Definition of a calf cramp
Such a spasm is due to a defective function of the muscle. Very often the calf muscles are affected. During a calf cramp, the muscle quickly contracts and remains in a rigid position, which is usually perceived as very painful.
The whole thing happens involuntarily and unconsciously. From the moment you feel the cramp develop, it only takes a few seconds until the cramp becomes fully developed and painful. About 40% of the people in Germany suffer from such recurrent calf cramps.
If the muscle is actively used and stretched, the cramps occur rather rarely, which is why they are mainly felt when lying still at night. People who put more strain on their leg muscles during the day also have a higher risk of getting cramps. These include above all athletes and pregnant women.
The development of a calf cramp is caused by the nerves. A nerve usually carries the conscious signals from the brain to the muscles that are supposed to perform a movement. If the person decides to stop the movement, the nerve no longer transmits any stimulus and the muscle slackens.
If, however, the nerve is unconsciously permanently stimulated at any point along its course, the corresponding muscle becomes tense. If this happens unconsciously, one speaks of a cramp or “spasm”. The actual causes of calf cramps can be quite different, however. They are often easily treatable problems. In particularly rare cases, serious illnesses can also be behind them.
Calf cramps at night during pregnancy
Pregnant women are a large risk group with regard to calf pain.Also with them they appear frequently at night to the suffering of the involved ones and rob the becoming mothers beside all other adversities in the pregnancy additionally the sleep. The causes of calf cramps in pregnant women do not lie in behavior that can be influenced. Pregnant women change their metabolism in the course of the nine months.
This also affects the salt and mineral balance. If this is changed, muscle cramps are also promoted. Another risk factor for calf cramps is the additional strain on the muscle due to the additional weight of the child.
Everyday tasks are carried out with a slightly increased weight. Initially, the muscle can react to this with exhaustion and night-time calf cramps. In rare cases, a large nerve responsible for the entire leg musculature, the so-called “sciatic nerve“, is affected.
During pregnancy, the maternal uterus grows in the abdomen and displaces other organs. In unfavorable situations, the sciatic nerve can become temporarily trapped and the reactions in the associated muscles can vary. For the safety of the woman and the child, a general practitioner or gynecologist should be consulted in all cases to rule out more dangerous causes.
