Leg cramps are also called as muscle cramps that cause painful contraction involuntarily due to stiffness of muscles. Generally it is observed when you are sleeping or just awakened. It causes intense pain in the calf muscle or thigh muscles in the form of sudden spasm. It is quite common to get these cramps in our day-to-day life. There are certain medications that induce muscle cramp. Leg cramps can be managed by taking nutritious diet and following active lifestyle.
During leg cramps, the muscle will not relax and return to original position as it does during normal course. Muscle cramp is a group of fibers that contract involuntarily causing spasm. Leg cramps will normally lasts for few seconds but sometimes it may extend up to several minutes or hours. Leg cramps are quite common and almost every person would have experienced it at least few times.
Leg Cramps Causes :
Leg cramps can be triggered due to various reasons given below :-
- Trauma or injury to the muscles such as fracture may cause leg cramps. Sudden injury may restrict the movement of muscles causing spasms and leg cramps.
- When you vigorously involve the muscles of your legs during sports activities it may cause cramps later. If you are sitting in the same posture for extended hours, it would minimize the free activity of muscles causing cramps. Aged people are more prone to leg cramps due to less frequent usage and less activity.
- Rest cramps are a type of cramps that happens during night. Nocturnal cramps can be very painful and intense, causing disturbance to your sleeping pattern. It may occur repeatedly on the same night causing severe pain. The exact cause of such cramps is not known.
- Dehydration is also another cause for leg cramps. Excess of loss of fluid may predispose cramps on your legs. Taking diuretic drugs may result in frequent urination and loss of fluid can cause cramps.
- Sometimes, excess of fluid accumulation in liver may also cause leg cramps, indicative of liver or kidney failure.
- When the level of magnesium and calcium in blood becomes low it can affect the nerve endings of the muscles leading to cramps.
Symptoms Of Leg Cramps :