What is the cause of calf cramp?

At ordinary times, many people unconsciously expose their legs when they sleep. At this time, calf cramps are likely to occur, especially when the weather is cold, and calf cramps are very uncomfortable. Of course, not only catching cold can lead to calf cramps, but also other reasons. Have you ever had calf cramps?

1. What is the cause of calf cramp

1. Being stimulated by cold

Especially in winter nights, many people will expose their legs and feet to the outside of the quilt when they sleep, which will cause the muscles of the calf to contract due to low temperature, thus causing calf cramps.

2. Sleeping posture is not right

Lying on your back or prone for a long time will cause some muscles of the calf to be in a relaxed state for a long time, causing "passive contracture" of muscles

3. Fatigue

Excessive fatigue of the lower limbs can produce a large number of lactic acid metabolites, which will lead to lactic acid accumulation and muscle spasm. The most common example is walking for a long time

4. excessive sweating

excessive sweating and failure to replenish body fluids in time will lead to a large loss of fluids and electrolytes in the body, accumulation of metabolic wastes, poor blood circulation in local muscles and easy spasm.

5. strenuous exercise

during strenuous exercise, the whole body is in a state of tension, local lactic acid increases, muscle contraction and relaxation are difficult to coordinate, and it can also cause calf muscle spasm.

6. Vascular diseases, if leg cramps frequently, may be related to vascular diseases, local tissue blood circulation disorder, leading to restless leg syndrome caused by tissue hypoxia and metabolite accumulation, so it is necessary to go to the hospital as soon as possible to insist on treatment.

7. Calcium deficiency in the body

Calcium ions play an important role in the process of muscle contraction. When the concentration of calcium ion in blood is too low, muscles are easily excited and convulsed. Teenagers grow rapidly and are prone to calcium deficiency, so leg cramps often occur. However, the decrease of estrogen and osteoporosis in elderly women will lead to low blood calcium level, increased muscle stress and frequent convulsions.

2. How to deal with calf cramps

When cramps occur, just "do the opposite", that is, pull your toes in the opposite direction of its force and hold on for more than 1 ~ 2 minutes, and you can get results.

Specifically, if it is a muscle cramp at the back of the calf, on the one hand, you can pull your feet to make your feet tilt, on the other hand, you can straighten your knees as much as possible; When the muscles in front of the calf cramp, you can press the foot plate and bend your toes hard.

3. How to prevent calf cramps

1. Drive away cold and keep warm, especially during sleep.

2. When lying on your back, the quilt may press the foot, which makes the gastrocnemius and plantar muscles tense. Tight muscles are prone to spasms.

3. The problems of flat feet and other physical structures make some people particularly prone to leg cramps. Appropriate shoes are one of the ways to make up for it.

4. Exercise properly. Strengthen physical exercise and exercise at ordinary times. Be sure to warm up before activities to improve blood supply and enhance muscle contraction.

5. If you exercise a lot and sweat a lot, you need to replenish fluids to avoid dehydration, but don't overdo it.

6. Pregnant women should change their body posture frequently, exercise once every hour or so, wash their feet and calves with warm water before going to bed, and supplement nutrients including calcium according to their special needs.

7. Eat more vitamin D, calcium tablets and calcium-rich foods such as milk, dried shrimps, kelp and tofu.

4. What should I do about sleeping leg cramps?

Sleeping leg cramps may also be caused by electrolyte imbalance, calcium deficiency and excessive water loss in the body, and may also be related to some internal medical diseases (such as hypothyroidism) or side effects of drugs (taking some antihypertensive drugs and hypolipidemic drugs) and neurological diseases. Therefore, you can drink a cup of diluted sports drink or light salt water before going to bed, and keep warm when sleeping. If cramps are caused by electrolyte imbalance, calcium deficiency, nerve stimulation, etc., they often do not only occur in legs and feet, but also in other parts of the body, and they will recur.