Painful muscle cramps in leg

Basic information

This particular type of condition induced pain is considered to be a quite frequent condition, especially if we take feet and legs into consideration. Given the fact that at the bottom of the entire condition in some cases we find dehydration, as well as the decrease in the potassium levels, muscle cramps most often occur during hot weather. The main reason behind this is that those high temperatures cause our body to lose liquids, water primarily, and also minerals and salt by means of sweat. Therefore, in order to avoid the onset of cramps, it is recommended to increase water intake and consumption of different varieties of food that abound in potassium (e.g. bananas).

Other circumstances that can initiate the occurrence of cramps include intense physical exercising, and even sleep. Quite naturally, people who are older are more prone to suffering from cramps because of the naturally occurring muscle loss, which is initiated once a person reaches mid forties. Directly related is also the fact that older the people less physically active they tend to be, diminishing body’s sensitivity to thirst and making it more prone to dehydration.

Measures to be taken in order to relieve this condition

But all of the above mentioned can be directly confronted, and with success come to that, if a person refuses to give up and gives in to plentiful techniques that have proven their efficiency in alleviating the condition in question. Some of them are the following:

Cramped muscle needs to be relaxed and it can be done by means of a soothing and gentle massage, for example. Stretching the muscle is also important. In case those cramps befall a calf muscle, the best thing to do is to bring the foot all the way up and toward the shin. In case it occurs in the front part of the thigh, one should bend a knee and pull the foot toward the buttocks. Drinking plenty of water and other similar fluids is a must. In case, the cramped muscle becomes too tight and rigid, the experts recommend the application of heat. In case muscles become too tender and even sore, thus indicating a possible onset of the inflammation, the application of ice can prove to be extremely beneficial.

The right time to consult a medical representative

Given the fact that pain in a leg can often be an indicator of some underlying condition, it is wise to visit your doctor as soon as it appears. Among the conditions that are indicated by such pain are sciatica (leg nerve inflammation), arthritis, phlebitis (leg vein inflammation) and peripheral artery disease.