Help for Leg Cramps

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Help for Leg Cramps

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Help for Leg Cramps

What To Do About Night Leg Cramps

If you occasionally get cramps in your legs at night, you know how painful they can be. Cramping usually occurs in the calf muscles. Cramping in the thighs or feet is less common.

Prevention

Doctors at the Mayo Clinic say these actions help prevent night leg cramps.

Be sure you are adequately hydrated. Drink water and other liquids throughout the day, especially if you have engaged in physical activity. Continue drinking fluids after being active. It helps muscles contract and relax.
Stretch before bed, especially muscles that have cramped before. For a calf stretch, step forward on the offending leg and slightly bend your knee. Hold for several seconds.
Wear shoes that have proper support to help prevent leg cramps.
Do some light exercise for a few minutes before retiring. Ride a stationary bike, for example.
Loosen the bed covers and bed sheets at the foot of the bed.

Treatment

Pain from leg cramps can last from a few seconds to 15 minutes or more.

Stretch the leg out to relieve a sudden spasm. Or hold the top of your foot up toward your head to relieve a calf spasm. Gently massage the area.
Use cold or heat. Apply a cold pack, a warm towel or a heating pad. Taking a hot bath or shower can help.
You may experience relief from the cramp very quickly with an acupressure technique. Take hold of the philtrum, (the area just above the upper lip) with your thumb and forefinger and pinch it with firm steady pressure while slightly twisting. Continue with firm pressure for two minutes or until the pain subsides, whichever comes first.