Home remedies for leg cramps are useful in avoiding these painful sensations. Safe, effective and easy to use, natural remedies for leg cramps offer sufferers a welcomed relief. Understanding what leg cramps are, learning about what causes them and knowing how to identify their symptoms is the best place to begin a discussion on home remedies for leg cramps.
Leg Cramps Definition
A leg cramp is characterized by an uncontrollable contraction of one or more muscles in the leg. This painful cramping often occurs in the calf muscle, but some report that it also occurs in the quadriceps and the hamstring and can last up to several minutes each time.
Causes of Leg Cramps
While an exact cause hasn’t been discovered yet, the following conditions contribute to the onset of leg cramps:
Symptoms of Leg Cramps
The symptoms of leg cramps are as follows:
- Tender muscles
- Pain in the leg
- An inability to move the leg while cramping persists
Home Remedies for Leg Cramps
Home remedies for leg cramps are easy to apply. A few of the best are:
- Pressing firmly on the upper leg, which can stimulate the meridian nerve leading to the entire leg and feet
- Hold the upper lip between the thumb and the forefinger while applying pressure in order to reduce leg cramping
- Massage the contracted muscle until the cramping subsides naturally
- Apply an icepack to help relieve muscle tension
- Apply a warm heating pad or towel to soothe an aching muscle that may linger after the cramp has subsided
- Take a hot bath or shower when a muscle cramp persists
- Practice contracting and relaxing muscles during a leg cramping episode
- Stretch and massage the muscle simultaneously until the cramp subsides naturally
- If caused by inactivity and excellent remedy for leg cramps involves engaging in moderate exercise, like riding a bike or walking
Since dehydration is one of the key causes of leg cramps, drinking lots of water throughout the day can help in avoiding them. A person who is prone to leg cramps should also be sure to adequately warm up before beginning an exercise routine. Also, increasing foods or taking supplements that are rich in calcium, magnesium and potassium are among the best home remedies for leg cramps.
A few useful herbs commonly used as herbal remedies for leg cramps are:
- Chamomile
- Cramp bark
- Red raspberry leaf tea
Those who take diuretic drugs or drink diuretic beverages, such as coffee and other caffeine drinks, will sometimes experience frequent muscle cramping in the legs. Reducing the intake of these is a very helpful remedy for leg cramps.
Natural cures and home remedies for leg cramps have been used to relieve painful and irritating symptoms for decades because they work. When leg cramps occur frequently, a person should assess their lifestyle and make necessary dietary and exercise adjustments in order to prevent their onset. However, when they do occur, home remedies for leg cramps work quickly at relaxing leg muscles once again.
