How to Prevent Calf Muscle Cramps

Leg cramps are an excruciating pain that a person experiences due to severe contraction of the muscles. Though leg cramps can appear anywhere on the leg, it most commonly occurs on the calf. Such cramps can occur when the leg is in a relaxed position for a long time. Many people, especially old people, experience cramps while sleeping, which is called the nocturnal or night leg cramps. These are also very common in athletes while exercising. These cramps come in sudden spasms and last from only a few seconds to a few minutes, with severe pain. Even after the pain subsides, one may feel muscle tenderness for a long time. People who suffer from leg cramps regularly, especially during the night, have a variety of problems like lack of sleep. Hence, it is very important to know certain techniques for preventing leg cramps. Before understanding how to prevent leg cramps, let us look at its causes.

Causes
Though they are a common phenomenon, the exact reason for foot and leg cramps is not very clearly known. The most common cause of these cramps is said to be wrong position while sleeping. When we lie on the back with a blanket covering us, the blanket tends to bend our feet downwards causing cramps in the legs. Another reason would be overexertion of the calf muscles while doing vigorous exercises. Electrolyte imbalance is also said to be a cause of these cramps. Our body contains electrolytes, namely calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium. When an imbalance occurs in one of these electrolytes, it results into cramping sensation in muscles. Dehydration is also said to be one of the reasons for leg cramps. It is also very common in pregnant woman and alcoholics. There are also chances of leg cramps occurrence due to some nerve disorders.

Prevention Measures

Stretching Exercises: Stretching exercises are usually done to ease the pain when a person gets cramps. However, doing this regularly also helps in preventing the occurrence of leg cramps. To do calf stretching exercises, one has to stand 3 feet away from a wall. Keep the feet on the ground and lean on the wall. Doing this would help in stretching the calf muscles. One should do this exercise every night before sleeping to avoid the occurrence of leg cramps. Studies have shown that people do find relief from cramps in calf muscles in about 3-4 weeks after doing this exercise.

Sleeping Posture: Changing your sleeping posture can also prevent these cramps. If one is lying on the back, it would be good to keep a pillow underneath the calf. On the other hand, if one is lying on one's front, letting the feet hang over the end of the bed would also be beneficial. It is also important not to cover oneself tightly with the blanket. Rather, one should let it lie loose near the foot to avoid it from bending downwards.

Drinking Fluids: It is very essential to avoid dehydration, especially if one is doing physical work. So, one should drink lots of water or fruit juices after one exercises and even while doing household work. If one is getting cramps in leg calf very frequently at night, it could be avoided by drinking a glass of warm water before going to bed.

Quinine: Some doctors may recommend quinine as a medicine for preventing cramps in leg calf, which also helps in decreasing the pain. However, this tablet has certain side effects if taken in large doses, and should be avoided if possible, especially by women who are pregnant. Some other drugs which help in preventing leg cramps include vitamin B complex, magnesium, verapamil, etc.

Doing mild exercises regularly and taking a hot shower before going to the bed at night can also work as a precaution from this condition. The most effective way for treatment of leg cramp immediately is by massaging the calf area or by doing some leg stretching exercises. If tenderness or discomfort in the calves persist for a long time, it can be eased by taking a paracetamol. However, if this is occurs very regularly, it would be advisable to go to the physician who would do a detail examination to know the root cause of the problem. Along with these methods, eating a healthy diet also contributes significantly in preventing leg cramps.