Out of nowhere a pesky leg night cramp wakes your mom or dad up from a deep night’s sleep. The pain can be so intense your parent may awaken in tears or screaming. Thrashing in bed between the blankets, they attempt to shake off this pain. However, each movement seems to make the cramping more intense. The tossing and turning may cause your mother or father to fall out of bed, or they may try to get out of bed to stand up and walk off the cramp only to fall.  Providers of family home care services warn that either scenario can be extremely dangerous for your loved one because as they age their bones become weaker and brittle. A fall could lead to a fracture and that obviously is worse than night leg cramping.

For many individuals, there is no diagnosis of leg cramping. However, family home care services providers remind us this condition is more common as individuals age and of course your parents are aging. Also, certain medical conditions may influence leg cramps, such as diabetes, kidney failure and obesity.

Certain medications may have a tendency to cause leg cramps. One such medication may be a diuretic.  Other drugs that may cause cramps include cholesterol-lowering statins and or kidney dialysis. Family home care services experts point out that your parent may need some additional support at night if they are experiencing night leg cramps. Having someone assist them in massaging out the cramps or help them in and out of bed to reduce the risk of falls or fractures is important for your mom or dad’s over-all wellness.

Although you parent may not want to have the additional night support, your mother or father may appreciate the assistance that will save them from the risk of an accident and reduce leg cramps while having family home care services with them at night.