Painful and sudden leg cramps are caused by the involuntary contraction of the calf muscle, sole of the foot, toes, or the hamstring muscle. Nocturnal leg cramps or leg cramps that happen at night seem to just come out of nowhere. It can last between a couple of seconds to up to 15 minutes of excruciating pain, which men can consider as the pain experienced by women during childbirth. Depending on how severe the pain is, the affected muscle can become sore and the affected individual may experience difficulty in walking for up to two days.
A common concept that leg cramps at night only affect seniors does not take under consideration the countless numbers of athletes and pregnant women who suffer from this kind of misery. Diabetics, smokers, as well as those who are on certain drugs are likewise prone to this particular type of nighttime torment.
There are 2 interrelated causes, different from medications or health conditions, are dehydration or/and electrolyte disturbance. The loss of fluids, maybe from exercise, heat, alcohol or perhaps lackadaisical liquid intake can lead to an imbalance of calcium, sodium, magnesium, potassium, and other mineral salts. These minerals are required for correct muscle function. Simply put, magnesium relaxes the muscles, calcium helps it contract, while potassium and sodium set the trigger.


