Most people have had to deal with the phenomenon of cramping their fingers. The muscles began to contract uncontrollably, while the person could not control the process. People are often interested in the question of why their toes cramp. There are many reasons that lead to this phenomenon. People are advised to take a closer look at what problems may be causing cramps affecting the feet.
Safe Reasons
Cramps are an extremely unpleasant and painful phenomenon that occurs for various reasons. The process begins involuntarily, and it is impossible to say for sure how long it will last, and also how intense it will be. If a person exhibits an unpleasant symptom once, then it is quite possible that it was caused by an external factor.
When your toes cramp regularly, then you can suspect abnormalities in your health. To begin with, a person is advised to familiarize himself with external factors that can lead to an unpleasant sensation in the lower limb.
Main reasons:
- Overvoltage. Often cramps my toes after a hard day, as well as training. Monotonous stress, such as running, walking or standing in a long line for too long, has a particularly negative effect on the condition of the limbs.
- Lack of physical activity . If a person moves too little, then the fibers in the fingers will undergo atrophy. As you know, these areas of the legs are far from the heart. Because of this, blood supply deteriorates significantly, and the limbs lose elasticity and firmness. As a result, toe cramps occur.
- Poorly chosen shoes shoes . Some people don't even realize that low-quality boots, as well as high-heeled shoes, can put pressure on the foot and cause cramps. That is why it is important to immediately purchase comfortable shoes in the store, and not wait until they wear out over time.
- Lack of vitamins in the body, as well as lack of microelements . If the body does not have enough magnesium, calcium or potassium, then a person may notice that his toes are cramping. This is explained by the fact that due to a lack of elements, the muscles cannot contract correctly, and nerve signals also lose the ability to fully reach their destination and contract the desired muscle. In this regard, impulses pass much worse.
If a person does not have enough potassium, then malfunctions in the functioning of the kidneys and intestines may occur, as well as excessive sweating. By the way, if you have anemia caused by a lack of iron, then your feet will regularly cramp. This is due to the fact that the oxygen supply to the legs is significantly deteriorating.
- Lack of fluid in the body . Some people don't make sure they drink enough water during the day. As a result, random muscle strains occur due to dehydration. It is important for a person to immediately replenish the water balance in order to get rid of unpleasant sensations.
It is worth noting that additional symptoms of dehydration include apathy, dry throat, nausea and diarrhea. The situation is significantly aggravated if a person is forced to stay in the heat for a long time or play sports, because in this case the liquid is consumed much faster.
- Rapid temperature change . This reason quite often leads to cramping of the toes. For example, if a person was in the heat and then placed the limbs of the legs in cold water, then an unpleasant muscle contraction may occur.
- Taking medications. It also happens that the occurrence of cramps in the toes is directly related to the use of medications. For example, if a girl takes oral contraceptives, then she may experience this symptom.
It is worth remembering that if your toes cramp, this can occur due to various diseases. It is for this reason that it is important to make sure that there are no serious diseases, because if they are present, treatment will need to be started immediately.
Pathogenesis
With valgus deformity of the first toe, the angle between the first and second metatarsal bones becomes larger, and displacement of the first metatarsal bone is observed. The big toe moves outward and the head of the bone protrudes outward, forming a bunion. This bone prevents the thumb from conforming to the norm, and it gradually deviates outward.
The tubercle (bone) interferes with wearing shoes, creates inflammation, friction and leads to bursitis (inflammation of the bursa of the first metatarsophalangeal joint). Gradually the bone becomes swollen, inflamed, and painful. Incorrect position of the joint provokes its premature wear, damage to the cartilage and an increase in the size of the bone growth. This in turn provokes foot trauma and further development of pathology.
As the disease progresses, the big toe displaces the other toes, causing them to develop a hammertoe deformity. As the disease develops, it leads to deforming arthrosis of the metatarsophalangeal joints, inflammation of the joint capsules, joints of the toes, chronic bursitis, internal displacement of the first metatarsal bone, flat feet (chronic and transverse), bone and cartilaginous growths of the heads of the metatarsal bones.
Possible pathologies
A person should not forget that cramps in the toes often occur due to various diseases. That is why it is important to make sure that there are no internal pathologies. After all, if they are present, it will not be possible to wait until the unpleasant symptoms go away on their own.
You will definitely need to undergo professional diagnostics so that you can analyze the condition of your body.
What diseases can be:
- Viruses and brain damage . For example, a stroke can often cause a person to experience limb cramps. This is due to the fact that the brain part, which sends nerve impulses to the feet, was damaged.
- Diseases of the vascular system . Pathologies of the blood vessels of the lower extremities contribute to the fact that a person’s leg area does not receive enough nutrients, as well as air from the blood. Because of this, numbness of the limbs occurs, and they also begin to cramp.
- Problems with the spine . They can often lead to a person experiencing toe cramps. For example, pinched nerves in the lumbar region lead to this. In this case, a person often feels numbness in the limbs.
- Arthritis and arthrosis . These diseases of the musculoskeletal system can lead to convulsive phenomena. In this case, the person will feel pain in the joints, as well as numbness.
- Obesity . This problem is faced by many people who do not watch their weight. Only at first glance, having extra pounds seems like a harmless phenomenon. In fact, obesity leads to many health problems, so it is imperative to keep your weight under control.
- Flat feet . If it causes cramps in the feet, then this indicates that the pathology is progressing. Therefore, therapy should be started immediately.
As you can understand, toe cramps occur for various reasons. That is why it will be difficult to figure out the specific provoking factor on your own. Separately, it should be mentioned that the symptom often occurs during pregnancy. This happens due to metabolic dysfunctions, abuse of salty foods, and also due to the choice of tight clothing. In any case, a woman should not turn a blind eye to a pathological symptom. You should definitely find out why your toes are cramping.
Diagnostics
Orthopedists and traumatologists are more often involved in determining the cause of deformities of the distal legs. According to indications, patients are referred to podologists, rheumatologists, and other specialists. The examination program may include the following diagnostic procedures:
- Questioning, external examination
. The specialist determines when and under what circumstances the deformity appeared, identifies external changes, assesses joint mobility, determines pulsation, and assesses the sensitivity of the foot. - Radiography.
Taking into account the characteristics of the pathology, radiography of the fingers or the entire foot may be prescribed. If necessary, stress photographs are taken. The method visualizes traumatic injuries, flat feet, arthrosis, chronic arthritis, deep forms of panaritium. - Plantography.
Allows you to diagnose longitudinal and transverse flat feet, identify hallux valgus and varus deformities of the foot. To increase information content, it can be supplemented with podometry and podography. - Lab tests
. Prescribed to determine markers of rheumatic diseases, metabolic disorders and signs of inflammation, and study microflora.
Kinesio taping
First aid
Considering the fact that cramps are extremely unpleasant, a person wants to urgently get rid of a negative symptom. To do this, you should take certain measures to improve your well-being. In particular, you should first massage your foot, from toe to heel. In this case, you need to lightly tap the muscles to get rid of tension.
It will also be useful to perform a certain exercise: you need to pull your foot towards you with your toe and stay in this position for about a minute. If a person is in the water, then you should turn on your back and also try to bring your foot closer to you.
People note that they can get rid of cramps that cramp their toes with a pin. You need to inject lightly into the problem area to immediately eliminate the unpleasant symptom. For this reason, people are advised to carry the device with them at all times in order to quickly provide first aid.
Treatment options
If a person's toes are cramping, then it is important to get treatment. Doctors often prescribe vitamin complexes to people, which can compensate for the lack of nutrients. If there is emotional stress, then it will be useful to use sedatives. Often, soothing and warming ointments that normalize blood flow in the problem area are very helpful.
To prevent the occurrence of seizures, it is worth taking preventive measures. First, you should only purchase high-quality shoes that fit properly and do not have too high a heel. You should avoid overloading your limbs, and you should regularly go for a walk and do leg exercises. It will be useful to do foot baths before falling asleep.
It is important for a person to eat right and take vitamins to maintain normal health. At the first symptoms, you should contact an experienced medical professional and follow his instructions. It may be necessary to undergo diagnostics if serious illnesses are suspected. In any case, you should not ignore cramps unless you want to start the problem and significantly worsen your well-being.