Muscle Cramps

Muscle cramps are a common problem. People who have experienced a muscle cramp after exercise, at night, or randomly during the day could all agree it is reasonably painful. The most common places for muscle cramps are in the arch of the foot, the thigh, and the calf.

HOW TO PREVENT
One reason for muscle cramps is a lack of magnesium and calcium. For more magnesium you could eat dark green vegetables, nuts, legumes, and whole grains. For more calcium you could eat dairy products, broccoli, legumes, and spinach. During pregnancy it is normal to have low magnesium and calcium, so pregnant women might need to take supplements to help with their muscle cramps.

A lack of potassium has also been seen as a contributor to muscle cramps. So make sure to eat those bananas.

Another reason for muscle cramps is dehydration. Refer to the post below about staying hydrated. Also, drinks with electrolytes such as sports drinks may help to prevent muscle cramps during physical activity.

Stretching is a great way to prevent muscle cramps. A good warm-up and warm-down during physical activity will help prevent over-exertion muscle cramps. If you get them at night, then stretch before you go to bed.

One reason for night cramps might be the position of the foot. Heavy blankets can push down on your foot at night making the foot in the pointed position. This cramps up the foot and the calf.

HOW TO TREAT
There are three ways how to treat a muscle cramp:

1. Stretch the muscle immediately until the muscle has relaxed.
2. Gently massage the muscle or put some heat on the muscle to help it relax.

3. An acupressure technique is to pinch really hard on the upper lip right below the nose.