A cramp, or cramp, is a rapid, involuntary, painful contraction of a muscle that can appear anywhere in the body, but usually appears on the feet, hands, or legs, especially in the calf and back of the thigh.
Usually, cramps are not severe and last less than 10 minutes, appearing especially after intense physical exercise, due to lack of water in the muscle. However, they can also occur during pregnancy or due to health problems such as lack of minerals, diabetes, liver disease or myopathy, for example.
- For example.
- When the cramp appears more than once a day or takes more than 10 minutes to pass.
- It is recommended to consult your family doctor to identify the cause of the cramp and initiate the most appropriate treatment.
The most common causes are usually
When you exercise too much or for a long time, cramps are common. This is due to muscle fatigue and lack of minerals in the muscle, which were consumed during exercise.
In this situation, cramps may continue to appear during exercise or even a few hours later. Like exercise, standing still for a long time, especially in the same position, can also cause muscle cramps due to lack of movement.
Cramps can often also be a sign of mild or moderate dehydration, meaning when there is less water than normal in the body. This type of cause is most common when you’re in a very hot environment, when you sweat for a long time, or when you’re taking diuretic medications, due to the great loss of water.
Other symptoms of dehydration, such as dry mouth, frequent thirst, decreased urine, and fatigue, usually occur. See a more complete list of signs of dehydration.
Alguns minerais, como o cálcio e o potássio, são muito importantes para a contração e o relaxamento dos músculos. Assim, quando o nível desses minerais está muito baixo podem surgir cãibras frequentes, que podem acontecer durante o dia, sem uma causa aparente.
Decreased calcium and potassium is more common in pregnant women, people who use diuretics or have vomiting, for example. However, this can also occur due to reduced consumption of foods that contain potassium or calcium.
Although more rare, tetanus is another possible cause of frequent cramps, as the infection causes a constant activation of nerve endings throughout the body, causing muscle cramps and contractions throughout the body.
Tetanus infection occurs mainly after a cut into a rusty object and causes other symptoms such as stiffness in the neck muscles and low fever. Take our online test to find out the risk of getting tetanus.
People with poor circulation may also experience cramps more often. This is because less blood reaches the muscles and there is also less oxygen available. This type of cramp is most common in the legs, especially in the calf area.
Learn more about poor circulation and how to combat it
In addition to diuretics, such as furosemide, which can cause dehydration and cramps, other medications can also have the side effect of involuntary muscle contractions.
Some of the remedies that most often cause cramps are: dopezil, neostigmine, raloxifene, nifedipine, terbutaline, salbutamol or lovastatin, for example.
Treatment of cramps is usually done by stretching the affected muscle and massaging the area, as there is no specific treatment.
Also, to prevent the cramp from reappearing, it’s important to
See these and other tips in the video below:
In cases where muscle cramps are caused by health problems, such as diabetes, liver disease or lack of minerals, your doctor may also recommend treatment with nutritional supplements, especially sodium and potassium, or problem-specific remedies.
In most cases, cramps are not a serious problem, however, there are cases where this may indicate a lack of minerals in the body or other problems. Signs that may indicate that you should see a doctor include:
In addition, if the cramp is not related to any cause such as dehydration or intensive physical exercise, it is also advisable to consult a gpation to assess whether there is a significant lack of minerals, such as magnesium or potassium, in the body. .