Leg cramps are painful contractions of the leg muscles; the incidence of leg cramps increases with age. Often there is no official cause for the leg spasms; however, there are conditions or medications that can cause them. If the leg cramps become persistent, a doctor's visit may be needed to determine the cause.

Muscles contract when being used and will relax or loosen when not in use. However, your muscle may sometimes stay tight or suddenly involuntarily contract. An involuntarily contracted muscle is often called a cramp or a spasm. Muscle cramps can occur for different reasons.

Having tight muscles in the low back impedes flow of blood through the muscles and can cause painful cramping and spasms. Tight muscles are weak muscles that are in a constant state of contraction, says licensed massage therapist Julie Onofrio on the Massage Seattle website.

Painful leg cramps are common, affecting approximately 50 to 60 percent of adults and 7 percent of children. They usually occur at night, and most often affect the calf, foot, and thigh muscles.

Low-carbohydrate diets can lead to weight loss, but they are not without risk. If you cut your carb intake too low or you eliminate certain food choices completely, you may find yourself struggling with muscle aches, pains or cramps. Tweaking your diet to address the reasons behind aching and cramping can help.

As common as they are, muscle cramps are something of a medical mystery -- they can affect anyone at any time, and it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly why they develop.

Muscle cramps are involuntary--usually painful--contractions of your muscles. They can strike your legs and feet, particularly at night; people over 50 are more susceptible to this type of cramp. Leg and foot cramps can also affect athletes.

When your leg muscles cramp up during the middle of a basketball game, it becomes more than just a minor annoyance. The cramp can actually hinder your team's chance of winning the game.

A muscle cramp is a sudden painful and involuntary contraction of one or more of your muscles. Long periods of exercise or fluid loss from sweating, vomiting or diarrhea may lead to muscle cramps.

The next time you drink diet soda or eat low-fat yogurt, look closely at the labels; the sweetness you taste may be due to the artificial sweetener aspartame. This commonly used sweetener is touted as "diet" because it does not contain any calories.

Leg cramps can be a passing annoyance or a cause of severe pain. While occasional cramps are common and typically harmless, this symptom may also be a side effect of a medication or associated with an underlying condition.

A cramp occurs when a muscle is forcibly and involuntarily contracted. The muscle will not relax. The calf muscle is one of the most commonly affected muscles, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Just about everyone will have a calf muscle cramp at sometime in their life.