Answer: There is some evidence that vitamin D, vitamin B6, vitamin B-12, potassium, curcumin, tart cherry juice, omega-3 fatty acids, and taurine may be beneficial for certain types of muscle pain or leg cramps in some people.
Vitamins B1, B12, and D may help relieve them, along with potassium and magnesium.
Leg pain can be due to a muscle cramp (also called a charley horse). Common causes of cramps include: Dehydration or low amounts of potassium, sodium, calcium, or magnesium in the blood.
Vitamin D can be used to help patients suffering from muscle pain or weakness. Providing Vitamin D supplementation can also prove to be beneficial for the elderly since they are more prone to suffering from falls.
Magnesium. Zinc, vitamin B12 or vitamin D.
Since magnesium plays a role in neuromuscular transmission and muscle contraction, it has been hypothesised that magnesium deficiency may predispose to muscle cramps. Thus magnesium supplements are often recommended to prevent cramps.
Vitamin D deficiency can cause muscle aches, weakness, and bone pain in people of all ages.
Magnesium contributes to flexibility and helps to prevent injury by loosening tight muscles. Without enough magnesium, muscles can't properly relax, possibly causing cramps. Low magnesium can create a buildup of lactic acid, known to cause post-workout pain and tightness.
When vitamin D levels are low and the body isn't able to properly absorb calcium and phosphorus, there is an increased risk of bone pain, bone fractures, muscle pain and muscle weakness.
Muscle cramps and strain play a part, but a number of health conditions may also result in leg pain, such as arthritis, gout, deep vein thrombosis, peripheral neuropathy, and sciatica.
Common causes of lower leg ache at night may include muscle cramps, muscle or tendon inflammation, bone fracture, blood clots (such as deep vein thrombosis [DVT]), varicose veins, peripheral artery disease (PAD), peripheral neuropathy, pregnancy, gout, and inflammatory arthritis.
1. Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids , which are abundant in fatty fish such as salmon or tuna, are among the most potent anti-inflammatory supplements. These supplements may help fight several types of inflammation, including vascular inflammation.
A significant body of research has found that increasing your magnesium intake can help with the frequency of night time leg cramps, especially for pregnant women. Health experts recommend getting at least 300 milligrams of magnesium each day.
Magnesium deficiency is diagnosed via a blood test and sometimes a urine test. Your doctor may order the blood test if you have symptoms such as weakness, irritability, abnormal heart rhythm, nausea and/or diarrhoea, or if you have abnormal calcium or potassium levels.
Muscle cramps and weakness
If a B12 deficiency is preventing the body from producing enough red blood cells to get oxygen to muscle tissues, you may experience associated symptoms, like sporadic muscle cramps or weakness [3].
The most prevalent symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency are neurologic, such as paresthesia in hands and feet, muscle cramps, dizziness, cognitive disturbances, ataxia, and erectile dysfunction, as well as fatigue, psychiatric symptoms like depression, and macrocytic anemia.
Chronic magnesium deficiency is very often the primary cause of leg cramps. The imbalance in mineral levels makes the nervous system more excitable, causing painful leg cramps. If the symptoms occur frequently despite an adequate supply of magnesium, you should consult a doctor.
How much magnesium should I take for leg cramps? You should try your best to avoid a magnesium deficiency. For adults aged 19-51, the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of magnesium is 400-420 mg per day for men and 310-320 mg for women. Pregnancy changes the calculation slightly, upping the RDA to 350-360 mg.
Even a small dose of quinine might be helpful. Many other readers have also shared success stories with tonic water against nighttime leg cramps.