Foot Cramps During The Night And Day:what's Going On?

If youve ever been awakened in the middle of the night by a cramp in your foot you know that the pain can be nothing less than

, well, it woke you up didnt it?

And if you have foot cramps during the day, you know that it can sometimes take several minutes for the cramp to dissipate.

What is going on, youre probably asking? Why the cramp?

Although the real reason cramps occur is not completely known, but researchers have noticed feet tend to cramp after a person has done athletic activity -- particulary if its new activity -- and/or when the individual is dehydrated. Older rather than younger people tend to cramp more and many drugs (diuretics, for example) also can cause cramping (check with your doctor if the cramping is frequent or particularly painful to see if some of your medications may be causing the foot cramps). Pregnant women in the later stages of pregnancy sometimes experience foot cramps, as do those with an untreated under-active thyroid gland.

To treat your foot cramp, do just as your mother told you: stretch your foot in the opposite direction of your cramp until the pain subsides. Massaging your foot for five minutes or more also is a good idea.

You can leave it at that, or, if the pain was intense, take some aspiring or ibuprofen to relieve any remaining muscle pain. Elevate your foot, soak it in warm water, if you desire, wrap it in an elastic bandage if necessary and, if chronic, visit a health professional, preferably a podiatrist.

Night time foot cramps, like their daytime counterpart, may be caused by dehydration or lack of electrolytes. If youre a high consumer of caffeine and you experience foot cramps regularly, you may want to cut down on the amount of coffee and other caffeine-filled beverages you consume. Caffeine acts as a diuretic and you could be becoming dehydrated without knowing it. Some health care practitioners believe a person should consume 16-31 ounces of water for every cup of coffee consumed to counter effect the caffeines diuretic properties.

Are you working out a lot and for long periods each session? Excessive sweating also can dehydrate you. Exercisers also lose salt when sweating and excessive salt loss can also cause muscle cramps.

You should drink plenty of water and, as added measure, try this stretching exercise: Stand barefoot before a wall. Wedge your toes up against the wall and feel the stretch.

Copyright (c) 2009 Dr Alireza Khosroabady DPM

by: Dr Alireza Khosroabady DPM

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