Leg Cramps
Leg cramps are a painful, sudden and involuntary contraction of one or more muscles. They can last for seconds or minutes.
Leg cramps are also named charley horses. The symptom can impact your sleep, daily routines, and quality of life.
According to American Family Physicians, leg cramps affect up to 60% of adults. One in three people over age 60 and half of people over 80 suffer from the symptom.
Though generally harmless, leg cramps can leave the legs feeling sore or tender and make the affected muscle impossible to use temporarily.
If you regularly suffer from three or more muscle cramp episodes per week, there is a chance that it is a symptom of vein disease.
Symptoms of Leg Cramps
Leg cramps most often affect the calf muscle, which spans the back of each leg from the ankle to the knee.
Patients describe muscle spasms as sudden, clenched and sharp pain. You might also feel or see a hard lump of muscle tissue under the skin.
Nocturnal leg cramps can be painful enough to wake one up in the middle of the night.
Leg cramps can be severely uncomfortable or even unbearable. Most of the time, the muscle relaxes in 10 minutes, but the sore and hurt can last for hours or till the next day.
What Causes Leg Cramps?
Common causes of leg cramps include:
Pregnancy
Intense exercises
Dehydration
Side effect of medication
Age. Older people are more likely to get leg cramps due to the loss of muscle mass.
Most leg cramps are harmless, but they may indicate an underlying medical condition of venous insufficiency or a circulatory disorder.
When to See a Vein Doctor
Muscle cramps are merely an uncomfortable inconvenience, but you should consult a vein specialist if your cramps:
Cause frequent and severe discomfort
Associated with other leg symptoms including leg heaviness, leg swelling, skin discoloration.
Occur 3 or more times a week
Happen for no obvious reason
Treatment for Leg Cramps
You can relieve muscle cramps with home remedies such as:
Rubbing or massaging the area until the pain subsides
Stretching
Staying hydrated
Straightening or elevating your legs before going to bed
We recommend you consult a vein specialist for medical advice if your leg cramps are happening frequently and affecting your quality of life.
Diagnosis for Early Vein Symptoms
At our vein centers, we offer a free vein screening for every patient. Our experts will assess your symptoms, examine your legs and perform a free screening to determine whether vascular disease is the cause. If your leg cramps are not associated with vascular disease, our board-certified vein doctors would provide suggestions on how to manage your lifestyle (diet, weight, exercise) to manage muscle fatigue and prevent muscle spasms.
What is Vascular Disease?
Venous insufficiency affects about 80 million Americans. The symptoms of vein disease include varicose veins, spider veins, deep vein thrombosis and other vein-related problems.
It’s important that you receive diagnosis and treatment at the earliest stage. Venous issues can worsen over time and cause significant damage to the skin and may pose a life-threatening issue.
Our vein clinics offer minimally invasive treatments for all types and symptoms of vein diseases. Treatment will vary depending on the severity and nature of the disease. Procedures include Laser Vein Ablation, Sclerotherapy, Ambulatory Phlebectomy, and Varithena.
