What is the cause of calf cramp?

Usually many people unconsciously show their legs when they sleep. At this time, calf cramps are prone to occur, especially when the weather is cold, and calf cramps are very uncomfortable. Of course, it's not just catching cold that can cause calf cramps, there are other reasons. Have you ever had a calf cramp?

1, what is the cause of calf cramp?

1. Stimulated by cold

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

2. Sleeping in the wrong position

Lying on your back or prone for a long time will make some muscles of the calf in a relaxed state for a long time, resulting in "passive contracture" of muscles.

3. Excessive fatigue

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

colliquative sweat

Excessive sweating, 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, and muscle contraction and relaxation are difficult to coordinate, which can also cause calf muscle spasm.

6. Vascular diseases If the calf is often cramped, it may be related to vascular diseases. The disorder of local tissue blood circulation leads to restless leg syndrome caused by tissue hypoxia and metabolite accumulation. Insist on treatment and go to the hospital as soon as possible.

7. Calcium deficiency in the body

Calcium ion plays an important role in muscle contraction. When the concentration of calcium ion in blood is too low, muscles are easily excited and twitched. 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 the decrease of blood calcium level, the increase of muscle stress and frequent convulsions.

2. What about calf cramps?

When cramps occur, as long as you "do the opposite", that is, pull your toes in the opposite direction of the stress, and stick to it for more than l ~ 2 minutes, you can get the effect.

Specifically, if it is a muscle cramp at the back of the calf, on the one hand, you can pull your foot to make it upturned, on the other hand, you can straighten your knee 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 when sleeping.

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

Flat feet and other physical problems make some people particularly prone to leg cramps. Proper 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, improve blood supply and enhance muscle contraction.

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

6. Pregnant women should always change their body posture, exercise every 1 hour 1 time, wash their feet and calves with warm water before going to bed, and supplement nutrients including calcium according to the special needs of the body.

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

4. What should I do if I have a cramp in my leg during sleep?

Leg cramps during sleep may also be caused by electrolyte imbalance, calcium deficiency and excessive water loss in the body, and may also be related to some internal diseases (such as hypothyroidism) or side effects of drugs (taking some antihypertensive drugs and lipid-lowering drugs) and nervous system diseases. So you can drink a diluted sports drink or light salt water before going to bed, and keep warm when sleeping. If the cramp is caused by electrolyte imbalance, calcium deficiency, nerve stimulation, etc. They often occur not only in the legs and feet, but also in other parts of the body, and they will recur.