Have you ever felt your legs cramp? This is a complex reaction of the body, due to internal or external stimuli. Its mechanisms may be different, the cause in each case is individual. In fact, convulsions are involuntary painful contractions of the striated (skeletal) muscles of a paroxysmal nature. They may vary in intensity, duration, prevalence.
Types of seizures
Depending on the duration of muscle spasms, there are clonic (short-term) and tonic (long-term) cramps. In the first case, the attack is characterized by rapid stereotypical muscle contractions and relaxation, resembling a nervous tic. In the second, the convulsions last up to three minutes or more and appear as an unexpected painful hardening of the muscles. This makes it impossible to arbitrarily control them. If your legs cramp so that contractions occur in almost all muscles, then generalized spasms are taking place, usually the result of serious illnesses. They oftenaccompanied by impairment or loss of consciousness, and in some cases can even be life-threatening. More often, localized cramps (they are also called local) occur when only one muscle group is reduced (often these are the muscles of the thighs or lower legs). It also happens that they eventually become generalized, for example, with tetanus.
Cramping the leg: causes
Tonic localized contractions can occur as a result of a violation of the electrolyte and biochemical composition of the blood, the loss of a large amount of s alts by the body, a lack of vitamin D. The reason that your legs cramped may be a sharp increase in body temperature, which is associated with what - or illness or heat stroke. Often, involuntary muscle contractions are the result of overexertion of the legs, which occurs, for example, when walking in high-heeled shoes or squatting for a long time.
The reason why cramps in the calves of the legs or thighs may be a focus of irritation in the brain. This is typical in the case of a beginning stroke or already during recovery after it, alcohol intoxication, infection of the nervous system (for example, with influenza). Localization of seizures depends on which part of the motor area of the brain was irritated.
Contractions in the lower extremities can also provoke hypoxia - oxygen deficiency as a result of vascular disorders. Another reason is the lack of sugar in the blood. If the legs cramped in he althy people, this means thatthe body thus reacted to some powerful irritant, for example, intoxication, being in a stuffy room, severe overwork.
How to relieve a seizure
Walk on the cold surface. If you can’t step on your foot, lie down, stretch it forward, and pull the toe towards you. After that, rub the tense muscles vigorously. You can mix a teaspoon of olive oil with two teaspoons of mustard and apply the mixture to the affected area. If convulsions are accompanied by pain, take any pain medication, preferably Aspirin (if there are no contraindications), because, in addition to relieving pain, it will also improve microcirculation in the vessels.
