How to get rid of a bad leg cramp

Treatment and Remedies for Relief

We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Here’s our process.

Healthline only shows you brands and products that we stand behind.

Our team thoroughly researches and evaluates the recommendations we make on our site. To establish that the product manufacturers addressed safety and efficacy standards, we:

Evaluate ingredients and composition: Do they have the potential to cause harm?
Fact-check all health claims: Do they align with the current body of scientific evidence?
Assess the brand: Does it operate with integrity and adhere to industry best practices?

We do the research so you can find trusted products for your health and wellness.

What Causes Leg Cramps? Symptoms, Triggers, Treatments, and More

Leg cramps can occur due to dehydration or overexertion. Frequent leg cramps can occur with certain health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes or kidney failure, or while taking certain medications.

Overview

Some call them a charley horse, others a leg cramp. But no one calls them an enjoyable experience.

Leg cramps can be excruciating. They often attack when you’re sound asleep, waking you with a violent reaction, worsened only by the shock of their arrival.

In some cases, these cramps can be prevented. Read on to learn about their triggers and how to find relief.

Your muscles cramp when they involuntarily contract. This usually feels like a painful knot on your leg muscle and renders it momentarily immobile.

Leg cramps are most common in the calf muscle, but they can also happen in the thighs or feet.

Normally, leg cramps last just a few moments before the muscle loosens up and the pain dissipates.

There are a variety of things that can lead to leg cramps. But it’s also important to note there’s often no explanation at all for leg cramps.

Because they often happen at night when our legs are slightly bent and our feet are pointed downward, some have suggested that this tightening triggers a spasm.

If you’re trying to prevent these painful occurrences, it’s best to minimize the circumstances that can increase their likelihood.

There are certain activities that make you more prone to leg cramps. These include exercises that rely heavily on the leg muscles, such as:

recreational running
weight training the legs
sports that require a lot of running, such as soccer or basketball

Some experts say muscle fatigue is the leading cause of leg cramps. The risks are even higher when these muscles are fatigued in hot weather or when you don’t stay hydrated.

You can prevent activity-related leg cramps by drinking plenty of water and taking it easy. Avoid exercising when you’re fatigued.

Pregnancy, as well as certain medical conditions, can also increase your risk of experiencing leg cramps.

See your doctor if you’re pregnant or have any of these conditions and are experiencing more leg cramps than usual:

Addison’s disease
alcohol use disorder
kidney failure
thyroid issues
Parkinson’s disease
type 2 diabetes
sarcoidosis
cirrhosis
vascular disease

In addition, medications can contribute to leg cramps, such as:

birth control pills
diuretics
naproxen (Aleve)
albuterol, an asthma medication
statins

Preventing leg cramps is where it begins, but if you’re in the throes of a painful cramp, it helps to know what to do.

When you have a cramp, massage and stretch it gently.

If it’s in your calf, flex your foot to attempt to stretch the muscle, or walk around on your heels if the pain isn’t unbearable. Get more information on stopping leg cramps.

Generally, the effects of a cramp will disappear in minutes. But if you have ongoing cramps, speak with your doctor.

Currently, there are no medications specifically designed to treat recurring muscle cramps. However, if your cramping is a symptom of another condition, addressing that underlying issue could provide relief.

treatment, prevention, causes and treatment, leg cramps at night

A cramp is an involuntary, uncontrolled contraction of a muscle. When it contracts, a person experiences an unpleasant twitching, squeezing, or severe pain. Various muscles can contract involuntarily, but more often spasms occur in the leg: in the calves, feet, or fingers. At the same time, it can reduce one or more muscles. This happens in a relaxed state, at night, when a person is sleeping. Because of the sharp pain, he wakes up. Sleep is disturbed, and during the night it is not possible to have a good rest. nine0003

Up to 75% of women and men over 60 experience leg cramps during nighttime rest. Many consider night cramps to be an unpleasant, but harmless age-related phenomenon. But they also occur in young people, in children. Night cramps with sharp pain are often complained by women during pregnancy.

To get rid of an unpleasant symptom that interferes with rest, you need to figure out why it occurs, how to treat it.

Most common causes

Leg cramps occur due to various features and disorders in the body:

stagnation of blood in the veins of the legs;
micronutrient deficiency;
endocrine disorders;
long-term treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
kidney disease;
dehydration;
sudden change in temperature;
taking diuretics;
tight footwear, clothing; nine0016
physical and emotional overload.

Stagnation of blood in the veins

Spasms in the calf muscles may be a symptom of developing varicose veins. It is necessary to consult a doctor if there is swelling, heaviness in the legs. They arise due to stagnation of venous blood. With the help of convulsive muscle contractions, the body tries to activate the movement of blood in the veins. There are no visible manifestations of the disease at this stage. There are no swollen veins protruding above the skin, spider veins. If you start treatment in a timely manner, they will not appear, and spasms will stop bothering you at night. nine0003

Micronutrient deficiencies

Blood contains positive and negative electrolytes that conduct electric current charges necessary to deliver nutrients and oxygen to cells. If the body does not receive enough calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium, the water-salt balance and the interaction of positive and negative particles are disturbed. There are uncontrolled reactions that cause the muscles to contract. Cramps are often felt in the calves, thighs, feet, and hands. nine0003

Even if you eat a lot of vegetables, fruits, drink a vitamin-mineral complex recommended by a doctor, take an analysis to check the biochemical and electrolyte composition of the blood. Minerals can enter the body, but are poorly absorbed if there are not enough vitamins, fatty acids or there is a lot of protein in the diet, the breakdown of which accelerates the removal of calcium from the body.

Endocrine disorders

If he cramps his legs at night, there is rapid fatigue, irritability, you need to check the endocrine system. The cause of unpleasant night cramps can be hypothyroidism (a malfunction of the thyroid gland) or diabetes. With these diseases, even in the early stages, metabolism is disturbed and calcium, magnesium, and sodium are absorbed worse. Diabetes affects the functioning of the nervous system. Nerves in the arms and legs receive "fake" impulses from the brain and cause the muscles to contract. You may feel a slight pulling or severe short-term pain. nine0003

Diseases of the kidneys

In diseases of the kidneys, the content of potassium and calcium decreases, and sodium increases. The water-salt balance is disturbed, arbitrary electrical impulses appear, and the person feels the muscles cramp.

Dehydration of the body

Dehydration of the body and the accompanying disturbance of the water-salt balance occurs not only due to lack of fluid. It develops in people who drink a lot of coffee or abuse alcohol, eat excessively salty foods (salted and pickled vegetables, chips, crackers, sausages, salted fish). Dehydration develops rapidly with diarrhea, vomiting. nine0003

Sudden change in temperature

If the temperature drops sharply in the bedroom at night (due to an open window, turning off the heating), the muscles may cramp. The problem will be solved by warm pajamas and a blanket, a sheet with electric heating.

Taking diuretics, anti-inflammatory drugs

Diuretics accelerate the excretion of minerals from the body, which leads to a violation of the water-salt and electrolyte balance. During rest, when the muscles are relaxed, involuntary contraction is felt especially strongly, disturbing sleep. nine0003

Treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs may have the undesirable side effect of muscle cramps, which manufacturers warn about in the instructions. When a person stops taking the drug, they stop bothering him.

Tight shoes, clothes

Women wear high-heeled shoes all day long, men wear fashion shoes with narrow socks that squeeze the foot. Young people often wear skinny jeans. In the legs, blood circulation is disturbed. Muscles contract to increase blood flow. It is enough to choose clothes and shoes that do not restrict movement, do not squeeze the body, and spasms will not bother you. nine0003

Physical and emotional overload

People who work standing up or walk a lot (sellers, postmen, hairdressers), athletes often complain about nighttime leg cramps. Seamstresses and musicians can cramp their hands and fingers. Muscle stretching exercises help relieve tension. They need to be done before training, during a break at work.

Provoke convulsive muscle contractions during rest excitement, severe stress. Do not rush to take sedatives (motherwort, valerian, etc.). Spasms do not occur due to malfunctions in the nervous system. Under stress in the body, the production of the hormone cortisol increases, which leads to a decrease in the absorption of calcium, a violation of the water-salt and electrolyte balance. Spasms often occur in the hips, calf muscles. nine0003

Why does the legs cramp in older men and women?

The body's ability to absorb trace elements decreases with age. And even if the menu is based on the recommendations of nutritionists, it contains a lot of vegetables, fruits, dairy products, in older people it can cramp the muscles of the hands, calves, step, fingers due to a lack of calcium and other trace elements.

In old age, many suffer from varicose veins, and this disease, even in its initial stage, causes cramps in the calves and thighs. nine0003

Another reason why seizures disturb the sleep of the elderly is medication. Doctors often prescribe diuretics and other drugs that cause muscle spasms to older patients.

With a sedentary lifestyle, even a little physical activity, a long walk, gardening, can lead to overwork, and sleep is interrupted several times a night by spasms.

What to do if your child's legs are cramping

Children grow up fast. Boots, sneakers, or jeans can become tight in a few months. They do more harm to a growing organism than to an adult. Do not allow the child to wear shoes, clothes until the end of the season. It can provoke night cramps in the feet, calf muscles. nine0003

The cause of cramps can also be a lack of minerals due to an unbalanced diet or a lack of vitamin D. Frequent consumption of snacks, sugary carbonated drinks leads to dehydration. Limit their use, and if the child’s sleep is disturbed by convulsions, completely eliminate them from the diet.

If convulsions occur frequently and greatly disturb a child who goes in for sports, it is necessary to reduce the load, have more rest, and avoid stress.

Night cramps in pregnant women

During pregnancy, the consumption of trace elements increases significantly. Calcium, potassium, magnesium are essential for the growth and development of the fetus. If the body of the expectant mother does not have enough of them, it signals this with muscle spasms. Eat right, give up coffee, fast food, limit salt intake. Ask your doctor to prescribe a complex of vitamins and minerals.

A woman's weight increases from the second trimester of pregnancy. The legs, especially the feet, experience additional stress, which makes it difficult for blood circulation. If cramps appear, do exercises for pregnant women, including stretching exercises, sipping. Do not take medication during pregnancy without consulting your doctor. nine0003

Where to see a doctor

To understand why your legs cramp, see a therapist. He will give directions for a general and biochemical blood test. These studies allow you to identify disruptions in the endocrine system, to check whether there is enough calcium and other trace elements in the body.

Depending on the results of the examination, the therapist will prescribe treatment or refer you to a phlebologist, vascular surgeon, endocrinologist.

Methods of treatment

It is necessary to treat convulsions in a complex way: eat right, take a vitamin and mineral complex, wear comfortable clothes, drink enough water, reduce the consumption of coffee, alcoholic beverages, do not take medications without a doctor's prescription, do not overwork.

If spasms are caused by diseases of the kidneys, endocrine system, varicose veins, the underlying disease should be treated.

To relieve spasm, try pinching your leg hard, applying a cold towel, or standing on a cold floor. nine0003

To prevent cramps, you can do warm foot baths before going to bed, sip them, knead them. Place a pillow under your feet to keep them slightly elevated. This will improve blood circulation.

Leg cramps - symptoms, causes, treatment, first aid, what to do with cramps

Cramping is familiar to most people, it is an unpleasant sensation that is caused by involuntary muscle contraction. It lasts, as a rule, not for long, but it delivers a lot of negative emotions. nine0003

What are convulsions?

This is a sharp contraction of the muscles, which is not subject to a simple relaxing effort. The cramp is accompanied by pain, can last from a few seconds to ten minutes. With a strong muscle contraction, a large amount of decay products are released, this is the biological mechanism of convulsions.

What are the causes of seizures

This condition can occur both in patients and in completely healthy people. Muscle contraction can be localized or generalized, when entire muscle groups are affected. In children, such convulsions occur at high temperatures, and in adults, a similar condition is a sign of a serious illness of the nervous system. nine0003

Causes of seizures include:

Deficiency of certain vitamins and minerals, most commonly calcium or magnesium;
Sedentary lifestyle or too intense exercise;
Pregnancy and related changes in the female body;
Taking certain medicines that remove potassium salts from the body;
Various diseases, including diabetes mellitus, varicose veins, overweight and flat feet. nine0016

If you are concerned about frequent cramps of the limbs, contact a specialist who will find out the cause of the unpleasant phenomena.

What to do with night cramps?

If a muscle has cramped, it will be impossible to consciously relax it. The only way is to use physical force: straighten your toes with your hands or pull the toe of your foot towards you. After the cramp has passed, the limb can be massaged, this will help restore normal blood circulation. nine0003

How to prevent seizures?

Prevention of seizures exists if you understand the risk of their occurrence and the reason that can lead to this. For example, with flat feet, it is important to choose the right shoes and use orthopedic insoles. With varicose veins - avoid excessive physical activity. During pregnancy - observe the regimen and take the necessary vitamins. In any case, if you want to avoid night cramps, you need to adjust your diet to include foods rich in potassium, calcium and magnesium. Instead of sweets, give preference to dried apricots and dates. nine0003

Diagnosis of the cause of seizures

In case of an unpleasant condition, it is first of all recommended to contact a therapist who will prescribe a series of tests and conduct the necessary diagnostics. These are blood and urine tests that will show the presence of concomitant pathologies, as well as ultrasound of the veins of the lower extremities. After the cause of seizures is found, the patient is recommended to be examined by a specialized narrow specialist or taking vitamins and a diet that can help with a banal lack of trace elements. nine0003

Treatment of night cramps

Seizures can be a sign of the development of serious diseases, it is extremely important to diagnose them in a timely manner. Depending on the cause, the appropriate treatment is selected. In any case, you can reduce the risk of painful leg cramps by practicing a daily contrast shower. In addition, it is important to change the diet.