What are leg cramps?A leg cramp is a pain that comes from a leg muscle. It is due to a muscle spasm which is when a muscle contracts too hard. It usually occurs in a calf muscle, below and behind a knee. The small muscles of the feet are sometimes affected. Who gets leg cramps?Many people have an occasional leg cramp. However, they occur frequently in some people. They are more common in older people. About 1 in 3 people over the age of 60, and about half of people over the age of 80, have regular leg cramps. About 4 in 10 people who have leg cramps have at least three per week. They occur every day in some people. Unknown cause (idiopathic leg cramps)In most cases the cause is not known. One theory is that cramps occur when a muscle that is already in a shortened position is stimulated to contract. As the muscle is already shortened, to contract further may cause the muscle to go into spasm. This commonly happens at night in bed as the natural position we lie in is with the knees slightly bent (flexed), and with feet pointing slightly downwards. In this position the calf muscle is relatively shortened and may be prone to cramps. This theory explains why stretching exercises may cure the problem. Secondary causesIn some cases, the cramps may be a symptom of another condition or problem. For example:
With the above conditions the cramps would just be one of various other symptoms. Therefore, if you are otherwise well, and have no other unexplained symptoms, then the leg cramps are likely to be idiopathic (unknown cause) and not due to a secondary cause. http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/33237269/skinny-jeans-and-other-hidden-health-risks-in-your-wardrobe Skinny jeans can seriously damage muscles and nerves, doctors have said. A 35-year-old woman had to be cut out of a pair after her calves ballooned in size, the medics said in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. She had spent hours squatting to empty cupboards for a house move in Australia. By evening, her feet were numb and she found it hard to walk. Doctors believe the woman developed a condition called compartment syndrome, made worse by her skinny jeans.What is the treatment for a leg cramp?Stretching and massaging the affected muscle can usually relieve an attack of cramp. Most cramps soon ease off. Painkillers are helpful. Painkiller such as paracetamol may help to ease muscle discomfort and tenderness that sometimes persists for up to 24 hours after a cramp has gone. What are the options for preventing leg cramps?If cramps do not occur often, then no particular treatment is usually needed. However, if you have frequent cramps, you may wish to consider ways of preventing them. Consider your medication (where appropriate) or other conditionsTell your doctor if you take any of the drugs listed earlier. It may be causing the leg cramps, or making them recur more often. Alternative drugs may be available. Also, if you have other symptoms apart from cramps, see your doctor who may examine you or do some checks to rule out a secondary cause for the cramps. Stretching exercises
At first, do stretching exercises of affected muscles for about five minutes, three times a day. Do the last exercise shortly before bedtime. If the cramps ease off, you may then only need to do the exercise once or twice a day to keep the cramps away. To stretch calf muscles, stand about 60-90 cm from a wall. Then, keeping the soles of your feet flat on the floor, bend forward and lean on the wall. You will feel your calf muscles stretch. Do this several times, each time for as long as you can manage. It may take a week or so of exercises before you notice an improvement. So, it is worth giving yourself a 2-4 week trial of regular calf stretching exercises to see if your cramps ease off. The cramps may not go completely, but their frequency and/or severity may reduce. Posture of the legs when resting in bedPositions which prevent the calf muscle from shortening when you are asleep may help. The following are not proven treatments (from research studies), but some experts believe that they help to prevent cramps.
Diet - Vitamins, minerals, calcium should be obtained from natural dietary resources and not by 'vitamin tablets/capsules' which can increase your risk of 'medicinal side-effects'. Fruits, Salads, green vegetables/leaves, Sprouts -250 grammes Curd/Yoghurt -250 grammes, Lemon juice with little salt/sugar. Water -5-6 lit per day or more, daily slow sustained yoga type physiotherapy exercises as given in website is essential for good health of bones and body. Daily brisk/speed walking for 1 hour, getting enough vitamin D from your diet, sunlight will decrease your risk. Cycling outdoors and non-gym outdoor exercises such as brisk walking, using stairs at home and office, walk at work bring overall improvement in health, well being besides controlling and curing many diseases such as Hypertension, diabetes, depression, cancer, osteoporosis, arthritis, muscular pains and joint pains. Physical activity. Not exercising and being inactive or staying in bed for long periods can increase your risk. Smoking. Smokers harm their blood circulation, damage all tissues in body by free radicals of smoke and absorb less calcium from their diets. Medications. Some commonly used medicines can cause such problems. Low body weight Anti-inflammatory pain killers Gentle Oil massage over painful area with stretches Pain gels/sprays in severe painul condition helps.
Quinine is used as a last resort - and you need to be aware of the risksIf you take quinine you have a good chance of reducing the number and/or severity of leg cramps, but it may not stop them altogether. One tablet at bedtime is the normal dose. Most people can take quinine, but do not take it if you are pregnant or may become pregnant. There are also some rare conditions where you should not take quinine. These include: a previous reaction to quinine; a previous haemolytic anaemia; optic neuritis; glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency. Other treatmentsOther drugs have been suggested as possible treatments for leg cramps. These include: magnesium, diltiazem, vitamin B complex, vitamin E, naftidrofuryl, orphenadrine, and verapamil. In general, these are not currently recommended as most studies involving them found that they do not work very well in most people. Quinine remains the main treatment. However, your doctor may suggest a trial of one of these drugs if quinine has not worked or has caused troublesome side-effects. References
|