Effective Treatment Options for Nighttime Leg Cramps
A leg muscle cramp refers to a severe and painful tightening or contraction of a muscle that strikes immediately. This lasts either for few minutes or just a few seconds. Some cramps can, however, last for several minutes. During night time, leg cramps are sudden spasms that occur in the calf muscles during the night time, and they may affect the foot or thigh as well. People often experience this problem when they are falling asleep, and some people become victims to muscle cramps when they wake up. Major causes of muscle cramps at night Identifying a clearcut cause for the pain is a difficult task. These issues are linked with nerve issues and muscle fatigue. As you age, the risk or the possibility of getting affected with nighttime leg cramps increases. Several pregnant women often have to deal with nighttime leg cramps. The common causes of this problem include exercise, injury, overuse of muscles, exposure to cold temperature, diabetic nerve damage, and kidney failure. If you are using some medications like specific diuretics, you always stand in with a chance of suffering from leg cramps in the might. A good number of people mistake restless legs syndrome (RLS) with leg cramps; this is a different condition. Other common conditions that make one vulnerable to leg cramps in the night include spinal stenosis, peripheral artery diseases, anemia, hyperthyroidism, Addison’s disease, diabetes, cirrhosis, osteoarthritis, Parkinson’s disease, diarrhea, and dehydration. Effective solutions to stop a muscle cramp You can find different types of methods to prevent a night muscle cramp. Every individual has to identify the best method that works for him/her. The simplest way is to massage and stretch the affected muscle. Another option is to take a bath using warm water for relaxing the muscle, and you can also place a heating pad to find relief.