Causes and treatment of gastrocnemius muscle cramps. Cramp muscle spasms at night: causes

Complaints of patients on cramps calf muscles of the doctor hear regularly. With such discomfort, there are people of absolutely different categories. Young, and people aged, children and pregnant women are subject to the phenomenon. In this case, all patients note that it is at night that the sensations are so strong that they make you wake up and experience all the troubles of the moment. What is the treatment of gastrocnemius spasms? At night, these manifestations can seriously disrupt rest.

What is the phenomenon?

Everyone knows what convulsions are. This is when it reduces one or more muscles, that is, they shrink on their own. In this case, this phenomenon is accompanied by pain. Most often, cramps appear in the legs, in their gastrocnemius, on the back side of the shin. Spasm, which suddenly covers the muscle, causes the foot to fully straighten up, just like when a person stands on tiptoe. Strong enough painful sensations accompany cramps of gastrocnemius muscles at night. Treatment with such a phenomenon even to the patient seems to be the only way out.

Causes of seizures

Effective treatment of any disease is possible only after finding out its sources. Thus, initially it is necessary to consider what lies, if it comes to convulsions of the calf muscles, the reasons. Treatment is possible only after finding out the factors that cause unpleasant discomfort.

The main causes of this pathology are:

• Non-systemic strong physical activity;
• Exposure to cold;
• Various changes in the work of the body;
• Lack of mineral substances in the blood;
• Nervous diseases;
• Stressful situations;
• The use of alcohol in large quantities;
• Increased neuromuscular excitability;
• Epileptic syndrome;
• Tumors and traumas of the brain;
• Various inflammations;
• Thrombophlebitis;
• Varicosity;
• Flat feet;
• obesity;
• Lack of mobility;
• Drug therapy with diuretics or statins, taking Niacin, and so on.

How to provide first aid?

The question of the need to begin treatment of gastrocnemius muscle cramps at night is quite urgent. It is at this time that the power of their manifestation is maximal. Leave the question of fighting the disease until the morning and consider how to provide first aid.

1. If the calf on the leg is brought down, it must be strongly compressed and simultaneously press the index finger on the central area for twenty seconds. This will help improve blood circulation in the muscle. Breathing throughout the procedure must be deep.
2. Another method of eliminating convulsions involves a strong contraction within half a minute of the central region of the lower lip.
3. A small massage will also help, thanks to which the muscles relax due to blood flow to the site in which a spasm appeared.
4. A special exercise will stretch the cramped area. This will act as an analgesic. A person should stand face to face, position of legs - on width of shoulders. Hands at the same time are at the level of the head, resting against the wall. You need to try to move away from the wall so that your feet do not come off the floor, and the movements are slow. The exercise continues until the calf muscles begin to stretch and end when pain occurs. To eliminate it, you need to triturate the place covered by spasm. Such treatment of calf muscle cramps at night will effectively eliminate discomfort.

Drug therapy

It is important to remember the promise that was given at night, and go to see a doctor. Until the appropriate treatment of gastrocnemius muscle cramps is selected, medications and certain procedures can help in getting rid of discomfort.

So, you can use several ways to fix this problem:

• You can exercise a little on an exercise bike or a treadmill.
• Make a complex for stretching with a subsequent massage for a couple of minutes before sleep.
• Do not take drinks and food with a diuretic effect, as well as what contains caffeine and alcohol (to avoid dehydration).
• Moderately take magnesium.
• The use of vitamin B12 will help, but only if it is not enough in the body.
• You can try to take funds that reduce muscle tone, accompanying cramps calf muscles. Treatment (drugs and procedures) is better to initially discuss with the doctor. Meadkalm is an effective remedy.
• Help drugs that eliminate the pain of a neuropathic nature. For example, the drug "Gabapentin."
• With caution drink drugs blocking calcium channels. These drugs are used for migraines and hypertension. However, the insidiousness of these funds is the risk of hypotension.
• If the physical activity is intense, then an additional intake of a large amount of water is necessary. With a lack of calcium, you can include the appropriate drugs in the reception of funds. For supporters of all natural will suit sesame oil, any dairy products.

However, compliance with all these rules will not replace the advice of a specialist.

Convulsions in children at night

At a time when the child is growing particularly intensively, he can have the above-mentioned spasms at night. Of course, the kid does not understand what is happening to him, because of what happens these involuntary contractions in the muscles. Often he begins to behave very uneasily, afraid and cry. Why do these phenomena arise?

Night convulsions in the child are due to the presence of the following factors:

• The baby's leg was in one uncomfortable position for a long time;
• The child has become supercooled;
• The body lacks vital elements;
• The baby suffers from flat feet.

If the convulsions occur regularly and for a fairly long time, then most likely, their causes are the last two factors.

Additional reception of macroelements

It is very important to understand what triggers muscle cramps at night. Treatment, if the body needs macronutrients, can consist in a proper diet.

1. Potassium is easily replenished if included in the diet more fruits, such as grapes or prunes, apricots, bananas and cherries. They are rich in legumes, especially beans and lentils. And also cereals, for example oatmeal porridge. The source of potassium is fish, meat and dairy products.
2. Everyone knows that calcium is mostly found in all kinds of fermented milk products, such as cheese, cottage cheese and yogurt. In addition, it is very much in nuts, cabbage, watercress, soybeans and sesame seeds.
3. Sources of magnesium - a variety of greens, cereal, such as oatmeal, buckwheat, pearl barley. A lot of it in bran and legumes, in seaweed and all kinds of dried fruits.

Establishing diagnosis

If convulsions become frequent and continue for quite a long time, you should seek help from a doctor.

The first specialist should be a therapist or pediatrician if the child is sick. The doctor will make a preliminary examination, if necessary, will appoint a survey. If required, it will send to another more narrow specialist, for example a neurologist.

Remember that the cause of unpleasant discomfort can be a serious ailment. For example, the treatment of gastrocnemius muscle cramps in varicose veins should be performed only by an experienced specialist. No home or self-prescribed drugs will not relieve the source of the ailment. And, consequently, the relief that you receive will not be long.

If the disease is caused by problems with the somatic nervous system, then with proper therapy, involuntary contractions of the leg muscles will soon cease.

If, on the basis of the results of the survey, it turns out that the cause of the disease was not any serious pathology, the doctor will give advice that will help in the very near future to improve the patient's condition.

Food

Treatment of gastrocnemius muscle cramps at home begins with a change in diet.

The basic rules are:

1. Take small meals up to six times a day.
2. At the heart of the daily ration, priority should be given to complex carbohydrates, such as various cereals, whole grains, as well as fruits and vegetables.
3. You can not do without fat, they are also responsible for muscle contractions. Daily rate is contained in a small piece of sausage or red fish, as well as butter.
4. The daily diet can not do without foods rich in magnesium, which have already been listed above. It is better to combine them with those that contain vitamins from group B.

How to prevent seizures?

There is a complex of measures, observance of which will prevent the development of this disease:

• It is necessary to introduce healthy habits and abandon harmful ones. For example, moderate exercise, excluding too intense leg exercises.
• To sleep it is necessary on a comfortable bed, the limbs should be elevated in relation to the whole body.
• Foot baths are another effective way to avoid seizures. In five liters of warm water, dissolve several spoons of sea salt.
• The feet are massaged using ointments that improve blood circulation in the tissues.
• Heel height in everyday shoes should not exceed 5 cm. Shoes in which the patient feels uncomfortable should also be excluded.
• If there are problems with the veins on the legs, then it is shown wearing a special compression underwear - stocking or tights.
• It is necessary to eliminate flatfoot, if available.
• It is necessary to take vitamin-mineral complexes.

Such simple measures will make it possible to effectively complete the treatment prescribed by the doctor for gastrocnemius muscle cramps that occur at night.