Introduction – Cramps despite magnesium
Fighting is generally understood to be the temporary, usually painful, contraction of muscles. One of the most common reasons for cramps is a lack of magnesium. If the cramps occur despite magnesium intake, this can have many different causes: Firstly, paraphysiological cramps after overexertion and are usually the result of a derailment of the electrolyte balance. Electrolytes are ions and cations, such as chlorine, calcium and magnesium, which the body needs to control its nerve tracts and muscle activity. Secondly, a distinction is made between symptomatic cramps as a result of an underlying internal or neurological disease and the so-called idiopathic cramps, for which there is no identifiable cause.
Cause
If the cause is not a derailment of the electrolyte balance, or if the cramps occur even without pregnancy or previous physical stress, a neurological or internal medicine problem must always be considered. In this case, one speaks of symptomatic cramps, i.e. cramps that manifest themselves as a symptom of a neurological or internal medicine underlying disease. Besides muscular problems, cramps can also have intrinsic (internal) causes.
These can be arterial or venous circulatory disorders, for example, but also polyneuropathy or so-called hyperparathyroidism. In the latter case, the parathyroid tissue is overactive. This tissue then produces a certain hormone, the “parathyroid hormone”, in excessive quantities.
As a result, more calcium is broken down from the bone tissue, which on the one hand causes the calcium level in the blood to shoot up and on the other hand makes the bone porous. The calcium also damages the kidney, which cannot cope with the sudden oversupply. As side effect it comes also to muscle cramps, since the calcium mirror plays a role with the excitability of the musculature.
An oversupply of calcium always leads to a malfunction of the musculature. This is a not at all insignificant problem, considering that the heart is also a muscle. In everyday life, however, cramps of the calf, the feet and the fingers occur for the time being.
Polyneuropathies can also be a neurological cause. These are diseases of the nervous system in which nerves are destroyed. There are a variety of polyneuropathies, the most well-known is probably diabetes, but alcoholism is also considered to be a cause.
Especially alcoholism causes calf cramps, loss of sensitivity and uncontrolled cramps of the feet. As a matter of principle, you should always be alert if the cramps are accompanied by a loss of sensitivity in the affected area. Typical for polyneuropathy is the loss of both motor and sensitive nerves.
Anyone who is a diabetic or knows a diabetic in an advanced stage knows that the disease is relatively painless, although the legs often look very sore. The cause is the loss of sensitivity described above, which means that the pain from the calf and feet is no longer transmitted to the brain. However, women also frequently complain of cramps during pregnancy.
During pregnancy the body is in many ways in a kind of state of emergency. Not only does a second organism have to be supplied, which leads to shifts in the electrolyte balance. The body also stores more water and gains weight, which can also lead to cramps.
If the cramps occur despite magnesium and calcium intake, the cause can also be a pressure lesion of the nerve tracts. It is not uncommon for the uterus to press on the strong nerve tracts that lead to the legs. The sciatic nerve originates at the level of the coccyx and passes through the pelvis into the legs, which it then supplies with motor energy.
If the uterus (the uterus) now comes to rest on the sciatic nerve, a permanent excitation of the nerve conduction path can occur, resulting in muscle cramps. But the increased weight of the legs also causes the body problems: The mechanism is the same as for the irritation of the sciatic nerve described above. Another factor that can lead to muscle cramps during pregnancy is a high phosphorus content in the blood, caused by drinks containing phosphoric acid, such as cola or fanta.
But what can be done against calf cramps?If there is a suspicion that the cause could be of neurological or internal medicine nature, a visit to the family doctor is urgently recommended. Indications for this are cramps with no apparent cause, over a longer period of time and with loss of sensitivity. In all other cases, a change in diet and the avoidance of finished products can also help.
In acute cases, the legs should be stored high and loose. Independent massaging also helps against cramps. There are also ready-mixed electrolyte solutions that contain not only magnesium but also all other important elements, the deficiency of which can cause muscle cramps (for example calcium).
These are available over the counter from pharmacies. Independent stretching and loosening of the muscles prevents further cramps. This is especially recommended before going to bed to avoid being woken up by cramps at night.
To do this, one circles a little with the feet and shakes the legs while sitting or standing on one leg. However, if the pain is no longer cramping but constant, there is always the suspicion of a leg vein thrombosis. This represents an emergency and should be urgently clarified medically.
A magnesium deficiency is a frequent cause of sudden muscle cramps. For this reason, it is advisable to take magnesium when the cramps first occur. Nevertheless, the cramp can also have other triggers and occur despite a sufficiently high magnesium level.
This can be caused by numerous diseases which, depending on the severity of the muscle cramps, require intensive diagnostics. Numerous other electrolyte changes in the blood can provoke a muscle cramp, for example a lack of calcium. These deficiency symptoms cannot always be attributed to malnutrition.
Various diseases of the intestine or metabolism can cause reduced absorption into the body or increased excretion and consumption of minerals. As a result, deficiency symptoms can still occur despite good nutrition and substitution of electrolytes. If these causes for the cramps are eliminated, the diagnosis can include possible orthopedic or neurological causes. In many cases, the cause of the cramp is not in the muscle, but at the level of the spine or in the brain. For example, nerve irritation of the spinal column can cause muscular complaints such as cramps or muscle weakness.
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