If you have ever woken up in the middle of the night from a cramp or spasm in your calf muscle, you know how painful that can be. According ot the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, athletes, older adults and pregnant women suffer the most from these muscle cramps, but almost everyone will experience one at least once in their life. Sometimes referred to as "charley horses," these intense pains can last from just a few seconds to 15 minutes or longer.
Causes
The exact cause of muscle cramps remains a mystery, but for some people, a deficiency in potassium may trigger them. Muscle cramps can also stem from muscle overuse, standing on hard surfaces for long periods of time, calcium or sodium imbalances, dehydration, medications, flat-footedness and thyroid disorders.
Prevention
There are several things you can try to prevent these painful spasms from happening. Drink plenty of hydrating fluids daily and avoid caffeine and alcohol. Stretching the leg muscles after a work-out and prior to bedtime may also help reduce the occurrence. Because many leg cramps can be attributed to mineral or electrolyte imbalances, make sure you are eating a healthy, balanced diet.
Potassium
You may have heard that your potassium levels are too low if you are suffering from leg cramps.
Your muscles rely on calcium, potassium and magnesium for contractions. When there is an imbalance, you may experience these intense cramps or contractions of the muscles. More often than not, it is because of low calcium and magnesium levels that cause you to suffer muscle cramps, not necessarily a lack of potassium. Usually if your potassium level is too low, you will suffer from muscle weakness more so than cramps. It is possible, however, that potassium could be the culprit.
Food Fixes
Greens, grains, meats, fish, bananas, apricots and nuts all have magnesium, which may reduce the recurrence of the cramps. Milk, yogurt, cheese, chick peas, beans and kale are all excellent sources of calcium that you can incorporate into your diet to fight spasms. If potassium deficiency, or hypokalemia, is the cause of your leg cramps, you can up your intake of potassium. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has compiled a list of foods that contain potassium. Some of the foods listed are orange juice, lima beans, avocado, tomato sauce, raisins, apricots, tomato, prune and carrot juices, all of which have significant amounts of potassium. If you increase the amount of potassium in your diet, do not exceed 2,000 mg per day. Too much potassium in your diet can lead to hyperkalemia, an elevated level of potassium in the blood. If potassium becomes too high or too low, it can lead to heart rhythm problems or even cardiac arrest.
The Mayo Clinic suggests that you talk to your doctor before adding supplements or making major changes to your diet. Your physician knows what foods and substances interact with the medications that you are currently taking. They can also give you some direction as to how much of a dose or increase in a vitamin or mineral you should start with.
Recurrence
The Mayo Clinic suggests you talk to your physician if your leg cramps continue despite efforts to ease them. You should also seek out medical attention if in addition to the cramping you are experiencing muscle weakness and atrophy, or the cramps are interrupting your sleep so much that it's affecting you during your daily life. These could be signs of underlying health conditions like peripheral artery disease, diabetes, Parkinson's or an underactive thyroid.
