Leg cramps at night are unlikely to be the first sign of a more serious medical condition. They are, however, associated with the following conditions:. If frequent cramps are disrupting your sleep, make an appointment with your doctor. They might prescribe a muscle relaxant to prevent cramps. If your cramps are related to another medical condition, they can help manage that too.
Stretching the calf and hamstring muscles before bed may help to prevent nocturnal leg cramps. Poor circulation is most common in your extremities, such as your legs and arms. Learn more about the symptoms and causes of poor circulation. There are a variety of reasons why you may feel calf pain when you walk.
Some causes are due to common muscle conditions, like cramps or strains…. Doctors call leg pain that comes and goes intermittent claudication. A leg cramp is an episode of sudden pain in the muscles of the leg caused by an involuntary contracting shortening of the leg muscle. Cramps can last from a few seconds up to 10 minutes.
Thigh muscle cramps tend to last the longest. During a cramping episode, the affected muscles will become tight and painful and the feet and toes will be stiff. If you only get leg cramps occasionally, it is not a cause for concern and a medical diagnosis is not required.
A visit to your GP will only be necessary if you get leg cramps frequently, or if they are so painful they disrupt your sleep and you are unable to function normally the next day. There are two situations where leg cramps may be a sign of a more serious underlying health condition.
In these circumstances, contact your GP for advice immediately. If this isn't possible, contact your local out-of-hours service or call the NHS 24 '' service. The cause of leg cramps is sometimes unknown idiopathic. In other cases, there may be an underlying condition or another identifiable cause. Although the cause of idiopathic leg cramps is unknown, there are a number of theories about what might cause idiopathic leg cramps. These include:. Also, tendons naturally shorten over time as a person gets older, which may explain why older people are particularly affected by leg cramps.
Tendons are tough bands of tissue that connect muscles to bone. If your tendons become too short, they may cause the muscles connected to them to cramp. Secondary leg cramps are caused by an underlying condition or another identifiable cause. Certain medications have been known to cause leg cramps in a small number of people. Contact your GP if you think your medication may be causing your leg cramps as your dosage may need to be adjusted.
Never stop taking a prescribed medication unless your GP or another qualified healthcare professional who is responsible for your care advises you to do so. For example, secondary leg cramps that are related to liver disease are caused by high levels of toxins in the blood which trigger muscles spasms.
Therefore, muscle relaxants can be used to help prevent your muscles from going into spasm. If the cause of your legs cramps is unknown primary idiopathic leg cramps , a combination of exercise and painkilling medication is usually recommended. Most cases of leg cramps can be treated with exercises.
There are two types of exercise that you can do:. To reduce your risk of getting leg cramps in the future, you should do exercises to stretch the affected muscles three times a day. For example, if your calf muscles are affected by cramps, the following exercise should be beneficial:. For the best results, you should repeat this exercise three times a day, including one session just before you go to bed.
If you have leg pain that persists after an episode of cramping, an over-the-counter painkiller, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen may help reduce the pain. Quinine was originally designed as a medication to treat malaria. These ill-timed charley horses—characterized by a sharp muscle contraction that can last several seconds to minutes—usually affect the calf and foot, although they can also strike your hamstring.
There are theories, however. Some researchers have theorized that our modern lifestyle is to blame. While our ancient ancestors spent lots of time squatting—a position that stretches leg tendons and muscles—contemporary life has mostly removed the need for it. When the foot rests in this position for long periods, even small movements of the feet could trigger a cramp.
Sleeping on your side, with your feet off the bed, or in some other position that keeps your toes neutral—not pointing away from you—may be a better position for these muscles. While not true for everyone, the frequency of these cramps tends to peak in mid-July and crater in mid-January. Garrison says. Electromyogram tests have shown that nerves running from the spine down to the calf trigger these cramps. So why summer?
Garrison explains. Your body produces vitamin D from sun exposure. Tom has over 10 years of copywriting and editorial experience across sectors such as technology, healthcare, education, and consulting. His research and clinical practice focuses on the entire myriad of sleep disorders. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website.
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Updated July 29, Written by Tom Ryan. Medically Reviewed by Dr. Abhinav Singh. What Are Leg Cramps? Nocturnal Leg Cramps vs. Restless Legs Syndrome Nocturnal leg cramps are a distinct condition, but they are often misdiagnosed as restless legs syndrome RLS because both disorders involve uncomfortable sensations in the legs. Sign up below for your free gift. Your privacy is important to us. Was this article helpful?
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