8 Natural Remedies For Muscle Cramps
This condition causes painful sudden and involuntary contractions to one or more of your muscles.
It tightens your muscles for a few minutes before it relaxes. Your muscles will feel hard and bulged, sometimes you would see your muscles moving as it is contracting.
These contractions can range from mild to invigorating.
This can wake you up at night giving you painful cramps that feel like it’s being crushed by something.
It often occurs in the legs, although it’s harmless, this condition can make it temporarily difficult and painful to use the affected muscle.
The usual reasons for this occurrence are excessive use of muscle or long periods of exercise.
Excessively using your muscles can trigger a muscle cramp. This is why some people experience this when they’re swimming and paddling their legs a lot.
It can also be triggered by taking certain medication or may also be caused by certain medical conditions.
This condition is extremely common and is very normal to happen, especially if you like exercising a lot.
Cramps of the extremities, especially your legs, feet, and calf are very common.
The causes for muscle cramps include:
Low levels of potassium
Low levels of calcium
Low levels of magnesium
Overusing the muscles
Muscle injuries
Dehydration
Pregnancy
Alcoholism
Spinal nerve compression
Kidney failure
Alcoholism
Hypothyroidism
Standing or walking for too long
Don’t worry, there are simple and easy ways to stop a muscle cramp. Here are some of the ways you fan stop it:
Stretch your muscles often or do stretches before exercising.
Massage your muscles to easily relax it.
Use an ice or cold compress wrapped in a piece of cloth.
Take a warm or hot shower to relax those muscles. Or you can use a hot compress or heating pad.
Drink plenty of fluids to avoid getting dehydrated and getting muscle cramps.
The usual and fastest way to treat muscle cramps include taking over-the-counter pain medication, like ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or naproxen.
Though if you choose to use pain relievers, be sure to only consume the prescribed amount, as it may lead to side effects.
Muscle cramps are generally painful yet very harmless, however, it can be very annoying when it happens frequently.
Natural Remedies are the best go-to for a simple, affordable, and natural way for treating your muscle cramps.
Natural Remedies for muscle cramps include:
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Cherry Juice
Cherries have been suggested to be as effective as aspirin at relieving pain and reducing inflammation.
This is due to their antioxidant anthocyanins, which protects cells from rapidly growing also because of its powerful anti-inflammatory properties.
A study found that drinking tart cherry juice for one whole week can help minimize post-run muscle pains and strains.
Magnesium
This is an essential mineral for the body as it is important for almost all the bodily functions as well as for proper muscle contractions.
The foods that are high in magnesium include cashews, almonds, edamame, black beans, and spinach.
You may also take this through magnesium supplements, except for older adults and infants. High doses of magnesium may cause stomach cramps and diarrhea.
A study involved adults to take magnesium oxide capsules in treating their muscle cramps.
It was reported that magnesium oxide supplements were better than a placebo capsule in reducing night cramps.
This is also beneficial for pregnant women experiencing muscle cramps. They can just eat magnesium-rich foods to take care of the problem.
Curcumin
This component can be found in ginger, cinnamon, and turmeric.
This has long been used in Chinese and Indian traditional Medicine for its anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties.
A study found that curcumin supplementation caused a decrease in muscle pain symptoms as well as, reduced inflammation.
This study suggests that a daily dose or curcumin supplements can help with muscle soreness.
Fortunately, that’s not the only way to get curcumin, you can also get them from mixing turmeric powder with your dishes.
Pomegranate
This is a fruit with numerous medicinal properties and has been cultivated for centuries. The whole fruit, including the root and seed contains valuable antioxidants.
Polyphenols are responsible for giving pomegranate its distinct vibrant color.
Polyphenols are actually micronutrients found in plant-based foods. Polyphenols or phenolics, offers several health benefits such as reducing inflammation and protecting the cardiovascular system.
The type of antioxidant for improving muscle recovery and strength found in pomegranate, is called gallic acid.
Pomegranates are said to be filled with nitrates — chemicals that are naturally occurring in a variety of plant foods, and convert it to nitric oxide.
Lemongrass
This has been a staple in Ayurvedic medicine, for its health benefits.
This is known to be a great natural treatment for muscle cramps because it alleviates stress in the tissue as well as helps the muscles relax.
This has been used for foods, fragrance for household products, pesticide, repellent, and also a safe way to fight off fatigue.
In addition to that, chinese herbalists have long used lemongrass to treat a variety of ailments, including: colds, fungal infections, stomach aches, digestion issues, spasms, toothaches, the buildup of mucus, and rheumatic pain.
Lemongrass also kills germs, stops flatulence, acts as a diuretic, increases kidney health, serves as a sedative, treats ringworm, and is an effective tonic.
Capsaicin
This is a substance found in peppers such as the cayenne pepper.
This is a natural muscle relaxant which is often recommended for people with fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis.
This can be added to your food through the use of cayenne powder, or you can consume it via capsule form or you can use it topically as a cream.
Peppermint Oil
This is a popular remedy for muscle pain and soreness. Consuming peppermint orally, have been said to effectively relieve pain.
This is also beneficial when used topically on the affected muscle because it provides a cooling effect which temporarily relaxes and numbs the muscle.
This cannot be used for people with problems in the bile duct, liver, or gallbladder, as it can make your condition much worse.
Blueberries
This contains polyphenols which are valued for its ability to protect cells from damage.
In addition to that, polyphenols are antioxidants which have been known to help reduce muscle pain and reduce the inflammation, making it a perfect post-workout snack.
This also contains anthocyanins which are flavonoids found in berries.
This enhances blood flow and reduces muscle inflammation, especially after an intense workout.
Blueberries will help your body replenish its energy levels and mend any damage done to your muscles.