Causes of leg cramps. Features of spasms in the lower extremities in adults and children. What methods will help eliminate pain, is it necessary to seek the help of official medicine?
The content of the article:
Leg cramps are reflex uncontrolled involuntary contractions of the muscles of the lower extremities, accompanied by numbness or acute pain. More often, spasms occur in the calf muscles, less often in the anterior or posterior thigh.
The most dangerous and painful are generalized convulsions, when all the muscles of the lower extremities contract. Why does it bring legs together, and in what ways can muscle contractions be stopped?
The main causes of leg cramps
There are many reasons for leg cramps. These include violations of the water and electrolyte balance of the body, neurological disorders, lack of nutrients, acquired diseases and congenital anomalies. More often spasms in the lower extremities appear at night.
What causes leg cramps in women
Very often, young healthy women themselves are to blame for the appearance of seizures. In pursuit of beauty, they switch to diets that have Negative influence on the state of health. fashionable unloading diets It is recommended to limit the types of products in the diet, which provokes a lack of nutrients in the body.
With a lack of magnesium, potassium, sodium and calcium, ionic compounds are formed in the intercellular space, which have an exciting effect on nerve fibers. The impulse of the nervous tissue causes muscle contraction. Especially from this point of view, mono-diets are dangerous - chocolate, caramel, coffee.
For weight loss, women often use foods and drinks that have a diuretic and choleretic effect. In this case, the water-electrolyte balance is disturbed, which leads to a violation of metabolic processes in muscle fibers. In addition, beneficial trace elements are also excreted with the liquid. The causes of seizures are the same as with dietary restrictions.
The cause of cramps in the legs at night can be an increased load. She is being provoked high heels, which women do not take off regardless of weather conditions. Convulsive seizures occur due to prolonged uncomfortable position of the limbs. At night, the muscles relax and reflex contractions appear.
During pregnancy, the causes of leg cramps are:
- Change in body position due to a shift in the center of gravity;
- Squeezing of the veins by a heavy uterus, due to which blood circulation in the lower extremities is disturbed.
Leg cramps from stress are more common in women than in men. Their nervous system is less stable, and even minor emotional experiences may provoke seizures.
Causes of leg cramps in men
In men, cramps are more painful, as the muscles are denser, and develop more often in the thigh area - along the front and back surfaces.
One of the causes of leg cramps at night in men is professional activity. In truck drivers, convulsions are caused by prolonged forced immobility of the legs, in tractor and bulldozer drivers - by vibration load. Men are more often engaged in hard work, more intensively go in for sports. With forced immobility or increased load, lactic acid accumulates in the muscle tissue, which is an inflammatory mediator.
If women try to dress according to weather conditions, then men who are more tolerant of temperature changes bathe in cool waters and neglect underwear - especially young and healthy ones. Due to hypothermia, muscles reduce, spasms cause severe pain. Such convulsions are especially dangerous when swimming - even a swimmer who is confidently floating on the water can become confused and die.
Another common cause of cramps in the lower extremities in men is excess weight. Men are more frivolous about physiological parameters; they are not embarrassed by a large belly. Meanwhile, in this case, the veins are clamped in the same way as during pregnancy, and the blood circulation of the lower extremities is disturbed. In addition, lipid plaques appear earlier due to the predominance of fatty foods in the diet.
Smoking and alcohol abuse have a negative effect on peripheral blood supply. The vessels spasm, the tone of the walls is disturbed, the nerve fibers are excited, which provokes the appearance of spasms in the legs.
What causes leg cramps in children
Factors that provoke leg cramps in children may be a lack of nutrients in the body and an increased load on the legs during the day. If parents adjust the diet and daily routine, then unpleasant symptoms will not appear, since their causes will disappear, and treatment for leg cramps will not be needed.
If spasms in the lower extremities are caused by health problems, then you can’t do without the help of a pediatrician. Children may develop seizures:
- Due to intrauterine hypoxia and birth trauma;
- With congenital pathological processes in the brain - with vascular anomalies, neoplasms, with epilepsy;
- After infectious diseases - meningitis, encephalitis, sepsis;
- With perinatal encephalopathy - in infants;
- After traumatic brain injury;
- With violations of metabolic processes in the body caused by organic pathologies of a different nature.
- As a reaction to vaccinations or how by-effect for the use of medicines;
- With intoxication of the body caused by inflammatory processes - against the background of high temperature or poisoning;
- In response to stress.
Why cramps legs in the elderly
Seizures in the elderly can be explained by problems associated with aging. The vessels lost their tone, chronic diseases accumulated, problems appeared in the cardiovascular and digestive systems and endocrine organs. All this contributes to impaired blood supply, and the lower limbs suffer first of all, which bear the main load.
Muscular ischemia, lack of nutrients, osteochondrosis, arthritis and arthrosis, gout, atherosclerosis, metabolic disorders - all these diseases are so common in older people that their presence is considered almost natural age-related changes.
Older people move less, but rarely limit themselves to food. Being overweight is another cause of leg cramps.
It can be said that the cause of leg cramps in the elderly is all the factors that provoke spasms at a younger age, plus natural age-related changes. A slight difference: if in healthy young people cramps occur more often after an increased load at night, then in older people they can appear at any time of the day and be so strong that they create difficulty walking.
The following causes of seizures do not depend on the sex and age of the patient: sports activities or professional activity, chronic diseases, due to which metabolic processes are disturbed, oxygen starvation caused by natural conditions.
What to do if it cramps your legs
Leg cramps significantly impair the quality of life. If they appear during the day, then pain negatively affects mood, performance decreases, mobility is limited. Spasms in the lower extremities at night provoke the development of insomnia, the nervous system suffers. When convulsions are caused by external influences - increased stress, hypothermia, an unbalanced diet, they will help to cope with them. folk remedies and home methods. If the cause of seizures is associated with pathological changes in the body, it is unlikely that it will be possible to get rid of them without the help of official medicine.
How to get rid of cramps in the legs folk remedies
Traditional medicine offers many recipes for the elimination and treatment of leg cramps, thanks to which you can quickly stop the spasm or lead to remission of the underlying disease.
Folk remedies for leg cramps:
- Express method. For severe cramps, you can take a few salt crystals in your mouth and hold in your mouth. After 1-2 minutes, the spasm will disappear.
- Lemon juice. Salted lemon juice causes the same effect - a spoonful of juice should be held under the tongue. Lemon juice quickly eliminates spasms if they rub the skin in the spasm area.
- Mixture of bread kvass. Half a teaspoon of ordinary yeast is added to a glass of kvass, insisted for 6 hours, then the drink is drunk throughout the day before meals in equal portions. Honey can be added to improve the taste. The course of treatment is a month.
- Wormwood tincture. Helps with night cramps. A half-liter jar is filled with balls of wormwood, poured with vodka, insisted for 15-20 days. The legs are rubbed daily at bedtime until the cramps completely disappear.
- Honey and kefir. Treatment must be renewed constantly: take the medicine for 2-3 weeks, then take a break for 2 weeks. In the morning, on an empty stomach, you need to eat a tablespoon of honey and drink kefir. These products restore the supply of trace elements spent at night, and during the day, cramps will not bother.
- Chamomile potion. Bioraw materials are brewed like tea - 2 tablespoons per 0.5 liter of boiling water. Chamomile tea is drunk after each meal and before going to bed. Some folk healers advise adding a few grains of salt and honey to it.
- Celandine ointment. The external remedy is prepared according to the following recipe: fresh celandine is squeezed out and the juice is mixed with vaseline in proportions of 1/2. Within 2 weeks, the ointment should be rubbed into the legs in those areas where cramps occur.
- Yarrow and thyme tincture for external use. A mixture of herbs is stuffed in equal amounts into a dark glass bottle, poured with vodka or alcohol, insisted for 2 weeks in a dark room at room temperature. Feet are rubbed in the morning and evening for 2 months.
Treatment of leg cramps with medications
There are no magic pills that completely eliminate leg cramps. Appointments are made only after establishing the causes that cause convulsions.
It is possible to distinguish anticonvulsants that are recommended most often:
- Valparin. Helps with night cramps and recovery night sleep, stabilize the state of the nervous system in epilepsy in children and adults
- Difenin. It is an anticonvulsant drug that relaxes muscles, reduces soreness and reduces the duration of seizures in epilepsy. Stops spasms of nerve fibers caused by neuralgia.
- Panangin, Asparkam, Meksaritm, Propanorm. Restore the reserve of nutrients in the body. These funds replenish the supply of potassium and magnesium, the lack of which is a common cause of seizures. The drugs are well tolerated by the elderly.
- Xanax. Eliminates emotional stress, insomnia and anxiety, has a calming effect. It is used in cases of convulsions provoked by somatic diseases.
- Keppra. This is a drug that helps eliminate spasms in the legs, which are caused by diseases of the brain, including epilepsy. The drug helps to extinguish seizures caused by neuronal outbursts.
- Actinerval. This drug is also from a number of antiepileptics, but it is prescribed for neuralgia, to eliminate convulsive syndrome, and diabetic neuropathy. It stops convulsions and reduces the frequency of painful manifestations.
You can replenish the supply of nutrients in the body (potassium, calcium, magnesium, B vitamins and vitamin D) with the help of vitamin and mineral complexes: Complivit, Calcemin, Magne-6, Vitrum, Pyridoxine, Neurovitan and others. But even such “harmless” medicines should be prescribed by a doctor in order to determine exactly which vitamins and microelements should be replenished. Hypervitaminosis is just as dangerous as beriberi, and can also cause leg cramps.
How to get rid of leg cramps with exercises
The following steps and exercises will help you cope with leg cramps. The simplest action to relieve a spasm is to pinch yourself at the place where the spasm occurred, or prick sharply with a needle. You can stand on the affected limb and transfer your weight to it, this will also quickly help eliminate pain.
To prevent the occurrence of seizures, you can perform the following sets of exercises:
- After a busy day at work, if you had to constantly be in a sitting position, you need to stand up, cross your legs and lean on the outer part of the foot. Children characterize this pose as follows: "stand like a bear with a clubfoot." Then you should lower yourself to a full foot. They rise on their toes and fall sharply. The toes on the legs are bent and unclenched with force. All exercises are performed 5-7 times.
- To restore blood circulation, if you spent the whole day on your feet, such exercises will help. You need to sit on a chair, stretch your legs in front of you and rotate your feet clockwise and against it. Then the feet are rotated like this - toes towards and away from themselves. The next exercise is to raise your knees in turn, with one foot resting on the floor. Both legs rest on a horizontal surface, you need to move your fingers intensively. The complex is completed by walking on the spot with a drill step, raising the knee as high as possible. The multiplicity of the exercises - at least 7 times.
- The following set of exercises for cramps also helps to quickly eliminate soreness in the muscles. Starting position - sitting on a chair, leaning on the back. The legs are raised, the socks are pulled out, trying to ensure that the hips, shins and feet are in the same line. Then the fingers are spread, and the socks are pulled up. The pose is fixed for 5-7 seconds. From the starting position, they step over with their feet from the toe to the heel, the poses are fixed for 10-12 seconds. Starting position - stand behind a chair, lean on the back with your hands. They rise on the toe of one leg, bending the other at the knee. In the same starting position, you need to lean on one leg, try to sit down, relaxing the other. Each exercise is performed 7-10 times.
If leg cramps are caused by organic problems, self-treatment and symptomatic treatment medicines will only worsen the condition. With the frequent appearance of muscle spasms in the lower extremities, it is necessary to consult a doctor, they can be symptoms of diseases that are dangerous to health: thrombophlebitis, varicose veins, dysfunction of the endocrine system, and the like.
Causes and treatment of leg cramps. Many people suffer from regular leg cramps. Limbs pull, reduce and twist. Attacks most often occur at night. Sometimes while lying on the bed. Feet reduces and toes, as well as calf muscles. My sister has this problem too. These leg muscles are most often subject to the occurrence of convulsive contractions.
Causes of seizures
Seizures occur due to changes in the biochemical composition of the blood. With a sudden change in diet. If a person abruptly refuses salt, for example. The body needs time to adjust to new type nutrition. But that's certainly not the main reason. In life, units change their diet dramatically. Most often, convulsions come from large losses of salts. And not only with sweat.
The electrolyte composition of our blood is constantly maintained. Salts are potassium, magnesium, calcium. Also, a lack of vitamin D can affect the worse. Well, overheating of the body can also be attributed to the reasons, but this is no longer often and the sources of the problem are clearly visible.
Gardeners have cramps from muscle strain. After the winter, if you work hard in the garden, then an attack can happen in the evening and more than one. I had that too. To not think that I'm so healthy. It used to be that you were in the woods, and by the evening your toes began to cramp.
- Low blood glucose levels can also cause seizures. In such cases, I recommend drinking water with honey. Saturates and helps eliminate the problem.
If you are constantly worried about convulsions, then donate blood for an analysis of electrolytes: potassium, magnesium, calcium, and also for sugar. Well, if your seizures are infrequent, single, then read people's councils Further.
What to do with a seizure?
- It is best to get up and slowly start walking on the floor.
- If you slept, then you can straighten your leg while lying in bed, and pull the foot with the toe towards you.
- Rub the muscle area.
- Anti-spasmodic ointment can be urgently applied to the area of spasms. Mix a teaspoon of olive oil and two teaspoons of mustard. The mustard will warm and draw out the spasm of the leg muscles. If there are frequent attacks, then it is advisable to always have such an ointment on hand.
- Aspirin improves blood circulation in the capillaries of the legs and is great for cramps. But don't abuse it!
How to avoid seizures?
- If you smoke, then you need to quit. There is little good, and not only for the legs. You should also eliminate coffee and black tea from the menu.
- Drink at least two liters of fluid a day. Best is just water. Filtered or store bought. Do not abuse mineral water!
- Eat leafy green salads, fresh vegetable dishes. This will saturate the body with minerals. The same potassium, magnesium and calcium.
- Take a course of fish oil.
- Twice a day - in the morning and in the evening, lubricate the soles of the feet with lemon juice. Let the juice dry and then put on your socks.
- Also at night, you can make water-vinegar lotions on muscles prone to cramps. Water and vinegar 9% take equally.
For frequent cramps, try using linen bags
They give a lightning-fast effect in rheumatism, backache, sciatica, colic. These pouches are so successful in relieving pain and cramps that they are called natural morphine.
A linen bag the size of a sore spot is filled three-quarters with hay and tied, kept in boiling water for 10 minutes, then squeezed well. Attach the bag to the sore spot and tie it with a linen and then a woolen scarf for 45 minutes.
People treat leg cramps with lemon
The well-known citrus fruit, lemon, helps with muscle cramps very well. First, thoroughly wash your feet in water at a comfortable temperature. Wipe them dry. And then rub each foot with freshly squeezed lemon juice. After all the juice is absorbed, repeat the procedure again. We let the juice soak in again, and then we put on warm, best of all woolen socks and go to bed.
This method was used in her practice by a ninety-year-old sorceress from the Logunovo farm. After ten nights of rubbing lemon juice on everyone who came to her with convulsions, all symptoms disappeared.
convulsions- involuntary muscle contraction. Convulsive movements can be widespread and involve many muscle groups body (generalized convulsions) or localized in any muscle group of the body or limb (localized convulsions). Generalized convulsive contractions may be slow, lasting relatively a long period time (tonic), or fast, often alternating states of contraction and relaxation (clonic). Mixed tonic-clonic seizures are also possible. Localized seizures can be tonic or clonic. Convulsive contractions develop as a result of dysfunction of the central nervous system due to neurological diseases, an infectious or toxic process, as well as disorders of water-salt metabolism.
Causes of seizures
The causes of seizures are different. The occurrence of seizures in newborns may be the result of a birth injury to the head. common cause seizures is a metabolic disorder, congenital anomalies of brain development. In older children, seizures can be caused by trauma or brain infections, but most often the cause is unknown.
Causes of seizures in adults include tumors, blood vessel disease, trauma, and inflammation. However, convulsions can also begin due to excessive physical exertion, blockage of the urinary tract and bile ducts, poisoning, pregnancy. Seizures can be a symptom of a violation of the bioelectrical activity of the brain or a reaction of the brain to disturbances in the body.
Possible causes of seizures:
- infections;
- intoxication;
- trauma;
- diseases of the central nervous system;
- metabolic defects;
- genetic predisposition, etc.
- hypothermia
- lack of vitamins
Seizure treatment
In most cases, you can cope with leg cramps on your own. To do this, you need to thoroughly stretch, massage the tense muscle. With a spasm of the muscles of the hand, you must immediately stop the work that caused the spasm, and if possible massage your fingers or ask someone to do it. If a person has a generalized (common) seizure for the first time, it is urgent to call an ambulance team. Although the seizure does not last long, it is likely that it will pass before the arrival of the doctors, but it can happen again at any time.
During a seizure, place a cushion or pillow under the person's head. To avoid falling tongue, saliva, foam in the respiratory tract and suffocation as a result, you need to turn your head to the side. If a person's mouth is open, then it is necessary to put a new handkerchief or cloth between the teeth, this will help prevent biting the tongue. It is not necessary to forcefully open the jaw during a seizure.
Treatment of seizures with folk remedies
- In the morning and evening, lubricate the soles of the feet with fresh lemon juice. Do not wipe anything. Put on socks and shoes only after the juice has dried. The course of treatment is not more than two weeks. Used for leg cramps.
- Wine bottle corks are strung on a string. They put such a necklace on the calf or on the muscle contracted by a cramp. The cramp passes after a while. Sometimes it is even enough to rub the reduced place for a while and the cramps will stop.>
- Fill the jar with freshly dried linden flowers, without tamping them, fill the jar to the brim with vodka, insist in a dark, warm place for 3 weeks, periodically shaking the contents. With convulsions, frequent fainting, severe nervous breakdown, take 1 tsp in the morning and afternoon before meals, and 1 tbsp before bedtime. linden tinctures.
- Take 1 - 2 teaspoons of dry chopped Adonis spring herb in a glass of boiling water. Suggested Use: Adults: 1 tablespoon three times a day. For children of 2 years of age, 5 or 6 drops, for children of 6 years, 15 drops, for children of 12 years, 2 teaspoons 5 or 6 times a day.
- A decoction of goose cinquefoil is used for convulsions different nature even with tetanus. Uses a decoction as a prophylactic, because it acts slowly.
- You can get rid of a cramp if you prick the contracted muscle with a pin or something sharp.
- Crush a medium sized head of garlic into a paste. Put her in glass jar and pour 1 glass of unrefined sunflower oil. Put in a cold place for 1 day. Take 1 teaspoon of garlic oil mixed with 1 teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice 3 times a day half an hour before meals. The course of treatment is from one to three months, then take a break for 1 month and repeat the course of treatment.
- Pour 15 g of common thyme herb with 1 cup of boiling water. Insist, strain. Take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day.
Leg cramps
Leg cramps, the causes and treatment of which we will consider in this article, can annoy at any age, but they most often occur in middle-aged and older people. The most serious causes of this phenomenon can be hidden injuries, diabetes, thyroid disease, inflammation, neurological and other diseases. If you suspect these ailments, you should be examined by a neurologist, phlebologist and endocrinologist. As a result of treatment of the underlying disease, convulsions usually disappear.
The cause of night leg cramps can be flat feet, stress, varicose veins, excessive muscle tension, severe hypothermia. But most often, the appearance of night cramps occurs due to a deficiency in the body of magnesium, which is involved in the transmission of nerve impulses to muscle cells, as well as calcium, which is the physiological partner of magnesium, and vitamin D, which is necessary for the absorption of magnesium and calcium.
Self help for leg cramps
- If you feel that a cramp is starting, you should sit up in bed, lower your legs down and carefully stand on the cool floor. After a few minutes, blood circulation in the legs will improve, which means that normal muscle tone will be restored.
- You can take a deep breath, take both hands on the toes of the cramped leg, and with force pull them towards you and up. At the same time, swinging movements of the entire leg should be done. After relaxing the muscle spasm, do a light massage of the leg muscles.
- With a strong and not passing spasm, try to pinch the place where the pain is felt several times. Then gently massage the calf and foot with rubbing and patting movements in the direction from the tips of the fingers to the heel, and also from the heel to the knee. Then lie down and put a rolled up blanket under your feet. This position will ensure the outflow of blood, which means it will prevent repeated convulsions.
Leg cramps at night
Many often experience leg cramps at night. However, not everyone considers it necessary to see a doctor. Some people think that main reason malaise is overwork, uncomfortable sleeping position or tight shoes. And they are not mistaken, since impaired blood supply is the main factor in the disease, which can be associated with various diseases.
Why cramps legs at night
Diseases of the peripheral nervous system resulting in damage nerve cells and disruption of their functions. Seizures can occur as a side effect in response to medication. Provoke muscle spasm steroid hormones, diuretics and drugs that contain iron. Convulsions are often disturbed by pregnant women. Due to the increase in pressure on the nerve endings and blood vessels from the growing uterus, blood flow worsens. Also, during pregnancy, blood volume increases, resulting in swelling in the tissues, which can provoke convulsions.
The most serious causes of seizures are:
- diabetes;
- inflammatory diseases;
- the presence of hidden injuries;
- thyroid disease.
In this case, an appeal to an endocrinologist and a neurologist will help determine the diagnosis. As a rule, after the start of treatment of the disease, the symptoms in the form of seizures disappear. It happens that the legs cramp at night due to a deficiency of trace elements. An unpleasant symptom may be disturbing due to a lack of such substances:
- magnesium, necessary for the transmission of nerve impulses to the muscles;
- calcium, which is a partner of magnesium;
- vitamin D, which helps the absorption of these two elements.
Often the situation is aggravated by factors leading to a shortage of substances. These include:
- stress that causes calcium loss;
- pregnancy, in which the need for elements increases;
- protein diets that impede the absorption of calcium;
- loss of moisture by the body, which is why so often in the summer it cramps the calves of the legs at night;
- the use of products that remove calcium (caffeine, sweets, alcohol).
Treating leg cramps at night
The fight against convulsions, which are systematic in nature and accompanied by pain, should be carried out only after consulting a doctor. After all, this pathology can be a sign of a serious illness. If the answer to the question why leg cramps appear at night was a lack of trace elements, then the doctor recommends giving up coffee and alcohol and including in your diet:
- buckwheat;
- cottage cheese;
- sesame;
- peanut;
- prunes;
- oatmeal;
- bananas.
- In the evening, it is recommended to pull your toes towards yourself and, in the supine position, rotate your legs, imitating cycling.
- In the morning and evening, it is advised to treat the feet with lemon juice to prevent cramps.
- Apply compresses to relieve pain. A spoonful of herbs: calendula (flowers), rhubarb, red clover, mistletoe is poured with a liter of boiling water and put in a water bath for ten minutes. After half an hour, filter and moisten the gauze with the resulting product. Apply a compress to the disturbing area for five hours.
- Against cramps, it is recommended to lubricate the legs with bay leaf oil. A glass of sunflower oil (unrefined) pour 50 grams of laurel leaves. Close the container with a lid and leave for two weeks. Rub oil after straining the sore spot.
- To combat night cramps, you should drink an infusion of onion peel, which is easy to prepare, bay onion peel(small spoon) boiling water (glass) and leaving to infuse overnight.
Cramps in the hands
Many are familiar with cramps or spasmodic sensations in the hands that cover the hand and fingers. No one is immune from this problem: neither athletes nor office workers. Age restrictions not here either. The causes of cramps in the hands are very numerous and varied. Any cramps, including in the hands, are involuntary muscle contractions. A person cannot control them, but he can give himself first aid, which does not require special skills.
Causes of cramps in the hands
Why does the hand cramp? There are a lot of reasons for this problem, but all of them are the result of an incorrect attitude of a person to his body. Quite often, finger cramps bother those who work a lot at the computer. Their hands are tense and stay in the same position for a long time, making the same type of movements. The result of such work is chronic "numbness" of the fingers and hands. Among the causes of spasms in the hands, the main ones are:
- Stress.
- Fright and sudden fear.
- The deterioration of the blood supply to the upper limbs leads to muscle hypoxia and the appearance of convulsions.
- Muscle strains and physical overstrain when performing sports exercises, especially while running, jumping, swimming. This reason is considered the main of all listed.
- The thermal factor is hypothermia. It is known that after contact with the skin of the hands, for example, with ice water, convulsions appear.
- Intoxication as a result of food or alcohol poisoning. This cause leads to convulsions that can last for several days in a row.
- Lack of calcium in the daily diet. Calcium is an essential element for the human body, which is involved in most life processes. Before you start looking for the cause of finger cramps, you should review your daily diet.
- Complaints about cramps in the hands often come from coffee lovers, because the abuse of this drink leads to leaching of calcium and other microelements necessary for the body. Their deficiency is manifested by such clinical symptoms as spastic muscle contractions.
Treatment of cramps in the hands
Only a doctor can determine the cause of seizures after receiving the results of a complete examination of a person. When choosing therapeutic measures and medicines, it is necessary to take into account the age of the patient, his general condition, anamnesis of life and disease, the presence of concomitant pathologies and diseases that he suffered.
The causes and treatment of seizures in the hands are in close interdependence: when a specific cause of this pathology is identified, it is easy to choose a remedy that as soon as possible will give the expected result. In general, it is quite simple to stop an attack of seizures in the hands, regardless of the time of day at which it began: at night, during the day, at the height of working hours.
- Special exercises for the hands - active movements fingers, intense clenching and unclenching of fists, waving brushes in the air.
- Massage and self-massage - usually cramps occur in one hand, so you can massage and knead a spasmodic hand with a healthy brush.
- Phytotherapy - excellent tool for the treatment and prevention of many diseases. If you experience finger cramps, you should drink chamomile tea daily, which helps to relax the muscles. Linden tea has the same effect.
- Correction of the diet consists in the regular use of products containing a large number of calcium and potassium, - milk, cottage cheese, fresh vegetables, greens.
- Hypothermia should be avoided by those who have convulsions very often. Constant skin contact with cold water can lead to chronic seizures.
In the absence of results from self-treatment, you can seek help from a reflexologist. Sometimes the cause of spasms in the muscles of the hands is a regular impact on the active points of the body, which causes increased blood flow in the tissues and leads to the formation of convulsions. Only a specialist can determine such a cause and find best method, allowing you to get rid of convulsions forever.
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Questions and answers on the topic "Convulsions"
Question:Hello. At times it brings the legs together, usually starts with the fingers, then - on the arch of the foot, sometimes it goes to the calf muscle. I do not see any connection with loads or time of day. It can begin when walking, and when resting, and during the day and at night. Usually, if it starts, it will definitely be many times within one or two days. Either at the slightest movement, or even just like that, it starts to reduce, very, very painful. Then it usually subsides on its own either for one day or for several months - until the next time. What is the possible reason? I read that this is possible with flat feet, but I don’t have flat feet. And most importantly, what can be done? The pain is such that even climb the wall. Thank you.
Answer: Hello. If by the expression "reduces" you mean convulsions, then most often this is due to a lack of certain trace elements, most often calcium or magnesium. Given their incompatibility, first take calcium gluconate 1 tablet 3 times a day for 2 weeks. If everything passes, great, if it doesn’t pass, magne-b6 for a couple of weeks, 4 tablets per day.
Question:Hello. During pregnancy (third trimester), leg cramps appear at night, especially if you try to straighten them (you have to sleep with bent legs). I think you need magnesium, but I'm not sure. I periodically take spirulina and chitosan in a weak dose for general strengthening of the body. What can be taken to relieve seizures? Thank you.
Answer: Hello. frequent cramps may indicate calcium deficiency. Address to the local doctor and hand over an ionogram. If a lack of calcium is detected, start treatment with one of the calcium preparations or take a course of vitamins + minerals (for example, Materna, Pregna). Calcium deficiency is often observed during pregnancy.
Question:Hello, I get cramps in my toes when I swim in the sea, or when I walk on high soles. I would like to know what it is and how it can be treated, or at least what to do in the first minutes when it brings fingers together, the pain is severe. Thank you in advance.
Answer: The symptoms you describe are typical for seizures. In order to stop an attack of convulsions, you should grab your fingers with one hand and try to straighten them or even straighten them towards the rear of the foot. If convulsions become frequent and capture other muscle groups, be sure to consult a doctor and take a blood test for calcium.
Question:Hello, leg cramps usually appear in the morning, before waking up, it hurts a lot. Then the leg hurts for 4-5 days. Convulsions are not constant, they may not bother for months.
Answer: This is a normal occurrence that most people have. Try taking a multivitamin with minerals for a few months - this may make cramps less frequent. If you notice that convulsions become more frequent - consult a doctor for testing.
Question:Hello. Son is 14 years old. The second time there was a seizure in a dream: convulsive movements, not breathing, mouth full of saliva. Having cleared his mouth, he begins to breathe, his eyes are open, but he does not see and does not understand what is happening. After sleeping more.
Answer: Be sure to consult with a neurologist. It is necessary to be examined for worms (enzymatic immunoassay for ascaris and toxocara).
Question:Good afternoon I am 67 years old. For several years I have been suffering from periodic cramps in the calf of the legs and feet. I save myself only by taking magnesium in dietary supplements. It helps, but very slowly. But I do not know the most important thing (and the family doctor does not say): after the relief of the condition, is it necessary to continue taking magnesium - constantly or periodically, even in the absence of convulsions?
Answer: In addition to magnesium, which you must continue to take all the time, you need to do several sessions of lymphatic massage, and you also need to know the point that relieves cramps in the calves. It is located below the knee. How to find? Put your palm on your knee (sitting) and the third finger will point to the dimple between the tibia bones. Draw around the circumference to the back of the lower leg and find a painful point - this point relieves cramps in the calf muscles.
Cramps are paroxysmal, involuntary contraction of muscles as a result of their overstrain. Convulsions occur suddenly and do not last long, but after a certain interval of time they can be repeated. They usually cause severe pain. Young people complain of painful cramps much less often than the elderly and children. Such muscle contractions occur predominantly at night when the body is warm and asleep, or during muscle activity. The calf muscles are most susceptible to cramps, less so are the hips, back, neck and abdomen. Cramps can be both in one muscle and cover a group of muscles.
Types of seizures
Depending on the cause, seizures can be episodic, random - spasms. In some patients, they appear or intensify under the action of external stimuli (sudden loud sound, prick of the body with a needle), with alcohol abuse. The cramp can be in one muscle or cover a group of muscles.
Sudden spasmodic muscle tension (tonic spasm) may last for some time (usually a minute) and is often accompanied by severe pain. Such a cramp often occurs in the calf muscle after a long walk, as well as during swimming in a completely healthy person.
If a cramp occurs while swimming, you should stop moving your legs and extend the foot with a healthy foot. Convulsive contraction (spasm) of the muscles of the glottis, which can be caused by irritating gases, odors, often leads to cessation of breathing. Spasm of the muscles of the arterial vessels of various organs causes malnutrition and changes in the functions of these organs (for example, the brain, heart, etc.). Muscle spasm causes a sudden onset of cramping pain (colic).
Cramps are usually a symptom of the disease, so you need to see a doctor to determine their cause and treatment. General convulsions with loss of consciousness are a symptom of epilepsy. When seizures occur, you should immediately call a doctor. Before his arrival, it is necessary to create a calm environment. Lay the patient down so that he can relax his muscles. If breathing is disturbed, it is necessary to provide an inflow fresh air or give oxygen from an oxygen bag. In hot weather, to prevent dehydration, give cold water to drink, to which table salt is added (1 teaspoon of salt per liter of water).
Seizure symptoms
Symptoms of seizures range from mild to very severe. The most dangerous form of seizures is an epileptic seizure.
- possible darkening in the eyes, confusion, snorting and panting;
- tingling and spasmodic twitching in parts of the body;
- urinary and/or fecal incontinence;
- short-term loss of consciousness;
A special condition preceding the attacks of epilepsy, which has various manifestations: a sudden feeling of fear, nausea, numbness, dizziness. With the appearance of pronounced salivation, foaming from the mouth, sudden fainting, loss of consciousness, sharp muscle spasms with twitching of the legs, deviation of the direction of the eyes and head (eye deviation), urgent medical attention is required.
Causes of seizures
Cramps appear due to insufficient blood circulation in the muscles, especially during physical exertion. For some, convulsions appear and intensify when exposed to external stimuli - pricking the body with a needle, sudden loud sounds, alcohol abuse.
A factor in the development of seizures in athletes is a lack of salt in the body, caused by increased sweating. Even monotonous repetitive movements, such as typing on a keyboard or moving a computer mouse, can cause seizures.
Night cramps are the result of a complex of psychophysiological disorders (low blood circulation and stress). If the same muscle groups are under load, then when tired, they can also be subject to convulsive contractions. This is especially true for people who work standing up. Sometimes convulsions are a consequence of diseases of the nervous system (epilepsy, tetanus or neurosis), poisoning, metabolic disorders or the activity of the endocrine glands.
Convulsions in children are associated with insufficient maturity of the brain and nerve fibers, weak inhibitory mechanisms. The development of convulsive readiness is influenced by harmful factors during pregnancy of the mother, childbirth and the postpartum phase, acting on nervous system baby. Before delivery, it can be toxicosis, intrauterine infection, drug intoxication, acute and chronic diseases mothers; during childbirth - mechanical damage to the fetal brain; after childbirth - infectious diseases, metabolic disorders, complications after vaccination, traumatic brain injury.
Spasms of the calf muscles are also an independent disease, and may be accompanied by any disease (for example, varicose veins). They occur during a long walk, swimming. Convulsive contractions of the muscles of the glottis can be caused by irritating odors or gases. Often they lead to malnutrition and changes in the functions of the brain and heart, respiratory arrest.
Seizure treatment
Treatment of seizures involves, first of all, the treatment of the disease that caused them. As anticonvulsants are used:
- Hexacmidine;
- Phenobarbital;
- Difenin;
- Benzonal.
An excellent effect is exerted by massage of the affected area, warming up, the correct mode of work and rest. With periodically recurring convulsions, urgent medical care is required, otherwise cerebral edema, respiratory failure and other vital functions may form.
In hot weather, in no case should dehydration be allowed. With frequent convulsions, the patient should drink cool water with the addition of salt (1 tsp per 1 liter of water). To improve blood circulation in the affected areas, it is advisable to apply alternating hot and cold compresses to these.
It is impossible to stop an attack that has already begun. To help in such a situation, the patient needs to call as soon as possible. ambulance and try to prevent possible damage and injury that a person can inflict on himself with convulsions. You can try to relieve your own cramps by stretching the affected muscles. You need to gather strength, endure the pain and try to stretch out so that the muscles lengthen.
If there is a loss of consciousness during general convulsions, this is a reason to suspect the presence of epilepsy. While waiting for medical help, the patient should be provided with a calm position that maximizes muscle relaxation. In case of breathing problems, it is necessary to provide an influx of fresh air by opening the windows or allow the patient to breathe oxygen from a filled oxygen bag.
If a person experiences frequent epileptic seizures, it is advisable to always carry with you, in your pocket or bag, a sheet with information on the duration and number of seizures. This will allow doctors to provide the necessary assistance in a timely manner.
As a general action, you need to gently massage the area affected by seizures. At the same time, blood flow improves and the affected muscles receive much-needed oxygen delivered by the blood in abundance. Sufficiently strong stroking followed by slipping is especially effective; the direction of such movements should be directed towards the heart muscle.
The effect of massage can be enhanced by combining it with aromatherapy. Lavender, juniper, rosemary, marjoram oils will be useful. Since even in diluted form, which is prerequisite, essential oils will cause skin irritation, blood flow will increase, blood vessels will expand and, as a result, muscles will relax and cramps will pass.
How to prevent seizures
Treatment must be started as early as possible in order to stop the development of the disease and changes in the psyche. After the first manifestation, you need to undergo electroencephalography and, when the accumulation of nerve cells is established, treatment is prescribed, which is carried out long time. The drugs are canceled after two or three years of use - only in that case can we say about a complete cure.
Proper nutrition is the cure for seizures
Review your diet to increase the content of the following trace elements in it:
- Calcium is known to be found in dairy products. But low-fat dairy products should be avoided, as calcium is less absorbed from them, often causing kidney problems. So prefer dairy products with a fat content of 3%. Calcium deficiency is common in pregnant women. For the formation of baby tissues, a lot of calcium is needed, and the child “takes” the microelement from the mother.
- Magnesium can be obtained from watermelon, tahini halva and buckwheat, products - champions in the content of this substance.
- Sodium found in table salt. Deficiency is rare. The exception is athletes and manual workers, who lose sodium through sweat during intense training or work. If you train more than 45 minutes a day or work hard, use alkaline mineral water instead of ordinary water, preferably without gases.
- Potassium can be obtained from baked potatoes, oranges and bananas.
All these trace elements can be consumed in the form of dietary supplements, there are special additives for the prevention of seizures.
Increase your intake of vitamins D and E. To do this, you need to eat sprats in oil, chicken yolk, sunflower and soybean oils. Or take fat-soluble vitamins in the form of fat capsules or oil drops. Eat more foods containing vitamins B2 and B6, namely liver, oatmeal, beans, beef kidneys. Most vitamin complexes these substances are enough, but "natural" sources are better. Taurine is present in seafood and meat. The lack of this amino acid increases the likelihood of seizures several times. Taurine can be purchased as a dietary supplement.
Drink enough water, at least 2.2 liters per day. Limit sugar, not only in the form of granulated sugar, but also in the composition of various products. Try not to buy products with more than 10 g of actual sugar (not carbohydrates!) per 100 g of product. It is also a means of preventing such a formidable and common disease as diabetes mellitus. Consume less caffeine. If you can't live without coffee, limit yourself to 1-2 servings of weak coffee, replacing the rest of your servings with decaffeinated coffee or a chicory drink.
What needs to be changed in lifestyle?
General fatigue, muscle fatigue, monotonous sedentary work, nervous tension, high body temperature, a large loss of water and salt by the body can be the causes of seizures.
- Correctly dose physical activity, the desire to set a world record for a novice athlete can end in a broken leg - as a result of a cramp. Be especially careful about gym. When working with the simulator, do not make sudden movements. Drink water during class.
- If you are prone to seizures, you should not swim in too cold water, at least do not swim alone, since it is almost impossible to completely eliminate the possibility of seizures, and a serious threat to life is created.
- Choose the right posture when sitting. You can put your legs under you for no more than 3-5 minutes, otherwise you risk getting a fracture of both legs at once as a result of a cramp - this is not such a rarity.
Exercises to Prevent Seizures
Recent studies show that cramps occur much less often if the person suffering from them begins to regularly do exercises to stretch the muscles of the legs. The muscle in a stretched state can not be held for more than 20 seconds. Ideally, the muscle should be maximally stretched for 10-15 seconds. All exercises are performed very slowly. Stretching should be accompanied by deep slow breathing. It is especially pleasant to do exercises in the morning as part of a charge, while you will feel how every cell in your body is filled with oxygen. Do not perform the same exercise several times in a row. Each should be done in 2-3 sets, alternating exercises:
- Starting position: you lie on your back, legs bent at the knees, ankles rest on the floor. Then you lift one of the legs (working) and put it on the knee of the second. Next, grab the second leg and pull it towards you until you feel tension in the working leg. Change legs.
- Starting position: lie on your stomach, arms and legs relaxed. Then you need to bend the working leg at the knee, reach out to it with your hands, and pull towards the head, raising the knee. Repeat with the other leg.
- Starting position: sitting, back straight, legs brought together. Reach towards the tips of your feet, trying to keep your fingers as far away from the heel line as possible.
Also, some yoga asanas are useful for the prevention of seizures; it is good to use the Salutation to the Sun complex for morning warm-up.
Treatment with folk remedies
For the treatment of seizures at home, the following recipes are quite effective:
- Spring Adonis. Take 1-2 teaspoons of dry chopped spring Adonis grass in 1 cup of boiling water. Adults take 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day. For children of two years of age - 5-6 drops; six-year-old - 15 drops; twelve-year-old - 2 teaspoons 5-6 times a day.
- Birch (buds). Brew 2 teaspoons of birch buds like tea in 1 cup of boiling water. Infusion drink for 2 days in 3 divided doses.
- Carnation. Take no more than 10 grains (620 mg) of cloves with sugar.
- Mustard oil. When reducing the cramp of the muscles of the arms and legs, rub the sore spots with mustard oil.
- Crosswort broad-leaved. Take 20 g of broad-leaved ragwort roots per 200 ml of boiling water. Take 40 drops 1 time per day. Take a tincture of broad-leaved ragwort roots: 25 g of roots per 100 ml of 70% alcohol. Take 30-40 drops 1 time per day; with persistent pain - 3 times a day.
- Potentilla goose. A decoction of goose cinquefoil herb can be used for convulsions of a different nature (even with tetanus). It is better to use a decoction as a prophylactic, as it acts slowly.
- Lemon. In the morning and evening, lubricate the soles of the feet with fresh lemon juice, do not wipe anything, put on socks and shoes only after the juice has dried on the soles. The course of treatment is not more than two weeks. Use for muscle cramps in the legs.
- Linden (color). 1.5 st. spoons of finely chopped small-leaved linden flowers pour 1 cup boiling water; brew, insist for 20 minutes; strain. Take 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day.
- Poppy. Carefully dry the poppy petals, grind them into powder and prepare a decoction with milk and honey. You can also use the petals in the form of vodka tincture.
Conclusion
For professional treatment of seizures, you must consult a therapist. He will examine you and refer you to an endocrinologist, phlebologist or neurologist. Follow all the recommendations of the doctor - and soon you will not be afraid of seizures. In most cases, seizures are treated successfully, and a person can lead a full life. Just take good care of your body.
A cramp is a painful process in which one muscle or group of muscles contracts. Most people who have experienced a seizure at least once begin to look for information on why they cramp their legs. The most painful is spasm of the foot, in which the fingers seem to be twisted, and the foot throbs from pain. Let's take a closer look at the causes of leg cramps.
There are cramps different types- nocturnal, spasms of the fingers, calf muscles, primary or secondary, frequent, as well as convulsions in pregnant women and children. All of them have different nature occurrence. But there is something similar between them.
Night cramps
When he brings his feet together at night, they hurt very much, and the attack can last up to five minutes. Night cramps can disturb both adults and very young children. The causes of night cramps are as follows:
- Fatigue in the muscles;
- Problems with the nervous system;
- Pregnancy;
- Diseases due to which blood cannot flow normally to the lower extremities;
- The use of certain drugs;
- Lack of vitamins and minerals;
- flat feet;
- Uncomfortable position of the body. For example, bent legs and feet down. This posture shortens the muscles, causing a painful spasm.
Spasms in the toes
With a cramp, both one toe and several at once can suffer. Spasms on the toes always occur abruptly and unexpectedly. Why is this happening? There are such alleged factors for the appearance of spasms in the fingers:
- Uncomfortable and tight shoes;
- Hypothermia of the legs;
- vitamin deficiency;
- When normal blood circulation in the feet is disturbed.
Convulsions in the calf muscle
Before the onset of a cramp, a person feels a slight pull in the calf muscle. Then there are sharp painful sensations, strong tension in the area of spasm. The patient cannot stand on his leg, the muscles are elastic and dense. The causes of this type of convulsions are as follows:
- Lack of vitamins;
- Due to long standing and large physical activity develops chronic fatigue legs;
- Venous insufficiency;
- Development of atherosclerosis;
- Swelling of the legs;
- A large number of drunk diuretics;
- Diseases in the region of the lumbar spine.
Primary factors for the development of spasms
For the first time, convulsions in the foot may occur without visible reasons. Usually, for the first time, muscle spasm can occur due to muscle overexertion. For example, when a person was throughout the day without rest. Or played a lot of sports, or walked in uncomfortable shoes.
When blood circulation in the legs is disturbed, the tendons are shortened and spasms occur. It is necessary to carefully consider the primary manifestations of foot cramps in order to try to prevent them in the future.
Secondary factors in the development of spasms
Characters arise due to such situations:
- In order for muscle contractions to occur normally, the body needs the right amount of magnesium. If this trace element is not enough, it reduces the legs. If you suffer from insomnia, depression, back pain, frequent fractures or dislocations, headaches, high blood pressure, arthritis, heart disease, and get tired quickly, then your body lacks magnesium, which leads to frequent convulsions and nervous tics of the eyes;
- With fragile and often aching bones, as well as split ends, unhealthy hair and brittle nails, we can say that the body lacks calcium. With its deficiency, teeth suffer greatly, a person becomes irritable and feels a breakdown. If you do not replenish the reserves of calcium and magnesium in the body, leg cramps will be your constant companions;
- With a lack of iron, the cells do not have time to get enough oxygen, which causes a spasm in the muscles;
- If a person adheres to a strict diet for a very long time or uses drugs to lower blood sugar, glucose deficiency may occur, which is also the reason why the feet cramp;
- With sudden changes in body temperature, for example when sunstroke, I also experience convulsions;
- Due to influenza, stroke, SARS, alcohol poisoning, the brain can be exposed to nerve impulses, which provokes the appearance of seizures;
- With a lack of oxygen in the tissues and vessels, various ones develop, which also provokes convulsive seizures;
- Taking contraceptive hormonal drugs.
Factors of frequent seizures
Why do frequent seizures occur? They can occur due to muscle fatigue, excess weight, frequent stress and emotional overstrain, problems in the endocrine and nervous systems.
It is important for frequent convulsions to consult a doctor to complete the research and find out true reason their occurrence. Since convulsive moments can be a signal of the development of a serious illness.
Convulsions in expectant mothers and children
Very often, during the bearing of a child, expectant mothers complain of muscle spasms. This phenomenon safely disappears as soon as the baby is born. Frequent convulsions in pregnant women occur due to excess weight, an increase in the uterus and, accordingly, circulatory disorders, an increase in blood volume, a high need for vitamins, and changes in hormonal levels.
IN childhood convulsions occur due to the active growth and development of the whole organism. Why else do spasms occur in children's muscles? They can occur due to hypothermia of the legs, flat feet, lack of vitamins, or holding the legs for a long time in an uncomfortable position.
Diagnosis of pathology
If it reduces the legs, it is often important to conduct a diagnosis in order to identify the true cause of the cramps. First of all, go to the therapist, and pass the necessary tests. The therapist may schedule a consultation with a neurologist, endocrinologist, or cardiologist. If the doctor can determine the exact cause of the seizures, after proper treatment, the problem will disappear. If convulsive phenomena do not occur due to diseases, it is important to follow simple preventive measures.
Help with cramps
Having figured out why he cramps his legs, it is important to learn how to act correctly in time for an attack. The first thing to do when a seizure occurs is not to panic. Try to stay calm. The trunk needs to be raised. Sitting on the bed, put your feet on the cool floor. It is the cold that will resume the circulation of the blood flow. Get up slowly. Keep your body straight, put your feet together. After a couple of seconds, the unpleasant inherent tingling will begin to disappear. Get through this moment. Blood will run through the limbs as usual. Restore its proper circulation.
To quickly relieve a cramp, pinch or prick your leg with a clean needle or pin.. In order for the blood flow to get back to the right track faster, gently pat and massage the place where the cramp has formed. As soon as blood circulation is restored, massage. Put your legs at a sixty degree angle and rest.
People who swim and are prone to leg cramps pin a pin to their swimsuit, which, if necessary, is used to prick and eliminate cramps. A simple pin in some cases saves the lives of swimmers, especially when there is no one nearby who could provide the necessary assistance.
Preventive measures
Having figured out the reasons why it brings the feet together, it is important to learn how to prevent them. Give enough time to your legs, and they will not suffer from cramps. Preventive measures are as follows:
- Strengthen the ligaments in all ways;
- Watch your weight. If there are extra pounds, try to get rid of them by adjusting your diet and daily routine;
- Wear comfortable shoes;
- Try not to put too much pressure on your legs;
- Do a special routine every day gymnastic exercises that will strengthen the ligaments and muscle mass legs. Each exercise should be done five times, throwing off shoes;
- Take a contrast shower;
- Do contrast foot baths, alternating hot and cold water. Such a preventive measure can be applied only to those who do not have varicose veins veins;
- It is useful to make foot baths with the addition of various herbal decoctions;
- Try to follow a special diet that the doctor will advise to prevent seizures. Eat cheeses, milk, legumes, spinach, red fish. It is useful to enjoy dried fruits, nuts, bananas, oranges and honey;
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