due to its high toxicity compared to its benefits.

Why do calf cramps become more frequent at the age of 50?

In old age, metabolic restructuring begins due to a decrease in hormonal levels. This leads to the fact that calcium is “washed out” of bone structures and muscle cells. Calcium is an element responsible for the contractile stability of muscles. Naturally, with its intracellular deficiency, the risk of convulsive spasms sharply increases. Therefore, nocturnal leg cramps in the elderly, causes, treatment have one goal of restoring calcium balance. How to do this, read on.

Cramps of the calf muscles at night - causes and treatment

We have already analyzed the causes of muscle spasms. So far, no specific therapy has been found for this condition, but there are several ways to manage seizures; however, as always, be sure to discuss these with your doctor:

Do some light exercise before bed (such as a few minutes on the treadmill or stationary bike)
Stretching exercises and massage before bed
Avoid diuretics (as well as caffeine and alcohol, which cause dehydration)
Use magnesium supplements (but be careful not to overdo it as magnesium can be toxic in overdose)
Vitamin B12 (if you are deficient in this vitamin)
You can try muscle relaxants (mydocalm)
Drugs that affect neuropathic pain (eg, gabapentin)
Calcium channel blockers (often used to treat hypertension and migraine). However, these drugs can cause hypotension and other unwanted effects.
To correct water and electrolyte imbalances, drink enough water during intense physical activity. Calcium can be replenished by taking calcium and magnesium supplements. But if you prefer natural remedies, then light sesame oil is best for you. Sesame oil contains the highest amount of calcium of any food known to us. You don't like butter? Then eat more cottage cheese and other dairy products!

Fast relief for leg cramps

But if the calves of the legs cramp, what to do at that moment? Get up and walk barefoot. If this does not help, lower your legs very hot water, just do not burn yourself, please; or warm your feet in any other way. Usually, thermal procedures relieve cramps in the calf muscles fairly quickly. No need to prick muscles with needles, as some healers advise. It won't help! Drink hot tea or milk, wrap your legs warmer and try to keep them lower.

If the causes of leg cramps at night are over 50, then avoid the raised position of the legs. This disrupts the normal arterial blood supply to the muscles and spasms may occur. You can pour mustard into socks, which will warm the soles and relieve spasms in the muscles of the foot.

Most patients usually do not suffer from other diseases that could cause cramps in the calves. But with the frequent occurrence of seizures, still consult a doctor to do at least the most minimal research for your own peace of mind. Even a simple blood pressure check and blood test may be enough to determine if you have risk factors, have peripheral vascular disease, or if you have diabetes or an electrolyte imbalance.

We now know a lot about how cramps of the calf muscles occur at night, their causes and treatment are very numerous. And now let's digress and watch a funny cartoon about a resourceful vacuum cleaner from my favorite film studio!

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

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 on 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 the occurrence of residual pain in the legs after convulsions are cirrhosis of the liver, as well as an excess of lead in the human body.

Leg pain after calf cramp

One should understand and be able to distinguish between the normal causes of leg pain after calf cramps. 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 strain often lies in sudden movements in case of impossibility of fast stretching muscle fibers after the previous reduction. 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 expectant 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.

Standing on the floor, place your legs crosswise, and then lean on the edges of the feet. Stay in this position for ten seconds.
Bending your toes for ten seconds, straighten them for the same amount of time. Repeat the sequence three times.
Sit on a chair and, raising your legs, do a few circular motions feet.

What to do if cramped calf muscle?

Quite often when doing heavy physical work or during intense workout spasms 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 exercise,
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 of the nervous system,
stress,
alcohol abuse,
spasmophilia,
epilepsy,
brain injuries and tumors
inflammatory processes in the body,
phlebeurysm,
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 body, so this symptom should not be missed and, if it appears, you should immediately consult a doctor.

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.

The nature muscle contractions Seizures are divided into clonic and tonic.

Clonic convulsions are short-term contractions and relaxation of individual muscle groups that quickly replace each other.
Tonic convulsions - longer muscle contractions, as a result of which the limbs freeze in a forced position.
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.

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.

Secondary reasons:

Pregnancy - cramps occur in the second and third trimesters and are explained by increased body weight, which creates an additional load on the muscles of the legs.
Intensive physical exercises,
neurological diseases,
Liver disease, in which toxins enter the bloodstream, accumulate and provoke muscle spasm.
Some bacterial infections, such as tetanus,
Poisoning and dehydration.

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 acute pain, which is so severe 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:

Change in diet.

The diet should include a large amount 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.

Reception of vitamin and mineral complexes.

Special exercises for the prevention of calf muscle cramps.

Massage to relieve pain and discomfort.

Walking on heels daily for a few minutes.

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 also 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 the narrowing of blood vessels under the influence of low temperature. And in women, during sleep, cramps of the lower extremities can 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, thyroid lesions, 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 unpleasant sensations localized on the back of the lower 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 a variety of 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. Often calf cramps appear at night, disturbing the calm course 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.

Spasms 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 cramps in the legs 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 the implementation of all the recommendations did not give a positive result and the convulsions return 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 a 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.

It usually cramps the leg when entering ice water, at which time the blood vessels constrict 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 washing out of potassium and calcium 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 position.

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 a 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 can 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 of the venous outflow of blood in the legs is manifested, in addition, by heaviness, pain, and 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?

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.
You can massage the muscles.
It is recommended to relieve spasm of the lower extremities for 30 seconds to squeeze the lower lip.
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 as preventive measures to reduce the frequency of seizures.

The following movements relieve spasm:

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.
Walking on heels for at least 5 minutes.
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:

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.
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.
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 can refer a small patient to a specialist (with 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 a child attends 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:

News healthy lifestyle life by giving up bad habits.
Give yourself a moderate amount of physical activity every day, giving up too intense leg exercises.
The bed should be comfortable, allowing the limbs to be slightly elevated.
Do foot baths. For example, for this you can take 5 liters of water and dissolve sea salt in it (5-6 tablespoons)
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.
Walk in comfortable and loose shoes, excluding high-heeled shoes.
With varicose veins, it is recommended to wear compression underwear (stockings or pantyhose).
Take a multivitamin with minerals. Calcium and vitamin D are needed to reduce seizures.

Food should contain all the necessary vitamins and minerals. 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?

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:

Hypothermia - here the risk factor is not only cold water, but also corny insufficiently warm shoes
Incorrectly selected shoes - at this point, you should pay attention to the shoes that you use in everyday life
Flat feet - deformation of the main arch of the foot leads to an incorrect redistribution of the load on the muscles of the legs
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
Lack of essential trace elements for the body
Stressful condition - often causes muscle tension, leading to convulsions
Pregnancy is a purely female “problem”, accompanied by an increased load on the legs

Leg vein problems (leg varicose veins)
Inflammatory processes in the body
Injuries received, not fully healed
Problems in the thyroid gland
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

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.

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:

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

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, nature of the manifestation and 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, clearly expressed pain syndrome, involuntary contractions are observed, then this is a tonic spasm. 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. 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 the traditional reasons why 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 in nature, the following can serve as probable causes of occurrence:

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. a sharp drop in 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 fix this unpleasant symptom special treatment is required, but the appearance of muscle spasms should not be ignored. Decreased appetite, toxicosis, vomiting are phenomena characteristic of the first trimester, which explain why the calf muscle reduces at night.

Carrying 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.