leg cramps

[desie]

A sip of brine (e.g. pickle juice) is supposed to fool the brain into releasing the cramp.

[Mickey12]

Julie,

What do you do with the soap? Do you rub it on the area of the cramp or are the fumes supposed to help? I'm very confused. Luckily I don't get leg cramps too often.

Kim

[Jewels5]

Originally Posted by Mickey12

Julie,

What do you do with the soap? Do you rub it on the area of the cramp or are the fumes supposed to help? I'm very confused. Luckily I don't get leg cramps too often.

Kim

Sorry that wasn't clear! Supposedly just keeping a bar of soap at the foot of the bed under the sheets will stave them off, but all I did was pressed my foot against the bar of soap while lying down. I honestly don't know if it's the fumes/aroma or what that is supposed to relieve the cramping, but it has worked for me, so much that I keep a bar sitting in my drawer of my nightstand. The nighttime cramping was so bad for awhile that I feared going to sleep at night.

[mercedes]

My husband was also waking up with pain in his shin. He started resting his leg on a pillow while sleeping and the pain went away. Apparently, it was the position he was sleeping in that was causing the cramp/knot/pain.

[toaster]

I wish some of these strategies worked for me! I get awful cramps in my feet and toes; they don't happen all the time but seem to go in phases. I drink a ton and take various supplements (including magnesium for migraines), so I don't think dehydration or a specific deficiency is the cause.

In fact, the only trigger I am aware of is when I flex my foot a certain way--for example, performing child pose in yoga is often (but not always!) a trigger, so I have to be careful, or lying face down with my toes pointed. But sometimes I can just be sitting and move my foot wrong!

[ARTmethodfan]

I just wanted to add that if the area is swollen, tender or warm - you should have this checked by a physician.

[Rivercat]

I go through phases where I get leg and foot cramps a lot at night, especially if I wake up and move my leg a certain way. The only thing that seems to work consistently for me is a homeopathic remedy that contains quinine, though there are a lot of warnings about quinine so definitely check with your doctor first.

Thankfully I don't get cramps very often anymore--there were times they left my legs sore for hours afterward

[patriots]

I was thinking arnica and powdered magnesium nightly too…..

[katmom]

I will get foot/leg cramps just from wearing different shoes. I guess the cramps are a result of using the muscles differently when I change up my shoes. After being awakened multiple nights in a row, I started using a small foam roller for my feet each night before going to bed. For the most part, this has helped with the nightly wake-up from the cramps.

[Jewels5]

I get the feet cramps too, but they don't last long and I never get them in my sleep for some reason. I often get them while doing the floor work in Classical Stretch. I will have to remember the foam rolling tip; thanks katmom!