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How to get rid of leg cramps. How to get rid of leg cramps: effective remedies

Leg cramps can occur at any time of the day, causing sharp pain, causing severe spasm that can unsettle you. Spasms are often called spasms, which is basically the same thing.

If you're unlucky and you know firsthand that feeling of spasmodic limbs, then it's time to reevaluate your diet, posture, fluid intake, exercise program, and add a few home remedies to get rid of leg cramps.

What is a muscle spasm? This is an involuntary contraction of one or more muscles. In other words, during a spasm of the legs, neck or back, there is a convulsive contraction of the muscles, despite the fact that you are not moving at that moment. In this case, the spasm may persist for some time, as the muscles are not able to relax.

Muscle pain and spasms most often occur in the feet, lower back, and legs in general (hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves are particularly affected by spasms). But a cramp can reduce any part of the body: the press, the area around the ribs, arms, ankles, and so on. You may have noticed that cramps depend on what you ate, how you slept, and for women, cramps can also be associated with “these days”.

Cramps that almost everyone knows firsthand include menstrual cramps, diarrhea, and back pain. One of the most common and painful muscle spasms is leg cramps. The muscles of the legs cramp so much that even people with a heroic sleep are not able to fall asleep. Other types of cramps may come upon you when you get out of bed or while exercising.

The older you get, the higher the risk of muscle spasm. Why? As we age, we gradually lose muscle mass, and the pressure on the remaining muscles increases accordingly.

Whether you age or not, whether you lose muscle mass, everyone will eventually experience cramps at one point or another. The risk group includes people with an unhealthy diet (some beneficial substances naturally relax muscles), poor blood circulation, pronounced inflammatory processes, as well as pregnant women or women experiencing PMS.

6 Folk Treatments for Muscle Spasms

1 Prevention of electrolyte imbalance

Potassium and/or magnesium deficiency can contribute to muscle spasms. If you're exercising too hard while following a strict diet, if you're about to start your period, or if your diet is catastrophically low on fresh foods, then it's likely that your body will be deficient in the nutrients that keep your muscles working properly.

Decreased levels of potassium in the blood(Hypokalemia) - a phenomenon when the level of potassium in the blood falls below normal. It is one of the most common reasons why cramps occur (especially leg cramps at night), blood pressure rises, and a person constantly lacks energy.

Some studies have shown that vitamin B deficiency also leads to cramps, especially in the legs. Good sources of vitamin B are eggs from non-caged chickens, meat, fish from open water, cereals, and beans.

2 Stretch and massage your muscles

The more in your life physical activity the lower the risk of muscle spasm. This is due to the fact that people who exercise regularly have higher muscle mass, and therefore lower levels of inflammation and better flexibility. A quality warm-up before and a hitch after a workout helps prevent overexertion and stagnation in the muscles. A great warm-up is running in place, training sets for upcoming exercises, and a variety of dynamic movements that will help you get your heart rate up and your blood pumping while saturating your core muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints.

At the end of your workout, spend 10-15 minutes stretching your major muscle groups. In each position, try to linger for at least 20-30 seconds. Remember to stretch the most vulnerable areas, including the hamstrings, quads, and calves. You can also work on muscle elasticity outside of training. Keep your posture when walking, do not slouch while sitting at the table.

Do you often experience seizures? Try the following stretching exercises when you feel pain in your muscles again: Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Pull your socks towards you. This is how you stretch your hamstrings. If the thigh (quadriceps) has cramped, while standing, bend the leg, grabbing the foot with your hands and gently pull the leg up to the lower back, feeling the thigh muscles stretch.

As a preventive measure, try to avoid overtraining, do not ignore rest between workouts, and give your muscles enough time to recover.

3 Stay hydrated

Dehydration can cause leg cramps. To avoid dehydration, drink enough water (8 glasses of water a day should be enough. But this amount can increase if you are larger than the average person or lead a very active lifestyle). If you drink very hot water, sweat a lot, exercise, or drink alcohol, you should consume more water. This helps prevent muscle problems caused by exhaustion, intense thirst, or heavy sweating.

6 Folk Treatments for Muscle Spasms

4 Apply a hot or cold compress to the injured muscles

A hot compress relieves pain and relaxes the muscles. Regularly use a hot compress or just a warm towel on areas that often cramp. Combine a compress with a massage or visit a bath or sauna in order to completely "warm up" the whole body.

It is also effective to use a cold compress.

5 Watch your posture

Sitting hunched over at your desk for hours, forgetting about your posture during workouts and simple walks, you increase the risk of muscle spasm, especially in the back, neck and legs. For example, kyphosis is a condition caused by a rounding of the spine that can lead to back spasms, muscle and joint pain, and general muscle congestion.

Stooping weakens the muscles of the back and neck, which further leads to severe inflammation in the back and shoulder blades. Be sure to consult a physiotherapist if you feel that it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain your posture on your own, and for work, if possible, get a comfortable, ergonomic chair that will help keep your back in the correct position.

6 Take Epsom Salt Baths

Epsom salt is a natural salt rich in magnesium, which promotes muscle relaxation. Epsom salt is an easy way to prevent magnesium deficiency, relieve stress, soothe muscles, and detoxify the body. Hot water also helps to relax muscles and relieve stress.

If you can't take a bath, aim the shower head directly at the tense muscles. After a hot shower, massage the "damaged" areas with essential oils such as peppermint and lavender.

Muscle spasm and muscle strain. What is the difference?

Muscle spasm is usually relatively harmless and short-lived. But muscle strain is a different story. A muscle strain is a tear or injury to a muscle. This can happen due to overexertion, increased inflammation, or jerky movements. Exist different kinds sprains: acute injury (which occurs due to an unfortunate turn or fall), which is relatively short-lived, and traumatic overexertion, which gradually develops due to inflammation.

Acute sprains include a twisted ankle or situations where the back is sharply "grabbed". Traumatic strain usually occurs in athletes or very active people, especially if they neglect muscle recovery time. Traumatic stress can be divided into tendonitis And bursitis.

How to distinguish muscle strain from spasm? Pay attention to the conditions of pain: Have you received a sudden blow or unexpected injury? Did you hear a crack or crunch? Are you dehydrated? You can also apply pressure to the injured area to determine if a "knot" or just increasing pain is felt.

Signs of swelling or inflammation may indicate a sprain. Try gently moving the injured limb, pulling, or gently pressing with your fingers. If this relieves pain, then you are most likely having a spasm or cramp. If the pain gets worse, then you most likely have a sprain, since the actions taken do not help to relax the muscles.

Why do muscle spasms occur?

Usually muscle control occurs through signals sent by the nervous system, however, for some reason, these signals can be disturbed, which leads to the development of spasms and convulsions. If you can identify with any of the following situations, then this is most likely the underlying cause of your seizures:

you have a poor diet, i.e. you may be consuming too much salt and not enough magnesium or potassium;
poor circulation (cold hands or feet, purple or blue fingertips)
spasm occurs after a long stay in the same position;
dehydration (maybe you are not drinking enough water or have been drinking alcohol);
active training with a high load on the muscles of the legs, especially the feet and calves;
you neglect the warm-up and hitch;
you have just completed a "large" workout, such as running or cycling, which resulted in "muscle fatigue";
you have recently been injured (especially in the spine, lower back or neck, which could lead to pinched nerves);
you are pregnant - spasm in combination with calcium deficiency is a frequent occurrence during pregnancy;
you are about to start your menstrual cycle;
you are taking diuretics (which lead to dehydration) or medicines that affect blood pressure;
you have been diagnosed with diseases such as diabetes, liver disease, thyroid disorders.

In most cases, muscle spasms and cramps are not serious and go away once the underlying cause is addressed. But sometimes a spasm can indicate a more serious disease or damage to the nerves, blood pressure disorders, etc. If you experience seizures very often and none of the above helps, then immediately contact a specialist to conduct the necessary tests.

The most common causes of muscle spasm are:

Muscles do not receive enough blood and nutrients: Poor circulation and severe inflammation mean that the blood does not reach the muscles in the right volume, not supplying the necessary amount of oxygen and electrolytes. This can happen because the arteries are in poor condition and prevent normal blood circulation. Since the feet, ankles, and calves are the furthest away from the heart, they are most often subject to muscle spasms in this case. Low blood supply to the legs is called arteriosclerosis limbs and is one of the most common causes of muscle cramps.
Too low electrolyte level: Muscles require a certain amount of minerals to function properly. Therefore, low levels of potassium, calcium, or magnesium can lead to spasms and cramps. The reason for this can often be a lack of healthy vegetables and fruits in the diet, as well as the abuse of salt. Some medicines also cause electrolyte changes, such as medicines to treat high blood pressure.
Dehydration: Muscle spasm can occur when you don't drink enough water or when you use diuretics and diuretic products, including alcohol, some herbal teas, and certain medications. This is due to the fact that with a lack of fluid in the body, the normal functioning of the muscles is disrupted. The body redirects fluid to vital organs (such as the brain and heart). The problem is that many muscle-related nerve endings only function properly when they are sufficiently surrounded by water and sodium. When this ratio is disturbed, the muscles become hypersensitive and involuntarily contract.
Nerves are pinched or compressed: Sometimes a spasm or cramp in the muscles of the legs or lower back is the result of pinched nerves in the spine. Poor posture can contribute to the accumulation of stress in the spine, which can cause spasms with sudden movement.

Conclusions:

A muscle spasm is an involuntary contraction of one or more muscles.
Muscle spasm most often occurs in the feet, lower back and legs in general.
One of the most common and painful muscle spasms is leg cramps. The muscles of the legs cramp so much that even people with a heroic sleep are not able to fall asleep.
The older you get, the higher the risk of muscle spasm.
Natural remedies for muscle spasms include massage and stretching, adequate water intake, cold and hot compresses, posture correction, and Epsom salt baths.
Muscle strain most often occurs as a result of trauma.
Most often, muscle spasm occurs due to the fact that the muscles do not receive enough blood and nutrients, electrolyte levels are too low, dehydration, nerves are pinched or compressed.

Many people suffer from leg cramps, especially at night. Is there any way to get rid of this?

There are many reasons for the occurrence of seizures - this is varicose veins, and a lack of calcium, and flat feet ... Only a doctor can determine why this happens specifically for you. He will also prescribe appropriate treatment if necessary.

If you often cramp your legs, then you can alleviate your condition on your own. If you suddenly feel that cramps are about to begin, sit on the bed, lower your legs down and stand up. It is good if under your feet at this time there is not a soft rug, but a cool floor. After a few seconds, the sensitivity of the legs will be restored. You can also pinch your numbness, pat your calves, massage your feet, and elevate your legs (keep them at about a 60-degree angle to help drain blood and prevent recurring cramps).

I must say that the legs are reduced more often in those who did not pay due attention to the health of the legs.

Be sure to strengthen the ligaments, try to wear comfortable shoes, avoid prolonged stress on the legs. And in the morning it is desirable to do anticonvulsant gymnastics:
- bend your toes, keep them bent until you count to 10, then straighten and count to 10 again
- rise on toes so that the heels of the legs come off the floor, then sharply fall down
- sitting or standing, place the feet crosswise, leaning on their outer edges.

The complex of these exercises will not take you much time, and the effect will be powerful. All exercises should be done barefoot and repeated at least five times.

Before going to bed, be sure to arrange contrast baths or showers for your legs. Hot water should be at least 40 degrees, cold - no higher than 30. If you have varicose veins, the temperature difference should be reduced to 3-5 degrees.

If in the evening you feel that you have been much more than your norm during the day, that your legs are burning and overly tense - twist your feet while sitting on a chair, bend your fingers, walk in place, making smooth viscous movements with your legs (copying the movements of pantomime artists). This set of exercises will allow you to restore impaired blood circulation and prevent the occurrence of seizures. Well, besides, take vitamins and watch your diet. It is important that you eat cottage cheese every day, do not forget about hard cheeses and beans.

Attention! The most dangerous convulsions are those that occur in a person while swimming. Having succumbed to panic, you can easily go to the bottom! So, when you go for a swim, be sure to pin a pin to your swimsuit so that in case of seizures, you can prick a “reduced” place or numb skin. In addition, a simple method helps to get rid of cramps in the water: grab your toes with your hands and try to sharply straighten your leg. If relieved, quietly, without sudden movements, swim to the shore, otherwise the cramp may recur.

When the muscles are overstrained, their involuntary contraction occurs and is characterized by paroxysmal pain. This phenomenon is called "convulsions". Most often, cramps occur at night and cause severe pain. It is important to know how to provide first aid for seizures and prevent their occurrence.

Deficiency of vitamins and minerals in the body can cause leg cramps

Cramps are commonly understood as involuntary muscle contractions, in which a person experiences pain. There are several types of muscle spasms:

Clonic. Clonic convulsions are characterized by the appearance of sharp and rapid muscle contractions. Usually such convulsions occur after overexertion.
Tonic. Tonic spasms appear mainly at night. The calf muscle hardens and the person feels a sharp pain.
Generalized. The most dangerous are generalized convulsions. At the same time, all muscles come into tone and their sharp contraction is observed. IN this case there is a high probability of loss of consciousness, then urgent hospitalization of the patient is necessary.

The causes of seizures are various. Convulsive syndrome may occur against the background of:

Dehydration of the body.
Muscle fatigue.
Vitamin deficiency.
endocrine diseases.
Hypodynamia.

Most often, convulsions appear against the background of a lack of trace elements that are involved in the transmission of nerve impulses to muscle tissues from the central nervous system.

More information about leg cramps can be found in the video:

One of the painful ones is a calf cramp. It can appear suddenly, at any age. Convulsive syndrome is often a symptom of certain diseases: radiculitis, diabetes mellitus, varicose veins, flat feet, chronic renal pathologies, etc. These diseases must be diagnosed and treated in time to eliminate convulsions. P With constant convulsions, it is necessary to undergo an examination and find the cause of their occurrence.

The appearance of seizures at night is due to circulatory pathologies, metabolic disorders, hypoxia. If this phenomenon occurs rarely, treatment is not required.During pregnancy, a woman may also complain of leg cramps. This phenomenon is due to a lack of vitamins and minerals.

Danger signs and complications

Are seizures very common? We need to find the reason!

Seizures can be mild, and in some cases, the symptoms can be very severe. With spasms in a mild form, convulsive twitching, darkening in the eyes, confused consciousness can be observed.

Convulsions of moderate severity are characterized by the addition of short-term fainting, urinary and fecal incontinence to the above symptoms.

A dangerous form of seizures is an epileptic seizure. The patient has a feeling of fear, dizziness, nausea, vomiting. Foam from the mouth, salivation may also be observed. These symptoms appear within 2 minutes, after which the person loses consciousness. With this form of seizures, it is necessary to call an ambulance team.

What examinations need to be done?

With constant cramps in the legs, the patient should undergo a comprehensive examination. Diagnostics is as follows:

Conducting ultrasound of the veins of the lower extremities.
to determine the concentration in the body of potassium, magnesium, calcium.
To exclude brain pathologies and epilepsy, the doctor will prescribe electroencephalography.

You will also need to consult a neurologist and an endocrinologist. The neurologist will assess the state of the person's reflexes, conduct the necessary tests for coordination. After that, the doctor can suggest a possible diagnosis and prescribe an examination that will be informative and confirm the diagnosis.

First aid for seizures

With muscle cramps, a person can help himself:

During a spasm of the calf muscle, it is necessary to grab the leg with one hand, and pull the other hand towards you, performing massage movements.
Then you need to remove your shoes and walk barefoot on a hard surface. This technique will relieve tension in the calf muscles.
If the pain does not go away the first time, then you should repeat it again.

Another technique for eliminating muscle spasm is to prick the affected area with a pin or needle. If it is not at hand, then you can pat or pinch the affected area. You can put a cold compress on the area where the leg is cramping. All these methods will help to activate blood circulation and eliminate pain in a short time.

If no measures help to eliminate the spasm, then you should seek help from specialists and call an ambulance.

Medicines for leg cramps

All medications must be approved by a doctor!

After contacting a doctor, a specialist, taking into account the cause of seizures, will prescribe the necessary treatment. To eliminate this symptom, the following drugs can be used: Detralex, Diosmin, Venoflebin, Venarus, Troxerutin.

These medicines have an anticonvulsant effect, help in the treatment of thrombosis, increase the tone of blood vessels, improve blood flow. The drugs help relieve heaviness in the legs and get rid of muscle spasm.

If the appearance of seizures is due to a lack of potassium and magnesium, then vitamin-mineral complexes are prescribed. Magnesium-based preparations are: Magne B6, Magnerot, Magnelis, Magvit, etc. Improvement will come within a few days after taking the drug. However, to eliminate magnesium deficiency, the remedy should be taken within a month.

Popular potassium-containing drugs are Panangin and Asparkam.

Potassium regulates the activity of muscles and promotes the transmission of nerve impulses along the fibers. Most often, drugs are prescribed that contain both magnesium and potassium. Such drugs are: Vitrum, Magne B6, Complivit.

To get rid of this unpleasant symptom, you can use unconventional methods of treatment:

Lemon juice. Rub freshly squeezed lemon juice into the soles until completely absorbed. Then put on your socks and go to bed.
Garlic infusion. Peeled 10 cloves of garlic chop and pour unrefined sunflower oil. Close the container tightly with a lid and leave for a day. Take a teaspoon with lemon juice.
Decoction of birch buds. Take raw materials in the amount of 2 teaspoons and pour 200 ml of boiling water.
Melt water with salt. Add a little vinegar and coarse salt to the melted water. Lower your legs into the pelvis and perform massaging movements.
Oil compress from bay leaf. In a dark glass container, put 50 g of bay leaf and pour a glass of sunflower oil. Leave for 12 days. Then use as a compress or rub into the calf muscles.
Effective in the fight against cramps baths with herbs. Valerian, horsetail, birch leaves, alfalfa have an excellent anticonvulsant effect. Pour 100 g of any raw material with a liter of hot water and boil for 5 minutes. Next, pour a decoction into a basin of water and lower your legs.
Places affected by cramps can be rubbed with chamomile or mustard oil. In the reduced leg, you can prick with something sharp. It will help relieve numbness in the leg if you attach a piece of iron or steel.

Above are the most popular recipes for getting rid of leg cramps. If spasms in the muscles appear frequently, then treatment is indispensable.

How to avoid seizures:

Quite often, the cause of leg cramps is a lack of potassium in the body. To replenish this trace element in the body, you should eat foods rich in potassium: dates, avocados, bananas, dried apricots, etc.
The necessary elements should be present in the body in sufficient quantities: sodium, calcium, magnesium, vitamin D. The following foods should prevail in the diet: prunes, seaweed, figs, sea fish, fruits and vegetables.
You should not walk in heels for a long time. It is necessary to give the legs a rest and massage. Shoes should be comfortable and true to size. If a woman prefers to wear high-heeled shoes, then you should periodically give your legs a rest.
It is important to prevent dehydration of the body. In hot weather, drink plenty of fluids. It is recommended to drink water with salt dissolved in it. Dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a liter of water.
To improve blood circulation, hot and cold compresses should be applied periodically.
It is necessary to regularly do self-massage of the lower extremities. This will minimize muscle contractions at night.
For the legs, it will be useful to conduct morning and evening gymnasts, as well as contrasting foot baths with essential oils and decoctions of medicinal herbs.
When overweight, it is necessary to normalize it. In this way, the load on the lower limbs can be relieved.

More than 80 percent of Russians worry about pain in their legs, and half of them complain of temporary or permanent muscle cramps. They persecute not only older people age category but also young men and women.

Most patients experience isolated episodes of seizures associated with external factors or eating habits. But some suffer from them constantly, which indicates the presence of serious problems with the body.

How does a seizure happen?

We contract and stretch our muscles every day, this allows us to move our arms, legs, fingers and other parts of the body. But convulsions occur regardless of our will, they are very sharp and are accompanied by unpleasant sensations, and more often by pain.

This happens as a result of excessive muscle tension, which is why the brain gives a signal to relax it. Therefore, during a cramp, we cannot move the leg that has been spasmed and we feel numbness of the limb. To get rid of this, it is necessary to warm up the frozen muscle with an intense massage or medication.

Causes of seizures

As mentioned above, the problem occurs after a sharp and strong pressure on the muscle. There are several reasons for this to happen:

Lack of potassium, magnesium and calcium in the body. These vitamins are responsible for the full functioning of the muscular system, and their deficiency thins tissues and does not allow them to quickly recover from stress.
Dehydration. Another reason that many patients ignore. Although sometimes it is enough to replenish the water balance in the body and the problem disappears by itself.
Pregnancy. During this period, the body undergoes many changes in the hormonal background, the work of organs, the cardiovascular system, and metabolic processes. There is an increased need for vitamins and minerals, which leads to their deficiency.
Violation of the kidneys and thyroid gland. Such diseases lead to edema, problems with the absorption of nutrients.
Circulatory disorders and varicose veins. They provoke stagnation of fluid in the vessels of the legs, as well as malnutrition of tissues with substances and oxygen.
Nicotine and alcohol addiction. They lead to the depletion of muscle tissue and all organs of the body.
Flat feet. Incorrect gait creates additional pressure on the legs, which leads to constant spasms of the calf and hip muscles.
Obesity. It includes a whole list of reasons: increased load on the cardiovascular system, lower limbs, metabolic disorders, lack of vitamins and minerals.
Sharp temperature changes. Often the legs cramp if a person plunges into cold water, steps on ice or snow with a bare foot.
Stress. Hidden cause seizures is nervous tension. To get rid of the problem, a course of sedatives is needed.

The true reason is not easy to find, do not try to do it yourself. If you miss the opportunity to cure the disease on initial stage, it will lead to complications and other symptoms.

Muscle spasms can occur at any time, and it is almost impossible to predict them. Therefore, it is important to know what needs to be done to relieve pain and numbness and return to usual business. There are several effective ways to relieve convulsions:

If you have a cramped foot, then grab your fingers and pull them towards you, or step on the floor with your toe and press hard.
Many patients suffering from seizures carry a needle with them at all times and use it to relieve pain. The doctor should show the exact place where you can inject, usually this is where sensitivity is lost.
Often spasms come during a dream and force the patient to wake up. If this happens to you, then slowly take a sitting position, put your palms on the sore spot and begin to actively massage it until the numbness passes. Then put your legs up against the wall or headboard to lower your blood pressure.
If you have a cramped leg at work or in a public place, then squeeze the muscle tightly with your fingers and do not let go until the pain subsides.
If you are standing or walking, and your leg suddenly cramps, then stand facing the wall, move the injured leg back and lower your foot completely to the ground. Stay like this until the pain goes away.

A single case of leg cramps does not require a visit to a doctor, but if spasms bother you often, do not give you rest at night, interfere with work or play sports, then specialist help is needed.

Prevention measures

You can avoid this problem if you start monitoring your health as early as possible, undergo examinations with doctors, and treat identified diseases in time. There are also general rules to help prevent leg cramps:

Do not sit on mono-diets, in particular protein ones. They lead to a deficiency of calcium and other nutrients. To lose weight, stick to proper nutrition and take vitamin supplements.
Do not wear tight shoes or high heels. Flat soles can also lead to leg cramps. Ideal Height heel 4-5 cm.
Give up bad habits such as smoking and drinking. Avoid high sugar and caffeine intake.
Include foods containing vitamins D and B6 in your menu. They help the body absorb calcium.
Do daily exercises aimed at strengthening the muscles of the legs, and also massage in those places where cramps occur.
Before going to bed, arrange a 10-minute foot treatment in the form of contrast baths, but make sure that the water is at a comfortable temperature. Sleep in natural wool socks.

Do not forget about the drinking regimen, which includes drinking at least 2 liters of water per day. Beneficial walks on fresh air in sunny weather, contributing to the production of vitamin D.

The habit of performing daily simple exercises to maintain leg muscle tone will reduce the frequency of attacks or get rid of them altogether:

As a warm-up, walk on a cool, smooth floor for a few minutes.
Sitting close your big toes, firmly pressing your feet to the floor. Then lift the inside of the foot so that the legs rest only on the outside. Stay in this position for 10 minutes.
On the count of "one" bend your toes, on the count of "two" unbend. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.
Place your feet parallel to each other. On the count of "one" raise your heels without lifting your socks, on the count of "two" lower. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.
Place a low crossbar (board, low bench) in front of you and lean on it with your socks. Move your legs from right to left for a few minutes and vice versa.
Raise your feet off the floor and do them in a circular motion for 1-2 minutes.

At the end of the exercises, lie down on the bed and lift your legs up to the wall. Lie down like this for a few minutes. Gymnastics will help normalize blood circulation in the lower extremities and relieve disturbing swelling and pain.

How to get rid of leg cramps

Treatment involves, first of all, a change in lifestyle, eating habits, increased activity and the use of vitamin complexes. If these measures do not help, then the doctor prescribes medications.

In addition, folk methods are also effective, which are used not only ordinary people, but are also popular with athletes, dancers and people of other professions with an increased risk of seizures:

Rub freshly squeezed lemon juice on your feet and calves every morning and evening. When it is completely absorbed, wear socks made of natural material on your feet.
If a cramp occurs, immediately rub the sore spot with mustard or mustard oil. This product has a warming effect, which will quickly get rid of pain and numbness.
If a spasm has twisted your leg, apply a compress dipped in vodka or table vinegar to the skin.
Wrapping with honey helps well from an attack. Warm it up, generously smear the place where the pain is felt, and wrap it with a towel or cotton cloth. Leave the compress on for half an hour and then rinse off.
Lubricate your feet daily at night with homemade ointment made from egg yolk, 5 grams of turpentine and 10 ml of apple cider vinegar.
Inside, take a decoction of goose cinquefoil, prepared according to the following recipe: 40 grams of grass per 1 liter of boiling water. Drink one glass of medicine four times a day.
Mix 10 grams of thyme with 100 ml of vodka and leave for 14 days. Then drink 10-15 drops 3 times a day before meals for 2 weeks.
Take a head of garlic, peel, chop and pour 200 ml of any oil. Place in the refrigerator for 24 hours, then take 5 ml three times a day.

Do not treat leg cramps on your own. Only an experienced doctor will determine the cause correctly and help get rid of it. Pregnant women or people with other diseases should be especially careful. Stay healthy and get well.

Video: how to get rid of leg cramps

This phenomenon is especially well known to athletes and pregnant women. IN best case a spasm will disturb us at night and will pass just as it began without causing harm. At worst, she will grab, for example, while swimming. And then there is a direct threat to life. One way or another, the question of how to get rid of seizures worries a lot of people.

Definition of the concept and types of seizures

In medicine, a cramp is called a sharp muscle contraction that occurs suddenly and completely independent of the will of the person. Most often it overtakes the limbs, manifested by severe pain. Before you learn how to get rid of seizures, you should talk about their types.

In terms of periodicity, they are regular and episodic.
Depending on the duration, they distinguish between (long and very painful) and clonic (short, painless, occurring in a relaxed state - for example, when the eyelid twitches).
And convulsions are also divided into local (spasm covers a separate muscle group) and generalized (almost all muscles are involved).

The last classification deserves special attention and gives reason to ask yourself the question: “Is it worth thinking about how to get rid of seizures on your own, or maybe it’s time to urgently see a doctor?”. More on this below.

When to see a doctor

If the cramp covers almost the entire body, it is quite possible we are talking about the generalized form. And then the doctor should be contacted immediately, because the reasons can be very serious. Generalized convulsions are often symptoms of such diseases as, for example, epilepsy, a neoplasm in the brain, a viral lesion of the nervous system (a consequence of the flu, etc.). They may also indicate that the body is deficient in calcium, potassium or magnesium. And all this needs treatment.

If it is possible to eliminate the cause, the question of how to get rid of seizures will disappear by itself. They won't bother anymore.

Causes of local cramps

As for convulsions of a local nature, their causes have not yet been thoroughly studied. But doctors tend to believe that they appear in such situations:

sudden changes in body temperature or the environment;
muscles are overstressed due to physical exertion;
To certain area muscles receive insufficient oxygen (due to problems with the veins);
low levels of hemoglobin in the blood (which often happens in pregnant women);
the muscle is physically depleted.

If there is confidence that it was one of these that caused the cramps, how to get rid of such an unpleasant manifestation at home, of course, it is desirable to know.

Quick ways to get rid of cramps

As noted above, sometimes a cramp seizes at the most inopportune moment - for example, while swimming. And then the person runs the risk of drowning. At stake is life. Therefore, it is so important to know how to get rid of quickly. There are several proven methods:

Ideally, prick yourself in the place that the spasm has seized. But since few people take piercing objects with them into the water, you can just pinch. Only stronger.
The cramp will pass after hard rubbing of the affected muscle.
By changing the position of the leg and pulling the fingers towards you, there is also a chance to relieve the spasm in a matter of seconds.
You can also grab the heel with your hand and squeeze it very hard.

All these methods, of course, are successfully applied not only in water, but also in normal circumstances when there is no risk to life, but a person really wants to quickly relieve unbearable pain. As you know, more often they overtake us in the dark - during sleep. And if you don’t know how to get rid of nighttime leg cramps, then try one of the above. In addition, you can apply the following methods:

Always keep a little salt somewhere near the bed, and as soon as you feel a familiar pain, literally put a pinch on the tip of your tongue. Do not close your mouth while doing this. The cramp should pass in a couple of minutes.
A normal magnet works well in such cases, which should be applied to the affected area.
If you have the strength, stand up and lean on the leg that has cramped. Yes, it is not easy and painful, but almost instantly everything will pass.
Rubbing the affected area with some kind of warming agent will also help. Or at least a simple massage.
It will also be effective to leave the bed and take a few steps on the cold floor.

The answer to the question of how to get rid of leg cramps at night has been received. But what about those who have suffered, for example, a hand? Some of these methods (magnet, massage, warming ointment) will help in this case too.

Treatment of seizures with alternative methods

Traditional medicine knows a lot of ways to get rid of night cramps. In this case, we are not talking about quick methods when the spasm has already manifested itself, but about how to cure the phenomenon itself and minimize seizures. So:

You can eat a tablespoon of honey on an empty stomach for five days in a row, washing it down with kefir. Repeat the course after two to three weeks.
In the mornings and evenings, rub your feet with freshly squeezed lemon juice. After drying, put on socks. And so every day for two weeks.
Grind the onion peel, pour it with a glass of boiling water and leave for ten minutes. Drink tincture before going to bed.
If you do not know how to get rid of cramps in the arms and legs, eat a baked potato regularly. Helps a lot!

old japanese method

Of course, not everyone will like this method and will raise doubts, but the Japanese, who know a lot about medicine, successfully use it. They recommend that people suffering from cramps help themselves ... with a stick. The latter must be necessarily even and round with a diameter of about two and a half centimeters. And so, with this stick you should beat yourself a hundred times twice a day in the area of \u200b\u200bthe base of the fingers (on the pads). The cramps will gradually subside.

Medicines

Naturally, he knows how to deal with seizures and official medicine. As a rule, doctors prescribe drugs such as Asparkam and Panangin to their patients. They also recommend taking vitamins and minerals during periods of exacerbations.

Prevention of seizures

Of course, it's best never to wonder how to quickly get rid of cramps. After all, you wouldn’t wish such pain on your enemy! Therefore, it is desirable to carry out preventive measures. For example, the following charge:

Stand on your heels, raise and bend your toes and hold for ten seconds. Repeat seven times.
Cross the lower limbs, transfer the weight to the outer edges of the feet. Freeze for a couple of seconds, and then switch legs.
Rise sharply and as high as possible on your toes, and then drop just as sharply. Repeat ten times.

In addition, experts recommend forever abandoning uncomfortable shoes, discarding excess weight, if available, protect your legs from overload and eat foods rich in minerals and vitamins. This will be an excellent prevention of seizures. In addition, do not forget that twice a year it is necessary to visit the clinic for a scheduled examination. This will help prevent many ailments or detect them at an early stage, when it is easiest to cure.

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