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Muscle Cramps: What Causes Them and How are they Treated

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Muscle Cramps: What Causes Them and How are they Treated
29 May 2017, 15:31

Muscle cramps are a common occurrence in people from all walks of life. Cramps can be anything from slight to very severe discomfort, disrupting sleep or daytime activities. Often they happen in the legs, but can happen elsewhere in the body as well.

What causes muscle cramps?

Muscle cramps can be caused by many things, some of these include:

  • Dehydration
  • Muscle fatigue, especially if you are training heavily on your legs in hot weather
  • The accumulation of excessive amounts of lactic acid in the body
  • In later life they can be caused by the shortening of muscles and tendons and can occur nightly in people over the age of 60 if not taking regular exercise.
  • Health conditions such as diabetes or kidney failure
  • Taking certain medications or pregnancy

Treatments for muscle cramps

If you are suffering from muscle cramps here are a few things you can try to alleviate and maybe even prevent them. Please note if you are suffering from extreme pain or continued muscle cramps then you should see your doctor.

Water

Drinking water can ease the symptoms if the cramps are related to dehydration, because of this it is important to keep up your water intake during the day. This is especially important if you have been sweating on a hot day as those fluids secreted out need to be replaced.

A sign of dehydration is dark yellow urine, whereas healthy urine is usually pale and straw coloured. Most adults should drink about 2 liters (or around 8 glasses) of plain water a day.

Vitamins & minerals

Symptoms of cramping can be relieved by taking supplements or foods containing plenty of:

  • Vitamin B
  • Niacin
  • Magnesium
  • Zinc
  • Taurine
  • Vitamin C
  • Calcium
  • Potassium
  • Sodium

Herbs

There are also several herbs which may help alleviate cramps, including:

  • Passiflora
  • Hops
  • Kava
  • Ginger
  • Valerian
  • Lavender

Emu oil

Emu oil massaged into the cramped muscle may also be helpful. This study showed that emu oil helps to decrease muscle soreness.

Stretching

Stretching muscles before bedtime can help relieve cramps. You can also try exercising on a stationary bike to help strengthen weak muscles.

Avoiding lactic acid foods

If the buildup of lactic acids is causing your muscle cramps then avoiding sources of these may help. Dietary sources of lactic acid can be found in cheese, whey and yoghurt.

 

Muscle cramps can occur for lots of reasons, including diabetes or kidney failure or taking certain medications, but more often it is from muscle fatigue, dehydration or a lack of essential vitamins and minerals. If you are able to understand what is causing your cramps, you may be able to help or prevent them from happening. 

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