Leg Cramps is a condition in which one or more muscles in the leg get contracted. It is very painful and discomforting. It can affect any age group of persons, but are more commonly found among the elderly people. It generally occurs in the calf muscle, the hamstring and the quadriceps.
Leg cramps are an involuntary contraction of a single muscle or a group of muscles in the leg. These are usually painful and extremely discomforting. Leg cramps often occur in elderly patients though age is no criteria as it is often seen in young people too. Leg cramps generally occur in the calf muscle, the hamstring and the quadriceps. The duration of a leg cramp ranges from less than a minute to several minutes at times.
Massage the cramped muscle gently in the natural direction of the muscle. This remedy acts as a great pain reliever.
Stretching For muscle cramps in your calf, stretch your legleg with toes pointing upwards and towards the head. Hold this position for 30 seconds. This also eases cramps in the back of the thighs. For muscle cramps in your front thigh, pull your foot on the affected side towards your buttocks and hold for 30 seconds. Plan a good stretching regimen and follow it regularly to prevent future muscle cramps.
A useful method for relieving muscle cramps is to apply heating pad over the cramping area. Massaging the area will also be helpful. Persons suffering from leg cramps at night should keep bed covers loose, or use a foot cradle at night to keep the weight of the covers off the feet. Those sleeping on their stomach may extend their feet over the edge of the mattress to maintain a neutral foot position.
If you get leg cramps at night, try this: unwrap a bar of soap and put it under the bottom sheet of your bed where your legs will be. It should help right away.
When beginning a workout regime, it is imperative that you do so gradually. A sudden increase or changes in physical activity levels can cause leg cramps. Keep rolled up bed sheets or blankets at your feet to prevent your toes and feet from pointing downward while you are asleep. Riding a stationary bicycle for a few minutes before bedtime could prevent cramps from developing during the night.
It is not well known exactly how dehydration and muscle cramping are related, but it is known that dehydration can predispose to leg cramps. Drink at least three full glasses of water each day, including one before bedtime. Also drink plenty of fluid before, during, and after exercise.
One pressure point is between and to the front of the space between your big toe and the second toe. Firm pressure with one or two fingers at the onset of cramp will stop it instantly. The other pressure point is the Septum? Which is the lower bone between the nostrils? Firm pressure on this point with the inside of the forefinger at the first sign of lower leg cramp will stop it dead. This last one sounds silly I know but please try it as it nearly always works.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerious are leg cramps from advair use
By: Nanci | 07-08-2008
how dangerious are leg cramps from advair use
Running and walking buddy.
By: RobertsGirl87 | 03-08-2008
Looking for a Running and walking buddy in Ocean City NJ. Anyone?
Mother and daughter
By: voterperson | 29-07-2008
OK yesterday Doreen?s mom (in her 80?s) and Doreen (in her 50?s) went to see ?Mama Mia? which was wonderful. Any way as the movie started all of a sudden Doreen got very hot and extremely dizzy. (A few years ago Doreen got dizzy and she made the mistake of going to a few doctors, each one misdiagnosed why she was dizzy and with the medication each doctor gave Doreen, Doreen kept getting worse until she went to one doctor who cured Doreen).Mom: ?What is wrong?Doreen: ?I feel dizzy?The dizziness stopped but Doreen was nervous a little bit throughout the movie. When the movie ended:Mom: ?Just wait until we get into the car I want to talk to you?Doreen: ?Well if we are going to have a fight I don?t want to hear it?Mom: ?Then take the bus?But Doreen got into the carMom: ?You have to stop drinking coffee?Doreen: ?I know I am going to stop?(And Doreen thought that would be the end of the conversation - wrong)Mom: ?I know you drink coffee for weight loss. You don?t need to lose any more weight?Doreen: ?But I was always skinny?Mom: ?Yes but now you are even skinnier?This got Doreen mad and they had some fight. When they came home her mom said nasty things to Doreen and Doreen said nasty things back to her mom. Mom: ?You need to gain weight?Doreen: ?No I don?t?Mom: ?It isn?t just the coffee but the way you eat? Doreen: ?I like salads?Mom: ?But when you order a salad they give you mostly lettuce and six strips of chicken you leave over two.?When Doreen went on the computer she found out the reason she was getting dizzy and it was because of the herb she is taking but Doreen cannot tell her mom that because her mom is very opinionated. THEN TODAY; Doreen: ?Mom do you want to know why I got mad yesterday it is because you made it sound like I wasn?t always thin?Mom: ?That is how you hear it?Then about five minutes later they had a terrible fight because her mom started to rant and rave.Doreen: ?All I wanted was for you to answer that one question?Mom: ?OK yes you were fat before - how?s that? - her mom said this in a tone to get Doreen mad and upset.My question: How would you interpret both conversations and would do you think Doreen misinterpreted the word ?any more?? Would you think ?any more? means that Doreen?s mom did not think she was thin in the past. GIVE DETAILS
Two women peggy and tania
By: voterperson | 25-07-2008
FIRST STORY: YOU SEE THIS IS THE PART THAT BOTHERS PEGGY. WHAT SHE CANNOT UNDERSTAND IS IF SHE WAS ALWAYS SKINNY WHY WOULD TANIA SAY "GIRL YOU ARE SKINNY" ALSO CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY TANIA WOULD SAY ?YOU ARE SKINNY WHEN PEGGY IS ALREADY SKINNY MY QUESTION: DO YOU AGREE WITH WHAT I TOLD PEGGY?. ALSO IF SOMEONE IS ALREADY SKINNY WOULD THE COMMENT ?GIRL YOU ARE SKINNY, YOU LOST WEIGHT? STILL BE SAID ANYWAY (REGARDLESS). PEGGY AND TANIA STORY:QUESTION after you read the story: Did I give the right answer? STORY: Peggy was out sick for two days in a row with food poisoning. When Peggy came back to work she met Tania by the ladies roomTania: ?Girl you are skinny, you lost weight?(Peggy thought Tania was implying that Tania never thought Peggy was skinny before her two day illness - everyone is always telling Peggy she is skinny - all of her)Then at 3PM the following conversation took place:Peggy: ?Tania do you think I still look sick and pale?Tania ?You do look pale?Peggy ?Do I still look drawn like you told me earlier?Tania ? I didn?t say that. What I said was your face looked like it lost weight and when one isn?t smiling one looks paler and their face looks thinner? Peggy called me that night and related the story to me.Peggy ?Is Tania implying that she never thought I was skinny before my two day illness.I said: ?No Tania was not saying that at all. All Tania said was that your face looked skinnier
Tania and peggy so
By: voterperson | 09-07-2008
You see this is the part that bothers Peggy. What she cannot understand is if she was always skinny why would Tania say "Girl you are skinny" ALSO CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY TANIA WOULD SAY ?YOU ARE SKINNY WHEN PEGGY IS ALREADY SKINNY MY QUESTION: DO YOU AGREE WITH WHAT I TOLD PEGGY?. ALSO IF SOMEONE IS ALREADY SKINNY WOULD THE COMMENT ?GIRL YOU ARE SKINNY, YOU LOST WEIGHT? STILL BE SAID ANYWAY (REGARDLESS). PEGGY AND TANIA STORY:QUESTION after you read the story: Did I give the right answer? STORY: Peggy was out sick for two days in a row with food poisoning. When Peggy came back to work she met Tania by the ladies roomTania: ?Girl you are skinny, you lost weight?(Peggy thought Tania was implying that Tania never thought Peggy was skinny before her two day illness - everyone is always telling Peggy she is skinny - all of her)Then at 3PM the following conversation took place:Peggy: ?Tania do you think I still look sick and pale?Tania ?You do look pale?Peggy ?Do I still look drawn like you told me earlier?Tania ? I didn?t say that. What I said was your face looked like it lost weight and when one isn?t smiling one looks paler and their face looks thinner? Peggy called me that night and related the story to me.Peggy ?Is Tania implying that she never thought I was skinny before my two day illness.I said: ?No Tania was not saying that at all. All Tania said was that your face looked skinnier
Dad
By: Hello you | 08-07-2008
Did he know? Did he know I knew? How did I do?
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