Cramps in the thighs
The cramp in the thigh muscles usually occurs suddenly and can be divided into two types according to the symptoms. Long-lasting cramps, which usually last several minutes and are very painful, are called tonic cramps. The clonic spasms, on the other hand, are usually short-lived and can occur without pain.
The most common cause of this type of cramp is also a lack of nutrients, which can be caused by malnutrition, increased sweating or even severe diarrhea. Especially a lack of magnesium can very quickly lead to muscle cramps. A rapid change in temperature or from a resting state to high activity can overstrain the muscle and cause a cramp.
In addition to massages and nutritional supplements in the form of magnesium supplements, targeted stretching exercises can provide acute relief, especially for the thigh cramp. For this purpose, in the case of a thigh cramp at the front, which affects the quadriceps muscle, the lower leg should be angled and the foot should be guided towards the buttocks. This stretch must be held for a few minutes if possible.
To stretch the back of the thigh and thus the ischiocrural muscles, the leg should be stretched out. Bending the upper body towards the toes supports the stretching of the thigh. This position should also be held for a few minutes for acute relief.
This will at least shorten the duration of the cramp. However, if the cramps occur very frequently and cannot be controlled, a doctor should be consulted here as well to rule out muscle disease. In general, it is important to find a middle ground between overloading the muscles and understraining them in order to prevent muscle cramps.
For this purpose, daily exercise as well as sports with warm-up training are recommended. After sport, the muscles should be stretched sufficiently and the body should be given a rest period to regenerate and restore a balance in the electrolyte balance. l
