Cramps, or cramps, can be caused by poor physical conditioning, excessive physical exertion, dehydration, pregnancy, poor circulation or even the use of diuretic medications, for example.
A cramp is a rapid, involuntary and painful contraction of a muscle that can appear anywhere on the body, but usually appears in the feet, hands or legs, especially the calf and the back of the thigh.
Generally, cramps are not serious and last less than 10 minutes, however, when they appear more than once a day or take more than 10 minutes to go away, it is recommended to consult your general practitioner to identify their cause and start the most appropriate treatment. .
8 causes of cramps
The most frequent causes are usually:
1. Poor physical conditioning
Poor physical fitness when starting physical exercise can place great demands on the muscles and result in muscle fatigue, increasing the risk of cramps.
What to do: start physical activities with guidance from a physical education professional and after doing a check-up doctor to assess your general health status. Furthermore, it is important to warm up before training and stretch afterward to promote muscle recovery and avoid cramps.
2. Excessive physical exercise
When you exercise very intensely or for a long time, cramps are common. This happens due to excess lactic acid, muscle fatigue, and a lack of minerals and oxygen in the muscle, which were consumed during exercise.
In this situation, cramps may appear during exercise or even a few hours later. Similar to exercise, standing still for a long time, especially in the same position, can also cause your muscles to cramp from lack of movement.
What to do: It is recommended to drink plenty of fluids during physical activities, in addition to stretching after training and warming up beforehand, to prepare and recover the muscle, avoiding fatigue and the appearance of cramps. See the main benefits of stretching.
3. Dehydration
Cramps can often also be a sign of mild or moderate dehydration, which is when there is less water than normal in the body.
This type of cause is more common when you are in a very hot environment, when you sweat for a long time or when you are taking diuretic medications, due to the large loss of water.
Normally, along with the cramp, other symptoms of dehydration may appear, such as dry mouth, frequent feeling of thirst, decreased amount of urine and tiredness. Check out a more complete list of signs of dehydration.
What to do: You should keep your body hydrated by drinking at least 2 liters of water per day, especially during physical activities and hot days.
4. Lack of calcium or potassium
Some minerals, such as calcium and potassium, are very important for muscle contraction and relaxation. Therefore, when the level of these minerals is very low, frequent cramps can occur, which can occur during the day, without an apparent cause.
The decrease in calcium and potassium is more common in pregnant women, in people who use diuretics or who are having a vomiting attack, for example. However, it can also happen due to reduced intake of foods with potassium or calcium.
What to do: a nutritionist or nutritionist should be consulted to assess the lack of calcium or potassium in the blood, and if necessary, a diet rich in calcium and potassium, or dietary supplements, may be recommended to avoid the frequent occurrence of cramps. See the main foods rich in calcium and potassium.
5. Pregnancy
Cramps can also appear due to pregnancy, especially at the end of pregnancy, being more frequent in the legs, ankles and feet, especially in the morning. See other symptoms of late pregnancy.
This occurs due to the normal hormonal changes during pregnancy and the decrease in blood circulation in the legs due to the compression of the vessels and arteries of the pelvis by the weight of the uterus.
What to do: massage or gently stretch the calf, making movements with the feet, pulling the heel down and the toes up, or applying hot compresses to the cramping area, such as the feet, ankles or legs.
Furthermore, it is important to keep the body hydrated, drinking around 2 liters of water per day, and increase the consumption of foods rich in magnesium and take supplements with calcium, magnesium or vitamin B, as long as they are recommended by your doctor.
6. Poor circulation
Poor circulation can also lead to cramps occurring more frequently.
This happens because as there is less blood reaching the muscles, there is also less oxygen available.
This type of cramp is most common in the legs, especially in the calf region.
What to do: a general practitioner, cardiologist or angiologist should be consulted to assess the cause of poor circulation, and the use of compression stockings, practicing physical activities regularly, reducing salt intake and in some cases, medicines such as horse chestnut or diosmin-hesperidin. See more about poor circulation and how to combat it.
7. Use of medications
In addition to diuretics, such as furosemide, which can cause dehydration and lead to cramps, other medications can also have the secondary effect of involuntary muscle contractions.
Some of the medications that most frequently cause cramps are donepezil, neostigmine, raloxifene, nifedipine, terbutaline, salbutamol or lovastatin, for example.
What to do: the doctor responsible for the treatment should be consulted to reevaluate the medication, and the dose or medicine may be changed. Under no circumstances should treatment be interrupted without medical advice.
8. Tetanus
Although it is rarer, tetanus is another possible cause for frequent cramps, as the infection causes constant activation of nerve endings throughout the body, causing cramps and muscle contractions anywhere in the body.
Tetanus infection occurs mainly after a cut on a rusty object and generates other symptoms such as stiff neck muscles and low-grade fever. Take our online test to find out your risk of having tetanus.
What to do: Tetanus treatment should be started as soon as possible as soon as the first symptoms appear, so you should go to the nearest hospital. In this way, treatment can be carried out with the use of medications that help block the activity of toxins, eliminate bacteria and alleviate symptoms, in addition to preventing complications.
How to relieve cramp
During a cramp attack, some ways to alleviate symptoms are:
- Massage the affected muscle;
- Stretching;
- Apply a warm compress to the muscle as soon as the cramp starts;
- Elevate the affected limb, such as legs, arms or hands, until the cramp improves;
- Apply ice packs to the muscle as soon as the cramp improves.
Typically, these measures help to alleviate the cramp crisis, as there is no specific treatment.
When it can be serious
In most cases, cramps are not a serious problem, however, there are cases in which they may indicate a lack of minerals in the body or other problems.
Some signs that may indicate that you need to see a doctor include:
- Very intense pain that does not improve after 10 minutes;
- Appearance of swelling and redness at the site of the cramp;
- Development of weakness in the muscle after the cramp;
- Cramps that often appear within a few days.
Furthermore, if the cramp is not related to any cause such as dehydration or intense physical exercise, it is also advisable to consult a general practitioner to assess whether there is a lack of any important mineral, such as magnesium or potassium, in the body.
Make an appointment with a general practitioner in the nearest region:
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