Muscle Cramp Relief

A muscle cramp is a painful spasm or contraction of a muscle in the body, caused due to prolonged tightening of the muscle. The cramp may last for few seconds to few minutes and the intensity of the pain may vary from a slight tic to severe painful contraction. When a muscle cramp occurs, the muscle tenses underneath the skin and is unable to relax. Although muscle cramps affect people of all age groups, it is more common in adults, especially in elderly people.

Causes of Muscle Cramps
Though the actual cause of muscle cramps is not known, here are some common probable reasons for muscle cramps.

• The most common cause for a muscle cramp is inadequate intake of water. Since water carries minerals, vitamins and other substances to different parts of the body, low water intake can cause deficiency of nutrients in the body.
• Dehydration in the body as a result of heavy exercises and sweating can cause cramping or muscle twitching while sleeping or after exercising.
• Another cause is mineral deficiencies, i.e. depleted levels of calcium, potassium and magnesium in the body. These minerals help in various muscle activities and maintain the body's fluid balance, hence, their deficiencies cause muscle tremors and twitching which eventually leads to muscle cramps.
• Muscle fatigue, vigorous exercising or exercising in an unusual manner can also be the reasons for muscle cramps.
• Electrolyte imbalances or unusual body fluid distribution can also cause muscle cramps in the body.
• Lying or sitting in the same position or in an awkward position for a long time, can cause fatigue of muscles which eventually leads to muscle cramps.
• Shortening of the muscles, especially the calf muscles while sleeping (when the person moves a limb), causes rest muscle cramps
• Medications, like, statins, prednisone, etc. can also lead to muscle cramps in the body.

Read more on medical causes for leg cramps.

Home Remedies for Muscle Cramps
Following are natural remedies for muscle cramps that will provide you substantial muscle cramp relief and ease from muscle pain.

• Be Hydrated: One of the best ways to prevent muscle cramp is to keep your body hydrated. Drinking 6-8 glasses of water or any other form of fluid is strongly recommended to compensate for the fluid loss while exercising or sweating.
• Massage: Rubbing or massaging the part of the body where cramps have occurred, with essential oils, generates heat which relaxes the contracted muscle, loosens the muscle tension beneath the skin and relieves the pain. Read more on massage.
• Exercises: Another way to relieve muscle cramp pain is to perform immediate stretching exercises and applying pressure on the main points of the cramp.
  1. If you had a leg cramp in the middle of the night, stretch your leg straight and bend your toes towards your head.
  2. Stand in an upright position, apply pressure on the heel of the leg and stretch your toes upwards. Another technique to ease the pain is to stand at a three feet distance from the wall and lean on the wall or while sitting on the bed, bend your leg and go down to hold the sole of your foot.
  3. Put your hands at the main point of the cramp and with your thumb or the heel of your hand, apply pressure on that point and hold the pressure for 8 to 10 seconds.
  4. Keep your thumb on the top of your foot, the flip side of your sole, and using your fingers as a resistance, slowly press your foot down for 5 to 6 seconds and relax for another 5 to 6 seconds. Straighten your leg and bend your ankle towards you, stretching out your calf muscles for 5 to 6 seconds. Now return to the initial position and using thumb as a resistance, stretch your leg upward for 5 to 6 seconds and then relax. Again, straighten your leg and bend your ankle towards you, stretching out your calf muscles for 5 to 6 seconds. Relax for few seconds and repeat the exercise. These were some best leg muscle cramps remedies. Read more on:
     • Leg Cramps Remedy
     • Preventing Leg Cramps: How to Prevent Calf Muscle Cramps
  5. Even a tennis ball can provide significant relief from muscle cramps especially in your back or buttocks. Keep the tennis ball on the ground and cover it with a towel. Lie on your back on top of the ball and try moving around to find the sore spots. Allow the ball to glide over the sore aches in your back or bottom and as you find the sore spots let the ball sink into the muscles. Hold on to the position for few seconds or until the cramps or spasms go away. Of many back muscle cramps remedies, this exercise works the best.
• Healthy Diet: Since mineral or vitamin deficiency is one of the main reasons for muscle cramps, ensure that your diet comprises food items, like, bananas, tomatoes, potatoes, broccoli, critic fruits, etc. which are rich in minerals and nutrient components.
• Other Remedies: These are some other remedies for muscle cramps which are simple, safe and can be tried at home.
  1. Quinine, a bitter alkaloid extracted from chinchona bark, can be used for curing muscle cramps. However, it should be taken under a doctor's supervision as it has been reported with some side effects, like, dizziness, nausea and ringing in the ears.
  2. As apple cider vinegar has high level of potassium, mixing two tsp of apple cider vinegar with a tsp of honey in warm water and drinking regularly can give instant relief to muscle cramps arising from potassium deficiency.
  3. Having pickle tonic or mustard containing acetic acid increases the production of acetylcholine in the body, which loosens the muscle tension underneath the skin and relaxes the cramped muscles.

Drinking chamomile tea, limiting the intake of caffeine and sugar, having a hot water shower, drinking a hot glass of water before sleeping and applying a hot water bag or ice pack massage on the cramped muscle area are also some other effective home remedies for muscle cramp relief. If the muscle cramps become persistent and recurring, it's recommended to consult a doctor for diagnosing the actual causes behind the cramps.