Arm and leg cramps

Such unpleasant sensations, such as cramps of the hands and feet, can appear as a result of prolonged muscle tension, due to vascular problems, or against the background of a lack of certain vitamin and mineral substances. There are other pathological causes of this malfunction. Is it worth trying to get rid of cramps on your own, or do you still need to visit a doctor? [1]

Causes of the arm and leg cramps

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

According to experts, most often the root cause is ordinary muscle fatigue - such cramps pass on their own after 1-2 days. Other causes are classified as pathological, because their appearance is associated with specific pathologies.

• Dehydration.

Lack of moisture in the tissues is a fairly common cause of crampy muscle contractions. The fact is that in the state of dehydration, muscles lose the ability to contract adequately. In this case, the end sections of nerve fibers become more sensitive, and the muscles spasm. The condition is aggravated against the background of high ambient temperature (for example, in the summer heat) or during intensive sports activities. [2]

• Deficiency of certain micronutrients.

Insufficient intake of certain trace elements causes various malfunctions in 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 poor or monotonous diet, but also by impaired absorption of trace elements.

• Diabetes mellitus.

In diabetes, various disorders of innervation of tissues occur, both vascular and nerve networks are affected. Therefore, muscle spasms, which are manifested by cramps of the arms and legs, often bother with this diagnosis. [3]

• Venous insufficiency, varicose veins.

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

• Hormonal imbalance.

Changes and restructuring of the hormonal balance often cause 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 over time cause irreversible changes in blood vessels, as well as impairing the absorption of some important microelements and impairing the function of the peripheral nervous system. This, in turn, can provoke a seizure syndrome. [5], [6]

• Medications.

Convulsive muscle spasms often occur when diuretics, analgesics, and hormonal medications are taken improperly or for long periods of time.

• Elevated body temperature.

So-called febrile convulsions are one of the side symptoms of increased body temperature. This is especially common in young children with an unstable thermoregulatory system. As a rule, these muscle twitches disappear as the body temperature normalizes. [7]

Small muscle twitches in the arms and legs occur when there is a lack of iron and folic acid in the tissues. Against the background of normalization of nutrition, such symptoms, as a rule, pass independently. If cramps are found not only on the limbs, but also throughout the body, it may be a serious malfunction of the central nervous system.

Risk factors

There are certain risk groups: people belonging to these groups are more prone to the occurrence of hand and foot cramps than others:

• athletes, heavyweights, bodybuilders, et al;
• children under the age of three, as well as adolescents;
• women in periods of severe hormonal changes (pregnancy, menopause, early menstruation);
• people who have to stand for long periods of time or stay in an uncomfortable posture due to their professional activities;
• people who abuse alcohol and smoke;
• people who often follow strict or monotonous diets, practice prolonged fasting, or those who have serious problems with the absorption of certain nutritional components;
• patients suffering from thyroid diseases, vascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, oncology;
• People who suffer from chronic intoxication and those who consume insufficient amounts of fluids daily.

Pathogenesis

Cramps of the hands and feet can be provoked by various acute and chronic pathologies and disorders in the brain (neuroinfectious diseases, trauma, tumor processes, hemorrhages, dysgenesis), genetic and chromosomal disorders (failure of metabolic processes of amino acids, lipids, carbohydrates), cerebral intoxications (toxicoinfections, exogenous intoxication with chemicals and drugs).

Seizures often occur against the background of endocrine and electrolyte disorders - for example, in diabetes mellitus, hypoparathyroidism, spasmophilia, hypomagnesemia, disorder of sodium metabolism, etc. In addition, psychogenic factors may be involved.

It is not uncommon for hand and foot cramps to begin to bother you when you have a fever (called febrile cramps).

This pathological condition is polyetiologic, but most often it is associated with one common point. There is a disorder of central hemodynamics, which leads to oxygen deficiency, acidosis and other metabolic failures in the central nervous system. As a result of these processes, the brain energy balance changes, enzyme systems lose activity, which stimulates the seizure readiness of the body.

Epidemiology

Cramps most often occur in the lower limbs - especially in the calf muscles. This is due to the fact that the legs bear the brunt of the workload during the day. In addition, the lower limbs are farther away from the heart and blood circulation may be slower.

Crampy muscle contractions are most commonly found in middle-aged and elderly patients. It is believed that the loss of muscle mass increases after the age of 40. In this case, if a person does not maintain his physical activity, he significantly increases the chances of such a problem.

Statistics show that 55% of the world's adult population and 7% of children experience seizures occasionally.

Symptoms

Arm and leg cramps can be mild, barely noticeable, or pronounced, painful and prolonged. The mild form is characterized by such first signs as tingling, a brief muscle spasm, mild muscle pain, twitching of the limb. In the severe form, the cramp syndrome is pronounced, spasms can seize the entire limb, they are prolonged and painful. Even after the spasm is released, the pain may remain for a long time.

Finger and toe cramps usually arise due to peripheral circulation disorders. The intensity and duration of the attack differs in all patients, which depends on the severity of the underlying pathology.

Chronic venous insufficiency, varicose veins are characterized by the following signs: swelling of the ankles and feet appear in the second half of the day, there are cramps in the arms and legs at night, fatigue often bothers. At a closer look at the skin, you can notice vascular stars, protruding veins, hematomas.

Sometimes it happens that one side of the body is affected - for example, cramps of the left leg and arm, or the whole opposite part of the body. This happens when the spine is affected, when the CNS activity is disturbed, when the activity of the muscle fibers themselves changes. The exact cause can only be established by careful diagnosis, since the study of the clinical picture alone is not enough.

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

Frequent leg and arm cramps are always involuntary and may involve a single muscle or entire muscle groups, causing movement of the entire limb. With frequent attacks, patients may complain of the appearance of a prolonged pain syndrome: pain may increase when trying to move the affected leg or arm, or straighten the limb. Sometimes the patient is able to choose a certain position in which the pain subsides, even if the muscle remains in a spasmodic state.

Gradually the spasm subsides, sometimes numb hands and feet, cramps stop, but temporarily the patient is haunted by the feeling that at the slightest movement or extension of the limb, the problem will return.

Constant leg and arm cramps cause a constant feeling of pain, because in spasmodic muscle tissues a state of hypoxia is formed, there is a lack of oxygen and nutrients, intoxication processes begin due to stagnation of metabolic products. As a result, the nerve endings are constantly irritated, there is a prolonged pain syndrome.

Cramps in the child's arms and legs

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

The causes of such pathology may be as follows:

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

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

Diagnostics of the arm and leg cramps

A single seizure is not considered a sign of any disease. The presence of several recurrent or persistent seizures without any objective cause is considered an indication for diagnosis.

To find out the causes of the problem, the doctor will carefully collect information about the medical history, prescribe laboratory and instrumental examinations.

In addition to the usual general blood test, other tests will be ordered, 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;
• urea and electrolyte levels.

Instrumental diagnosis may include such methods and measures:

• Neurological examination.
• Vascular network diagnosis, angiography, bicycle ergometry.
• Electroencephalography (determines the electrical activity of different brain regions).
• Computed tomography of the brain (visualizes brain structures, diagnoses tumor processes, cysts, hemorrhages that 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 diagnosis is made with the most common causes of seizure conditions:

• with hypocalcemic (hypomagnesemic, hypokalemic) seizures;
• with hypoglycemia;
• with hyperbilirubinemia;
• with vascular disease (e.g. Varicose veins);
• with neurocutaneous pathologies;
• with inflammatory diseases, infections;
• with postvaccine complications (relevant for early childhood);
• with central nervous system disorders.

Treatment of the arm and leg cramps

If hand and leg cramps appear systematically, it is necessary to visit a general practitioner, 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 the final diagnosis is made.

I would like to dwell on vascular diseases, as varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency are the most common causes of limb cramps. Stagnation of venous circulation is one of the consequences of a disturbed vascular lumen - leads to a violation of metabolic and trophic processes in tissues. For example, the stability of potassium and calcium ions in cellular structures is disturbed, and the quality of muscle contraction largely depends on their supply. As a result, muscle fibers begin to contract spastically, the possibility of their relaxation is lost, cramps occur.

A logical question arises: what are the signs of varicose veins? First of all, it is the appearance of protruding venous vessels and vascular asterisks on the legs. But these symptoms may not be detected at first, as well as in the case of deep veins. Additional signs may include swelling of the legs (especially in the evening), fatigue and discomfort in the lower extremities, itching and burning, heaviness (especially after prolonged standing or walking).

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

Complications and consequences

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

In generalized convulsions may develop respiratory dysfunction, as well as blood circulation, water-electrolyte balance - in such situations, infusion therapy is indicated.

In addition, severe generalized seizures can lead to trauma, cerebral edema, and impaired functionality of internal organs.

Prevention

How to compose the right diet, and what to do additionally to prevent the appearance of hand and leg cramps?

A few rules are important for quality prevention:

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

When hand and foot cramps appear, you should not immediately take a first aid kit and self-medicate. First you need to understand: perhaps the problem is caused by a relatively trivial reason. For example, you slept in an uncomfortable position, or overtraining the day before, or taking diuretics. If the unpleasant cramping sensations bother you often, or even constantly, then it is necessary to consult a doctor. It can help, as a general practitioner or family doctor, and a vascular surgeon or phlebologist.

Forecast

The quality of prognosis depends on the underlying cause of the painful condition. Single episodes of seizures should generally not cause concern, as they are the result of transient local circulatory disturbances caused by various factors.

If hand and foot cramps occur constantly or frequently, it is necessary to provide a comprehensive approach to the problem. Only full and regular treatment can guarantee a positive prognosis.