Relax the stiffened muscles with right treatment and relaxants

Muscle cramps can happen anytime, to any person but, some people are more prone to this condition. This involves elderly people, overweight and obese ones, sick people, athletes, young kids, etc.

Muscle Cramps can have many possible causes. They include dehydration as well as magnesium and/or potassium deficiency. A mineral deficiency of calcium and/or magnesium is probably the most frequent cause of night leg cramping.

Another cause may be a deficiency in hesperidin, one of the bioflavonoids (sometimes called vitamin P), naturally occurring nutrients usually found in association with vitamin C. These bioflavonoids, including Hesperidin, Citrin, Rutin, Flavones, Flavonals, Calechin and Quercetin, were found to be essential in correcting the night leg cramps.

Remedies

• Massage and stretching are among the widely used remedies for muscle cramps. You have to massage the cramped muscle in a gentle manner, that too in the natural direction of the muscle. Hold the muscle in the stretched position, while massaging.
• You may also go for a cold or hot treatment, in order to get relief from muscle cramps. If you opt for a cold treatment, apply an ice pack over the area for at least ten minutes. Heat treatment can be done with a heating pad or warm towel application.
• Another muscle cramp remedy is hot showers, that can provide you with instant muscle cramp relief. Allow the hot water to flow over the cramped areas for some time. Make sure that the water is hot enough to relax the muscles, provided you can bear it.
• As dehydration is one of the common causes of muscle cramps, drink plenty of water daily, so as to avoid muscle cramps. Even a healthy diet that provides you with all necessary nutrients (especially, calcium, magnesium, potassium etc.), may work wonders.
• Regular stretching and warm-up activities before stretching are found to be good leg muscle cramp remedies, apart from the above said ones. For muscle cramps at night, you may resort to a stretching regimen, before going to bed.

relieving recurrent or persistent cramps

There are several muscle cramp remedies that are said to be effective in relieving recurrent or persistent cramps. This includes chamomile tea, honey, mustard, pickle juice, apple cider vinegar, etc. It is said that one tablespoon of mustard can cure muscle cramps in a very short time

Apple cider vinegar Drink a mixture of two teaspoons of vinegar and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of warm water. Apple cider vinegar is high in potassium.

Aspirin (or ibuprofen) taken at the earliest signs of menstrual cramps will help relieve them. Aspirin helps stop the production of prostaglandins, part of the process that causes cramps.

Calcium A calcium deficiency causes muscle cramps or involuntary movement of muscles. If you are prone to leg cramps at night, take a calcium supplement (calcium lactate is preferred), a warm cup of milk, or chew on some Tums an hour before going to bed. However, we do not recommend taking Tums on a regular basis due to its interference with your normal digestive process. We suggest that if you get frequent leg cramps you take a calcium supplement daily. Taking magnesium with the calcium will aid in the absorption of the calcium and prevent calcification of various organs and soft tissues. 200-300 mg of calcium before bedtime is recommended.

Chamomile tea A study showed that drinking five cups of this tea each day for two weeks reduced the pain of menstrual cramps. The tea increased the level of glycine in the urine. Glycine is an amino acid that helps relieve muscle spasms and relax the uterus.

CoQ10 may aid in relieving muscle cramps.

Magnesium will help the smooth muscles that surround your arteries to relax, and your body uses it to process calcium. Try taking 400 mg of magnesium before bed. A calcium/magnesium supplement, taken one hour before bedtime, is recommended.

Mustard For years coaches have given mustard to their athletes with leg cramps. Cramps are sometimes caused by a deficiency in acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter that stimulates your muscles to work. Mustard has acetic acid, which helps the body make more acetylcholine. Take a spoonful or two of mustard.

Pickle juice As with mustard coaches have given pickle juice to their athletes with leg cramps. Cramps are sometimes caused by a deficiency in acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter that stimulates your muscles to work. Pickle juice has acetic acid, which helps the body make more acetylcholine. Take a few ounces of pickle juice.

Quinine/tonic water Drinking four to eight ounces of tonic water (make sure it has quinine in it!) an hour before going to bed is a very effective remedy for most people. If it is too tart for you, add some lemon for flavoring. You should notice a difference within a few days, otherwise discontinue. OTC quinine was banned by the FDA because of health risks, but there is enough quinine in tonic water to help most people. See the Hyland’s homeopathic remedy below for another similar option.