Kick Leg Cramps

En español | It’s happened to practically everyone: A sudden, painful cramp in your leg or foot startles you awake in the middle of the night. Studies suggest that one-third to one-half of people over 60 get these involuntary muscle contractions on a regular basis, and their frequency may increase with age. Lasting anywhere from a few seconds to several excruciating minutes, cramps occur when irritated nerves send muscles a signal to repeatedly contract.

If a leg cramp strikes, stretching may provide some much needed relief. — Photo by Image Source/Getty Images

No one knows for sure exactly what causes cramps in otherwise healthy adults, but a number of risk factors may make older people more susceptible, says Basil Eldadah, M.D., program officer at the National Institute on Aging. These include deficiencies in key minerals, not getting enough to drink, poor muscle conditioning and certain medications. Though leg cramps aren’t typically life-threatening, he says, it’s a good idea to consult with your doctor to be sure they aren’t related to an underlying condition.

So how can you keep muscle spasms from interrupting your sleep and generally interfering with your quality of life? Don’t reach for quinine, a drug prescribed for leg cramps since the 1940s. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration now warns against its use because of potentially serious side effects. Instead, try these tips.
Stretch
If you’re in the throes of a cramp, stretching can provide relief. For a foot or calf cramp, sit or lie down and flex the toes of the affected leg or foot upward toward your nose, says Eldadah. This action works by pulling the calf and foot muscles in the opposite direction of the contracted muscles. Massaging the area could minimize discomfort too.
Studies looking at whether stretching can prevent nighttime cramps yield mixed results. Still, some experts recommend loosening muscles that are prone to cramping by doing stretches before bed. “Stretching may help and it has minimal risk,” says Eldadah.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website includes additional stretches, tailored for older adults, that concentrate on the calf muscles, the quadriceps muscles in the front of the leg and the hamstring muscles in the back.
Check your meds
A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that several diuretics (used to treat hypertension), statins (used to treat high blood cholesterol) and long-acting beta agonists (used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among other conditions) may worsen nocturnal cramps. If cramps become a problem after you’ve started taking one of these types of medications, talk to your doctor about your symptoms