"What Causes Leg Cramps? Surprisingly, These 7 Factors May Be to Blame"
Understanding and Preventing Leg Cramps
I believe everyone has experienced this at some point. In the middle of the night, when they are asleep, they are suddenly jolted awake by a sharp, intense pain, often accompanied by an exclamation: "Ah! Leg cramp!" What exactly causes leg cramps? Generally speaking, muscle spasms are involuntary, forceful contractions of the muscles. Muscle spasms in the calves and toes are particularly common, causing excruciating pain. Especially when they occur in the middle of the night, they often awaken people, leaving them unable to alleviate the pain for an extended period, disrupting their sleep. Let's delve into the reasons behind leg cramps.
What Causes Leg Cramps?
- Cold Stimulation: For instance, exercising in cold environments during winter with inadequate warm-up; swimming in cold water during summer; or sleeping without covering the legs, leading to cold-induced muscle spasms in the calves that awaken you in pain.
- Rapid and Sustained Muscle Contraction: Intense physical activity, whole-body tension, and rapid leg muscle contractions with inadequate relaxation periods can increase local lactic acid production, making it difficult for muscles to coordinate contraction and relaxation, resulting in calf muscle spasms.
- Excessive Sweating: Prolonged or intense exercise causing heavy sweating without replenishing electrolytes can lead to fluid and electrolyte loss, accumulation of metabolic waste, poor muscle blood circulation, and muscle spasms.
- Fatigue: During long journeys, hiking, or climbing, calf muscles are most prone to fatigue. As each step requires one foot to support the entire body weight, the muscle force needed to lift the foot can be six times the body weight, leading to muscle spasms when exhausted.
- Calcium Deficiency: Calcium ions play a crucial role in muscle contraction. Low calcium levels in the blood can make muscles prone to excitation and spasms, especially in adolescents undergoing rapid growth.
- Poor Sleeping Posture: Prolonged supine positions with blankets pressing on the feet or prone positions with feet pressed against the bed can cause prolonged relaxation of calf muscles, leading to "passive spasms."
- Vascular Diseases: Frequent occurrences may be linked to vascular disorders.
Preventing Leg Cramps
1. Toe Exercises: Remove shoes and stand (holding onto a chair or something stable to prevent falling). Place your weight on your toes and try to lift your heels, holding for 10 seconds before lowering. Rest for a few seconds and repeat for 10-15 minutes, once in the morning and once in the evening. Combine this with ankle rotations for better results. Regular toe exercises stimulate acupoints, promote blood circulation, increase skin temperature, strengthen muscles, relieve calf spasms, and benefit lower limb and knee muscles.
2. Soaking Feet Before Bed: Soak your feet in warm water (around 40°C) up to your ankles before bedtime. Keep adding hot water to maintain the temperature until the water cools. Soak for 15-20 minutes. This promotes peripheral blood circulation, relaxes muscles, and eases spasms.
