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How to deal with leg cramps. Leg cramps at night: causes and treatment

Almost all of us have experienced leg cramps at least once. It seems as if someone is squeezing the leg muscles with force and trying to turn them inside out. Spasms cause severe pain and discomfort - there is no strength to put up with and endure it! After all, this state can last from several seconds to several minutes. Usually this is a one-time unpleasant event, but quite frequent, sudden seizures also occur. There are people who have night cramps calf muscles- this is a regular occurrence.

There is a long list of causes of seizures, from the most harmless to the most dangerous.

Legs can cramp for various reasons:

Muscle fatigue. Sometimes, it is muscle strain due to excessive physical activity, muscle injury or lack of physical activity during long period time, causes convulsions. Most often they occur during sleep, when the muscle begins to relax.

Staying in an uncomfortable position for a long time. As a result, the muscle nerve is pinched in the muscle canal and a cramp occurs. Light massage relaxing the muscle and adopting a comfortable position usually solves this problem.

Dehydration.

Excess caffeine in the body. This can be solved by reducing the amount of coffee you drink daily. At the same time, you should reduce your sugar intake.

Diseases nervous system And nervous tension. Sometimes stressful conditions can lead to involuntary contraction of the leg muscles (most often the calf muscles), resulting in leg cramps.

Pregnancy. During pregnancy, the load on the legs increases significantly. Therefore, it is not surprising that sometimes pregnant women experience leg cramps.

Taking a number of medications can cause leg cramps as a side effect (most often diuretic medications lead to such problems).

A deficiency of vitamins, minerals and trace elements can lead to disruption of muscle function, which often results in cramps. Most often, this is an insufficient level of magnesium, calcium, iron, glucose and potassium in the body.

Sudden changes in temperature or cold water and weather. In this regard, legs often cramp in stuffy saunas or cold pools. Another situation in which this painful phenomenon occurs is a cramp from hypothermia in winter or while swimming in cold water. This phenomenon is especially dangerous when swimming in a large body of water, when there are no people nearby who can provide assistance. Such convulsions do not mean that a person has any disease. The person suffering from a cramp should get out of the water, warm up and carefully massage the limb. And in general, regular massage is excellent remedy against the occurrence of seizures.

Excessive alcohol consumption.

Excess nicotine in the body. In this case, it is necessary to give up cigarettes or significantly reduce their use.

Leg cramps can act as a symptom of a number of diseases:

Venous insufficiency.

Flat feet.

Atherosclerosis and dysfunction lumbar region spine.

Various injuries, brain tumors, epilepsy, neurological diseases. To treat these diseases, it is necessary to contact the appropriate specialized specialists. Night leg cramps disappear after treatment of the disease identified by the doctor.

In more serious cases, seizures are an indicator of certain kidney disease.

Age-related changes that cause the tendons of the legs to become shorter.

In any case, frequent sudden seizures are a reason to consult a doctor for examination and prescribing appropriate treatment. As for the precisely established lack of microelements - potassium and calcium, it is worth increasing the diet of cheeses, cottage cheese, apples, bananas, dried apricots, and paying attention to vitamin preparations.

How to deal with leg cramps

Frequent occurrence of leg cramps, of course, is not the norm, so they need to be dealt with. Pay attention to preventive measures, which include: proper nutrition; regular moderate physical exercise; stretching exercises; regular medical examinations.

Taking a simple and cheap medicine called Asparkam helps a lot. The drug is rich in magnesium and potassium!

Let's talk about what else you can do to get rid of this unpleasant phenomenon

Treatment of night leg cramps with glycerin

Glycerin is a clear liquid that is used as a plasticizing agent in the making of soap and other personal care products. You can buy a bottle of glycerin at any pharmacy.

How to use:

Rub it over the muscles of your legs, just like you would when using a moisturizing lotion. They say that after such procedures, cramps will no longer bother us.

Glycerin is probably the easiest way to eliminate nighttime leg cramps. How effective is it? Let's see!

Epsom salt:

Epsom salt is beneficial for the body as a whole and also treats muscle cramps.

Place Epsom salts in a hot bath and stir well. Soak your feet in water for 20 minutes to relieve pain.

If you do not see any improvement the first time, repeat the procedure again the next day.

Tip: You can also use Epsom salt to treat heart problems, high blood pressure or in case of diabetes.

Yellow mustard:

It is full of magnesium and is therefore useful for treating leg cramps. Mustard is truly an amazing therapy. As a rule, you should take a couple of spoons of mustard, and then you can easily cope with leg cramps.

Mustard contains acetic acid, which is responsible for the production of acetylcholine in the body. This compound stimulates muscles to be active and keeps them healthy.

Acupuncture exercises

Anti-cramp exercise 1
To combat cramps in the calf muscle, carefully massage the sezan point located in the middle of the calf. Duration of massage is 2 minutes.

Anti-cramp exercise 2
The second point to act on acupressure- this is the “ityu” point, which is located in top edge caviar. It should be massaged for 2 minutes.

Anti-cramp exercise 3
The point in the middle of the popliteal cavity is the third point for acupuncture for two minutes.

Please note that to achieve a quick and maximum effect, the proposed small set of acupuncture exercises must be performed three times a day.

Treatment of seizures with decoction:

1 tbsp. oregano

1 tbsp. rosemary

1 tbsp. anise seeds

1 tbsp. carnations

Preparation: Mix the ingredients in two glasses of water and simmer over low heat. When about half a glass remains of the total amount, drink the liquid. It's best to do this before bed.

Leg cramps at night

At night, many processes in the body are felt more acutely: pain intensifies, anxiety torments, etc. Expert advice will help solve this problem.

Treatment of leg cramps that occur at night

To eliminate night cramps, you need to understand the reason that led to their occurrence.

If this is a one-time phenomenon, then you can take a warm foot bath with salt, massage your calves and feet, use a remedy that reduces muscle pain, for example, rub your feet with Baneocin, Apisatron, Menovazin, etc. A warming and analgesic effect is created by rubbing your feet with vodka or apple cider vinegar.

If there is a shortage of any components in the diet, you need to adjust your diet. It is good for your health to eat dairy products, eggs, vegetables, and cereals every day. It is advisable to eat nuts, prunes, dried apricots, and fresh berries more often. Doctors strongly advise taking vitamin and mineral complexes to compensate for the deficiency of vitamins and minerals in the autumn-winter season. The best solution to eliminate hypocalcemia in pregnant women and older patients, in which the cause of leg cramps at night is a deficiency of calcium and vitamin D, - Osteomid tablets, Osteomed Forte.

Varicose veins should be treated according to the recommendations given by a phlebologist, since the disease is associated with thrombophlebitis, and there is a threat of a blood clot breaking off and blocking a vessel. Antithrombotic ointments and gels are used as therapy:

Heparin, Lyoton; Venolife; Avalanche; Hepatrombin; Troxevasin, etc.

In addition, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used, such as:

Nise; Diclofenac; Ibuprofen.

Take off nervous tension Soothing herbal remedies such as valerian root tincture will help. With others chronic diseases It is worth informing your doctor about the problem that has arisen, but therapy is mainly aimed at treating the underlying disease.

To treat leg cramps at night, folk remedies can be used:

Baths with thyme decoction are good for relieving muscle tension and eliminating swelling of the legs. Rubbing with mustard oil is a great help for frequent cramps. To eliminate inflammation and disorders in muscle tissue You can use an infusion of linden flowers in vodka. The drug is taken orally twice a day, a teaspoon.

Advice: if your leg suddenly cramps, you need to sit on the bed, lowering your legs to a cool surface, and tap your foot on the floor, then stand up straight. If you have a severe cramp, you should pull your toes towards you or sensitively pinch your leg.

Leg cramps at night are a common occurrence for many people. modern people. Some suffer pain without finding out the cause, while others begin treatment, taking pills and other medications just to relieve night pain.

Doctors insist on the need to find out the causes of seizures and prescribe complex treatment immediately as soon as the symptom manifests itself, without waiting for the problem to worsen.

For successful treatment, drugs from the pharmacy are quickly prescribed, traditional methods and nutritional recommendations from a nutritionist.

We’ll talk about the cause and treatment of night cramps today.

Most often, the unbearable sensation of cramping occurs at night or early in the morning when waking up. Sometimes, due to overwork or stress, a cramp may occur, but in some cases this is quite common. pathological manifestation.

The causes of cramping pain may be hidden in various diseases or pathological changes in organism.

The most common reasons Doctors consider the following diseases and factors for night cramps:

diabetes;
lack of minerals and vitamins;
hypothermia;
malfunction of the thyroid gland;
flat feet;
varicose veins;
dehydration;
injuries;
inflammatory neurological and other diseases;

Causes of night cramps

Leg spasm in calf

When the calf muscle contracts in a cramp, it cannot relax.
Possible reasons:

hypothyroidism– insufficient productivity of hormones (thyroid gland malfunction);
daytime overvoltage limbs leads to leg cramps at night;
dehydration from taking medications, pills, heat.

Spasm of toes

Spasms of the toes indicate frequent stress on these parts of the body. This category includes football players and ballerinas, but sometimes such painful sensations occur in people of ordinary professions.

This may be due to:

lack of calcium;
poor blood supply;
hypothermia;
taking certain medications.

Leg cramps at night during pregnancy

Almost all pregnant women experience muscle spasms.

There are several reasons for this:

imbalance of microelements;
toxicosis;
flaw useful substances due to the formation of the child’s body in the womb;
low levels of calcium, sodium, potassium;
lack of B vitamins;
low glucose levels;
varicose veins;
disruption of plasma circulation.

Leg cramps at night in older people

In old age, the body does not work at full capacity. With age, the body produces and consumes nutrients, including calcium. This is not the only reason older people suffer from nighttime limb cramps.

thrombosis;
loss of fluid between tendons and bones (tendons decrease in size);
weakening of muscle tissue;
diabetes;
diuretics, neurotics, blood pressure-lowering medications;
overheating, heat, uncomfortable position while resting.

What to do about night cramps

There are several instructions from doctors on what to do if you suddenly have a muscle spasm.

It is important to know! Methods for relieving leg cramps at night are effective when the causes of the pathology do not have serious changes in the body, but therapeutic therapy with the use of tablets, ointments and other medications is often required.

Tablets for leg cramps

Detralex

The drug reduces venous distension, with increased tone and decreased venous stagnation. Recommended to reduce permeability and fragility of capillaries, improves blood flow. Regular use relieves convulsive symptoms associated with chronic venous insufficiency in the legs.

hemorrhoidal attacks;
painful symptoms;
convulsions;
feeling of heaviness in the legs;
venous insufficiency;
trophic disorder;

Each tablet contains: diosmin and hesperidin.

Taking the drug: venous insufficiency - 1 tablet, twice a day during meals (noon, evening), acute hemorrhoids - the first four days, 6 pieces of the drug daily, the next three days, 4 tablets.

Contraindications include individual intolerance.

The tablets do not affect the attentiveness of drivers when driving and do not inhibit the psychomotor reaction.

Detrolex (tablets) recognized the best drug for the treatment of leg cramps at night– it relieves not only painful symptoms, but also hits due to the appearance of these manifestations. After completing a two-month course of treatment, you can forget about seizures for a long time.

The price for 60 capsules is 1400 rubles.

Diosmin

According to doctors, the drug helps prevent limb cramps at night at any stage of venous pathological process, if they occur for this reason.

The medicinal product in tablets is the best angioprotector of natural origin, which is recommended for the treatment of varicose veins.

The uniqueness of the composition of the drug is due to active substance diosmin, which has strengthening effects on the walls of blood vessels, increasing overall tone. Thanks to the action of the drug, inflammatory processes are blocked and blood flow is normalized.

The tablets have enough wide range actions, their use is recommended for:

The product has the quality of rapid absorption in the gastrointestinal tract. Excretion from the body occurs naturally through bile, feces, and urine.

Diosmin effectively strengthens the walls of blood vessels.

It is important to know! Among the contraindications of the drug are: allergic reactions, therefore, the ban on taking the drug applies to pregnancy, breastfeeding, children and adolescence up to 18 years old.

Recommendations for use: If the body is intolerant to the components included in the tablets, stop taking it. For varicose veins, the recommended dose is 1000 mg per day in two doses - that’s 3 tablets, twice a day. Well therapeutic therapy is 60-90 days.

Diosmin can cause allergies, skin rash, digestive system failure, headaches. Treatment of varicose veins should include additional preventive measures: active lifestyle, weight control, walking fresh air, usage compression garments. The approximate price is 430 rubles.

Venoflebin

Granular Venoflebin tablets help with leg cramps at night which occur due to varicose veins. The drug is recommended for effective treatment thrombosis, hemorrhoids, venous pathology.

Among the contraindications, individual susceptibility is noted active ingredients drug.

Acute condition - 40 granules are diluted in 100 ml of water, taken 1 tsp. every 3.5 hours, the solution should be held for a few seconds before swallowing. After removal acute symptoms you can proceed to the usual regimen.

From side effects an allergy is noted due to an overdose. The price of 30 g packaging is 320 rubles.

Venarus

A venotonic drug with angioprotective and venotonic effects. Reduces venous distension, improves blood flow, increasing the tone of the vascular walls.

Indicated for use when acute hemorrhoids, venous insufficiency limbs, relieves heaviness in the legs, muscle spasms.

Drug substances are eliminated from the body naturally through the digestive organs and kidneys.

It is important to know! The drug Venarus is approved for the treatment of varicose veins during pregnancy as studies have not shown any side effects.

While breastfeeding medicine It is prohibited to accept.

Recommendations for use: 1-2 tables each during the day. The drug is taken during meals, the recommended dose should be divided into two doses (at noon and in the evening). There is no information about overdose.

The duration of the course of treatment is determined by a specialist. The price of tablets is from 800 to 1100 rubles (depending on the individual quantity).

Troxerutin

Treatment of night cramps lower limbs, eliminating the causes with pills Troxerutin
Pharmacology		Method of administration
Angioprotector with mutagenic, embryotoxic effect. Relieves inflammatory processes, has vitamin-rich activity. The active substances are excreted from the body by the kidneys and liver without penetrating into the bloodstream.	It is prescribed for patients with varicose veins, thrombophlebitis, phlebitis, as well as for pain caused by injury, dislocations, sprains, and muscle spasms.	Determined by the attending physician. The basic regimen indicates taking one tablet twice a day with meals. The drugs are washed down with water, in their entirety (without chewing). The usual course for relieving painful symptoms is 20 days, the entire healing process last up to 45 days.

The price of the drug is 270-290 rubles.

Troxevasin

It is recommended to take one capsule twice a day. A course of therapeutic therapy is recommended by a doctor; for prevention, 20 days of a single dose of 1 capsule is sufficient.

The price of the drug is 280-300 rubles.

What measures should you take to reduce the likelihood of seizures?

When convulsive night attacks in the legs are frequent, an examination is required medical institution to find out the real reason. After which the specialist will prescribe an individual course of therapy.

Self-medication is not effective, and in some cases it aggravates and delays the healing process.

Useful videos about the causes of leg cramps and how to deal with them

Useful video about how to treat leg cramps at night and their causes:

And one more useful video clip about the treatment of seizures, what medications in tablets can help:

About medications for leg cramps:

We hope this article was useful to you and our tips will help you in treating leg cramps! Be healthy!

Sudden painful sensation in the legs, accompanied by muscle spasm, is called a cramp. This phenomenon is experienced by many, but most often weakened, elderly people, as well as pregnant women and athletes.

Sometimes cramps cause unbearable pain, which can last from short seconds to several minutes, and the muscle becomes very tight and dense. The cramp can occur in the toes, foot, or thigh, but most commonly cramps the calf muscles.

And how unpleasant night cramps are, causing sudden unbearable pain and depriving a person of proper rest. They most often occur closer to the morning due to muscle strain when changing body position.

The causes of seizures can be very different.

Often this is malnutrition and lack of vitamin D, as well as potassium, calcium and magnesium in the body can lead to such a phenomenon as a convulsion. The lack of these elements disrupts the normal functioning of the muscles, which leads to their spasms.

Another cause of seizure syndrome may be insufficient fluid intake for the body, because for normal functioning muscular system electrolytes are needed - calcium, potassium and sodium, and when dehydrated they go away, this especially often happens when heavy sweating. Excessive consumption of protein foods leads to impaired absorption of calcium, frequent stressful situations affect its loss by the body, all this also contributes to the appearance of seizures.

Sudden temperature changes, for example, when swimming or hypothermia, overstraining the leg muscles due to physical activity due to heavy physical labor or intense sports are also not uncommon causes leading to muscle spasms.

The appearance of night cramps in the legs may be a consequence of a person having a number of diseases. Thus, convulsive syndrome is caused by impaired vascular elasticity and poor blood supply to the extremities or varicose veins, abnormal metabolism in the body, a number of diseases of the urinary system, the presence of hemorrhoids, as well as previous leg injuries and flat feet.

Preventive measures and combating leg cramps

For that To begin treatment for seizures, it is necessary to correctly determine the cause of their occurrence:

For example, if there is a lack of minerals, you can compensate for their deficiency by taking various multivitamins mineral complexes, which can be purchased at any pharmacy and normalize the functioning of the body.
In case of dehydration or heavy sweating, the problem is solved by replenishing fluid loss.
Treatment of varicose veins, endocrine and hormonal disorders the doctor should take care of it.

If you are prone to nighttime leg cramps, then conducting a series preventive measures You can get rid of them altogether or reduce the frequency of their occurrence:

Prevention needs to start with dietary review. By increasing your consumption of dairy products, vegetables, fruits, legumes, herbs, and fish, you will provide your body with all the necessary elements for the normal functioning of the muscular system.
At consuming enough clean water , the muscles will be provided with the amount of electrolytes necessary for normal functioning.
An important element in the prevention of seizures will quitting smoking, alcohol, excessive sugar and coffee consumption that interfere with absorption needed by the body elements, which affects the condition of veins and blood vessels.
Try reduce physical stress feet and avoid stressful situations.
It will not be superfluous to prevent the occurrence of seizures daily massage of the calf muscles and feet using mustard oil, as well as warm foot baths with the addition of a decoction of soothing herbs mint and valerian.

So, following the recommendations, you will get rid of such a painful and unpleasant phenomenon as night cramps. Be healthy!

Almost 60% of the population are familiar discomfort pain and stiffness in the legs that happens at night. Most often, convulsions are accompanied by painful spasms, attacks, and “numbness” of tissues. Did you know that a similar condition in different countries received a nickname-metaphor? So, in America, night cramps are popularly called “Charlie horse”, and in Finland “wooden leg”.

Prerequisites for the occurrence

Seizures can be caused by the simultaneous and repeated pulsation of nerves that carry signals from the brain to the muscles. As a result, the muscle tissue in the legs begins to contract spontaneously. Why do such cramps occur mainly at night? Let's turn our question to Dr. Scott Garrison, PhD, Director of the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Alberta. If a person leads a sedentary, inactive lifestyle or sleeps, there may be a disruption in the flows through which the nerves pulsate. This explains the nocturnal “regime” of symptoms.

Most often, leg cramps occur in the warm season.

Dr. Garrison and his team studied this condition in detail, after which the experts came to a startling conclusion. It turns out that cramps most often occur during the warm season. One of the prerequisites may be increased level vitamin D in the body, formed due to frequent exposure to the sun. As you know, this vitamin is responsible for regulating the growth of muscle fibers.

The problem gets worse with age

IN Lately this condition has become widespread. It is also significant that as people age, their legs cramp more and more often at night. After a person passes the 50-year mark, the body begins to lose more nerve cells, which act as intermediaries between the brain and muscles. The remaining cells cannot cope with the load, which experts suggest can also cause spasms.

Should we be afraid?

Many people are interested in whether this condition is dangerous for the body and health in general? Fortunately, most cramps are completely harmless. And only in rare cases does this condition signal the onset of an electrolyte imbalance or neuromuscular disorders.

How to prevent seizures?

If you do not want to experience this condition, then before going to bed, you can do a number of simple stretching exercises. Stand against a wall and stretch your calves and hamstrings. You can also do stretching while lying in bed. This reduces the likelihood of occurrence unpleasant symptoms. Recent research by scientists from the Netherlands found that elderly people Those who regularly experienced this condition subsequently experienced less severe cramping when they started stretching for just 3 minutes each day.

Leg cramps bother people at any time of the day, but more often at night. They are contractions (spasms) of one or more muscles, accompanied by sharp and severe pain. These phenomena, causing short-term discomfort, occur in both adults and children and may indicate the presence of various pathologies in the body.

Causes of muscle cramps

Up to 75% of people on the planet experience muscle cramps. U healthy person they occur rarely and are the result of severe fatigue, uncomfortable position of the lower extremities during sleep, or hypothermia.

Those people who experience cramps in their legs more than once, but periodically, should listen to their body, because... chronic contractions of muscle fibers signal disturbances in its functioning.

The main cause of frequent seizures is varicose veins veins With this disease, a malfunction of the vascular valves occurs, blood begins to circulate incorrectly in the veins and expands their walls. Due to impaired blood flow and swelling, muscle spasms occur.

Other factors in the development of muscle contractions are:

Sedentary lifestyle. In people who spend most of the day sitting (drivers, office workers, etc.) or standing (salespeople, hairdressers, teachers), blood circulates poorly through the vessels of the legs. This leads to ischemia (reduced blood flow to the tissues and insufficient oxygen supply), which is why spasms occur.
Large physical loads on the muscles of the limbs (typical for athletes: swimmers, runners, weightlifters).
Lack of minerals and vitamins. If the body does not receive enough calcium (this happens with a deficiency of magnesium and vitamin D), then there is an increase in the excitability of synapses - the areas where muscle and nerve fibers collide. Synapses transmit signals to strong muscle contractions, which are felt by a person.
Pregnancy. During gestation, spasms in the limbs occur in women due to increased stress on the legs, the development of varicose veins, and a lack of microelements. If pregnancy is complicated, eclampsia may occur ( strong increase blood pressure), accompanied frequent seizures V different groups muscles and dangerous for women and fetuses.
Diabetes. In this disease, cramps occur due to a lack of sugar in the blood caused by fasting.
Long-term use contraceptive drugs or hormonal imbalance due to excess weight.
Cirrhosis of the liver. With pathology, the functioning of electrolytes is disrupted, which causes muscle contractions.
Epilepsy and other neurological disorders.
Taking medications that flush potassium from the body, disrupting the balance of calcium and potassium in the body and leading to cramps.

Limbs may also twitch involuntarily due to leg injuries and transverse flatfoot. This branch of medicine, such as psychosomatics, has revealed that cramps in the limbs occur due to prolonged emotional tension, fear or stress.

Symptoms of pathology

There are several types of muscle spasms, which are accompanied by their own symptoms. For example, many people experience jerks when falling asleep. They feel like they are flying down or falling into an abyss. In this case, a slight spasm of the legs occurs.

The phenomenon, called sleep jerks, occurs due to the relaxation of muscles that become flaccid as a person falls asleep. But the brain continues to work and, feeling this relaxation, perceives it as a danger, so it sends a signal to the person to wake up.

Such twitching in the limbs is not a pathology, but some scientists believe that it occurs more often with nervous people subject to stress.

A typical symptom of an involuntary contraction is the sudden stiffening of 1 or more muscle tissues, accompanied by severe pain. Thigh muscle cramps are more common in athletes. Other people experience cramps in their calves or shins, the area under the knee, feet and toes.

The spasm lasts from 0.5 to 2 minutes, and then the fibers relax, and pain syndrome passes. This reduction is called clonic.

If the tension does not subside for a long time, the spasm is called tonic.

In most diseases, people experience local cramps (twitching of one muscle or a small group of them, for example, the calf).

Generalized spasms occur simultaneously or sequentially in several muscle groups, for example, lower and upper limbs, skeleton. Such contractions in adults occur with pathology of the parathyroid glands, eclampsia, and epilepsy. In children, this happens when body temperature rises to +39.5...+40°C (the phenomenon is called febrile convulsive syndrome). These spasms can occur at any time of the day.

With eclampsia, before a convulsive seizure, the pregnant woman feels headache, then her face and arm muscles begin to contract. Convulsive tonic twitching of skeletal muscles appears, skin turn blue, the woman loses consciousness. Afterwards, clonic twitching of the legs and arms is observed, the patient begins to wheeze, saliva with blood is released from her mouth, because. tongue bitten. Then the clonic convulsions pass, and the pregnant woman falls into a coma.

The danger of eclampsia is that due to spasms, suffocation or cerebral hemorrhage may occur, pulmonary edema or hepatic-renal failure may develop, which lead to the death of the woman. The fetus often dies from oxygen starvation.

Before epileptic seizure the patient also initially complains of a headache, he may develop visual hallucinations. Convulsions appear after a person loses consciousness. They can start in a toe and spread to an entire limb, arm, or face. The twitching occurs in the reverse order of its appearance. Sometimes, with epilepsy, contractions affect only the thigh or calf muscles.

Symptoms of generalized seizures indicate dangerous pathologies, so patients need urgent medical attention.

Diagnostics

If a person is periodically bothered by leg spasms that are not associated with an uncomfortable position during sleep or fatigue, then he should consult a general practitioner.

At a medical facility, the patient will need to undergo several blood tests:

Clinical analysis will reveal inflammatory process in the body by reducing the level of red blood cells in the blood.
A biochemical study will evaluate the condition of the liver and kidneys.
A blood sugar test will show whether a person has or does not have diabetes.

The patient will need to give urine using the Nechiporenko method to diagnose the kidneys. If varicose veins are suspected, the patient will be referred for Doppler ultrasound (ultrasound of the vessels of the extremities). Having established a diagnosis, the doctor will either treat the pathology himself or refer the patient to another specialist, for example, a phlebologist.

Ways to treat leg cramps

Since cramps occur suddenly and often at night, they can be relieved by the victim himself. First aid for muscle spasms is to pull the toe of the tense leg towards you and maintain this position for 10-15 seconds. You can repeat the reception 2 times.

If the contraction continues, it is recommended to get up and walk around bare feet on the cold floor. People are helped to get rid of spasms by pricking a tense muscle with a needle or massaging it or pinching it. When the cramp passes, you need to lie down in bed, raise your legs a little and lie there for 10 minutes so that the blood rises through the veins faster and the spasm does not recur.

Chronic seizures are treated with medical supplies and funds traditional medicine. Good effect give special exercises for the legs. During and after treatment, patients are advised to adhere to the prescribed diet.

Drug treatment

Used in the fight against muscle spasms different medicines, the choice of which depends on the cause of the pathology, condition and age of the patient. In some cases, doctors prescribe anticonvulsants, in others - painkillers. Venotonics and vitamin-mineral complexes are widely used for muscle contractions.

In the fight against muscle spasms, various medications are used, the choice of which depends on the cause of the pathology, condition and age of the patient. In some cases, doctors prescribe anticonvulsants, in others - painkillers. Venotonics and vitamin-mineral complexes are widely used for muscle contractions.

Since seizures are often caused by varicose veins, patients are prescribed local remedies– venotonics: Venoruton gel and Troxevasin ointment. But a venotonic drug such as Detralex is more effective. It activates metabolism in muscle tissue and removes waste products from them. The use of the drug leads to strengthening of the venous walls and improved functioning of the valve apparatus. After completing the course of treatment, a person’s seizures go away, swelling, heaviness in the legs and pain disappear.

Detralex is taken orally, 1 tablet 2 times a day (morning and evening) with meals. As prescribed by the doctor, the duration of the course is from 1.5 to 2 months. Such courses must be taken twice a year.

Detralex is available in tablets of 30 or 60 pieces. 1 tablet contains 500 or 1000 mg of flavonoids diosmin and hesperidin. Depending on the number of tablets and the content of the active substance in them, the cost of the drug in Moscow pharmacies varies from 756 (Detralex 500 mg, 30 pcs.) to 2,438 rubles. (Detralex 1000 mg, 60 pcs.).

For frequent attacks of seizures and epilepsy, patients are prescribed Depakine. Valproic acid, which is active substance This drug reduces the excitability of areas of the nervous system responsible for the appearance of spasms and convulsions in the muscles, and they do not occur.

Depakine has many contraindications, so it is prescribed by a doctor on an individual basis. It is not recommended to take more than 100 mg per day. The tablets or powder should be taken twice a day with meals for a month. Further use depends on the person’s condition and his clinical case. In pharmacies in the capital, the price of the drug is 254 rubles. for 30 tablets.

All people (especially pregnant women) with convulsive muscle contractions are prescribed complexes of minerals and vitamins. A good remedy is a drug that contains substances such as magnesium and potassium. Thanks to these minerals, metabolism in muscle tissue is normalized, and cramps do not appear.

Take Asparkam for 1 month three times a day after meals (1-2 tablets depending on the doctor’s prescription). The price of the drug in Moscow pharmacies is 6–60 rubles. for 10–60 tablets.

The use of folk remedies

Traditional medicine: drinks and decoctions are good for getting rid of leg cramps medicinal herbs, and oils from plants. Before using them, you should consult a doctor and make sure you are not allergic to them.

In the fight against strong muscle contractions, use a decoction of chamomile. To prepare it you will need 2 tbsp. pour raw materials into a bowl with 1 liter boiled water and mix the ingredients well. The product is infused for 60 minutes, then filtered. Drink 70–90 ml after meals 3 times a day.

People with varicose veins and suffering from cramps will benefit from garlic. This product contains ajoene, a substance that reduces blood viscosity and prevents the formation of blood clots. Garlic oil relaxes muscles well. To prepare it you will need:

1 head of vegetable;
1 cup unrefined sunflower oil.

The garlic, along with its peel, is passed through a meat grinder. The mass is placed in a glass container and filled with sunflower oil. The product should be refrigerated for 2 months. The finished oil is consumed 1 tsp. three times a day after meals for 2–3 months. Garlic is contraindicated for epilepsy.

For frequent muscle spasms, you can use local remedies, for example, mustard ointment. To prepare it you need to mix 2 tsp. mustard powder with 1 tsp. olive oil. The ointment is applied to the leg 1-2 times a day for 2-3 weeks.

Not only traditional and folk medicine, but also proper nutrition help speed up recovery. The diet of a person suffering from limb cramps should include more foods containing magnesium, calcium, potassium, and vitamin D.

A lot of magnesium is found in fresh herbs (dill, parsley), black currants, peas and beans, and carrots.

Rich in calcium dairy products(sour cream, cottage cheese, kefir with a fat content of no more than 3–5%, cheese), basil, almonds, hazelnuts and sesame seeds.

The record holders for potassium content are bananas, legumes, potatoes, avocados, salmon, dried fruits (raisins, dried apricots, prunes), pumpkin and natural tomato paste.