Cures for Leg Cramps

A muscle cramp is a sudden contraction in the muscle of a body, that is accompanied by a sensation of pain and discomfort. When this contraction happens in the leg it is termed as a leg cramp. It is quite normal for the leg muscles to contract during movements, but often due to sudden and involuntary actions the muscles may contract causing pain in the leg. Foot and leg cramps may happen due to forceful contractions of the leg muscles. Common leg muscle cramps are as follows:

• Calf Muscles (crossing the ankle and knee)
• Hamstring (crossing the hips and knee)
• Quadriceps (crossing the hips and knee)

Many people also experience leg cramps in bed that occurs at night, while sleeping. Curing leg cramps require practicing some stretching exercises and treating the physical conditions that lead to leg cramps.

Tips on Cures
Before we move on to discuss the treatments for leg cramps, let's understand how to get relieved from pain due to leg cramps.

Massage the Affected Area
If you get a leg cramp while sleeping or exercising at gym, then try not to move the leg or the affected area that is paining. Gently massage the area where the pain has risen. Massaging gently will give a relief from the pain and the heat generated by rubbing will lessen the pain. Ask someone to gently rub the calf area or the area that is causing the pain. Massage it smoothly in circular motion. Use some natural massage oil, that can act as a pin reliever.

Stretch Gently
There are various stretching exercises, that you can perform before doing any vigorous exercises in the gym or at home. The aim of warm up exercises is to stretch the contracted muscles of the various joints and make them flexible. When they get warmed, up the contraction reduces and so the risk of sudden forceful cramps reduces to a large extent. Begin slowly and don't rush for the stretching exercises. Don't bounce or perform vigorous jumps. Keep the stretching simple and yet effective. Take the help of gym trainers, physical therapists and exercise instructors.

Take a Warm Shower
It is a fact that if you have a muscle cramp like leg cramps, then taking a hot shower smoothens the painful area as the heat of the water relaxes the muscles of the leg. So, if you get a cramp in the leg, a hot shower can at least give you some relief from the pain. Applying ice on the painful part also leads to quick relief in muscle spasms or leg cramps.

Treatments
Following are the treatments that are considered to be effective in treating leg cramps.

Drink Plenty Of Water
Drinking plenty of water is a good way to replenish the body fluid and prevent the body from dehydration. The leg cramps during dehydration can be very painful. Drinking suitable amount of water helps the body to treat the problem of leg cramps due to dehydration. Make it a habit to stay hydrated!

Healthy Diet
It is a fact that foods rich in calcium, magnesium and most importantly potassium is quite helpful to cure leg cramps. Try to include foods like tomatoes, potatoes, bananas and citrus fruits that can go a long way in leg cramp treatment.

It is easy and simple to follow the above mentioned treatments and cures for leg cramps and lead a healthy life. However, if the person has leg cramps very often, then it is the time to consult a doctor. This is so because constant and sudden leg cramps can be an indication of severe diseases like diabetes, anemia and kidney diseases. Hypocalcemia or low levels of calcium in the blood and high levels of calcium in the blood (hypercalcemia) are other hints of sporadic muscle cramps.