Calf tightness

[hairbypaco]

I'll make this one quick.
I work on my feet 8+ hours a day and have for years.
Lately my right calf has randomly tightened up. It doesn't last long but it happens a couple times a day it seems.
Like I said, it's only the right one.
Feet and everything below are fine. Is it possible that it's early neuropathy or more likely just a strained muscle that needs time. Just doesn't seem like the typical neuropathy order of things but I'm still worried. .
Thanks.

[Bountyman]

It's my understanding that cramps like that are oxygen related or in relation to lactic acid. Lactic acid is the burn you feel when you tax your muscles. What's the percentile between how much you walk during your job...verses how much you stand still?

[blufloyd]

Are you some how locking you leg into position? I had a stand in place for 8 hours job it killed off a lot of me..

[hairbypaco]

I try not to lock into one position. I cut hair so I am walking around the chair constantly and then walk about thirty feet to check them out each time. So I can be at a stand still for about thirty seconds max.

[jwags]

Sometimes I get that tightening in my calf too. I was told it was a deficiency in electolytes in magnesium, sodium or potassium. So if you are low in those try supplementing. Also sometime if I overstretch my leg muscle I get that calf tightening. I doubt it is due to neuropathy. My bgs are very well controlled.

[Bountyman]

You might try some extended walking each day to supplement your leg exercise. Try parking a few blocks from the shop for awhile...see what that does.

[adiantum]

You have been given some great suggestions already . Is it possible your footwear is contributing to the problem. Are your shoes the same sized heel that you wear all day everyday?
Try wearing shoes with a different height heel , even flatties. take a spare pair to work & change them at lunchtime

[hairbypaco]

Thanks for all the ideas guys. Only one that might not work is the heel suggestions since I'm a guy.
However new footwear wouldn't be a bad idea in general. Just never had anything like this in my twelve years of cutting hair.
Obviously you guys aren't doctors and no one can know for sure, but it seems like you guys aren't leaning towards neuropathy at this point? Thanks again. I'm very glad I found this forum.

[linda505]

Hi HairbyPaco and welcome to the forum. My guy gets calf tightning alot - he is not diabetic. He started taking Magnesium every night - and it has really helped him - give it a try.

[Hooterville]

How aboout stretching? Do you stretch?

[hairbypaco]

Hi guys. So after endless hours of looking on the internet and freaking myself out, I have come to the conclusion that it is almost definitely just a strained calf. Linda, I started taking a magnesium supplement yesterday, because I read that somewhere else as well and it couldn't hurt. Honestly, my calf is still tight but it feels slightly better. Might have something to do with that. Either way, I am going to continue to take it. Thank you.
Hooter, I think I probably just have a minor strain, which is why I didn't notice it until after bicycling a good amount. I should have stretched, but was foolish. I tried stretching over the last couple days and it didn't help which is why I was worrying. Turns out that if it is a strain, stretching can actually hurt. Which it did.
I had set up an appointment with my GP for a week from today, while I was in the midst of freaking out and going to keep it. Just in case. For now I am treating it as a minor strain, because it makes the most sense and I should know by now that I am pro at getting myself worked up over little things.
Thank you all for your input and I will update if things change, for better or worse.

[jwags]

My husband gets terrible charley horses in his calves, usually while he is sleeping. I keep quinine water of a sparkling water around. It helps calm the spasm down. Also this may sound wierd but I have heard people who find eating a spoonful of yellow mustard helps. Maybe it is the salt or something else in it. Neuropathy is more of a pins and needle feeling which eventually moves to a more dulling pain and eventually to loss of feeling. Sometimes when I get the charley horse flexing my foot back and forth helps, sometimes it makes it worse.

[e||ement]

I was just about to post something similar to this, but I'll try here first!
I've, in the past three weeks, been experiencing some strange leg/feet issues. It started with swelling (legs/ankles/calves) around the time I was getting sudden high BGs. The swelling is on and off...I've upped my water intake and try to walk around (I sit at my job) every hour or so. Then I started with pains I would describe as restless pains or growing pains in my lower legs and sometimes upper, as well as a real tightness of the calves, which I would describe as a lactic acid buildup type of thing. BGs are back to normal, and I'm now having hypos the past two days, so I don't think it's related?
Anyway, I started mag/cal citrate with vit D today, and am hoping the mag helps. I've had restless legs before, and get swelling sometimes...but not together and not this consistent...but I do remember magnesium helping.
How is it working out for you hairbypaco?
I'm going for blood work tomorrow to rule out problems with kidney function and I guess a long list of other things.
I go for brisk nightly walks (I was doing more vigorous exercise before the onset of all of these symptoms, but have not resumed) and it ALWAYS feels less tight, swollen and sore after walking. My legs feel the best in the morning (I have been sleeping with them elevated though) and it gets worse through the day.
I also have stopped eating bananas...which I was eating 1-2 per day...in the last couple of weeks because during the episode of high BGs I was not tolerating bananas well...so perhaps I've also lost some potassium?

Anyone else have any other suggestions??? I'm hoping it's nothing serious...

[hairbypaco]

Sorry to hear about your problems. Personally, I seem to be doing better. I am taking more supplements, including the mag/cal/zinc. My legs have gotten better and I truly believe that I was panicking about something that I shouldn't have been. I think for me it was just getting back into exercise and a matter of tight muscles. At least I hope so.
Please let us know what the blood results are.