Painful cramps and muscle spasms are a common and usually harmless condition with several possible causes. They can occur at any point, often taking a person by surprise, especially when in the middle of the night!

What causes leg cramps?

Leg cramps cause a sudden pain and contraction - usually in the calf muscle - that lasts from a few seconds to 10 minutes.

These spasms can happen at any time, but three out of four cases happen at night¹. They may wake you up, and the muscle might feel sore for several hours after the cramp has stopped.

Night-time leg cramps can happen to anyone but are more common in older adults - Up to 33% of the general population over 50 years of age are affected by nocturnal leg cramps².

Heat and muscle cramping

Heat cramps are painful muscle spasms that usually happen in hot weather when your body overheats.

They usually affect the arms, legs, and abdomen. The main symptom is a sensation of painful tightening and hardening of the muscles - these spasms are involuntary, so you have no control over them, and discomfort can range from mild to severe.

Potential underlying conditions

Leg cramps can sometimes be linked to underlying conditions, including:

Medical conditions

Having diabetes or illnesses that involve the nerves, kidneys, liver or thyroid can cause muscle cramps.
Poor circulation
A narrowing of the arteries bringing blood to the legs - a condition known as Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) - can cause cramping. When blood doesn’t circulate properly, the oxygen carried in blood fails to reach muscle tissue, which can result in muscles stiffening and cramping. This usually happens during exercise and goes away when you sit down.
Nerve compression
Pressure on the nerves in the spine can cause cramping pain in the legs and feet, which usually gets worse when walking. Bending slightly forward as you walk can help.
Loss of minerals
As with heat cramps, cramping can be caused by a loss of minerals from the body through the use of medication. Medicines often prescribed for high blood pressure, for example, can cause increased urination which drains the body of these minerals.

Ouch! Why are my muscles cramping?

References

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