Reasons Your Toes Cramp

You might get toe cramps for many reasons—from something as simple as not drinking enough water to serious underlying medical conditions and rare infections. These sudden muscle contractions may be related to an issue solely involving your toes, or your entire foot or ankle can be involved.

Oftentimes, home remedies are helpful to treat and prevent future episodes of toe cramps. However, if the toe cramps are due to an injury or underlying medical condition, you may need to contact a healthcare provider for treatment.

Cropped of person holding foot.

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Lifestyle Causes

One issue or several conditions can contribute to the development of toe cramps. This can make it more challenging to figure out why they occur and how to eliminate them. Several lifestyle conditions, such as not drinking enough water or wearing improper footwear can contribute to toe cramps.

Tight or weak muscles: Your feet have many muscles that help them move. If these muscles become weak or tight, they can cause toe cramps.

Toe cramps can also be caused by muscle spasms in another part of your foot and ankle that radiate to your toe.

Cold temperature exposure: Cold temperatures cause your body to divert blood flow to your core to keep warm. This reduces the flow of blood to your arms and legs.

As a result, your muscles lose heat and contract. You might feel this as a painful toe cramp.

Dehydration: Similarly, toe cramps can happen when your body tissues lack the fluid they need to stay hydrated.

Not getting enough fluids can cause dehydration and, in severe cases, lead to electrolyte imbalances. If the concentrations of potassium, sodium, calcium, or other minerals in your blood are even slightly out of the healthy range, it can affect your muscles.

Sedentary lifestyle: Toe cramps can also indicate being too sedentary. When you exercise, your body uses your muscles, nerves, and joints. Regular activity keeps your feet strong and flexible, which helps keep aches at bay.

Without regular exercise, even slight, everyday movements can tax your feet and cause issues like toe cramps.

Older age: With age, the function of our joints and nervous and muscular systems may change. This may cause muscle contractions and tightness in the muscles around your feet and toes.

One study found 46% of people 60 years or older reported experiencing muscle cramps.

Improper footwear: A common cause of toe cramps is improperly fitting shoes.

Wearing a tight-fitting pair of high heels or footwear that doesn't fit properly puts a lot of pressure on the toes and feet. Pushing your feet and toes into positions that make it harder to walk and balance can make your muscles cramp up.

Other signs and symptoms you may notice with improperly fitting footwear include:

  • Bruising on your toenail
  • Toenail loss or damage
  • Blisters
  • Calluses
  • Skin irritation around your toenails

Medical Causes

Several medical conditions, ranging from neurological conditions such as Parkinson's to poor circulation from peripheral artery disease or diabetes, may contribute to toe cramps.

Neurological conditions: Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis (MS) are two conditions affecting your nervous system.

For example, uncontrolled muscle contractions (called dystonia) can happen in individuals with MS and may involve the toes. For people with Parkinson's disease, dystonia is a sustained or repetitive muscle twisting, spasm, or cramp that can occur at different times of day and in different stages of the disease.

Muscle injuries: Injured toe or foot muscles can cause toe cramps. A weak, tight muscle may not move as well and can be injury-prone.

An injury like a twisted or sprained ankle can cause spasms and pain in your toes or entire foot.

Joint conditions: It's common for people with joint diseases like arthritis to have pain in their feet. You might get toe cramps if you have arthritis—especially gout.

Medication side effects: Sometimes, medications can have side effects that cause muscle cramps. You might get toe cramps if you take a medication that can cause muscle spasms.

Damaged nerves: Toe cramps from nerve damage are more serious than a simple sprain or pulled muscle. If you badly injure your foot or ankle, the nerves might have been damaged.

Diabetes can also cause nerve damage. Often, a damaged nerve leads to tingling feelings or numbness, but you might also have toe cramping.

Poor circulation: Toe cramps can also happen when your feet don't have enough blood getting to them. Sometimes, you might have reduced blood flow to your feet because you've been sitting in one position for too long. This can cause cramping in your muscles, including in your toes.

However, poor circulation to your feet can also be caused by medical conditions like diabetes and peripheral artery disease.

Rare causes: Severe, potentially life-threatening conditions that change your body's hydration and electrolyte levels or cause widespread damage, like burns, organ failure, and rare infections like tetanus, which could also cause muscle spasms and toe cramps.

Other Causes of Toe Cramps

Other reasons you may experience toe cramps include:

  • Vitamin D deficiency
  • Pregnancy
  • Hyperventilation (e.g., during a panic attack)
  • Thyroid conditions
  • Chronic kidney disease (can affect electrolyte levels)



Home Remedies and Prevention

Most of the time, toe and foot cramps will pass quickly. But if you're battling frequent or persistent cramps, there are things you can do to relieve and prevent toe cramps from returning.

Home remedies may include the following:

  • Drink plenty of water: Staying hydrated helps maintain the right balance of electrolytes and water in your muscles.
  • Wear properly fitting shoes: Shoes that fit properly allow your feet to move and function the way they are meant to.
  • Exercise regularly and include a variety of strength, balance, and flexibility exercises: Exercise helps keep your muscles, joints, tendons, and nerves all working properly.
  • Eat a variety of healthy foods: Maintaining a proper diet gives your body the nutrients and electrolytes it needs to function well.
  • Check your medications to ensure that the dosages are correct: If you take medication for treating any health issues, speak with your healthcare provider or pharmacist to see if a medication may be causing your toe cramps. Never adjust your medication without the advice of your healthcare professional.
  • Consider taking over-the-counter (OTC) pain medication: OTC meds won't work quickly enough during a cramp to be effective. However, they can help with post-cramp soreness.

A study published in the journal Family Practice suggests that most people with leg cramping at night don't get any treatment. The authors also said that people with leg and toe cramps try many medical and non-medical treatments for their condition.

Often there isn't one correct treatment for toe cramps and it may require more than one remedy to get relief.

When to See a Healthcare Provider

If you frequently have toe and foot cramps, contact a healthcare professional. They will check to determine whether your symptoms are caused by a medical condition requiring treatment, like multiple sclerosis or diabetic neuropathy. They can also advise you about what to do next even if your cramps aren't caused by a serious medical issue.

Medical Treatment

Sometimes, medical treatment is necessary to resolve toe cramps. If the toe cramps are due to a suspected injury, your healthcare provider may order imaging, such as X-rays. If the toe cramps are due to an underlying medical condition, managing the condition may bring relief.

For example, your provider may recommend specialized shoe inserts, modifications to medications you are taking, supplements, or physical therapy.

A physical therapist can help develop a treatment plan to strengthen the toes and feet and help prevent future episodes.

Exercises you can do to reduce toe cramps may include:

  • Calf muscle stretches
  • The plantar fascia toe stretch
  • Ankle strengthening exercises
  • Balance exercises

Be sure to get medical advice before starting any exercise program.

Summary

Common reasons for cramping in your toes and feet include not drinking enough water, not getting enough exercise, and wearing improperly fitting shoes. Certain medical conditions or medications can also contribute to the problem.

Often, toe cramping goes away with exercise, better nutrition, and other lifestyle changes. Your healthcare provider can determine whether a medical condition is causing toe cramps and advise you about managing the problem.

16 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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Brett Sears, PT

By Brett Sears, PT
Brett Sears, PT, MDT, is a physical therapist with over 20 years of experience in orthopedic and hospital-based therapy.