Often while we sleep, but also during the day, we suffer unexpected and inexplicable pain in the muscles of our feet, something that is accompanied by a sudden stiffening, in what we know as cramps.
Leg cramps are often experienced for a variety of reasons, including taking certain medications or simply a lack of exercise.
“Cramps can also be an indication of a thyroid disease,” says Axel Klein, a specialist in orthopedics, trauma surgery, and sports medicine and vice president of the German Society for Sports Medicine and Prevention (DGSP).
According to this specialist from Dresden, Germany, cramps can also accompany diseases such as diabetes, although other causes are due to circulatory disorders.
Looking for clues from the GP
The first step is to visit your family doctor, who will ask you questions to find out the cause of your cramps. If your family doctor cannot find any cause for your cramps, he or she will refer you to a neurologist, who will look for signs of nerve or muscle damage.
“It is important to question the patient in detail to identify medication or an underlying disease to be able to treat the cause of the cramps,” says Professor Helge Topka, medical director of the Clinic for Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology at Bogenhausen Hospital in Munich.
According to the specialist, if it is not possible to identify a clear cause of the cramps, a therapy based on the symptoms reported by the patient can be initiated.
Neurologists may, for example, prescribe quinine preparations to relieve muscle cramps regardless of the origin of the pain.
“But these drugs are not the ultimate solution because they can have serious side effects that can sometimes endanger the patient’s health,” says Topka.
Magnesium helps but does not cure
The consumption of dietary supplements, such as magnesium tablets, is commonly accepted as a means of relieving muscle cramps.
“There are some tests that can be done, but there is no scientific evidence that magnesium works,” says Professor Ulrich Fölsch, a specialist in internal medicine and gastroenterology in Kiel, northern Germany, and general secretary of the German Society of Internal Medicine.
According to Topka, magnesium has only been shown to be less effective when cramps occur during pregnancy.
Athletes are a group particularly affected by cramps. “This is because they sweat during sports and this leads to the loss of electrolytes,” explains Klein, who suggests isotonic drinks as a remedy, reminding us that “it is important to warm up well before playing sports.”
Rest and warmth as prevention
According to Klein himself, foot cramps can also be caused by shoes that are too tight or ill-fitting, regardless of whether one is an athlete or not.
“Foot or toe cramps can also be caused by changes in the joints, especially in older women and men,” Topka says.
It is advisable to take extra care of feet that are prone to cramps. “Heat, for example, has a pleasant effect,” says Klein, who recommends taking hot foot baths or using pillows filled with cherry stones.