Remedies for leg cramps: pills and other medications
What helps with leg cramps? Tablets, vitamins, gymnastics and folk remedies - all this is actively used not only for instant elimination of unpleasant sensations, but also for their further prevention.
general information
From cramps in the legs, the pills help very well. But before you submit them to your attention, you should tell a little about the disease itself.
Cramps can annoy a person at any age. However, most often they occur in elderly or middle-aged people.
With such a deviation a person can feelpainful spasms of the muscle tissue of the lower limbs (for example, the gastrocnemius muscle). As a rule, these sensations act as symptoms of the underlying disease or are idiopathic signs.
What to do?
Drugs from cramps in the legs should be prescribedonly experienced professionals. In fact before to accept this or that tablet, it is necessary to diagnose correctly and to reveal the true reason of such deviation.
Most causes of muscle spasms have long been studied by modern medicine. They are easily adjusted, and also quickly treated.
If you regularly suffer from unpleasant sensations in the lower extremities, then you should definitely consult your doctor.
The nature of pain
So in what cases should you use drugs from cramps in your legs, and in which you can get by and banal gymnastics? To answer this question, you need to undergo a medical examination.
At present, tonic spasmsMuscular tissues that are characterized by a prolonged muscular tension, and clonic, that is, short-term contractions, which alternate with periods of relaxation.
Cramps in the legs are classified in the first category. As a rule, they are characterized by unpleasant sensations in the feet and calf muscles. Thus there is an acute and painful feeling, lasting from 3 to 5 minutes.
Also, with seizures, the petrification of parts of the body is observed, which only passes after the relaxation of the muscles.
Causes of appearance
Wrongly selected medication for leg cramps can only temporarily eliminate symptoms. Therefore, before proceeding to treat this illness, it is necessary to identify the cause of its appearance.
Cramps in the legs may occur due to:
- The lack of vitamins and trace elements (for example, magnesium, potassium, calcium, vitamin D), which are responsible for the transmission of nerve impulses to the muscles.
- Dehydration of the body. With a strong sweating, a significant part of the microelements is lost, which ensures the healthy functioning of all muscle tissues.
- Physical load. Excessive physical exertion can lead to overstrain of muscle tissue and malfunction of the musculature, which will contribute to the appearance of seizures.
- Temperature differences. Subcooling very often causes a sharp contraction of the muscles of the extremities, as well as the appearance of seizures in them.
- Diseases. The most serious reasons for this deviation may be hidden injuries, thyroid damage, diabetes, neurological diseases, inflammatory processes, and so on.
- Stresses. With emotional shock, there is a very heavy load on the human body, including the nerve endings, which are responsible for contractions of muscle tissue.
Cure for leg cramps
Cramps in the legs, in particular in the calfmuscles, pass fairly quickly and do not require any special treatment. In most cases, patients are treated with lower limb massage, as well as a contrast shower or gymnastics. At the same time, the standard drug from cramps in the legs is not advisable. This is due to the fact that the pain will pass faster than the drug will act.
However, very often such painful feelings last for a long time. In these cases, patients still have to take tablets from muscle spasms.
According to experts, such remedies do not eliminate convulsions themselves, but make them painless.
So what are the most effective drugs for muscle spasms? Their list will be presented to your attention right now.
Tablets "Quinine"
Such pills from seizures in the legs during pregnancy are prohibited. The drug "Quinine" is prescribed only in extreme cases. This is due to the fact that it has many side effects.
The medicine "Quinine" is used only when the soreness of the convulsions is so great that it interferes with the normal way of life.
Potassium-containing products
What means help from cramps in the legs? Tablets with potassium can quickly solve your problem. After all, the deficiency of this element in the human body very often leads to night spasms, especially in the lower extremities.
If such pills from seizures in the legs and hands are nothelp, experts recommend consuming more products that are rich in potassium. For example, good natural sources of this element are:
- dates, nectarines, apricots, bananas, grapes and raisins;
- broccoli, white cabbage, and other representatives of this family;
- grapefruits and oranges;
- pork, sea fish and lamb.
Magnesium-containing products
Magnesium preparations with cramps in the legs are veryoften prescribed for pregnant women. This is due to the fact that these representatives of the fair sex quickly exhaust the stocks of this element, and, as is known, it is he that contributes to the normal functioning of the body and the development of the fetus.
Preparations of magnesium with cramps in the legs can bepurchase at any pharmacy. As a rule, they include various vitamin complexes designed specifically for pregnant women, as well as biologically active additives.
Means that block the absorption of calcium
Such a remedy for cramps in the legs does not allow calcium to enter the walls of blood vessels, as well as inside different types of cells.
Despite the fact that the main purpose of this medication is to fight high blood pressure, it is often used to eliminate night muscle spasms.
To determine the dosage, as well as the receipt of a prescription, it is necessary to visit the attending physician.
Non-pharmacological methods
As mentioned above, from cramps in the legs of a pilleffectively help only if they have been selected correctly and are used in a strict dosage. However, there are other ways to get rid of the unpleasant sensations that occur in the lower extremities. Which ones, we will consider right now.
Hot compress
If the medicine for cramps in the legs(pills, capsules, vitamins, dietary supplements) does not help, then you can use a hot compress. To do this, apply either a bottle filled with water, or an electric heating pad. It is placed directly on the muscles and held for about 10-15 minutes. At the same time the musculature is completely relaxed, and the cramp goes away.
If you do not have an electric heating pad, then as a hot compress some patients use a warming ointment like VapoRub. She was rubbed into her legs and put a gauze bandage on top.
After warming up the muscles, a cooling effect occurs, which subsequently eliminates the cramp.
Drinking water
Sometimes cramps in the legs may appear due to lack of water in the body. Therefore, you need to make sure that during the day you drink enough liquid.
According to experts, representatives of the weaker sex should drink about 2.2 liters of water per day, and men - at least 3 liters.
How can you tell if you are eating enoughfluid or not? To do this, you need to look at the transparency of your urine. Light urine says that the water balance in your body is not violated. If it has a dark yellow or even a brownish color, then you should drink more liquid.
By the way, with cramps in the legs should be avoidedconsumption of alcoholic beverages. This is due not only to the fact that alcohol takes water from the body, but also because it itself contributes to the appearance of muscle spasms.
Folk Remedies for Seizures
About what tablets from cramps in the legs helpbest of all, we told above. However, it should be noted that supporters of alternative medicine try to avoid taking medications. They prefer to solve the problem using natural and proven means.
Soapy piece
During seizures, place the usual toilet soapunder that place of the foot where there is a spasm. Also it is possible to put on a skin and soap water. After waiting a few seconds, you immediately notice that a painful cramp has passed.
Cow's milk
According to reviews, the use of cow's milkduring cramps is able to both help and harm. Theoretically, such a product removes excess calcium from the body, helping with nighttime convulsions. On the other hand, it contains high concentrations of phosphorus. Entering the body, such an element can contribute to the occurrence of even more convulsions.
Evening primrose oil
Primrose oil is used for variousdiseases: from eczema and acne to heart disease and high cholesterol. Perhaps, this tool will help you and with seizures, the cause of which was the blockage of blood vessels.
Brewer's yeast
Brewer's yeast improves circulation in the lower limbs. This is due to the fact that they contain a large number of B vitamins.
It should be noted that some specialistsBrewer's yeast is often prescribed. Although clinical studies do not provide an unambiguous answer, they help with cramps or not. Try to use them for one dessert spoon per day and watch your health.
Gymnastics
To eliminate, as well as prevent furtherthe appearance of cramps in the legs, doctors recommend regular doing gymnastics. Exercises should be aimed at stretching the calf muscles, the Achilles tendon, the gluteus musculature and so on.
That the result from the gymnastics was noticeable and you were never disturbed by cramps in your legs, it is recommended to do it 4-5 times a week for 6-12 months.
If the exercises do not help, then, most likely,you have a serious illness that requires medical intervention. In this case, you should see a doctor and undergo a complete examination.
