Debbie,
you asked: <<<are you relating low blood pressure to cramps?>>>
my conjecture is that the neurotransmitter dopamine is not sufficient in
some part of the autonomic neural network - when the muscle tensing
starts. the fact that standing on one's head increases blood pressure in
the head indicates that the blood flow into the brain somehow gets more
dopamine to the necessary neuron(s) when the brain blood pressure is
normal or high. the other ways to physically move blood out of the lower
extremeties also reduce the blood pressure in the cramped muscle
area/locus. I do not think the lowered pressure around the muscle is
pertinent. the muscle tensing is not feeding back properly to the
central nervous system the messages:
this muscle is tensioned too much
the bones are movedout of normal position
there is pain
normally pain signals for the muscle to relax but messge not so
extreme pain - spasm - more pain
toes are distorted, foot is twisted, stop this pain!
the peripheral neural network may be not functioning normally - this may
be due to the static/noise/overload of messages that the probe - sonic -
used in the brain surgery monitoring of neural activity to find the
locus in the pallidum (thalamus or sub-thalamus loci if lesion or
stimulator implant are other than globus pallidum). the over-signalling
is static so that the normal messages cannot be "heard" or transmitted
when the electrical/chemical signalling activity is too "loud".
you are all aware that having the strength and flexibility to take the
toes in hand and physically return them to normal position - straightens
the muscles as it lengthens them to normal range - and relieves the
cramp. At times, I can do this with my hands. At times, I can use the
counter-muscles enough to stand on tip-toes and walk or even hop to keep
the spasm from occurring.
A helper strong enough to pull and hold my foot in regular position will
also relieve the spasm, but that luxury is not often available to me.
And, when it hurts a lot, my temperament is not pleasant. My wife does
not find it easy to sort agony-anger from being relevant to what she did
or did not do blaming herself. She is so uncomfortable trying to
overpower my strong muscles with her left side weakness from birthing
injury - that I do not ask her to help. But, if the caretaker is
strong, returning the toes and foot to normal positioning will counter
the spasm - which is the major pain.
Exercising to build up the weaker muscles that curl the toes up will
help. If the foot-front is held up while walking, the muscles that are
strengthened by that effort will allow me to straighten my own foot.
I do not have dystonia with the right foot (Parkinsonian affected right
side primarily). It is my left foot that gets into spasm now.
--
ron 1936, dz PD 1984 Ridgecrest, California
Ronald F. Vetter <[log in to unmask]>
http://www.ridgecrest.ca.us/~rfvetter
