Muscle Cramps
What do you do for muscle cramps?
A muscle cramp is a sudden, involuntary, painful muscle contraction. Muscle cramping can occur due to overexertion, dehydration, poor nutrition, or working a muscle too hard. Muscle cramps commonly affect the calf, thigh, and lower leg.
Frequent muscle cramps in the same muscle(s) can be due to muscle weakness or muscle strain from limited joint range of motion. A cramp occurs when your muscle is not able to keep up with the load placed on it.
Persistent muscle cramps can also indicate poor circulation, nerve compression or poor nutrition. If a muscle is not getting adequate nerve input or nutrition, it is more likely to cramp.
Risk factors
Factors that increase the risk of muscle cramps include: certain medications, exertion in hot weather, poor conditioning, age-related changes, pregnancy, having: diabetes, spinal stenosis, peripheral artery disease, kidney, heart, liver or thyroid disease.
Some medications such as diuretics (for high blood pressure) or statins (for high cholesterol) increase your chances of getting muscle cramps.
Excessive sweating causes you to become dehydrated and lose electrolytes, making you more susceptible to muscle cramping.
Not being in shape for an activity causes muscles to tire more easily making them more susceptible to cramps.
As we age, you lose muscle mass and flexibility, causing the muscle to become stressed more easily.
Finally, changes in hormones and blood pressure during pregnancy can lead to leg cramps.
Prevention and treatment
To prevent frequent muscle cramps, it is important to focus on: daily exercise, regular stretching, and adequate intake of water and electrolytes.
Here at Refuge Physiotherapy, we use: massage, body tempering, foam rolling, dry needling, manipulation, exercise, stretching, and education to treat and eliminate muscle cramps.
Gently rubbing or kneading the affected area with soft tissue massage can help relax the muscle, increases blood flow, and decreases the chances of cramping.
Body tempering uses a heavy weighted rod to mobilize, stretch, relax and improve circulation in muscles, tendons and fascia. This technique improves mobility, reduces pain, and minimizes post-workout soreness.
Dry needling uses thin, monofilament needles to stimulate and treat muscles, nerves and connective tissue to help manage movement restrictions and pain. Dry needling helps with muscle cramping by decreasing muscle tension and increasing blood flow to the affected area.
Joint manipulation is the application of a short, quick thrust to a joint. This helps with muscle cramps by improving joint hydration, reducing inflammation, and improving joint mobility in order to decrease the stress and strain on the adjacent muscles. If you have limited range of motion or a joint restriction, this can lead to increased muscle strain and frequent cramping until mobility is restored.
Consistent exercise improves strength and overall circulation, preventing muscle cramps. When working-out, implementing warm-up exercises can help prepare your muscles for activity and reduce the risk of muscle strain and cramping.
Implementing stretching and a cool down after exercising can help limit muscle soreness and cramps. Stretching muscles that are prone to cramping like your hamstrings and calves can help prevent cramping in these muscles.
Heat application to muscles promotes circulation and aids in muscle relaxation.
Patient education at Refuge includes diet and nutrition. Limiting your caffeine and alcohol intake can help with muscle cramps as these both cause dehydration, which worsens cramps. Eating leafy greens, bananas, and avocados provide you with good sources of magnesium and potassium. Supplementing your diet with: sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, potassium, vitamins D and B1 can reduce the frequency and intensity of muscle cramps.
If you experience frequent or severe muscle cramps, especially at night, consult Refuge Physiotherapy to help you determine the underlying cause and review potential treatment options.
