Discussion

Leg cramps are not just an uncomfortable, or at times painful, problem. They are always a symptom of a potentially serious underlying condition. This may be very temporary or chronic, but whichever type it is, leg cramps should not be ignored, because all the causes of leg cramps, if not corrected, can cause severe problems.

There are two main manifestations of leg cramps:

¨      Those occurring while at rest, usually while in bed; we will call them “resting cramps”.

¨      Those occurring while walking or running; we will call them “activity cramps”.

The underlying causes are different, as follows:

A) “Resting Cramps”

This type of cramp usually occurs at night while lying in bed, and is almost invariably caused by a shortage of minerals, particularly magnesium and potassium. The reason for concern at this particular type of cramp is that it is known that an extreme shortage of potassium can induce heart failure (potassium is needed for the production of energy in the heart and elsewhere). Deficiency of potassium, and also magnesium, can cause heart arrhythmia and excessively fast heartbeat (tachycardia).

Other mineral imbalances can cause this problem, mainly excessive phosphorus causing calcium deficiency by competing for absorption. The cause of this is excessive consumption of meat and fizzy drinks. Poor levels of digestive acid (betaine hydrochloride) can also cause calcium deficiency.

Lack of dietary intake of the various minerals can also obviously cause these problems. This will be discussed later.

B) “Activity Cramps”

There are two major causes of this type of cramps, and two main environments in which they occur, as follows:

1)      High activity cramps: This type has the same basic cause as “resting cramps”, although the mechanism is very different. When excessive sweating occurs through heavy physical exercise, minerals are lost, particularly potassium, magnesium and sodium.

2)      Low activity cramps: This is the most sinister type of cramp. This is the type which occurs for some people when walking slowly for what may be a short distance. This is caused by poor circulation, and is normally caused by atherosclerotic build-up in the arteries. Probably its most severe form is intermittent claudication, when at intervals circulation is almost stopped in the legs. This can be a combination of atherosclerosis, cramping of the artery wall and excessive blood viscosity (blood too thick).

Note: If you suddenly develop this problem when you have never had it before, you should treat it as a medical emergency. Another reason for this problem is actual blood clots in the leg arteries.

Treatment

Resting Cramps

¨      All fruits and vegetables are high in magnesium and vegetables are also high in calcium. Bananas are high in potassium. High consumption of fruit and vegetables will therefore help.

¨      Reduce meat consumption and avoid fizzy drinks.

¨      Although milk is high in calcium, it is not a good source, because milk protein depletes calcium. Either reduce milk consumption or eliminate it altogether. Soya milk is a good substitute.