Anthony Jackson, 60, has suffered from severe leg cramps for years. “I’ve experienced such painful and debilitating leg cramps that I could barely walk. I never know when those cramps are going to strike and when they hit me with vengeance, I just have to ride it out.” According to the retired Brooklyn, New York resident, “I’ve just come to accept the fact that leg cramps are my cross to bear, unfortunately,” laments Anthony.
“Muscle spasms in the legs are quite common and can occur in people of any age – however, they are more prevalent in older adults, with nearly 60 percent of people over age 50 reporting having leg cramps either occasionally or with some frequency,” says Lauren Hadney, DO, an internal medicine specialist at University Hospitals Parma Medical Center in Parma, Ohio.
Leg cramps can strike at any time – while walking, running, sitting, even sleeping. Suddenly, the muscles in your calf or thigh seize up and become locked in a contracted position, causing intense pain that can last from a few seconds to minutes or more. Once the spasm has passed, some people may experience muscle soreness for hours or even days afterwards.
Three out of four cases occur at night during sleep. Because they often happen during sleep when our legs are slightly bent and our feet are pointed downward, some have suggested this tightening triggers a spasm.
While there is no real concrete evidence as to why leg cramps occur, there are several theories.
What causes leg cramps?
Leg cramps can appear out of the blue and their causes can include:
Muscle overuse (as in some form of exercise)
Strain
Meds (to treat ailments like high blood pressure, asthma, cholesterol, kidney disease, heart disease, depression, osteoporosis)
Bad sitting or kneeling positions
Circulatory issues
Diabetes
Vascular issues
Liver, thyroid, or neurological issues
Lower back problems
Mineral deficiency (potassium, magnesium, calcium)
Dehydration
Improper nutrition
Heavy lifting
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, or DOMS (response to muscle fatigue)
Lastly, tendons naturally shorten over time as folks age, which may explain why seasoned people tend to get more leg cramps. Tendons are tough bands of tissue that connect muscles to bone. If your tendons become too short, they may cause the muscles connected to them to cramp.
Help for leg cramps
There are a few things leg cramp sufferers can do to help alleviate painful episodes:
Gentle Stretching: If a leg cramp comes on during the night, and it typically does, try getting out of bed and try gentle but forceful stretching of the affected muscle. For a calf cramp, hold the leg straight out and flex the top of your foot toward your face. For a thigh cramp, grasp your ankle and pull your leg up toward your buttock – this can be done while sitting or standing. If done standing, hold onto a chair for support.
Magnesium: Consider adding magnesium to your diet if the cramping is not related to a serious health issue. Foods that are rich in magnesium: dark chocolate, avocados, nuts especially cashews, legumes (lentils, black beans, peas, chickpeas, soybeans), tofu, whole grains, fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, and halibut), bananas, leafy greens (spinach, kale; collards, turnips, and mustard greens) and okra.
Heat: Try applying a heating pad (not recommended for diabetics or folks with spinal cord injuries) to the affected area. A hot bathtub soak can also bring on relief. A handheld showerhead on a hot setting that you can comfortably bear and aimed at the painful area is also soothing.
Hydration: There’s some evidence that dehydration promotes nighttime cramping. Dehydration may also promote electrolyte imbalances in the blood, which could be one cramp trigger. Leg cramp sufferers should always stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water and sports drinks containing electrolytes to prevent further flare-ups.
Movement: Walking around may help ease leg cramps by sending a signal to the muscle that it needs to relax after it contracts.
Massage: Getting regular massages to relax strained muscles can also help combat leg cramps.
Cold: The application of an ice pack (or a frozen veggie bag) will reduce swelling and inflammation and help the cramp to resolve more quickly.
Do home remedies work?
There are a few home remedy cures that some leg cramp sufferers swear by:
A bar of soap: “Sleeping with a bar of soap under a fitted sheet, as unusual as it sounds, may be effective,” says Jessica Vensel Rundo, M.D., M.S., a neurologist and sleep medicine specialist at the Cleveland Clinic. This is because some soap contains magnesium, which has muscle relaxant properties and may ease leg cramp symptoms.
Apple cider vinegar: Try mixing 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and a teaspoon of honey into a glass of warm water for nighttime leg cramp relief.
Yellow mustard: Yellow mustard is the only kind documented to help relieve nighttime leg cramps. While the cramps are occurring, swallow two heaping teaspoons of yellow mustard. The mustard should take effect almost immediately, allowing you to get back to sleep.
Pickle juice: Some folks have found that sipping pickle juice can get rid of muscle cramps quickly. It may be the sodium, vinegar, or some other unidentified ingredient in the juice that brings relief to leg cramp sufferers. There’s even some research to support this remedy. A 2010 study found that muscle cramps can be resolved in 1.5 minutes by drinking 1.5 oz. of pickle juice for every 100 lbs. of body weight. Also, recovery from the cramps was 45% faster after drinking the juice.
Quinine: “Patients often ask if drinking tonic water with quinine can help prevent leg cramps,” says Dr. Hadney. “Although there are anecdotal reports that suggest it might have some preventive value, quinine is not FDA approved or recommended for the treatment of muscle cramps. It is, in fact, only approved for the treatment of malaria and can lead to side effects such as bleeding problems, abnormal heartbeat, nausea and kidney damage,” she adds. “The amount of quinine in a glass of tonic water is negligible, however, and if people believe that it helps them, drinking small amounts is not harmful, unless your doctor advises against it.”
When to seek help
If you experience occasional leg cramps, then there might be no cause for alarm. Contact your physician if your leg cramps are making your life miserable, and if you’re experiencing weakness, numbness, nausea, or severe sweating after they’ve resolved.