Cramp why

Contact your GP if you think your medication may be causing your leg cramps as your dosage may need to be adjusted. Never stop taking a prescribed medication unless your GP or another qualified healthcare professional who is responsible for your care advises you to do so. For example, secondary leg cramps that are related to liver disease are caused by high levels of toxins in the blood which trigger muscles spasms.

Therefore, muscle relaxants can be used to help prevent your muscles from going into spasm. If the cause of your legs cramps is unknown primary idiopathic leg cramps , a combination of exercise and painkilling medication is usually recommended. Most cases of leg cramps can be treated with exercises. There are two types of exercise that you can do:. To reduce your risk of getting leg cramps in the future, you should do exercises to stretch the affected muscles three times a day.

For example, if your calf muscles are affected by cramps, the following exercise should be beneficial:. For the best results, you should repeat this exercise three times a day, including one session just before you go to bed. If you have leg pain that persists after an episode of cramping, an over-the-counter painkiller, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen may help reduce the pain.

Quinine was originally designed as a medication to treat malaria. Subsequent research has found that it can also be moderately effective in reducing the frequency of leg cramps. Thrombocytopenia is a rarer but more serious complication of quinine. It occurs when the number of platelets in your blood falls to a dangerously low level. Platelets help the blood to clot which means people with thrombocytopenia are at increased risk of excessive bleeding such as:.

There have been a number of reported cases of people dying from thrombocytopenia after taking quinine to prevent leg cramps. Never take more than your recommended dose of quinine. An overdose of quinine can result in permanent blindness and death. Due to these small but potential risks, your GP will only prescribe quinine if there is evidence that the potential benefit of treatment outweighs the risks.

In these circumstances, you may be prescribed a four-week course of quinine. After this time, if you have not gained any benefit, the treatment will be withdrawn.

If you experience any of the side effects listed above, stop taking quinine immediately and contact your GP. Home Illnesses and conditions Muscle, bone and joints Conditions Leg cramps. Leg cramps See all parts of this guide Hide guide parts 1. About leg cramps 2.

Symptoms of leg cramps 3. Causes of leg cramps 4. Treating leg cramps. About leg cramps Leg cramps are a common and usually harmless condition where the muscles in your leg suddenly become tight and painful.

After the cramping has passed, you may have pain and tenderness in your leg for several hours. Three out of four cases occur at night during sleep. What causes leg cramps? Causes of secondary leg cramps can include: pregnancy exercise certain types of medication, such as statins medicines that help lower cholesterol levels liver disease During a cramp, your muscles suddenly contract shorten , causing pain in your leg.

When to see your GP Speak to your GP if your leg cramps are affecting your quality of life; for example, if you have frequent leg cramps or they are interfering with your sleep. Treating leg cramps Most cases of leg cramps can be relieved by exercising the affected muscles. Stretches To stretch your calf muscles, stand with the front half of your feet on a step, with your heels hanging off the edge. If you have secondary leg cramps, treating the underlying cause may help relieve your symptoms.

Leg cramps that occur during pregnancy should pass after the baby is born. Read more about treating leg cramps Preventing leg cramps If you often get leg cramps, regularly stretching the muscles in your lower legs may help prevent the cramps or reduce their frequency. A muscle cramp is an uncontrollable and painful spasm of a muscle. Any muscle can be affected, but the muscles of the calf and foot are particularly prone. A cramp can last for varying periods of time and generally resolves by itself.

The exact cause of cramp is unknown but risk factors may include poor physical condition, mineral and electrolyte imbalances and tight, inflexible muscles. Cramps are usually harmless but may sometimes be symptomatic of an underlying medical disorder, such as atherosclerosis narrowing of the arteries. Regular cramping or severe cramping that lasts longer than a few minutes should always be investigated by your doctor. Muscle tissue relies, in part, on a range of minerals, electrolytes and other chemicals in order to contract and relax.

Some of these important substances include calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium. Tetany is a special form of cramping — it can be brought on by overbreathing, which results in a low level of carbon dioxide in the blood.

It is usually caused by anxiety. Most muscle cramps resolve after a few seconds or minutes. There has been very little research done to work out which treatment works best but treatment options include:. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. The abdominal muscles support the trunk, allow movement and hold organs in place by regulating internal abdominal pressure. The type of pain felt in the abdomen can vary greatly.

Children may feel stomach pain for a range of reasons and may need treatment. Acromegaly is caused by an excess of growth hormone in adults, which causes the overgrowth of bones in the face, hands, feet and internal organs. Exercise can prevent age-related changes to muscles, bones and joints and can reverse these changes too. Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional.

The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website.

All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions and to ascertain whether the particular therapy, service, product or treatment described on the website is suitable in their circumstances. The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website. This content does not have an English version.

This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview A muscle cramp is a sudden and involuntary contraction of one or more of your muscles. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Muscle cramp. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Accessed Nov. Winkelman JW.