Toe Cramps Causes

Quite often, you might have experienced, that a minute before you were lying in bed, nicely watching TV, the next moment, you are writhing in agony and pain as if your toes have turned against you, and you were waging a war you'll never win. This is nothing but a toe cramp, which is a painful spasm or contraction of a muscle in the foot of the body. The pain may last for a few seconds to a few minutes, with an intensity that may vary from a slight tic to an intense painful muscle contraction. Toe cramps affect people of all age groups and may strike anytime, at the middle of the night, during exercise, or even while walking.

Causes of Toe Cramps

There are various toe cramps causes, some of them are as follows:

Misfit Shoes: Of the many toe cramping causes, one is wearing shoes that don't fit or the foot being confined to one pair of shoes for a long time. High-heeled shoes or ill-fitting shoes that are extremely tight especially in the toe area are also responsible for toe cramps.

Calcium Deficiency: Lack of calcium in your diet or calcium deficiency in the body can also cause toe spasms or cramps.

Potassium Deficiency: Potassium helps in conducting the electrical impulse in the body and maintains the smooth muscle contraction. A loss in potassium level causes severe cramps in legs and hands.

Vitamin D Deficiency: A lack of vitamin D causes less absorption of calcium ultimately resulting in muscle cramps.

Magnesium Deficiency: Magnesium is a component of muscles. A deficiency of magnesium may lead to the deficiency of other elements like calcium causing muscle aches and cramps.

Excess Activity: Rigorous exercise, long duration walks, or overexertion are some activities that can cause cramping in toes.

Stress: Dancers, especially those in ballet performing pirouettes and other tippy-toe dances are more vulnerable to suffer these types of cramps due to added stress and strain on their feet and toes.

Medication Effect: Some prescribed medications for asthma, high cholesterol and hypertension can also contribute to toe cramping.

Treatments for Toe Cramps

Toe cramps treatment primarily involves some simple methods that can be employed to avoid toe cramping.

• Avoid wearing high heels on a daily basis and keep them for special occasions. Wearing proper footwear which has enough space for the toe box or lower heeled shoes having roomy toe fit are any time better than those tight fitting shoes that suffocate the foot and lead to toe cramping.
• Whenever possible during the entire day, remove your shoes and try to exercise your feet. Moving your ankles in a circular motion or bending and flexing your feet promotes blood circulation in your feet, and hence minimizes the risk of experiencing toe cramping.
• To relieve the pain of toe cramps, you can perform some stretching exercises to strengthen your muscles. Practice standing on your toes and lifting your body up and down repeatedly with the support of your toes. Hold on to each position for at least 5 - 6 seconds and then relax. Another effective exercise is to pick up marbles from the floor with your toes and place them to another spot on the floor.
• Massaging at the bottom of the toe and its surrounding areas is the most effective toe cramps remedy that helps in relaxing the contracted muscles and promotes blood circulation, thereby relieving you from the pain.
• Another way of treating leg and toe cramps is to increase your calcium intake by consuming food products rich in calcium like milk, cheese, fruits, salmon and other types of fish. Taking additional potassium, calcium and vitamin C supplements will help in stabilizing electrolytes in your body.
• If you experience toe cramps while running, it means your body is dehydrated and you need to drink at least 6 - 8 glasses of water on a regular basis. Taking quinine tablets or drinking tonic water will help in maintaining fluid as well as mineral levels in the body, and therefore will guard you against toe cramps.

Drinking a glass of warm water or taking a hot water shower before sleeping, or keeping your feet in warm water are some toe cramp remedies that can be used to relief the pain. Relaxation techniques like deep breathing, mediation, etc., also help in relaxing your body and reducing toe cramps causes. However, if the toe cramps are persistent and occurring on a regular basis, it's recommended to consult your physician to examine your feet. Alternative medicine practices like acupuncture and reflexology can also help treating severe and extremely painful toe cramps.