40-year-old woman with leg cramps

There are many different causes of leg cramps. Calcium deficiency is just one of them. Calcium deficiency leads to the outflow of high-quality protein, low calcium ion concentration in the blood, and easy excitation of thigh muscles, resulting in muscle spasm, in other words, leg cramps. This type of leg cramps caused by calcium deficiency often occurs in middle-aged and elderly people and pregnant and breastfeeding women. So what causes leg cramps in 40-year-old women?

Overwork and cold stimulation are also common factors of leg cramps. If you exercise too much during the day, the muscles cannot be relaxed in time, and excessive acid and alkaline compounds will accumulate in the feet, irritating the feet and causing leg cramps. Low temperature will cause the thigh muscles to contract significantly, the blood vessels to suddenly contract, and leg cramps to occur.

For example, kicking off the covers at night or swimming in cold water can cause leg cramps. This type of leg cramps caused by cold stimulation lasts longer. In addition, if the calf is under compression for a long time, it will cause passive muscle atrophy, insufficient blood supply to the feet, and the calf is also prone to compression leg cramps.

It can be seen that calcium deficiency is not the only cause of leg cramps. If you have frequent leg cramps, you should be careful, as this may be another signal sent by the human body. From a clinical medical perspective, frequent cramps may be related to these types of diseases. One is lower limb arteriosclerosis and blockage. People with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes should think about whether they have arteriosclerosis, stenosis or blockage when they experience symptoms such as lower limb pain, leg cramps, and difficulty moving. Leg cramps caused by these conditions usually occur during sleep. The second is lumbar disc herniation. When a person's spine is deformed, it will cause long-term nerve damage, numbness of the feet, and leg cramps. Since this type of disc deformation cannot repair itself, it will cause long-term recurring leg cramps and numbness.

Studies have shown that the incidence of leg cramps in patients with lumbar disc herniation can reach 70%. In addition, some congenital diseases or nerve damage such as stroke, epilepsy, tetanus, etc., can cause the muscles to lose the normal control of the nerves, and can also cause leg cramps.

Although people will develop osteoporosis as they age and may experience leg cramps once they reach middle age, leg cramps are not necessarily caused by calcium deficiency. People like your mother who often suffer from recurrent leg cramps must be alert. It is best to go to the hospital as soon as possible to check for organic nerve diseases and vascular problems to avoid delaying treatment. It is recommended to go to the hospital for relevant examinations, and calcium and zinc supplementation should be carried out under the guidance of a professional doctor.