5 tips to prevent cramping

• April 26, 2024

Any person who has ever woken up with a muscle cramp in the legs knows how painful it can be when a muscle It contracts suddenly. Night cramps usually occur in the calves, but they can also occur in the feet and thighs.

In most cases, the Cramps Noches on the legs are not harmful and can be relieved, and even prevented, with some simple stretches or other measures of self-care, like the ones we give you below:

1. Hydrate yourself: Drinking water or other liquids in sufficient quantity throughout the day can prevent dehydration. That also helps the muscles contract and relax more easily. When one participates in some physical activity , it is particularly important to replenish liquids.
2. Stretch: If you suffer from Cramps in the legs, it would be best to stretch the muscles before going to sleep.
3. Exercise: Walking on a stationary bicycle for a few minutes before bedtime could help you prevent Cramps as you sleep.
4. Right footwear: Wearing shoes that offer good support could help prevent Cramps in the legs.
5. Loose bedding: Loosen the sheets and other blankets that are on the side of the feet.

If self-care measures do not keep cramps at bay, analgesics, such as acetaminophen they could help you Remember that the pain of the Cramps In the legs it can vary in intensity and last from only a few seconds to 15 minutes or more.

To get natural relief you can gently rub the muscle contracted to help you relax, and stretch the affected part can reduce the spasm . When the muscle cramp It is in the calf, try to stand up and recharge the weight of the body on the leg in question, hardly bending the knee.

If the pain is too much and prevents you from standing, stretch the leg straight, bending the foot up in the direction of the head. Applying heat or cold can also offer relief. Also, to relax the muscles stressed, apply ice or a cold compress directly on the area of ​​the muscle cramp ; or you could take a warm bath to decrease pain and muscle sensitivity.

However, when they occur regularly and cause severe discomfort, it is necessary to see a doctor. That is, when Cramps of the legs interfere with sleep or muscle weakness is registered, inflammation , numbness or pain that does not happen or continues to appear.

Know the causes of cramps

Even though the risk of suffering Cramps Night legs increase with age, it is usually difficult to pinpoint its cause. The truth is that these spasms often occur without any reason.

The Cramps in the legs they can be linked to dehydration, to sitting for a long time, or to ingest insufficient amount of potassium, calcium or magnesium. Similarly, some medications are also related to this problem, such as diuretics, beta blockers and antihypertensives.

Sometimes, these Cramps they could be related to an underlying metabolic condition, such as hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) or a parathyroid condition. The diabetes is another disease that alters the metabolism and can also cause muscle cramps.

The Cramps Night legs are sometimes confused with restless legs syndrome, in which an unpleasant sensation similar to pulsations or jerks in the legs leads to an uncontrollable desire to move the lower extremities.

These symptoms occur mainly at night, or when the person is at rest. However, muscle pain is less common in restless legs syndrome than in nighttime cramps. Pain due to swelling of the legs from excess fluid (edema) may also feel like a muscle cramp .

For more information visit Mayo Clinic in Spanish and Mayo Clinic news.

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Video Medicine: Leg Cramps: Medical Minute with Family Physician Dr. Richard Honaker (April 2024).