Cramps, also called muscle spasms, are involuntary forced contractions of muscles. They are the category of "syndrome paralysis" in traditional Chinese medicine. This condition can occur in many parts of the body, usually the calves and legs. Toe muscle spasms are common in daily life. When they occur, the pain is unbearable and there is a feeling of stiffness.

Cramps mainly include these 3 types

1. Night cramps

Night cramps are actually a general term, including any cramps that occur under static conditions. For example, cramps that occur while sleeping or sitting quietly. Generally, nighttime cramps mainly occur in the elderly and children, mainly in children's calves and toes.

2. Heat stroke cramps

Heat stroke cramps are mainly caused by electrolyte imbalance and dehydration in the body, and are generally more common among athletes. Sometimes cramps may occur if you do not stretch before strenuous exercise.

3. Disease-induced cramps

Congenital diseases or nerve damage, such as epilepsy, tetanus, febrile convulsions in children, etc. Cramps occur due to muscle loss and excessive excitement.

Causes of cramps

1. Cold stimulation

Cold is the most common cause of cramps. It stimulates the muscles, causing them to contract strongly and cause sudden spasm of blood vessels. Cramps occur.

2. Local compression

Generally, there are many causes of cramps due to local compression. If the leg muscles are in a state of compression for a long time, it is easy to cause passive muscle contracture and insufficient blood supply, leading to cramps.

3. Long-term exercise and excessive sweating

Long-term exercise and excessive sweating will lead to a large loss of fluids and electrolytes in the body, and a large amount of metabolic waste accumulation in the body. , the internal environment is disordered, and cramps are prone to occur.

4. Physical fatigue and weakness

The elderly are relatively weak and have poor muscle strength. Coupled with the reduced metabolic capacity of the body, they are prone to cramps. For adults, physical fatigue is one of the main causes of cramps. Excessive exercise in adults causes continuous muscle contraction for a short period of time, stimulating leg cramps.

5. Nutritional deficiencies in the body

Imbalances of calcium, magnesium and potassium play a certain role in muscle cramps. Each of these electrolytes helps maintain fluid balance in the blood and muscles, so a lack of these electrolytes may lead to cramps.

Teach you a way to solve leg cramps

When cramps occur, you can pull your toes in the opposite direction of the force and hold for more than 1 to 2 minutes to relieve the discomfort. Specifically, if the muscles at the back of the calf are cramping, you can push your feet to raise the soles of your feet and straighten your knees as much as possible. When the muscles in the front of your calves are cramping, you can press the soles of your feet and flex your toes.

In life, if you want to prevent leg cramps, you should keep warm and soak your feet in hot water every night before going to bed to promote blood circulation in the legs. When sleeping, try not to lie on your back or stomach for a long time to avoid muscle spasms caused by long-term relaxation of the calf muscles. In terms of diet, you can eat more foods rich in calcium, potassium, sodium, etc., such as milk, kelp, green leafy vegetables and other foods.