Muscle cramps

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Typical with too little magnesium

Even though muscle cramps often only last for a few minutes, they can cause severe pain. If the communication between nerve and stimulus is disturbed, this can have various causes. For example, too little magnesium can also trigger muscle cramps. Almost every adult has experienced muscle cramps at one time or another. Elderly people who do not drink enough fluids or athletes who are significantly dependent on the mineral due to their increased energy requirements are particularly frequently affected.

What happens during muscle cramps?

Muscles are controlled by nerves. In the case of a cramp, the natural transmission of stimuli is disturbed. The nerves send uncontrolled impulses to the muscle at ten times the normal strength. The result: the muscle cramps under massive hardening. Because pain receptors in the area of the cramp are also excited, we experience the misdirected muscle contraction as painful. In the case of muscle cramps over the entire body, the hands, thighs, calves and feet are primarily affected:

Hands	Tingling in the hands, numbness or the twitching of individual muscle strands can be an indication of a magnesium deficiency.
Calves	The magnesium level drops during the night. Therefore, the cramps become noticeable at night in the most distant limbs as calf cramps.
Feet	Like the calves, the feet are often affected by nighttime cramping attacks because the magnesium level in the blood reaches its natural low point at night.
Thigh	Cramps or muscle twitching in the thigh can be caused by an insufficient supply of magnesium. They often occur when the muscle has not been sufficiently warmed up during sporting activities or is already fatigued.

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What are the causes of muscle cramps?

There are many causes of muscle cramps. The trigger is often an imbalance in the magnesium balance as a result of insufficient magnesium intake or loss through sweating. But other factors can also promote muscle cramps and disturb the mineral balance:

Unbalanced magnesium balance
Infections
Low outdoor temperatures
Varicose veins
Too tight stockings and/or shoes
Overuse
Excessive alcohol consumption
Neurological disorders

Rarely, muscle spasms can also be an indication of neurological disorders.

How does magnesium affect muscle spasm?

Muscle cramps - especially in the calves or toes at night - can indicate a magnesium deficiency. When we move our muscles, magnesium and calcium are significantly involved: Calcium causes the muscle fibers to contract, magnesium causes them to relax. A magnesium deficiency can lead to painful cramping of the muscles.

A balanced magnesium concentration is important to initiate the end of a normal muscle contraction. If it falls below a certain level, the removal of calcium from the muscle stalls.

In addition, magnesium contributes to normal nerve function. Accordingly, magnesium can help against cramps. Among other things, it "calms" the nerves by reducing their electrical excitability. Conversely, this means that if the body has too little magnesium available, the electrical excitability of the nerves can increase. We often feel this magnesium deficiency during sports.

Proven help for proven magnesium deficiency when it is the cause of muscle cramps is offered by the drugs Magnetrans^® forte 150 mg or Magnetrans^® extra 243 mg.

What helps against muscle cramps?

Avoid alcohol and nicotine
Drink 1.5 to 2 liters of water a day, ideally mineral water
Take a warm bath before going to bed
Take a warm bath before going to bed
Pay attention to a balanced magnesium level
Eat a balanced diet rich in minerals

Gymnastic exercises for the prevention of muscle cramps

Exercise 1: Stretch toes

Exercise 2: Stretch calf

Exercise 3: Thigh stretch

Muscle cramps despite magnesium?

A sufficient and regular supply of magnesium can prevent deficiency symptoms. The fact that we feel muscle cramps despite magnesium occurs mainly when our body is not yet sufficiently supplied with the mineral. Merely taking it once before sports or in the case of acute muscle cramps will not provide relief. If the supply is insufficient, it can take several weeks until the depots are sufficiently filled again. Patience is therefore required here. Only in this way can magnesium help prevent unpleasant muscle cramps in the future.

When to see a doctor for muscle cramps?

If you regularly experience muscle cramps
If skin discoloration occurs
If the pain after the cramp persists for a long time

In these cases, your doctor can determine if an underlying condition is causing the muscle cramps. Here, a blood test for electrolyte or magnesium deficiency can provide clarity. Depending on the diagnosis, magnesium supplements or muscle-relaxing drugs may be prescribed.

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