Cramps in the legs
Muscle contractions in the legs under stress or at rest, for example during the night, which last for a few minutes, are often painful and can be relieved in many people by stretching them slightly, massaging them or taking high-dose magnesium supplements. The cause of these special cramps can be either physical activity, a chronic underlying disease with neurological consequences, such as diabetes mellitus, or a physiological cause such as the reduction of muscle mass in old age. When cramps occur in the legs, the calf muscles are often affected.
If the cramps in the legs occur several times a day, are very painful and cannot be treated, a doctor should be consulted to rule out an underlying disease. The doctor now has the possibility to check the nervous system and muscle function by means of electromyography and electroneurography and additionally to check the function of some enzymes and hormones by means of a blood count. In addition, imaging procedures such as ultrasound and CT and MRI examinations can clarify the mechanical causes of the cramps.
Cramps in the hands and toes
It is not uncommon for the muscles of the arch of the foot or the muscles of the toes to tense up. This particularly affects people with a foot malposition. Here too, magnesium deficiency is a common cause, but too tight stockings, tight shoes or an unnatural posture due to strong buckling can also lead to a reduced blood supply.
This results in a numbness or tingling sensation, which can also develop into a cramp. Cramps in the hands can be triggered by activities that are very strenuous for the hands. These include, for example, work that involves a lot of writing or craftsmanship.
If you carry out an unfamiliar job, muscles that are normally seldom used are strained. Simple relaxation exercises and a few days’ break from a strenuous activity often help here, so that the affected muscles can recover. and cramps in the toes If the cramps occur more frequently during stress and cold weather and are accompanied by other symptoms such as paleness, cyanotic blue discoloration or redness and pain, Raynaud’s syndrome must also be considered.This disease belongs to the autoimmune diseases and triggers severe vasoconstriction or vasospasms in cold, stress or due to hormone action, which leads to reduced supply of the fingers and toes.
Raynaud’s syndrome can also be triggered secondarily by vascular diseases such as ateriosclerosis, by trauma or by drugs such as cytostatics and toxins. Depending on the cause, a different therapy is applied. If the severity is low, preventive measures such as wearing gloves and socks are sufficient to prevent the fingers and toes, also called acres, from cooling down.
In severe forms of Raynaud’s syndrome, the symptoms and the occurrence of cramps can be alleviated with medication such as alpha-receptor bolus, calcium antagonists or prostacyclin. If this measure is not sufficient, the sympathetic ganglia responsible for the innervation of this area can be surgically eliminated. However, this is the last therapeutic option, as it has numerous side effects, such as excessive blood flow and disturbance of sweat secretion.
