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How to eliminate muscle cramps, reduce legs, treatment
What if spasms in the muscles of the legs interfere with life?
October 9 2019
Every person at least once in his life woke up in the middle of the night from muscle cramps. The cause of pain can be both serious illnesses and bad habits. How to be? We’ve consulted an expert.
Candidate of Medical Sciences, Deputy. chief physician for consultative and diagnostic work GBUZ MO “MONIKI”.
When it brings the foot down, you need to pull your toes with your hand. Most often, it brings the legs in the area of the shins and calves, less often – the thighs and feet.
Do not panic
If the spasms are one-off, don’t worry. Sometimes they occur when a person sleeps in an uncomfortable position or wears the wrong shoes, drinks too much coffee at night. Fans of intense workouts in the gym, as well as office workers, are familiar with the problem. They spend a lot of time sitting motionless at a table with a computer mouse in hand, which disrupts blood circulation. The leg can also be cramped as a result of overheating and dehydration caused by heat or high temperatures. Other common causes are pregnancy, chronic stress, and certain medications such as osteoporosis medications and medications.
It’s time to see a doctor
Are seizures occurring regularly, the pain is unbearable and does not go away for a long time? See a therapist to rule out a deficiency of magnesium, calcium and vitamin D. When minerals are not enough, deviations in the transmission of nerve impulses to the muscles begin, and they are unable to completely relax. You may be referred for a consultation with a phlebologist, often spasms accompany varicose veins. Risk factors are genetic predisposition, overweight, a sedentary lifestyle, taking hormonal contraceptives, the habit of wearing corsets and work associated with prolonged static loads on the feet. It is worthwhile to be wary if in the evenings you suffer from pain and heaviness in the legs, which disappear after a walk or raising the legs, swelling in the area of the legs and ankles. Have you noticed one of the symptoms? See a doctor. In the initial stages, varicose veins are easily treated, while in advanced cases, surgery may be required. In addition, spasms can indicate flat feet, latent injuries, inflammatory processes in the body, infectious and neurological diseases.
Ambulance for your aquarium
Muscle cramps can be very severe. If the spasm wakes you up, try one of the quick ways to relieve it.
Pull the foot of the affected leg towards you and hold in this position for a few seconds. Stretch the calf muscle from the bottom up, grabbing and squeezing it with your palms or patting it vigorously. Then make several circular movements with your feet to normalize the blood flow.
Pinching your shin is sometimes enough. You should not prick with a pin, there is a risk of infection.
Squeeze the numb muscle firmly with your fingers and do not let go until it becomes easier. This method is irreplaceable if the leg is brought together in a public place.
Stand barefoot on the floor. It should be cold, then blood circulation will increase, and the muscle will relax faster. Try to walk around. When the pain is gone, swing from toe to heel and back for about a minute.
Preventive measures
Do gymnastics for the feet. Every evening for 10–20 seconds, forcefully bend and unbend your toes, draw circles with your ankles for 5 minutes and roll a tennis ball back and forth on the floor with your foot. This not only helps with fatigue and numbness of the legs, but also serves as the prevention of varicose veins, strengthens the ligamentous apparatus.
Choose shoe size that is comfortable. Too narrow can lead to impaired blood flow, and shoes with high heels or pointed toes can cause tension and spasms in the calf muscles. Wear them only once or twice a week. Office dress code does not allow? Take your shoes off as often as possible during the day.
Drink plenty of water if you don’t have problems with fluid retention. How much depends on body weight: each kilogram of weight is an additional 30-40 ml of liquid.
Include in the diet foods rich in magnesium and calcium, they are necessary for normal muscle contraction, relaxation of blood vessels. Most of these elements are found in buckwheat, almonds, hazelnuts, sesame seeds, milk, soybeans, beans, wheat bran.