Arm and leg cramps

Such unpleasant sensations as cramps in the arms and legs can appear as a result of prolonged muscle tension, due to vascular problems, or against the background of a lack of certain vitamins and minerals. There are also other pathological causes of this problem. Is it worth trying to get rid of cramps on your own, or should you still visit a doctor? [ 1 ]

Causes arm and leg cramps

There is no single cause that precedes the appearance of cramps in the arms and legs: there can be many factors, and all of them must be taken into account when making a diagnosis. After all, it is not just the cramps that are being treated, but the cause of the pathological condition that is being eliminated.

As experts point out, the most common cause is simple muscle fatigue - such cramps go away on their own in 1-2 days. Other causes are considered pathological, since their appearance is associated with certain pathologies.

• Dehydration.

Lack of moisture in the tissues is a fairly common cause of muscle spasms. The fact is that in a state of dehydration, the muscles lose the ability to contract adequately. At the same time, the terminal sections of the nerve fibers become more sensitive, and the muscles spasm. The condition is aggravated by high ambient temperatures (for example, in the summer heat) or during intense exercise. [ 2 ]

• Deficiency of certain micronutrients.

Insufficient intake of individual microelements causes various problems with tissues and organs. In particular, the body needs calcium, potassium, magnesium and sodium for proper muscle function. Deficiency of these substances can be caused not only by a poor or monotonous diet, but also by a violation of the absorption of microelements.

• Diabetes mellitus.

With diabetes, various disorders of tissue innervation occur, both the vascular and nervous networks are affected. Therefore, muscle spasms, which manifest as cramps in the arms and legs, are often disturbing with this diagnosis. [ 3 ]

• Venous insufficiency, varicose veins.

Cramps against the background of swelling of the lower extremities, pain and fatigue in the legs are sure signs of varicose veins. Such symptoms are caused, first of all, by impaired blood flow in the affected vessels, blood stagnation, and impaired trophism.

• Hormonal imbalance.

Changes and restructuring of the hormonal balance often become the cause of periodic cramps. For example, this can be observed in adolescence, as well as in women during pregnancy or menopause, or before the start of a new monthly cycle. [ 4 ]

• Alcohol abuse, smoking.

Both alcohol and smoking cause irreversible changes in blood vessels over time, and also disrupt the absorption of some important microelements and disrupt the function of the peripheral nervous system. This, in turn, can provoke convulsive syndrome. [ 5 ], [ 6 ]

• Medicines.

Convulsive muscle spasms often occur with improper or prolonged use of diuretics, analgesics, and hormonal agents.

• Elevated body temperature.

So-called febrile seizures are one of the side symptoms of elevated body temperature. This can be observed especially often in small children with an unstable thermoregulation system. As a rule, such muscle twitching passes as the body temperature normalizes. [ 7 ]

Minor muscle twitching of the arms and legs occurs when there is a lack of iron and folic acid in the tissues. As a rule, such symptoms disappear on their own when the diet is normalized. If cramps are found not only in the limbs, but throughout the body, then we may be talking about serious problems with the central nervous system.

Risk factors

There are certain risk groups: people belonging to these groups are more susceptible to developing arm and leg cramps:

• athletes, heavyweights, bodybuilders, etc.;
• children under three years of age, as well as teenagers;
• women during periods of strong hormonal changes (pregnancy, menopause, early menstruation);
• people who, due to their professional activities, are forced to stand for long periods of time or remain in an uncomfortable position;
• people who abuse alcohol and smoking;
• people who often follow strict or monotonous diets, practice long fasts, or those who have serious problems with the absorption of individual food components;
• patients suffering from thyroid diseases, vascular diseases, diabetes, oncology;
• people suffering from chronic intoxication, as well as those who do not drink enough liquid daily.

Pathogenesis

Cramps in the arms and legs can be provoked by various acute and chronic pathologies and disorders in the brain (neuroinfectious diseases, injuries, tumor processes, hemorrhages, dysgenesis), genetic and chromosomal disorders (failure of metabolic processes of amino acids, lipids, carbohydrates), brain intoxications (toxic infections, exogenous intoxications with chemicals and medications).

Convulsions often occur against the background of endocrine and electrolyte disorders - for example, with diabetes mellitus, hypoparathyroidism, spasmophilia, hypomagnesemia, sodium metabolism disorders, etc. In addition, we may be talking about psychogenic factors.

Often, cramps in the arms and legs begin to bother with elevated temperatures (so-called febrile seizures).

This pathological condition is polyetiological, but most often it is connected by one common moment. This refers to the violation of central hemodynamics, which leads to oxygen deficiency, acidosis and other metabolic failures in the central nervous system. As a result of the listed processes, the energy balance of the brain changes, enzyme systems lose activity, which stimulates the convulsive readiness of the body.

Epidemiology

Most often, cramps occur in the lower extremities, especially in the calf muscles. This is because the predominant load during the day falls on the legs. In addition, the lower extremities are further from the heart, and blood circulation in them can be slow.

Most often, muscle cramps are found in middle-aged and elderly patients. It is believed that muscle loss increases after reaching the age of 40. At the same time, if a person does not maintain his physical activity, then his chances of developing such a problem increase significantly.

According to statistics, 55% of the world's adult population and 7% of children experience seizures periodically.

Symptoms

Arm and leg cramps can be weak, barely noticeable, or pronounced, painful and long-lasting. The mild form is characterized by such initial signs as tingling, short-term muscle spasm, mild muscle pain, twitching of the limb. In the severe form, the convulsive syndrome is pronounced, spasms can affect the entire limb, they are long-lasting and painful. Even after the spasm subsides, the pain can remain for a long time.

Cramps of the fingers and toes usually occur due to a disturbance of the peripheral blood circulation. The intensity and duration of the attack varies from patient to patient, depending on the severity of the underlying pathology.

Chronic venous insufficiency and varicose veins are characterized by the following symptoms: swelling of the ankles and feet occurs in the second half of the day, cramps in the arms and legs occur at night, fatigue often bothers. Upon closer examination, spider veins, protruding veins, and hematomas can be seen on the skin.

Sometimes it happens that one side of the body is affected - for example, cramps appear in the left leg and arm, or the entire opposite side of the body. This happens when the spine is affected, when the activity of the central nervous system is disrupted, when the activity of the muscle fibers themselves changes. The cause can only be accurately determined by careful diagnostics, since one study of the clinical picture is not enough here.

Cramps of the right arm and leg, or the opposite half of the body, can occur with infectious pathologies, damage to the central nervous system, vascular diseases, intoxications, craniocerebral injuries, tumor processes. With such disorders, symptoms of the underlying pathological process are usually present, which is taken into account when making a diagnosis.

Frequent cramps of the legs and arms are always involuntary, they can affect either one muscle or entire muscle groups, causing the entire limb to move. With frequent attacks, patients may complain of the appearance of a long-term pain syndrome: the pain may intensify when trying to move the affected leg or arm, or straighten the limb. Sometimes the patient manages to choose a certain position in which the pain subsides, even if the muscle continues to be in a spasmodic state.

Gradually the spasm passes, sometimes the arms and legs go numb, the convulsions stop, but temporarily the patient is haunted by the feeling that with the slightest movement or extension of the limb the problem will return again.

Constant cramps of the legs and arms cause a persistent feeling of pain, as a state of hypoxia is formed in the spasmodic muscle tissues, a lack of oxygen and nutrients occurs, and intoxication processes begin due to stagnation of metabolic products. As a result, the nerve endings are constantly irritated, and a prolonged pain syndrome appears.

Child's Arm and Leg Cramps

Convulsions in children can appear at any age. However, experts specify that most often such disorders are found in children in the first 3 years of life.

The causes of such pathology may be the following:

• birth injuries, previous cerebral hypoxia, intracranial hemorrhage, intrauterine infectious diseases;
• inflammation of the meninges, brain abscess;
• mechanical damage, head injuries;
• metabolic disorders, deficiency of sodium, calcium, magnesium, hypoglycemia, renal failure;
• high temperature, fever;
• epilepsy, congenital disorders of the central nervous system, tumor processes in the brain.

Convulsions in childhood can be tonic, clonic, mixed, myoclonic, infantile. But in some cases in infants such isolated disorders can be transient, not requiring treatment. Repeated episodes should be carefully diagnosed and treated, under the supervision of specialists - a pediatrician and a neurologist.

Diagnostics arm and leg cramps

Single seizures are not considered a sign of any disease. The indication for diagnostics is the presence of several recurring or constant seizures not caused by any objective reason.

To determine the causes of the problem, the doctor will carefully collect information about the patient’s medical history and prescribe laboratory and instrumental examinations.

In addition to the usual general blood test, other tests will be prescribed, such as:

• determination of potassium levels in the blood;
• determination of calcium levels in the blood;
• assessment of magnesium levels in the blood;
• prick test (use of a glucometer) to diagnose hyper or hypoglycemia;
• determination of urea and electrolyte levels.

Instrumental diagnostics may include the following methods and measures:

• Neurological examination.
• Diagnostics of the vascular network, angiography, bicycle ergometry.
• Electroencephalography (determines the electrical activity of different parts of the brain).
• Computer tomography of the brain (visualizes brain structures, diagnoses tumor processes, cysts, hemorrhages, which can cause seizures).
• Magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography (as additional measures).
• Single photon emission computed tomography (used if the cause of seizures cannot be determined by other means).

Differential diagnosis

Differential diagnostics are carried out with the most common causes of convulsive states:

• with hypocalcemic (hypomagnesemic, hypokalemic) convulsions;
• with hypoglycemia;
• with hyperbilirubinemia;
• with vascular diseases (for example, varicose veins);
• with neurocutaneous pathologies;
• with inflammatory diseases, infections;
• with post-vaccination complications (relevant for early childhood);
• with diseases of the central nervous system.

Treatment arm and leg cramps

If cramps in the arms and legs occur systematically, it is necessary to visit a therapist who will conduct a preliminary examination and refer the patient to a specialist of the appropriate profile - for example, a phlebologist, vascular surgeon, neurologist, etc. Treatment is prescribed after a final diagnosis has been made.

I would like to immediately dwell in more detail on vascular diseases, since varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency are the most common causes of limb cramps. Stagnation of venous circulation is one of the consequences of impaired vascular lumen - it leads to disruption of metabolic and trophic processes in tissues. For example, the stability of the flow of potassium and calcium ions into cellular structures is disrupted, and the quality of muscle contraction largely depends on their supply. As a result, muscle fibers begin to contract spasmodically, the ability to relax is lost, and cramps occur.

A logical question arises: by what signs can one suspect varicose veins? First of all, this is the appearance of protruding venous vessels on the legs, spider veins. But these symptoms may not be detected either at first or when deep veins are affected. Additional signs may include swelling of the legs (especially in the evening), fatigue and discomfort in the lower limbs, itching and burning, heaviness (especially after prolonged standing or walking).

If such symptoms are present, you need to visit a specialist doctor - a phlebologist.

Complications and consequences

Most often, cramps of the arms and legs pass without any negative consequences for the body. But if they are caused by a serious pathology, then a special treatment regimen is required, which is selected individually for each patient.

In generalized convulsions, respiratory function disorders, as well as circulatory disorders and water-electrolyte balance disorders, may develop; in such situations, infusion therapy is indicated.

In addition, severe generalized seizures can lead to injuries, cerebral edema, and dysfunction of internal organs.

Prevention

How to properly plan a diet, and what additional steps should be taken to prevent cramps in the arms and legs?

For quality prevention, several rules are important:

• a properly structured diet, enriched with vegetables, herbs, nuts, seeds, seafood;
• drinking sufficient amounts of water (one and a half to two liters per day);
• regular exercise, morning exercises;
• correct choice of clothing and footwear (correspondence to size, exclusion of synthetic materials, quality, comfort);
• timely rest for limbs and the whole body, water treatments, relaxing massage;
• the correct choice of bedding, ensuring comfortable sleep and rest.

If you have cramps in your arms and legs, you should not immediately grab the first aid kit and self-medicate. First, you need to figure out: perhaps the problem is caused by a relatively trivial reason. For example, you slept in an uncomfortable position, or overtrained the day before, or took diuretics. If unpleasant cramping sensations bother you often, or even constantly, then you should definitely consult a doctor. Both a therapist or family doctor, as well as a vascular surgeon or phlebologist can help.

Forecast

The quality of the prognosis depends on the underlying cause of the disease. Single episodes of convulsions, as a rule, should not cause concern, as they are a consequence of transient local circulatory disorders caused by various factors.

If cramps in the arms and legs occur constantly or frequently, then it is necessary to provide a comprehensive approach to solving the problem. Only full and regular treatment can guarantee a positive prognosis.