Many people experience leg cramps at night while sleeping, sudden, violent, involuntary contractions of the calf muscles that are so painful that they keep you awake and interfere with your sleep. Such cramps often occur at night when you are asleep, and although they last only a few minutes, the discomfort or tenderness in the muscles can last for hours after the episode, and you can still feel discomfort when you get up to study and work the next day.
What exactly is the cause?
Medical analysis shows that.
1, calf cramps during sleep at night, most of them are idiopathic. If it does not occur regularly, there is no need to worry too much.
2, when suffering from certain diseases, the probability of leg cramps increases, called secondary leg cramps, such as a variety of muscle disease, peripheral neuropathy, uremia, diabetes, thyroid disease, low magnesium, low calcium, low potassium, etc..
3, most patients with leg cramps are related to calcium deficiency. Poor physical condition or post-menopausal women, people who diet and lose weight, etc. lead to leg cramps due to insufficient absorption or intake of calcium.
Common causes are broadly the following.
1, cold stimulation of the external environment, such as low room temperature at night in winter, too thin covers during sleep or legs and feet exposed to the outside of the quilt.
2, fatigue, sleep, lack of rest or too much rest resulting in the accumulation of local acidic metabolites, can cause muscle cramps. Such as walking or exercise for too long, so that the lower extremities are overly fatigued or insufficient rest and sleep, can make lactic acid accumulation; too much sleep and rest for too long, blood circulation slows down, so that carbon dioxide buildup, etc.
3, older women estrogen decline, osteoporosis, all will make the blood calcium level is too low, muscle stress increases, and often occur spasms.
4, poor sleep posture, such as a long time lying on their backs, so that the quilt pressed on the surface of the foot, or a long time lying prone, so that the surface of the foot against the bed, forcing some muscles in the calf for a long time in absolute relaxation, will cause muscle “passive contracture.
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Calf cramps occur when the relief treatment.
1, simple treatment: the easiest way is to make the attack is to make the thumbs of the feet up, and stretch the legs straight. If someone helps, the effect is faster.
2, pull: immediately sit up, straighten the calf where the cramp occurred, torso forward flexion, with both hands to pull the forefoot, slow, continuous pulling to the side of the trunk until the spasm is relieved.
3, acupoint stimulation: use your fingers to press on the commission point (the center point of the posterior knee depression), the Chengzhi point (the highest point of the muscles behind the calf), and the Chengshan point (the bifurcation of the muscles behind the calf).
4.Local massage: rubbing the calf with both hands quickly, or pressing or lightly buttoning the calf muscles with your hands can help relieve muscle spasm.
5, hot compress: If the above methods fail to completely relieve the symptoms, can be replaced with hot towels, hot water bags on the leg belly, can effectively promote muscle blood circulation, relieve the spasm.
To prevent leg and foot cramps, the following points should be noted.
1, drive away the cold to keep warm, pay attention to maintain a comfortable and warm sleep environment, cold easily induced cramps.
2, wear comfortable shoes, flat feet and other body structure problems make some people especially prone to leg cramps, the right shoes is one of the ways to make up for it.
3, pay attention to sleeping position, try not to lie on your back or prone for a long time, you can avoid muscle contracture caused by long time relaxation of calf muscles.
4, appropriate participation in physical exercise, through exercise to reduce the occurrence of cramps, daily stretching gastrocnemius (calf rear muscles), can prevent frequent episodes of calf cramps.
5, supplement some vitamin E if necessary, such as kiwi, spinach, cabbage, almonds, hazelnuts.
6, appropriate calcium supplementation, eat more dairy products containing lactic acid and amino acids, lean meat and other foods, can promote the dissolution of calcium salts to help absorption.
7, before sleep to avoid drinking alcohol, coffee and cola and other beverages with excitatory central nervous system, do not read stimulating books and films, do not make a fuss, to ensure that soon after the bed into sleep.