Night Leg Cramps

If you have ever taken up some exercise all of a sudden without doing any warm up exercises first you will know that it often leads to some kind of pain.

Calf Muscle Pain -  is generally self induced and is caused mainly by too much exercise especially related to stretching.

Calf pain varies from micro tearing of muscle fiber to complete tearing of muscle fiber. Although it is generally around only for a short time it can also lead to cramps which can be especially uncomfortable if they happen during the night

Calf muscles are located at the back of lower leg. Calf muscle pain is generally associated with a short time recovery and is curable. It is generally self induced and is caused by too much exercise or lack of following the proper methodology in exercise especially related to stretching.

It can also be related to a sudden loss of essential fluids and salts due to excessive sweating.

And this can lead to the causing of cramps which is again primarily related in the first instance  to an improper way of stretching related to exercise. But leg cramps can also arise over the longer term too and this is often related to diet or as the side effect of taking certain medications.

There are various  treatments available to remedy calf muscle problems

And there are various options for treatment to help relieve the pain

The calf muscle is made up of three types of different muscles, two of gastrocnemeius and one of the soleus. These muscles should be stretched tolerably while doing exercise and after exercise too.

Causes of Calf Pain
Generally sports persons have more chances of getting calf pain.

The games like basket ball, running, hurdles, long jump, rugby, football soccer etc, where stretching is necessary, may increases the chances of calf muscle pain. We may also come across cases of calf pain due to fatigue, overexertion and cold weather.

an improper way of exercise and stretching of muscles are the main cause of calf pain. Sometimes putting sudden stress on calf muscle when they are not ready for stress and a direct blow on the calf muscle can also lead for calf pain.

In spite of these, excessive running on steep hills, deficiencies in calcium, minerals, magnesium and dehydration are the other reasons of getting the calf pain. Also pain in the calf may arise as the result of a herniated disc or varicose veins and other medical conditions.

Symptoms of Calf Muscle Pain

1.Stiffness through exercise – Sometimes there is stretching with some micro tearing of muscle fibers which are known as Grade 1 muscle strains. These are easily curable after treatment of at least 3 weeks of duration. Sometimes stretching may lead to Grade 2 Muscle strain where you may find partial tearing of muscle fibers. They can recover within 2 months of duration.

2.A torn muscle – This is graded as Grade 3 Muscle strain in which there is complete tearing of muscle fibers. This recovery may take more than 3 months of duration.

3.Aching calves – This can be caused by varicose veins and are graded as Grade 2 Muscle strain.

4.Cellulites – This is also known as inflammation of subcutaneous tissues or of the skin and one of cause of calf pain.

Treatment for calf pain

When a calf pain is diagnosed, its treatment depends upon the severity of the calf muscle pain. The treatment may include the following steps in orderly manner depending on the strain:-

1.To give a complete rest to your lower legs without following the activities of strain on it. This can be continued until the pain and local tenderness of the muscle are gone. It may hardly continue for 1 to 2 weeks.

2.You can always apply some cold pack or ice to the calf area 3 to 4 times a day. Keep the ice or cold pack in a cloth or towel and apply it on your skin for at least 20 minutes each time.

3.If you see some kind of additional swelling around your lower leg you can wear an elastic compression bandage to reduce the swelling of the part.

4.You can try keeping your leg at little height than your heart as possible to reduce the swelling. You can find the difference in 24 hours.

5.If your swelling still remains and you still have the tenderness in the calf with a pain then you can better go for pain relief medications such as aspirin or acetaminophen.

6.If you are a sports person and wants to return back to your physical activity then it is always suggested to use heat. For rest of then do not try to use heat at least for 4 to 5 days.

7.When you feel like most of the pain and swelling is reduced you can start with slight stretching exercise for at least 5 to 6 times a day. Remember the thing that your stretching activities should not be beyond your limitations.

It is always true that you can only help yourself from getting calf muscle pain and the best way is to keep yourself fit and your calf muscle strong and ready for sudden physical stress!  For calf pain or leg cramps at night find a remedy here.

By Jayashree Pakhare

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