Practically everyone knows what a cramp is. This muscle spasm can occur at the wrong time, such as when running, swimming, or at night. There is a cramp in the foot and calf muscles. She experiences acute pain. Despite the fact that this condition lasts no more than 1-2 minutes, I want to eliminate it as soon as possible, and also prevent it in the future. This is described in the article.
Mechanism
A muscle spasm is called a spasm. It can also occur in a he althy person, compared to epileptic seizures, which are rare. And short cramps in the legs are called tonic. They are mostly harmless, although they can be a sign of serious violations.
The contraction of muscle fibers occurs at the signal of the brain. This is how the system responsible for the movement of a person functions. The contraction is carried out under the action of nerve impulses, which are created by the balance of specifictrace elements. Components such as magnesium, potassium, calcium are involved in muscle activity. With a lack of at least one mineral, there is a violation in the conduction of impulses to muscle fibers, and a spasm appears.
The intake of potassium, magnesium, calcium ions into cells is carried out with blood. And they are delivered to the body along with food. Therefore, many factors can upset the balance of substances that determine the correct muscle contraction. Most often there are cramps in the feet. The reason for this is a systemic circulatory disorder in this part, so the muscles lack micronutrients.
The duration of this state can be from a second to several minutes. It rarely happens - once a week or a month. Do not worry, as a cramp in the feet is not dangerous. But if this happens often, the spasm lasts a long time and leads to severe pain, you need to see a doctor.
Reasons
Why does my foot cramp? The main reason is the lack of trace elements that are involved in muscle contraction. The balance of potassium, magnesium, calcium is disturbed due to external factors or various systemic ailments. But usually a mineral deficiency occurs due to a violation of the blood supply to muscle tissue. And the feet, as the part farthest from the heart, suffer more.
Causes of foot cramps in he althy people can be different. They usually appear due to:
- strong physical exertion, prolonged standing;
- wear tight shoes or high heels;
- dehydration due to heavy sweating;
- sedentary lifestyle;
- long-term support for uncomfortable postures, for example, during sleep;
- overwork, stress;
- lack of sleep;
- hypothermia feet;
- overweight;
- unbalanced diet;
- medication;
- hormonal disorders;
- alcohol intoxication;
- sun or heat stroke.
Each of these factors can lead to foot cramps. But there are common causes that cause cramps in many people.
Sedentary life
Sedentary people are more familiar with muscle spasm. Especially often this symptom appears in the feet. Indeed, for the normal functioning of the muscles, they need a regular load. And without movement, muscle fibers atrophy, ligaments shorten, and their elasticity is lost over time.
Improvement of blood supply to the feet occurs during the active work of the muscles. At rest, it slows down, so the cells receive few minerals. For this reason, he often cramps his feet precisely at night.
Physical overload
Strong physical activity also often leads to flattening of the feet. This happens during sports training, long walking, hard physical labor.
These loads lead to intense muscle work, which leads to an imbalance of trace elements, sinceconsumption is fast. Often cramps the feet with excess weight. This is due to the fact that a strong load is unusual for the lower extremities. As a result, there is a violation of blood circulation, leading to muscle spasms.
Inappropriate shoes
Symptom appears when moving due to uncomfortable shoes. This is the main cause of seizures in this area. When shoes squeeze the foot, rub or wear high heels, the circulation of the feet is also disturbed. Therefore, the muscles cannot receive enough nutrients and contract involuntarily. In addition, prolonged uncomfortable foot position also leads to muscle spasm.
Dehydration
Cramps of the feet and fingers are observed with severe fluid loss by the body. This happens in the summer due to heat or intense sports. Usually this condition is short-lived, and after replenishing the body with a sufficient amount of fluid, convulsions usually do not occur.
The situation is more complicated when dehydration appears due to a disease. This applies to diarrhea and kidney disease. There is a loss of large amounts of potassium, which is why cramps occur.
Micronutrient deficiency
When a leg cramps for no apparent reason, it may be due to a lack of micronutrients. This phenomenon is observed during dieting, fasting, unbalanced nutrition. The loss of trace elements occurs due to alcohol consumption, smoking, taking certain medications, severe fluid loss fromthen, disruption of the digestive system.
Women have a high need for minerals during pregnancy. If microelements are not additionally supplied to the body of the expectant mother, then convulsions will visit her regularly. In particular, this is due to a lack of magnesium and potassium. These minerals are involved in the contraction of muscle fibers. If there are few of them in the cells, spasms occur involuntarily. They will be long and painful with a lack of calcium in the blood. In addition, iron deficiency leads to oxygen starvation of cells, due to which their work is disrupted.
Diseases
Some people go to the clinic with this problem, because they have cramps often and are not associated with overload or dehydration. To prescribe the right treatment, the doctor needs to find out why this is happening. This phenomenon may be a symptom of pathology, which is why there is a violation of the blood supply to the limbs.
Cramp appears due to:
- hypovitaminosis, usually with a lack of vitamins D and B;
- renal failure, which leads to the loss of essential trace elements in the urine;
- diabetes mellitus, which causes low glucose levels;
- osteochondrosis and other pathologies of the spine, due to which there is numbness of the feet and cramps;
- varicose veins;
- vascular atherosclerosis;
- flat feet, pathologies of the nervous system;
- toe arthritis or gout.
If there is evidence of pathology,it is not necessary to eliminate the external manifestations of convulsions. Only the treatment of the underlying ailment will get rid of the unpleasant symptom.
How to treat?
How is foot cramps treated? If spasms are rare, and the reason for this is overwork or wearing uncomfortable shoes, you just need to avoid these situations. Massage, relaxing baths, and muscle stretching exercises can help prevent cramps. But when this phenomenon is regular, you need to see a doctor for an examination. It will be possible to choose an effective treatment only after establishing the cause.
Usually it consists of taking mineral complexes, massage, therapeutic exercises for the feet, a balanced diet. With circulatory disorders, special preparations and the wearing of compression stockings are prescribed. If the cause is associated with pathologies of the musculoskeletal system, then it is required to use orthopedic insoles or orthoses to reduce the load on the foot. If you have kidney disease or diabetes, you need to take medications that regulate the supply of essential trace elements.
First Aid
If cramps occur frequently, you should be aware of actions to help reduce seizures, that is, techniques to relieve pain and accelerate muscle relaxation. It is important not to panic, you just need to relax and breathe deeply. When this happens at night, you should sit down, take hold of the big toe of the closed foot and pull it towards you. This stretches the muscles and stops the spasm. It is advisable to stand on your feet on a cold floorand walk on it.
You can do a foot massage. It is necessary to rub it intensively, knead it, move your fingers to improve blood circulation. Sometimes it is necessary to prick the reduced muscle with a pin, but this method is painful and unsafe. It is advisable to prick with nails or a non-sharp object. To relax the muscles, massage is carried out using a warming cream, mustard oil or alcohol.
Prevention
If serious pathologies that cause spasms are not identified, and they happen periodically, you need to adjust your lifestyle. Here are some tips to help prevent cramps:
- It is important that the diet is varied, as it provides the body with all the necessary trace elements.
- At least two liters of water a day should be consumed, especially in hot weather or when exercising, to prevent dehydration.
- Wear comfortable, soft shoes that do not squeeze the foot, and wear high heels less often.
- Daily you need to perform gymnastics for the feet, which strengthens the muscles and activates blood circulation.
- In the evenings, you need to do a contrast shower, and after exertion, perform a relaxing foot massage.
When it brings the feet together, it causes discomfort. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to avoid these situations and follow preventive measures.
