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| common areas of leg cramps |
"Does anyone have any ideas of what to do about ongoing leg/foot cramps?"
As the Facebook responses flowed, I learned that my friend, like many people, suffers from the annoying nocturnal leg cramp that can appear several times a night, out of the blue and with no real explanation or link as to why it is occurring.
What are noncturnal leg cramps?
Nocturnal leg cramping has been a bit of a mystery for health professionals to solve because often the specific cause is unknown. What is known however, is that the leg cramps are muscular spasms that may be caused by trigger points (knots) within the Gastrocnemius muscle contributing to myofascial pain and referred pain patterns into the calf and sole of the foot.
There are many factors that contribute to the symptoms of nocturnal leg pain and Gastrocnemius dysfunction including: overuse syndrome, muscle fatigue, dehydration, poor muscle conditioning or low levels of essential body minerals like magnesium, potassium and sodium.
Six tips to Preventing Noncturnal Leg Cramping
If you experience nocturnal leg cramping, you don't have to suffer with it. A good deep tissue massage that treats the trigger points and myofascial pain will assist in easing the frequency of night cramps, along with addressing any structural or postural issues.
However, there is also plenty you can do for yourself to prevent the reoccurrence of nocturnal leg cramps:
What are noncturnal leg cramps?
Nocturnal leg cramping has been a bit of a mystery for health professionals to solve because often the specific cause is unknown. What is known however, is that the leg cramps are muscular spasms that may be caused by trigger points (knots) within the Gastrocnemius muscle contributing to myofascial pain and referred pain patterns into the calf and sole of the foot.
There are many factors that contribute to the symptoms of nocturnal leg pain and Gastrocnemius dysfunction including: overuse syndrome, muscle fatigue, dehydration, poor muscle conditioning or low levels of essential body minerals like magnesium, potassium and sodium.
Six tips to Preventing Noncturnal Leg Cramping
If you experience nocturnal leg cramping, you don't have to suffer with it. A good deep tissue massage that treats the trigger points and myofascial pain will assist in easing the frequency of night cramps, along with addressing any structural or postural issues.
However, there is also plenty you can do for yourself to prevent the reoccurrence of nocturnal leg cramps:
- Stretch the calf muscles three times a day and before going to bed.Face a wall and put your hands on the wall and keep them there. Step backward. Keep your knees locked. Keep your heels on the floor until you feel a strong pull in your calves. Hold that position for 10 seconds. Repeat two or three times.
- Exercise feet and legs regularly.
- Drink plenty of liquids.
- Eat plenty of potassium-rich foods. This includes bananas, tomatoes, potatoes, broccoli, cantaloupe, oranges, and grapefruit.
- Wear comfortable, supportive shoes.
- Sleep with toes up, not pointed downward.
Nicola
Nocturnal cramps can be mystery sometimes. Since there are still lots of speculations about it, the best thing we can do is to follow the tips above to avoid cramps. In addition, it is helpful to drink milk before going to sleep since a deficiency in calcium can also be a cause of this condition. Be sure to bundle up too during cold weather to warm those muscles up. I hope these help! =)
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Kristal Byrnes