![]() ![]() Some experts believe low levels of substances called electrolytes – such as magnesium, calcium sodium and potassium – or dehydration may trigger cramps too. Paraphysiological cramps, meanwhile, affect healthy people but are caused by a physiological stimulus, the best example of which is exercise (leg cramps are common while playing sports). Muscle cramps can also be a symptom of opiate drug withdrawal. Several types of medicines also cause leg cramps, including diuretics (often used to treat high blood pressure), statins (cholesterol-lowering drugs), raloxifene (a treatment for osteoporosis), nifedipine (used to treat angina and Raynaud’s phenomenon), nicotinic acid (a drug used to treat high cholesterol), and the asthma drugs salbutamol and terbutaline. If you have acute or chronic diarrhoea or you’re a heavy drinker of alcohol, these things can also cause leg cramps. Symptomatic cramps are a symptom or complication of a health condition, including liver disease, a neurological condition such as motor neurone disease or peripheral neuropathy, lead or mercury poisoning or an untreated underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism). Idiopathic cramps are the most common type – these happen for no apparent reason. There are different types of cramps, depending on what’s causing them: You can also get cramp in your feet, hands, arms, abdomen and the muscles along the ribcage – though the leg muscles are the most affected. The muscle most commonly affected is the calf muscle (gastrocnemius), but the muscle at the front of your thigh (quadriceps) and back of your thigh (hamstrings) are also prone to spasms. The cramp is caused by a muscle spasm, which happens when a muscle contracts (shortens) suddenly. But if you’re getting older, you’re more likely to have them more often – according to the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) a third of the over-60s experience cramps when they’re at rest, with 40 per cent saying they have three or more attacks per week (ii). Many people have a cramp in their leg occasionally, with up to 60 per cent of adults thought to have had leg cramps at night at some point or other (i). ![]() In some cases, the affected muscle can also feel sore and tender for up to 24 hours following a cramp. And while for some people they only last a few seconds, others may be in pain for up to 10 minutes. Thankfully, leg cramps are usually harmless, but if you’ve ever had one, you’ll be all too aware of how painful they can be. If you’ve ever woken up in the middle of the night with an excruciating pain in your leg or foot, there’s a good chance you know what leg cramps feel like. ![]()
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