In the article, we will look at why the legs twitch.
From the very childhood, people are accustomed to independently control their own body, its movements, head turns, functions of the legs and arms, the movement of fingers. However, there are situations when the body begins to make independent movements, in which involuntary muscle contraction appears, resembling spasms in appearance. These cases are not pleasant, and if such problems are found, it is necessary to clearly understand why this happens.
There are usually several main reasons why a leg twitches. The most common ones are described below.
Stress
Involuntary contractions of the muscle fibers of the lower extremities may occur due to increased stress. This symptomatology is mainly characteristic of the elderly, but people of all ages and activities often experience it. The mechanism of this pathological phenomenon is the transmission of impulses by nerve endings toexcessively tense zones of the muscles, and such signals are already transmitted with some violations.
This happens as a result of severe stress, emotional experiences and unrest. It is not necessary to urgently seek medical help from a neurologist in such cases, it is enough to conduct an initial observation of your body. If you find a specific relationship between your own pathological condition and a recent nervous breakdown or stressful situation, you should use prescriptions for drugs from soothing herbs, such as, for example, valerian or motherwort, and, if possible, try to reduce or eliminate stress as much as possible. Because of what the leg twitches on its own, many are interested.
Potassium deficiency
The contraction of the muscles of the lower extremities can occur due to a lack of potassium in the body, and in such a case, this phenomenon can also be observed on other parts of the body, such as hands, face, etc. In this case, the leg can not only twitch, but also hurt. It is unlikely that the patient will be able to make up for the lack of such a trace element in the body on his own, therefore it is recommended to visit a specialist to conduct special laboratory tests to determine potassium in the blood and receive the necessary medical prescriptions. To eliminate the root cause that caused this pathological condition, the doctor will prescribe certain medications.
Nervous tick
The leg twitches often due to the development of a nervous tic,which does not lend itself to any therapy at all, so the patient should not even try to eliminate it on his own. In such cases, if a twitching is found that repeats at certain intervals, it is necessary to consult a neurologist who will determine the exact cause of spontaneous contractions and develop a treatment regimen for this condition.
Physical activity
Another reason that the leg twitches and pain occurs may be increased physical activity. Lifting weights, excessive fatigue, bumps and bruises of the legs can provoke the occurrence of spasmodic contraction of muscle tissues. In this case, it is necessary to monitor your own condition for a certain period of time, and if there is no improvement, it is recommended to seek help from a traumatologist or neuropathologist, who will prescribe the necessary diagnostic procedures and a course of therapy. If the leg twitches and hurts, this is a clear sign of injury.
Twitching leg in sleep
Reduction of muscle fibers at night, during sleep, can be due to several main reasons:
- Reaction of the brain to the patient's breathing. As many people know, human sleep is divided into several distinct phases. The first phase is characterized by balanced, slow breathing. The brain can perceive this state of affairs as a borderline state of a person between life and death. When a defensive reaction is activated, the brain sends an impulseon the contraction of the muscle tissue of the limbs as a way to bring a dying organism back to life. In other words, the situation when the leg twitches at night is a kind of death convulsions.
- Otherwise, this phenomenon can be explained in such a way that sleep is a rather complex psychophysiological phenomenon. In this process, the brain is in a state of the same activity as in wakefulness. But during sleep, the body is immobilized, and the brain completely ignores the passing sensory signals. Not everyone knows that when a person sleeps, the brain builds a specific model of his body, which has some differences from reality. According to scientists, a person can feel a fall due to the brain accepting a body model that is losing balance. The consequence of this phenomenon may be a sudden sudden inclusion of the muscles of the real body to maintain balance. The functionality of the muscles stops at the moment of awakening and the person realizes that he dreamed of the feeling of falling.
- There is another opinion as to why the leg often twitches in a dream. In a certain phase, the brain's reactions to surrounding stimuli stop. However, at the same time, all reactions to irritating factors of an internal nature are preserved. When the concentration of calcium, potassium and magnesium in the blood of a person changes, involuntary contractions of the muscles of the legs develop during sleep.
- When your legs twitch in your sleep, this may be a reaction to the release of physical stress accumulated during the day.
When falling asleep
A person falls asleep, as a rule, gradually, and even ifhe has accumulated severe fatigue, he needs about an hour and a half to dive into the first phase of sleep. After that, with the same time interval, entry into subsequent phases occurs. It is during the transitions from one phase to another that a phenomenon is observed in which muscles contract (most often on the legs).
The main reason that legs twitch when falling asleep is increased physical activity during the day. It can also be the effect of stress, excessive mental fatigue, fatigue. Muscle fibers can also contract when falling asleep due to a lack of certain vitamins or nutrients that, for example, with a vegetarian diet, do not enter the body. At the same time, the muscles cannot cope with the load and, when relaxed, during falling asleep, they begin to contract.
Lifestyle
Lifestyle is also of great importance. People leading a measured life, as a rule, do not suffer from such a pathological phenomenon. The general degree of sensitivity of the body determines the level of duration of limb cramps during falling asleep. When immersed in REM sleep, any external stimulus can provoke a response, manifested in the form of twitching of the legs. This is how a kind of biological protection of the body from the influence of external influences is carried out.
In any case, when determining the causes of involuntary contraction of the muscle tissues of the legs when falling asleep, it is necessary to analyze all previouspathological reaction of the organism. Most likely, you need to reduce the level of stress and eliminate the source of stressful situations. If this condition is not observed often, then there is no cause for concern. You should consult a specialist in cases where relaxation activities such as taking a warm bath with herbs, taking calming medicines, etc. have not brought the desired effect.
Twitching toe
Any spontaneous contraction of the muscles of the body is quite common and often manifests itself in the form of toe cramps. There can be many reasons for this phenomenon, but the main ones are related to disorders in the functioning of the nervous system.
The toe twitches in some cases due to pinching of the muscles of the legs or their stretching, as well as due to physical overstrain of the foot or due to injury. When establishing the causes of the pathology, it is necessary to remember the presence of situations in which the toe could be injured.
In addition, the toe twitches due to a lack of nutrients in the body, such as calcium, which can be checked by taking a blood test. For the same reasons, the muscle on the leg above the knee may twitch.
What to do if your leg twitches?
Ways to eliminate the pathological condition
There are many different recommendations for the treatment of spontaneous contractions of the muscles of the legs. Some experts recommend keeping them in cold water and then rubbing for ten minutes. In addition to this, notexcessive food intake before bedtime is recommended, which complicates the process of resting not only the digestive system, but also the brain, which reacts to this internal stimulus with muscle contractions.
Special Diet
If legs twitch during sleep due to a lack of trace elements such as magnesium, special dietary rules must be followed. This element is abundant in foods such as pumpkin seeds, wheat bran, soy-based foods and dairy products. The concentration of magnesium in such food products depends on the qualitative composition of groundwater and soil.
In addition, along with the diet, you should take balanced vitamin complexes with trace elements. For these purposes, dietary supplements and drugs containing high concentrations of magnesium are best suited. When restoring and replenishing the magnesium balance, it is possible to completely get rid of pain in the legs, prevent the development of cholelithiasis, increase stone formation in the urinary tract, osteoporosis and many other problems. By eating magnesium-containing foods, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of developing atherosclerosis and hypertension.
Recommendations
The main recommendation for preventing leg twitching is to follow an evening diet. Don't overeat at night. It is also necessary to avoid stressful situations that cause a variety of negative consequences. You can get acquainted with some exercises to restore he alth, relax more, take a walk, conduct respiratory complexes.mental stabilization exercises.
If a child's legs hurt and twitch, what does this mean? Consider further.
Contraction of leg muscles in a child
This phenomenon is common in childhood, especially in newborns, and should not panic. In the majority of cases, no disturbance in the functioning of the nervous system in a child, as a rule, is observed. The twitching of the baby's legs is due to the fact that his body simply adapts to the conditions of life in the natural environment. In the first months of life, sleep disturbance and leg twitching are common.
Some children are more susceptible to them, others less so. Infants have significant differences in sleep phases when compared with adults. Deep sleep in a child is often replaced by phases of superficial sleep, which lasts for quite a long time. In this case, the baby can wake up, cry, twitch his legs. But for full development, the phases of superficial sleep are extremely important, since it is at this time that the formation and maturation of brain structures occurs. Gradually, as the child develops and grows, the shuddering of the legs of the child stops on its own. Around the age of six months, there will be a significant reduction, despite the fact that restless sleep can last for some children until the age of six or more.
Often in pregnant women, a muscle twitches on the leg above the knee. The reasons for this are discussed below.
Twitching limb during pregnancy
During pregnancy, leg muscle contraction is verycommon pathological condition. This is due to several factors, including:
- Enlargement of the uterus, which puts pressure on the pelvic area, which causes compression of the nerve endings and blood vessels. There may be pinching of the vena cava and impaired blood flow in the legs. The consequence of such a pathology is leg twitching, nervous tics and varicose veins.
- Metabolic disorders, lack of trace elements. A pregnant woman needs an increased amount of nutrition and vitamins, with a lack of which muscle structures can suffer, which leads to twitching of the limbs.
We looked at why legs twitch.
