In addition to muscle contraction and exercise, there are many causes of leg numbness.
Varicose veins, disc stenosis, medication side effects, etc. are also common
In the expression commonly called ‘a cramp in the leg’, ‘a cramp in the leg’ means muscle spasm. Muscles such as calves and feet suddenly shrivel up, causing pins and needles and shooting pain.
Not a few cases of awakenings with leg cramps occurred during sleep as well as in daily life. These muscle spasms are involuntary contractions that occur in some muscle tissue independently of one’s will.
The involuntary contractions occur primarily in the skeletal muscles of the lower extremities, but can also occur in other skeletal muscles, such as the hands and abdomen, and involuntary nonskeletal muscles, such as stomach cramps.
Yoon Seung-jae, head of the Department of Neurology at Seran Hospital, said: “The most common cause of leg cramps is when you suddenly exercise without warming up or exercise at a higher intensity than usual.” recurrence is low”.
However, if there is no special trigger such as exercise, other causes should be considered, and in particular, most cases are caused by an underlying disease.
Possible causes include △ peripheral blood circulation disorders such as varicose veins △ back diseases such as disc or stenosis △ metabolic diseases such as diabetes, chronic renal failure and thyroid disease △ peripheral neuropathy △ electrolyte imbalance due to insufficient water or nutrient intake △ drug side effects, etc.
Also, adopting a cross-legged posture that stimulates the piriformis muscle within the hip joint, and wearing leggings or tight-fitting clothes for a long time can cause leg cramps or numbness when the nerves or muscles are compressed.
Among these, relatively common causes are peripheral blood circulation disorders such as varicose veins and peripheral neuropathy.
Varicose veins are a noticeable symptom on the skin when the pressure in the veins increases and the valves become damaged as the vein wall weakens, causing blood to flow back to the heart.
In other words, because a large amount of blood remains in the veins, irregular blood vessels are observed, resulting in lower limb pain, muscle spasms, and lower limb edema. The causes of varicose veins are the elderly, women, pregnant women, obese, and often occur in people who have a job that involves standing or sitting for a long time.
Varicose veins are treated by first trying conservative treatment, such as wearing compression stockings, and if there is no effect, removing the vein, which is the cause of varicose veins, through surgery.
Peripheral neuropathy is a lesion of the peripheral nerves that extends from the brain and spinal cord to the arms and legs. When peripheral nerves are damaged, there may be sensory nerve symptoms such as numbness and pain or motor nerve symptoms such as muscle weakness and muscle spasms. There are many causes of peripheral neuropathy. It can be caused by trauma or local pressure, as well as underlying diseases such as diabetes, and autoimmune diseases and congenital diseases can also cause peripheral neuropathy.
Since there are various causes of cramps, if the symptoms recur for no reason, you need to find a hospital and get proper treatment.
Director Seung-jae Yoon stressed, “Many cases of leg cramps are ignored and neglected, but in the case of several recurrences, appropriate treatment is required because the vast majority of cases are caused by other underlying diseases.” Byung-moon Lee Senior Medical Reporter
