leg cramps at night

Leg cramps and painful muscle spasms are associated with a number of causes and we will take a look at some of the main ones here?

Waking up suddenly in the night with severe muscle pain in your legs as they involuntarily contract so tightly that you can’t let go is a sure sign that you are suffering from nighttime leg cramps. In addition, and what is less popularly known, is that night time leg cramps can be experienced in the upper thigh and also in the feet.

The exact reason why a leg cramp occurs is unknown. One theory purports that cramping occurs when a muscle that is already contracted is stimulated to contract even further.There are other suggestions too. With a little experimentation, some dietary adjustment and the support of your local health practitioner, it shouldn’t be long before you find a remedy that works for you.

Electrolyte imbalance is one of the main reasons, it is claimed, that night leg cramps occur. Electrolytes are essential salts that conduct electrical activity in the body, such as calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium and these need to be in good balance if muscles are to work well. If you ingest too much or too little of these salts in your diet then an imbalance can result and this is likely to affect muscle functioning and in turn lead to painful cramps. The phosphorous that is pumped into processed foods, if consumed regularly can lead to an imbalance of essential body salts and cause cramping so turning to a more natural or organic diet can reduce the likelihood of developing this debilitating condition. Think potassium, think banana as this is one of the richest and most easily available sources of this essential nutrient that you can make use of immediately.

Muscle fatigue is another likely candidate which can come about from sustained high intensity exercise. nutrients supplied through a balanced diet and plenty of fluids will provide the enrgy needed to enable the muscles to function well and efficiently without cramping as they contract during exercise. Intense exercise uses up stores of calcium more quickly than normal exercise and so, to help prevent leg cramps that are associated with a lot of high intensity exercise, it might be a good idea to up the intake of calcium during these periods.

During pregnancy, as the body is working extra hard too, along with the muscles, in holding up the increased weight as the baby grows, leg muscles can become very tired and start to cramp in the night, preventing a good night’s sleep. A light supper before retiring for the night, using foods that contain potassium and calcium might be the cure that you need. You can find these in simple natural foods like bananas and milk so how about a nightly bedtime banana milkshake before gong to bed, together with some regular light stretching of the leg muscles, throughout the pregnancy.

There are a number of potential reasons given for cramps and, as a list, causes of
cramps and muscle spasms include type 2 diabetes, not enough fluids in the body, cirrhosis of the liver, kidney failure, flat feet, the side effects of some prescribed medications, peripheral artery disease, Parkinson’s disease, an underactive thyroid, Addison’s disease, dehydrationand diarrhea, and as a side effect of surgery such as a gastric bypass.

With so many potential contributors towards developing leg cramps at night, aprofessional health check might be a good idea. It is always advisable to check with your doctor or health practitioner for a proper diagnosis of night leg cramps and to rule out any more serious underlying condition before relying simply on home remedies and diet.