A cramp comes without warning and can ruin the whole night! The muscle tightens, hurts and refuses to cooperate. How to prevent leg cramps? What to do if you are affected?
What does a cramp actually look like?
Do you wake up with a nagging pain in your calf and fall asleep in a second? The muscle contracts, hardens and refuses to cooperate. Sometimes you feel that a cramp is about to happen, other times you are woken up by a stiff muscle. Nocturnal leg cramps are among the frequent problems that can throw up the whole night. In most cases, there are common causes that can be controlled. Do you know how?
A spasm comes without warning. It hits most often calfsometimes the foot or toes. The muscle tightens, hurts to the touch and cannot be relaxed. The spasm goes away on its own, but it can come back again.
While sleeping, it is very uncomfortable, but it can be worse. If convulsions occur during the day, for example during sports, driving a car or other activities, they can also represent another danger associated with a fall or other accident.
The cramp itself usually subsides within a few tens of seconds, but an unpleasant feeling and partial pain may persist.
Why do cramps occur and what to do with them?
Cramps are often caused by a common cause imbalance. An overloaded muscular system after sports performance or, on the contrary, muscles that have been inactive all day react by contracting at night.
The drinking regime also plays a big role. Even mild dehydration may impair muscle function. A lack of minerals, especially magnesium, potassium and calcium, also affects the body in a similar way.
With age, the occurrence of convulsions increases, often accompanied by different periods. They are also more common in pregnancywhen blood circulation and demands on the body change. Sometimes medications or chronically illin.
It is an effective aid in the spasm itself muscle stretchingi.e. pull the tip of the foot towards you. Sometimes it can be switched or the leg can be caught on the furniture. This will gradually relieve the spasm. Stretching will not relieve the pain during a cramp, but the cramp will go away faster.
It also brings relief gentle massage or heat. Warming up improves blood circulation and the muscle returns to its normal state faster. Sudden movements, on the other hand, worsen the situation.
You can also learn basic information about cramps and possible lack of vitamins and minerals in this post from the YouTube channel of Doctor Tomáš Rady.
You can also prevent cramps
Prevention is not complicated, but it needs to be followed regularly. Sufficient fluids during the day, a balanced intake of minerals and light stretching before bed help.
Movement is also important. Not extreme performance, but natural activity. They need muscles regularitynot swings between overload and complete calm.
Most often, people reach for food supplements or minerals that they may be missing. In addition to tablets and capsules, you can also supplement them in your diet. If you regularly supply the body with the right nutrients, you will also minimize the occurrence of cramps.
You can add:
- Magnesium (about 300 to 400 mg per day)
, whole grains, spinach, dark chocolate - Potassium (approx. 3500 to 4700 mg per day)
bananas, potatoes, , legumes, tomatoes - Calcium (about 1000 to 1200 mg per day)
milk and milk products, poppy seeds, almonds, sardines
Remember that the occasional cramp is normal. However, if it repeats often, wakes you up from sleep or gets worse, it is time to pay attention.
Likewise in a situation where weakness, swelling or discoloration of the limb is added. In such a case, it is advisable to consult a doctor and look for a specific cause.
Night cramps are not just an unpleasant disturbance. Often this is a simple signal that the body needs to adjust the regime.
