Muscle pain can be debilitating… Read about what the causes are and the methods for relieving them.

Leg Cramp Remedy

When 36 year old Aaron Powell, a software engineer by profession, woke up on Sunday morning and found that the muscles in his back and legs were killing him, he knew he would have to call it quits about joining his friends on the day long hiking trip they had planned. He knew what had brought on the pain in his muscles; he had been hauling furniture into the new apartment he had moved into, practically all through Saturday.

While everybody experiences the occasional muscle pain some time or the other in their lives, for people who suffer from chronic muscle pain, it can be an incapacitating condition, with the quality of life deteriorating to a great extent. Muscle pain may be caused by a specific injury, or due to muscular spasms, or because it affects the soft connective tissues surrounding muscles such as tendons, ligaments, and fascia, or it could be as a result of a broader condition, like arthritis. It can range in intensity from aches that come on infrequently to disabling, chronic pain.

Usually, muscle pain is linked to overuse, physical exertion, or injury due to exercise. In such cases, the pain tends to affect specific muscles, starting either during the activity or after it. Tension can also result in muscle pain.

In the United States, pain in the muscle is the second most prevalent reason for visits to the doctor. According to estimates, 80 percent of Americans experience muscle pain, of some type or the other, at some part of their lives or the other. People often push their muscles right to their limits, and sometimes even beyond that. If muscles are pushed to limits that are beyond their capacity, the fibers in them begin tearing.

In fact, severely overworked muscles can develop innumerable tiny tears. The body responds by repairing these small little tears, and this is what causes the familiar ache and tightness we feel when we get a muscle pain. While most of these just cause minor discomfort, others can result in permanent disability, especially when the back and neck are affected. While there are many therapies that can provide muscle pain relief, choosing amongst them is largely dependent upon the cause of the muscle pain, how severe it is along with its duration, and of course according to what the doctor prescribes or the patient chooses.

Prescription and Over-The-Counter Medicines

These medications, which include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen, or Tylenol, are used to alleviate muscle pain. Certain nutritional supplements may also be advised in order to provide muscle pain relief. For instance, magnesium and calcium supplements are used for treating leg cramps that develop in the night. Enzyme therapy, containing bromelain, are also used to treat certain kinds of muscle pain.

Massage and Bodywork Therapies

Bodywork therapies are highly useful for providing muscle pain relief and restoring full body function. Massage, in particular, is often recommended to relieve tension and pain, which helps to increase blood circulation, thus bringing nutrients and oxygen to the muscles that are affected and also help to carry away toxic substances. If there is a strain in a muscle, a massage can prevent the shortening of the muscle while it heals.

Some of the other effective bodywork therapies are:

Reflexology: Pressure is applied to various reflex points on the hands and feet which helps the body to heal itself.

Shiatsu: This involves pressure applied with fingers to certain points on the meridians of the body, which improves circulation and eases pain.

Feldenkrais Method: In this method, new ways of moving the body helps to relax tense or cramped muscles.

Rolfing: Connective tissue and muscles are manipulated, which realigns the body according to the field of gravity.

Trained practitioners are required to perform these therapies.

Aromatherapy

In this therapy, essential oils from certain herbs and plants are used for muscle pain relief, along with any inflammation or spasms that may accompany it. The oils are usually applied with compresses or gentle massages. Some of them can also be added to warm bathwater. Some of the common essential oils used for muscle pain are: helichrysum, ginger, peppermint, marjoram, and thyme.

At-Home Remedies

At-home remedies like ice packs are also effective for relieving muscle pain, as are physical aides like wrist wraps and back braces, which hold bones and joints in their correct positions, thus helping to reduce strain being put on the affected muscles.

Exercises for Muscle Strengthening

Physical therapists or doctors also usually prescribe certain exercises, which help in increasing muscular flexibility and strength. A physical therapy course is also useful for educating patients about the importance of using ergonomic tools, like padded chairs, which help to reduce strain on muscles. Therapists also teach patients the correct ways of sitting, lifting, walking, or doing work that requires repetitive movements, in order to prevent problems in the future.

Foot cramps rarely interfere with our routine activities and shouldn’t be very worrisome. Yet, that specific span where one experiences foot cramps is particularly agonizing.

 The frequency of muscle cramps in the foot is more amongst sports persons and aging individuals. Feet being the organ of maximum weight bearing, foot cramps are more common than any other muscle spasms in the body.

What are foot cramps?

Foot cramps are jerky non-voluntary spasms in a muscle or a muscle group extending from few minutes to few days. The aggravated pain is because of the muscle contracting without effective shortening of the muscle. Spasm might leave the muscle sore even after the pain is gone.

Which are the regions of the foot affected?

Inner arch of the foot and toes of the feet, especially the big toe. Other common leg regions affected are thigh and calf muscles.

What are the causes of foot cramps?

• Sedentary lifestyle leading to obesity and muscle weakness
• Flat feet or hyper flexible joints
• Injury caused by repetitive motion
• Lack of muscle strengthening exercise
• Sudden increase in the intensity of workouts increases the pressure on foot
• Increased breathing during cardio exercises cause lower availability of calcium in blood
• Poor blood circulation and hence lower supply of oxygen in the blood as seen in alcoholics and smokers
• Electrolyte imbalance pertaining to low calcium and potassium levels as well as high magnesium levels are related to spasms. Potassium imbalance disturbs the magnesium and calcium metabolism necessary for normal muscle contraction
• Vitamin D deficiency
• Inadequate hydration causes depletion of body fluids leading to cramps
• Hormonal imbalance can cause muscle cramping
• Foot problems like tendonitis and plantar fasciitis
• Old worn-out footwear
• Diseases like Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, multiple sclerosis, illnesses of the nervous system, diabetes, tetanus and thyroid problems can also cause cramps.

What are the home remedies and medications for foot cramps?

• The leg or the foot region with cramp should be moved in a direction opposite to the cramp to relive the undue stretch on the muscle. To relieve the cramp in the toes, they should be turned upwards. If the muscle spasm is in the calf region, “forced dorsiflexion of foot” relieves the muscle contraction and pain within seconds. Here, dorsiflexion means elevating the fore-foot keeping the heel stable.
• Prescribed pain-killers can take care of the pain if severe.
• Applying ice packs to the affected region helps in acute cases. However if the cramp persists for more than a day, warm water is recommended to reduce the muscle soreness.
• Affected area should be given adequate rest and an elastic bandage is used for compression that would promote quick healing.
• Massaging the cramped portion with ointment or massage oil helps reduce the muscle fatigue.
• Adequate supplements with professional medical advice is a must to correct the electrolyte and nutritional deficiencies

How can we prevent foot cramps

• Reclaim physical fitness to avoid muscle pain
• Proper warm-ups and cool downs before exercising or playing
• Stretching exercises to increase the overall muscle strength
• Use of proper sports gear or exercise equipment reduces the chances of spasms
• Adequate hydration should be maintained with water and other liquids.

Know more about other causes of heel pain

• Plantar Fasciitis Symptoms and Treatment
• Heel Spurs as a Cause of Heel Pain
• Heel Pain Caused by Tendonitis

This is just a quick post. I just did some research on what the most common searches on Google were concerning leg cramps.
I was trying to find what my readership was interested in so I could tailor this blog more closely to interest.

Here are over 50 of the most common Google searches:

running cramping
leg cramp relief
leg cramps and potassium
muscle cramps treatment
charley horse cramps
cramps when running
running stomach cramps
leg cramp remedies
severe muscle cramps
causes of muscle cramps
leg cramps charlie horse
cause of muscle cramps
calf leg cramps
magnesium leg cramps
muscle cramps legs
charlie horse pain
legcramps
cramps while running
nighttime leg cramps
leg cramps while sleeping
potassium leg cramps
calves cramps
nighttime cramps
running cramp
cause of leg cramps
leg cramps remedy
calf muscle cramps
leg cramps soap
charlie horse cramps
charlie horses cramps
nocturnal leg cramps
treatment leg cramps
what causes cramp
exercise cramps
leg muscle cramps
severe leg cramps
foot leg cramps
thigh cramps
cramps prevent
cramps nocturnal
leg cramps at night
leg cramping
running cramps
muscle cramping
cramps legs
toe cramps
calf cramp
leg cramps cause
calf cramps
leg cramps night
running legs
leg cramps causes
night cramps
muscle cramp
charlie horse
cramps leg