Legs
Leg cramps can attack seemingly out of nowhere and ruin a good night's sleep. They begin mostly in the calf muscle and pull tighter and tighter until you are in immense pain. If you experience this painful condition, you should know that they can happen to anyone, and there is no one, definitive cause. However, there are ways to deal with them so that you can get back to sleep in peace.
Eat Potassium
One potential link that the U.S. National Library of Medicine cites as the cause of night time leg cramps is a deficiency in potassium. Especially prevalent in pregnant women, a potassium deficiency can result in painful leg cramps that have lasting effects. The easiest way to combat this problem is to eat a banana daily. However, if you are allergic to or simply dislike bananas, you can take a potassium or multivitamin supplement to get the daily recommended dosage.
Massage Techniques
If you've ever woken in the middle of the night to the searing pain of a night time leg cramp, then you know that there isn't much you feel like doing other than writhing in pain. However, if you think quickly, you can head off the leg cramp and stop any after effects. Once you begin to feel your muscle tighten, reach down and grab your calf with one hand and begin kneading it. While doing this, reach down with your other hand and grab the foot of the leg that is being affected. Pull the ball of your foot so it is as close to your shin as possible, therefore stretching out your calf muscle. This should stop the cramp immediately.
Ice and Heat
If you have had a leg cramp and find that the next day you are having trouble walking or feel residual pain, try icing the leg until you feel the pain subside. Alternate between an icepack to dull the pain and a heat pad to relax the muscles. You can also take a pain reliever to help deal with the pain. If the cramps happen often, say more than once a month, mention it to your doctor and he can look for other risk factors that may be making you susceptable to night time leg cramps.
Tags: calf muscle, deal with, know that, night time, night time cramps, reach down, time cramps
