Top Tips on Cramp Relief by Gerald Quigley

We’ve all had them – whether it’s being woken at night in extreme pain that suddenly grabs you, playing sport at any level on warmer days, during pregnancy or relaxing whilst watching your favourite TV show. Leg cramps don’t differentiate – our muscles can protest whenever it suits them.

The exact mechanism by which a cramp starts isn’t completely clear. But we certainly acknowledge the impact a cramp can have.

Muscle cramps result in continuous, involuntary, painful, and localised contraction of an entire muscle group, individual single muscle, or select muscle fibres. Generally, the cramp can last from a few seconds to many minutes for unknown or known causes with healthy subjects or in the presence of diseases. Massaging the muscle area of the cramp will reveal a knot.

Exercise-associated muscle cramps are the most frequent condition sometimes requiring medical intervention during sports. As mentioned already, the specific cause is not well understood and may possibly depend on the physiological or pathological situation in which the cramps appear. It is important to note that a painful contraction that is limited to a specific area does not mean that the cause of the onset of the cramp is necessarily local. Therefore, helping to improve the outcomes of people with cramps needs understanding of any underlying issues.

Reducing your risk of leg cramps obviously involves many underlying factors:

• Your age
• Your exercise levels
• Your overall fitness
• Any medications you might be using
• Are you about to become a Mum?
• Your levels of hydration
• Any current medical conditions with which you are living.

Listening to your body and understanding your own health are therefore fundamental to maintaining your quality of life.

Magnesium has been the mineral of choice, and is especially helpful when combined with other muscle support nutrients. Many of us live with low magnesium levels. It is well absorbed and is a fascinating mineral involved in over 300 biochemical processes in our body. Even though some experts say that the evidence of effectiveness is unclear, more recent clinical trials suggest otherwise. Patient feedback over many years has given me confidence in using magnesium in the first instance.

Dietary sources of magnesium include dark, leafy green vegetables, legumes, wholegrain cereals, nuts, fruit, fish, most meats, whole full-fat milk, eggs and cocoa.

Magnesium taken alone can cause tummy upsets in some people. It’s best therefore to seek advice from your local health practitioner if that happens.

Cramp bark has listed actions as a smooth and skeletal muscle relaxant, possibly acting as a muscle energiser. Known botanically as Viburnum opulus, it has had a long history for alleviating muscle tension and cramp. Like all herbal medicines, Cramp bark relies on the group activity of its various constituents working to address muscle health. Herbal medicines in general strive to restore normal function to an area where that function has been compromised.

Ginkgo biloba promotes improved blood flow through arteries, veins and capillaries, about an hour after ingestion. Massage, as previously mentioned, helps offset the pain of cramps by stimulating circulation into the affected areas – as does ginkgo biloba.

Comfortable exercise is another effective way of helping overall circulation, especially in our legs when we walk. Walking also involves footwear, so before spending lots if money on elegant footwear, seek advice from a sports podiatrist or trained staff at a retail store on your best options to support the shape and structure of your foot – we are all different.

Rutin, which is also known as vitamin P and rutoside, is a bioflavonoid that’s found in certain foods, including apples, figs, most citrus fruits, buckwheat and green tea. Like all flavonoids, it has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. It is used in medicine to strengthen blood vessels, and to improve blood circulation.

A review published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences indicates that rutin preparations were reported to significantly reduce leg swelling, relieve leg pain, and reduce leg cramps, heaviness and itching. This is likely due to its ability to reduce inflammation and improve blood circulation.

Having understood what might increase your risk of leg cramps, let’s examine some quick options to reduce that risk

• Ensure that you hydrate consistently. That means different things to many of us, but essentially, if you are doing something which uses muscles consistently, drink more water across that activity. Carry water on your walks, keep water handy during your gardening, and rehydrate at the end of that activity.
• Be aware of your limitations. We all believe (especially men) that we are invincible and that hydration is a sign of weakness. Really?
• Seek advice from your pharmacist about your medications. Might some medications cause dehydration and to what extent might that happen? Many medicines are combination types, where a low-dose diuretic is included, that inclusion can be the dehydration culprit here.
• Enjoy your exercise most days. Wear comfortable footwear at all times and be aware of weather conditions at the time.
• Seek appropriate guidance from your trusted health practitioner at any time.

Most of all, enjoy life to the fullest!

References:

• The A-Z of Modern Herbalism by Simon Y. Mills
• Herbs & Supplements – An evidence-based guide by Braun & Cohen
• Herbal Remedies. Harmful and Beneficial Effects by Talalaj & Czechowicz