Usually, around wintertime, I hear a lot of people complaining about leg cramps and how these cramps are severely painful and disturb their peaceful sleep.
Even I can understand the pain and discomfort that comes with these cramps and most importantly, the fear of muscle cramps repeating every night because years ago, I used to experience the same.
After nights of painful calves, I finally looked at it’s root cause and took the proper muscle cramp treatment! Thankfully it wasn’t that much serious and I was able to overcome it within a few days.
Muscle cramps are quite common and can be experienced by anyone. In this blog, I’ll help you know why you are experiencing these cramps and how you can get rid of them so stay tuned till the end!
Muscle cramps
Muscle cramps are painful contractions of a single muscle fibre, an individual muscle or an entire muscle group which last for a few seconds to a few minutes.
They are unpredictable, involuntary and can repeat multiple times. They usually occur in the legs, arms and back and during exercise or while resting.
Let’s read about some of the muscle cramp symptoms…
Muscle cramps symptoms
Here are some of the muscle cramp symptoms that one might experience:
- Severe pain or stretch
- Inflammation or redness
- Muscle weakness or soreness
- Muscle hardness or bulge or visible twist while experiencing a cramp
Because of all of it’s characteristics, it becomes important for you to treat these cramps well but before planning muscle cramp treatment, it’s necessary that you know the root cause of your cramps. So let’s read about the different causes of muscle cramps…
Causes of muscle cramps
Knowing why you are experiencing muscle cramps will help you in planning the right treatment. Here are some of the major causes of muscle cramps:
1. Dehydration
Dehydration is one of the most common causes of muscle cramps. Our body loses water while exercising, breathing, sweating, vomiting, fever, defecating, urinating etc and if water intake is not adequate, then it can lead to dehydration.
Dehydration reduces blood volume causing less blood flow into the muscle, thus making the muscle contract more forcefully which eventually leads to muscle cramps.
2. Electrolyte imbalance
Potassium, sodium, magnesium and calcium etc are electrolytes whose imbalance can lead to muscle cramps as they affect the body’s electrical impulses.
Electrolyte imbalance happens due to their deficiencies or inadequate absorption, certain medicines, ageing or dehydration.
3. Intensive physical activity
Long or very intensive physical activity cause can muscle fatigue. If you still continue exercising, then your muscles will have to contract more forcefully resulting in cramps.
Adequate amount of exercise is important, learn “The top 10 benefits of regular physical activity” in this blog.
4. Pregnancy
Muscle cramps during pregnancy can happen due to:
- Reduced blood flow
- Increased body weight
- Compressed nerve
- Increased work on legs
- Nutritional or electrolyte deficiencies
Thinking what to eat during pregnancy? Worry no more, just read our blog and know all about- “5 Foods to eat when you’re pregnant”. Also, if you’re searching for personalised guidance from experts then Zyla can help you. Visit-zyla.in to know more!
Did you know that during pregnancy, 50% of the muscle cramps happen in the last 3 months and during the night? A proper muscle cramp treatment is the only solution to cure it!
5. Nutritional deficiencies
If you have a deficiency of vitamin-B complex and vitamin-D, then you are very likely to experience muscle cramps. But more research is required to know the exact relationship between muscle cramps and nutritional deficiencies.
6. Medical conditions
Certain medical conditions like liver cirrhosis, kidney failure or dialysis can cause unusual distribution of body fluids and this eventually results in muscle cramps.
Other conditions like diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage due to diabetes) or radiculopathy (spinal nerve irritation) or fibromyalgia (muscle pain and tenderness) etc can also result in a muscle cramp.
7. Medications
There are multiple medicines known to cause muscle cramps. Here are examples of a few medicines:
- Lasix
A diuretic that prevents water retention by causing frequent urination, thus resulting in loss of body fluids and electrolytes.
- Lovastatin and nifedipine
Known to deal with angina, high cholesterol levels and blood pressure, these can lead to muscle cramps as well.
- Terbutaline and albuterol
These drugs help in treating asthma or COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder) but can cause muscle cramps.
So, which of the above muscle cramps causes is your reason for experiencing deadly cramps? I know that now you are hoping to get a solution to it! Well, you are at the right section of the blog, just continue reading…
Muscle cramp treatment
1. Hydration and electrolyte balance
Drink at least 10–12 glasses of water throughout the day especially before, during and after a workout. Make sure you drink other fluids like coconut water, buttermilk, lemon water, soups etc as well to keep your electrolytes balanced!
2. Apply ice or hot pack
Over the affected area, apply an ice pack or a heating pad for 15 minutes. Practice this twice daily until your cramp resolve. This is one of the main muscle cramp treatments.
Even a warm bath before sleeping can help reduce night cramps.
3. Massage
As soon as your cramp starts, massage that area with your hands or with a massage roller to get relief from the pain. At other times, you can massage with warm oil twice daily for 10–15 minutes.
4. Stretch regularly
Stretch every muscle often! A warm-up session before and a cool-down session after your workout is a must to treat cramps. You can also stretch for 15 mins every day, before sleeping to prevent cramps from occurring at night.
Want to know which exercises you should do in your warm-up and cool-down session? Download the Zyla app or visit our website- zyla.in and get personalized guidance from our physiotherapist.
5. Modify your exercise regime
Either stop exercising for a while or reduce the intensity of your exercise until cramps symptoms resolve completely. You can also take breaks between sets or exercises so that you don’t over-exert.
Learn the “Importance of physical activity in weight control” by reading the blog.
6. Avoid alcohol and caffeine
Excess of caffeine can lead to muscle tremors, nervousness and weakness. Alcohol tends to disturb the calcium flow in the muscle cells and also increase lactic acid formation which contributes to cramps.
It is advisable that you gradually bring down the intake of alcohol and caffeine not only to treat cramps but to prevent complications that occur due to them as well.
7. Medications
There are certain medications that can temporarily treat muscle cramps like quinine, ibuprofen, acetaminophen or naproxen sodium but it is always advisable to consult your doctor before consuming any of these medications.
Following the above muscle cramp treatment methods can cure your deadly cramp issue to a good extent! But if it doesn’t resolve or is causing swelling to other parts of your body, then it is recommended that you consult a health care specialist, let’s learn in detail…
Who to consult?
If your cramps aren’t stopping, it is advisable that you consult your doctor. Depending on your medical history, you’ll have to consult any one of the following:
- Neurologists
- Orthopedists
- Sports-medicine specialists
- Cardiologists
- Endocrinologists
- Nephrologists
- Physiatrists
Be regular with your doctor follow-ups and do follow the treatment as advised by him/ her to cure your cramps.
Don’t let muscle cramps stop you from doing what you love. Work on your exercise regime, keep yourself hydrated and stretch often. Also, limit the intake of caffeine and alcohol as it is one of the best muscle cramp treatments.
If you’re looking for a program which can help you improve your overall health or treat a specific medical condition, then Zyla can help you!
Zyla has a team of doctors, nutritionists, physiotherapists and psychologists who work together to provide you with holistic and customised guidance. Download the Zyla app or visit our website- zyla.in and enrol in the program which is suitable for you!
Stay strong! Stay healthy!
For more information, you can visit heere
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