Putting A Stop To Muscle Cramps

By Laura Schwecherl

Cramps, stitches and spasms -- oh my! They sure are painful, but can we stop the pain or prevent them from happening in the first place?

Whether we call them cramps, stitches or just a pain in the butt, muscle contractions can strike without warning, putting a serious damper on any workout, practice or especially intense game of charades. But what's to blame for these uncomfortable muscle troubles? And is there a way to stop them in their tracks?

Crampin' My Style -- The Need-To-Know
It seems no one’s completely safe from muscle cramps, which commonly attack the calf muscles, hamstrings, quadriceps, arms, and abs. But what’s going on behind the pain? In a perfect world, muscle fibers shorten and lengthen back up when they contract. A cramp occurs when the muscle fibers stay shortened, causing tension along with that irritable, squeezing sensation.

Muscle spasms can also happen off the court, creeping in when we least expect it. Cramps can occur up to six hours after exercise (talk about a sneak attack!) so we may not be safe even after hitting the showers. And don't rule out the notorious charley horse, which often attacks the leg muscles in the middle of the night (and we thought nightmares were bad news).

Cramp On, Cramp Off -- Your Action Plan
Sorry to say, there are no 100 percent proven ways to prevent these knots from tying up our workouts. Still, scientists have looked at ways that may help prevent -- or even stop -- a muscle cramp from occurring. So try out these suggestions for combating cramps:

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Comments

[theicewarrior94]

02:40 PM on 03/16/2012

i train alot of cross fitness workouts about 4 times a week, i have not had any problems with my body ive gained crazy amount of strength im able to do things i thought were impossible. heres another tip about water..

if you drink about 1-2liters as soon as you wake up you can keep 15% of your strength,if you dont drink enough water an then workout later at around 5pm youll feel the decrease an -15% on your strength levels water is very important an it avoids cramps ,dry areas become hard to move in side the body,drinking water keeping it hydrated willl keep you moving its how my cross fit teams works!

[nanaofmysky]

12:04 PM on 03/14/2012

I get sever leg cramps at night when I have had a really busy day at work. Sometimes so bad I am up for a few hours before they ease off. My Doctor said to drink tonic water,I have not tried it yet because I do not like tonic water. I was also told sports drinks will help. Again I do not care for those because of the sugar. The only thing I can do is try walking it off and massaging ( sp ) the area. I eat bananas daily and drink plenty of water.

[cantbreallife]

03:05 PM on 03/14/2012

Tonic water has a small amount of quinine in that helps with the cramps. I drink it and I also drink the G2 water with a half of a banana before I go to bed. It helps the night cramps a lot.

[nanaofmysky]

04:11 PM on 03/14/2012

Thank-you for the info. I'll try it tonight,since I need to get up 3:30-4 am for work. I really need to get some sleep.

[Drewsky3d]

09:46 AM on 03/16/2012

I used to build roller coasters and with the climbing all the time (sometimes carrying heavy wood or steel) came severe night cramping. I always stretched out first thing in the morning and a few times a day....I was hydrated, tried vitamins and foods like bananas, and milk. When I worked in France I went to a doctor who prescribed me Quinine Sulfate (same as your tonic water but higher dose). It helped some, but I still had many painful nights and in the states it was illegal...something about possible heart complications I believe (I didn't care...make it stop hurting!). In Maine a doctor gave me Fiorinol...It worked amazingly well, but it is a narcotic and comes with a buzz and addiction issues, not good for my job. In Mexico the doctor gave me Naproxen Sodium, active ingredient in Aleve, and I still use it now. I took two 500mg pills a night (I take 3 Aleve now) when I have a particularly difficult day. I will still occasionally cramp, but the pain is simply annoying instead of debilitating. If you can find any other way to alleviate these painful lockups, please let me know.....ty

[nanaofmysky]

03:57 PM on 03/16/2012

Drewsky3d..........I take Aleve also and found the jell caps work much better. My sister got Advil Night Time from the States for me. I take 2 at night and they do help me a little. What I can get here ( Canada ) are not the same as what I get from the States. I do not know why but they are. I am a cook so I can not take anything that is going to make me more dippy than I already am. LOL. But that is how I feel. JUST STOP THE PAIN!! I DO NOT CARE HOW ! I get really bad migrains too.

[forrestly7]

10:05 AM on 03/14/2012

Magnesium is the best remedy for cramps. Best to take ionic magnesium citrate...best absorption/assimilation and gentle on the stomach.

[LarryMatt]

07:42 AM on 03/15/2012

Interesting! I just went yesterday afternoon to my local Whole Foods and spoke with a very experienced lady from the large vitamins selection. She recommended Solgar's magnesium citrate. I'll let you know how it works.

I have gotten cramps for years in my toes, calves, and hams. Normally at night while asleep. I get up, walk around, and stretch the area and try to mentally release some of the tension as well. Drink a glass of water and head back to bed. Within the last two weeks, I have now had three episodes with adductor cramps along the tight inner thigh. It was different. I have never ever had such severe pain. It wouldn't go away. Walking made it worse. I almost fainted from the pain. It made me nauseous, light headed, and left me very weak feeling after it finally subsided about 10 minutes later.

I really enjoy working in the garden. Many afternoons, I kneel to weed or divide plants and up and down 40-50 times in a few hours. I don't mind typical leg cramps but I will do anything to avoid another onset of adductor cramps.

[forrestly7]

11:15 AM on 03/15/2012

Great! I hope it helps!...if not, you may want to consider a magnesium called Ionic Fizz...it's a powdered drink mix with pure ionic magnesium. Very good for cramps and relaxation.

[Kim Bell Thibodeaux]

09:10 AM on 03/14/2012

I was suffering from cramps several times a night for a few weeks - calf, top of my foot. Very painful and does not lead to a good night's sleep. Anyway, shortly after this I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and put on a medicine for it. That was in December and I have not had any cramps since then. Not sure if there is a connection but you may want to check your blood pressure if you are suffering from night cramps.