Firstly, don’t give in to panic, and secondly, let’s easily and naturally understand the causes of this trouble - and the symptom, we sincerely hope, will leave you once and for all.
There are several theories to explain sudden cramps in the calf or thigh. Neurologists who studied the calf muscles of athletes came up with a new, but quite reasonable explanation: cramped legs are a protective mechanism. What does it mean?
Let's give an example. You are going for a run for the first time in your life. And, being an optimistic lady, we decided to run at least 5 km at a time. The fragment of the cerebral cortex responsible for motor activity doubts that the load will be unnecessary. But you still run.
The cerebral cortex is patient with the experiment for some time. But at the next moment the body comes to the conclusion: that’s it, screw it. The load is too much. Do you want to continue to strain your exhausted muscles? Okay, let's push ourselves as hard as we can! The calf or thigh muscle contracts to the maximum. And he refuses to relax. And this is a cramp.
Clinical picture
Some patients mistakenly attribute hip cramps to a separate disease, but this judgment is incorrect. This condition is an independent symptom indicating the presence of abnormalities or chronic diseases of the legs. Therefore, the description of the clinical picture of seizures is a very conditional concept - only those signs that are observed in most pathologies should be noted.
Expert opinion!
Knowledge of the anatomy of the leg will help you understand the symptoms of cramps. There are three groups of muscles in the thigh - anterior, posterior and internal. Typically, spasms are recorded on the back of the thigh - this is the biceps muscle, which is subject to maximum stress and is in a state of contraction more often than others. With serious deviations, other muscles can also contract; spasms can descend lower and provoke cramps in the leg below the knee.
Tightens the muscles in the thigh
The clinical picture of seizures is characterized by the following symptoms:
- Severe pain - noted at the peak of muscle spasm as a burning and bursting sensation in the muscles. Pain appears at the beginning of a cramp, gradually increases, reaching a maximum after a few seconds. The contraction gradually weakens, and aching pain is noted in the leg, which can re-provoke an attack;
- Numbness – noted in the area of the thigh where discomfort is registered. It can occur before and after a spasm; the appearance of this symptom indicates a disturbance in nerve conduction;
- A feeling of heaviness in the legs is a harbinger of an attack in some patients. Before the cramp, there is aching discomfort in the thigh area;
- Weakening of the pulse - measured on the large popliteal artery, indicates its compression by spasmodic muscles. This symptom is observed if the inner thigh cramps or with a cramp of the biceps muscle;
- Changes in skin color have their own characteristics depending on the stage of the disease. At the beginning of the attack, the leg is pale, with a bluish tint, after which the skin turns pink;
- Impaired coordination of movements is recorded after a spasm, when the muscles of the legs have not had time to recover. The patient may limp, his legs become entangled, and he has an unsteady gait.
These are the most common symptoms of hip cramps. The clinical picture may be complicated by the presence of chronic pathology that aggravates the manifestations of spasms in the legs - this may be swelling, general weakness, interruptions in the functioning of the heart and lungs.
Associated symptoms of leg cramps
Etiology
For cramps to appear, pathological disorders must form, as a result of which the muscles of the leg begin to contract independently without control of the nervous system. All causes of thigh muscle spasm are divided into two large subgroups - physiological and pathological.
On a note!
The main cause of most seizures is a lack of potassium, calcium and magnesium. A deficiency of these microelements leads to impaired excitability and contractility of the most stressed muscles.
Physiological reasons
Under these conditions, there are no chronic pathologies in the body, and deficiency states are temporary. Their development is caused by minor disturbances that do not go beyond critical values. The main physiological reasons are as follows:
- Lack of vitamins;
- Pregnancy and lactation;
- Period of active growth;
- Elderly age;
- Poor nutrition;
- Sedentary lifestyle;
- Bad habits;
- Psycho-emotional stress;
- Physical overload, jogging.
In the latter case, cramps occur after training, which often bothers professional athletes. A deficiency of important minerals develops due to increased consumption due to prolonged exhausting loads.
Pathological causes
In this case, the cause of cramps in the thigh is the presence of a chronic pathology, due to which blood circulation in the legs or metabolism in the body is disrupted. Muscle cells begin to “starve”, and cramps gradually appear.
Such diseases include:
- Varicose veins;
- Atherosclerosis of leg vessels;
- Thrombosis and thrombophlebitis;
- Venous insufficiency;
- Diabetes;
- Leg injuries;
- Inflammation of the hip joint.
Attention!
Getting rid of seizures for these reasons is more difficult than for those with physiological abnormalities. Consultation with relevant specialists and adjustment of the treatment program is required.
Physiological and pathological causes of cramps in the thigh muscles
At-risk groups
Based on an analysis of the causes of leg cramps, risk groups are identified, being in which increases the likelihood of developing the disease. These include:
- Young mothers;
- Teenagers;
- Athletes;
- Office workers;
- Elderly people;
- Drivers, taxi drivers;
- Sellers.
Particularly dangerous are professions in which there is an alternating load on the legs and long rests, replacing each other.
Diagnostics
Diagnosis boils down to the fact that a neurologist or orthopedist will examine the patient and conduct a thorough interview. Identifying the causes and treating them will help get rid of muscle problems faster, so the doctor must know the following data:
- Past illnesses, chronic pathologies.
- Recent injuries.
- Lifestyle.
- Taking medications.
After the interview, standard tests will be prescribed. You may need to consult doctors of another specialization, for example, a rheumatologist or vertebrologist.
How to relieve a cramp in the thigh
If the patient is bothered by periodic spasms, you can try to eliminate them at home - classic folk methods will help stop attacks and relax the muscles of the legs.
To quickly relieve a cramp in the thigh, you need to:
- Relax your leg;
- Perform a massage;
- Take a warm bath;
- Stretch the muscles - if there is a cramp in the back group of thigh muscles, straighten your shin, pull your toe up, in the front - on the contrary, bend your shin. If there is a spasm on the inner surface or if several muscle groups are affected, relax the leg.
On a note!
If a severe attack occurs, you can resort to first aid for leg cramps, which is indicated to eliminate severe and prolonged spasms.
Methods for relieving hip cramps
Muscle spasms
Cramps are a reflexive, automatic contraction of muscles due to overexertion; popularly this problem is described as “cramping the leg.” In this case, the person experiences sharp and quite severe pain. Experts say that if a large muscle is affected, for example, the thigh group, then the pain will be much stronger than with a spasm of the lower leg muscles.
If a person has not yet encountered such a problem, then he may not know how it manifests itself. In addition to pain, cramps include the following symptoms:
- burning;
- tingling;
- itching
Perhaps the pain will be so strong that other signs will fade into the background and will not be noticeable. Cramps may be accompanied by numbness in the thigh.
For reference! A seizure attack can last from a few seconds to several minutes; in rare cases, a seizure can last up to 15 minutes.
Treatment
Let's consider what to do if your leg muscles cramp in your thighs. To influence the cause of the disease, it is necessary to replenish the level of potassium, calcium and magnesium - for this purpose, the doctor prescribes one of the popular drugs to the patient:
- Asparkam;
- Panangin;
- Magnerot;
- Magnele B 6.
These medications eliminate the manifestation of seizures within 1-2 months, depending on the degree of the deficiency condition. It is not possible to purchase the drugs on your own, since they are available with a doctor’s prescription.
If leg cramps are accompanied by pain, it is recommended to supplement treatment with the following:
- Troxevasin;
- Troxerutin;
- Venuron;
- Viprosal.
Treatment of cramps in the femoral leg can be adjusted by a doctor according to available indications - depending on the type of specific disease.
Strengthening methods
When using medications, the doctor additionally prescribes strengthening methods designed to enhance the effects of the drugs and enhance regeneration processes in the muscles.
Additional treatments for seizures may include:
- Physiotherapy - the most popular are electrophoresis, UVT therapy, laser treatment and warming procedures;
- Exercise therapy - therapeutic exercises will strengthen muscles, restore blood circulation and cellular nutrition;
- Massage - warming up will disperse toxins and waste, improve blood flow to the thigh area;
- Alternative Medicine – Acupuncture and manual therapy can be used to relieve seizures.
Also, during treatment it is necessary to adhere to a diet - foods should be rich in vitamins and microelements, and the diet should be fractional. You should not eat fats - they turn into lactic acid and provoke cramps.
Additional treatments for leg cramps
Prevention
If the patient managed to quickly cure seizures, it is necessary to create conditions to prevent their recurrence. It is advisable to adhere to the rules of prevention that will prevent relapses of the disease:
- Follow the diet - the diet should include vitamins and minerals necessary for muscles;
- Avoid physical overload - this will prevent overstrain of the leg muscles;
- Do therapeutic exercises, get a massage - doing exercises and warm-ups twice a week will improve blood flow in the legs and relieve muscle spasms;
- Wear comfortable clothes and shoes - this will relieve the stress on your hips and prevent sudden cramps.
Compliance with prevention is an important part of the patient’s rehabilitation. To prevent recurrence of muscle spasms and exacerbation of chronic pathologies, it is recommended not only to follow the above rules, but to visit a doctor in a timely manner.
Cramps in the hips appear with a lack of potassium, calcium and magnesium. Deficiency can be caused by nutritional disorders, chronic pathologies, or increased consumption of minerals in the body. To compensate for the lack of microelements, you should take a course of special medications.
Exercises to relax spasm of the hip adductors in infants:
1. “Frog” - the child lies on his stomach, with one hand we fix the pelvis, with the other, we bend the child’s leg at the knee and hip joint, the leg moves along the plane of the table to an angle of 90 degrees between the thigh and torso. This exercise is very famous and the video can be easily found on the Internet. The number of repetitions is 10-15 times, 2-3 sessions per day. You need to make sure that the child’s pelvis does not rise from the table, but if the baby is in pain, you can loosen the fixation a little. 2. Raising the hips with shaking - the child is on his back, we spread the legs, as in the diagnosis (see above), but here you can add more shaking (trembling) at the moment when muscle resistance begins. With each repetition you can increase the dilution slightly. Normally, hip abduction is considered to be at an angle of 75-90 degrees between the vertical axis and the table. You can start abduction one leg at a time, then move on to two. The main thing is that the child is not in pain, otherwise he will be afraid and reflexively tense his muscles. 3. Circular rotation of the hips also gradually releases tone, can also be used. 4. The child is on his stomach, we make a frog on both legs, take the baby by both knees and, lifting him from the table, lightly shake him so that the pelvis moves along the vertical axis. Of course, the movements are minimal and painless. If your child has been diagnosed with adductor spasm of the hips and you have the opportunity to find a professional pediatric massage therapist, then it would be best to use his services. This will have a positive effect on treatment. For questions about selecting a massage therapist for your child, call 84993941711 or 89266057470. Children's massage center “Happy Baby”.
Author: massage therapist Alexey Vladimirovich Matrosov.
