Apply heat: Use a heating pad or take a warm bath. Apply cold: Wrap a bag of ice in a towel and apply it to the area. Take pain medications: Take ibuprofen or acetaminophen to help with the pain. Elevate: Prop up your leg after the cramp starts to feel better.
Too little potassium, calcium or magnesium in the diet can cause leg cramps. Medicines often prescribed for high blood pressure can cause increased urination, which may drain the body of these minerals.
Bananas: A Time-Tested Treatment
You probably know that bananas are a good source of potassium. But they'll also give you magnesium and calcium. That's three out of four nutrients you need to ease muscle cramps tucked under that yellow peel.
Leg cramps can occur for no apparent reason, known as idiopathic leg cramps, or as a symptom or complication of a health condition, known as secondary leg cramps. Causes of secondary leg cramps can include: pregnancy. exercise.
In general, they're likely the result of tired muscles and nerve problems. The risk of having night leg cramps increases with age. Pregnant people also are more likely to have night leg cramps. Kidney failure, diabetic nerve damage and problems with blood flow are known to cause night leg cramps.
But if your symptoms persist even after at-home remedies, it could be more than just leg pain—it could be your heart. Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a condition that is marked by limited blood flow to the limbs, particularly your legs, as a result of plaque buildup in your arteries.
Because many muscle cramps are related to electrolyte imbalance, foods that are high in electrolytes, like potassium, can be helpful in stopping them before the start. Though bananas are the most popular high-potassium food, other foods, including avocados, potatoes and leafy greens, also pack a potassium punch.
Acetic acid is postulated to mitigate cramping by decreasing alpha motor neuron activity through oropharyngeal stimulation and inhibitory neurotransmitter production, while aiding in the role acetylcholine plays in muscle contraction and relaxation.
The exact cause of cramp is unknown but risk factors may include poor physical condition, mineral and electrolyte imbalances and tight, inflexible muscles. Cramps are usually harmless but may sometimes be symptomatic of an underlying medical disorder, such as atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries).
High blood pressure can lead to peripheral arterial disease (PAD), where narrowing of the blood vessels restricts the blood flow to the legs and feet, causing pain.
Swollen legs, ankles, or feet: When your veins can't push blood upward towards your heart, it can collect in your lower extremities. This blood pooling puts extra pressure on the area, causing fluid buildup and swelling. Muscle cramping: Inconsistent blood flow may lead to muscle cramps, aches, and pains.
Many people with peripheral artery disease have mild or no symptoms. Some people have leg pain when walking (claudication). Claudication symptoms include muscle pain or cramping in the legs or arms that begins during exercise and ends with rest. The pain is most commonly felt in the calf.
Leg pain and cramping is common and often due to muscle spasms. While this pain can feel severe, it is usually not serious. But, sometimes, what feels like a leg cramp may actually be something more serious: a blood clot in your leg, also called a deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
Oxygen deprivation in muscles results in cramps as lack of gas results in the production of lactic acid in muscles. A muscle cramp occurs when the muscle contracts involuntarily and does not relax.
If too much salt is lost, the level of fluid in the blood will drop. Hyponatremia is a condition that occurs when the sodium in your blood falls below the normal range of 135–145 mEq/L. In severe cases, low sodium levels in the body can lead to muscle cramps, nausea, vomiting and dizziness.
Dark, Leafy Greens
Greens are among the more unexpected foods that deliver minerals that might help with muscle cramps. These are an excellent source of magnesium and potassium that can help replenish low levels of these minerals. Hunnes adds that they can also help with hydration since they're also full of water.