Also referred to as charley horse, leg cramps usually occur when a person is sleeping. Leg cramps can be quite unpleasant and cause a lot of discomfort. A person is unable to sleep as the pain is simply excruciating. When leg cramps occur, the muscles of the leg contract involuntarily turning a person immobile momentarily.

Leg cramps are usually felt in calf muscle; cramps can also occur in thighs or feet.

Triggering factors for leg cramps
There are no definite triggers for leg cramps. But activities such as excessive running, sports like basketball and soccer and even weight training can lead to cramps as the muscles tend to feel worn-out. Leg cramps are more common during warm weather or when a person is not sufficiently hydrated. Drinking a lot of water can help keep leg cramps at bay.

Medical reasons behind leg cramps
Pregnancy increases the probabilities of leg cramps. People suffering from below mentioned diseases experience more leg cramps:

• Alcohol use disorder
• Thyroid
• Addison’s disease
• Kidney failure
• Type 2 diabetes
• Liver cirrhosis
• Parkinson’s disease
• Vascular disease
• Sarcoidosis

Some medicines also exacerbate leg cramps, such as:

• Birth control medicines
• Statins
• Albuterol, which is a medicine given to asthma patients
• Diuretics
• Naproxen

Remedies for leg cramps
Leg cramps can be effectively taken care of with some self-care techniques. Doing stretching exercises can reduce the risk of leg cramps. In case the cramps are recurrent, doctors usually prescribe medicine to relax the muscles. The following are some quick relief remedies for leg cramps are as below:

• When there is a cramp in the leg, massage the area and then stretch it slowly.
• If the cramp is in the calf, one should flex the foot in order to stretch the muscle. Try to walk around on heels in case the pain is unbearable.
• Apply hot or cold packs in the affected area to get relief from pain.
• Take bath in warm water or steam to ease out the tired muscles.
• If there is a cramp in the front thigh i.e. quadriceps, a chair can be used to first get balance. Then try pulling the foot of affected side up towards the buttock. This will ease out pain and straighten the muscle.
• Take Vitamin B complex supplements to minimize leg cramps.

These are some simple remedies for leg cramps that can be helpful for alleviating the pain. In case, the pain does not go away, a doctor should be consulted.