What’s Causing Your Leg Cramps?
Leg cramps may result from genetic conditions, lifestyle habits, medications or even your stage of life. Some common causes of leg cramps have simple and straightforward remedies to correct vexing medical conditions causing persistent pain. Interestingly, one of the most common of these is vein disease. These conditions include:
- vascular disease
- vein disease
- lymphedema (leg swelling)
- deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
- fitness and dehydration
- medications
- pregnancy
Vascular Disease
Peripheral arterial disease results in low blood flow to the limbs and often affects the legs. You may feel pain or cramping in your muscles when you walk or experience sensations of coldness, numbness or weakness. Leg pain from vascular disease is called claudication when it occurs with exercise and may make it difficult to perform normal physical activities. If the pain occurs with rest, it is called ‘rest pain’ and is much more worrisome and indicates the need for immediate consultation with a vascular specialist.
Smoking, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol are all risk factors for this condition, so one of the best ways to reduce pain is to adopt healthier lifestyle habits. If you already have claudication, it is time to seek medical evaluation for the underlying source of the problem to determine if intervention is indicated. In addition to lifestyle changes, other conservative care includes an exercise program.
Vein Disease
Leg cramps at night are one of the common symptoms of varicose veins. Leg heaviness, swelling, discomfort, and pain are other symptoms of varicose veins. If you’re experiencing leg cramps at night or leg pain of any kind, seek an evaluation with a vein specialist to determine the underlying cause. Many patients report an immediate improvement in the frequency and severity of their night leg cramps when their venous disease is treated.
Lymphedema And Leg Pain