leg cramps

[Guest guest]

What works for me: To relieve leg cramps, try doing GENTLE hamstring

stretches a couple of times every day, as a preventative treatment, over

time it helps. Do some walking, if it doesn't make the cramps start up. Try

taking calcium tablets, with magnesium, I use Swiss Cal-Mag. You can buy a

cheap pill crusher and add the crushed tablets to a smoothie, and this

shouldn't upset your stomach. Calcium works better if taken with Vitamin C.

Eat an orange or take a Swiss Chewable Vitamin C.

Drink more milk if you aren't allergic to it. Gingko Biloba can help, it

thins the blood slightly, increasing blood flow. Garlic does the same thing,

Kyolic formula #104 is good and doesn't make you smell like garlic. Vitamin

E can help too.

One more thing you can try, buy a cow magnet and put it in your bed, where

your legs are. It might help. Sounds crazy but it worked for my brother. I

want to buy one and try it too. Old folk remedy from my Dad. A cow magnet

can be purchased at Farm Co-op stores, its about 2 or 3 inches long and

about 3/4 of an inch thick, heavy, looks like steel, kind of bullet shaped,

but is magnetic. Here's a link so you can see what they look like.

http://doityourself.com/store/9907361.htm

The advice gave on pulling your toes up really works. I've used this

for years. It stretches out the muscle. Hurts like the dickens sometimes,

but works. If you can't reach your toes, do what I do, and press your toes

on top of the other foot and pull them up with your other foot. Or put your

foot on the floor, bend your knee and press your foot into the floor. This

stretches the calve and stops the cramp fast.

Hot water also helps, get a hot, wet washcloth, wrung out really really

well, and slap that on the cramped muscle. Replace with a hot water bottle

as soon as you can stand up long enough to fill one.

I have leg cramps and back spasms and even get them in my thumbs (from CTS),

and moist heat works great, but massage and stretching are great when you

can't get access to heat. I sometimes get leg cramps so severe that I wake

up screaming from the pain, and I literally try to run or climb out of the

bed, in my sleep. I don't get them that severe too often, but I've had this

problem all my life, so I've learned what helps.

I hope you find some relief,

Emmy

I can tell you from having those cramps during pregnancy, that it's often

linked to low potassium/calcium. But, as for enduring one.... the minute

you feel it, pull your toes up as if you were trying to get them to your

knees. This flexes the muscle and helps it to let go of the cramp. Keep

your toes pulled back hard until the cramp is well gone. Worked for me.