Causes of Nocturnal Leg Cramps

10 de marzo de 2021

3 min de lectura

Nocturnal leg cramps, also called nighttime leg cramps or nicknamed Charley horses, are a common lower-extremity issue that causes pain and can interrupt your sleep. They're involuntary, painful spasms or contractions of your leg muscles, typically occurring when you're laying in bed. Up to 60% of adults claim they've experienced nocturnal leg cramps. The painful, recurrent tightening typically occurs in the calf muscles and can lead to serious insomnia.

Causes of Nocturnal Leg Cramps

Usually, there isn't any apparent cause for leg cramps at night. Generally, nocturnal leg cramps are likely to be related to nerve issues and muscle fatigue. The risk of experiencing Charley horses increases with age. Women who are pregnant also have a higher risk of experiencing night leg cramps.

Conditions That Can Cause Nocturnal Leg Cramps

A few conditions like diabetic nerve damage, as well as kidney failure, are known culprits for nocturnal leg cramps. But, if you are dealing with one of these conditions, you're likely aware of it and are experiencing symptoms other than cramps at night.

Other conditions that could be linked with nighttime leg cramps are:

Dehydration
Structural disorders
Metabolic issues
Anemia
Spinal stenosis
Acute kidney failure
Muscle fatigue
Diarrhea
Addison's disease (adrenal insufficiency)
Nerve damage (like from treatments for cancer)
Pregnancy
Parkinson's disease
Osteoarthritis

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is often confused with nighttime leg cramps, but it is a different condition and isn't painful, typically (some do say they experience pain).

Procedures and Medications That Can Cause Cramps at Night

Individuals taking specific medicine, like certain diuretics, may have a higher chance of experiencing nighttime leg cramps, although it's not totally known if there's a direct link.

These may include:

Diuretics (water retention relievers)
Blood pressure drugs
Oral contraceptives
Dialysis
Cholesterol-lowering drugs (statins)

Preventing Nocturnal Leg Cramps

Nocturnal leg cramps can cause sleep issues and be extremely uncomfortable. To help prevent night leg cramps, you can try:

Stretching before bed and during the day
Getting enough fluids
Wearing comfortable footwear
Doing gentle exercises before bedtime

Using heat or ice on the impacted muscle could relieve the cramp after it starts. You could take a daily B-complex vitamin that contains 30 mg of vitamin B6 if the other measures aren't helping. People used to use quinine pills to help treat leg cramps, but quinine could have severe side effects so many doctors no longer recommend this treatment.

If you experience nighttime leg cramps often, home methods don't seem to help, and they seem to get in the way of your day-to-day life, you should speak with your doctor about potential causes and treatments. Also, if the cramps are becoming severe or spreading to other muscles, you can see your doctor for a complete diagnosis. They'll first want to rule other disorders out that have similar symptoms and then test for other potential causes.

Studies on Nocturnal Leg Cramps

Case-control studies are needed for identifying therapeutic targets so clinical trials can assess safe interventions for preventing recurrent cramps.
One randomized trial evaluated the effectiveness of non-drug treatments for lower limb muscle cramps

Are Nocturnal Leg Cramps Affecting Your Sleep?

Subscribe to Healthread if you're experiencing nocturnal leg cramps that affect your sleep. Here you can connect with others like yourself who are looking for ways to ease leg cramp pain, improve sleep and live a more quality life. Share insights, tips, stories, and experiences and learn from others as well.

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En esta página

Causes of Nocturnal Leg Cramps

Conditions That Can Cause Nocturnal Leg Cramps

Procedures and Medications That Can Cause Cramps at Night

Preventing Nocturnal Leg Cramps

Studies on Nocturnal Leg Cramps

Are Nocturnal Leg Cramps Affecting Your Sleep?

Sources

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