For those of us that have experienced leg cramps in the calves, the hamstrings or even the groin, we all know how excruciatingly painful these can be and how difficult they are to be rid of in the middle of the night. So what can physiotherapy do for these nasty occurences?
Let us take a step back first before we look at what physiotherapy can do for leg cramps and talk about things one can try to do for themselves before resorting to professional care. Regular gentle stretching of the offending area, particularly before going to bed, can be a real benefit. Stretching throughout the day is beneficial as well and these dreaded seizures can occur at any time but they tend to arrive more frequently as we slumber. Ensuring that we are sufficiently hydrated is important to proper muscle function and relaxation. Drinking water before bed may be helpful to a small degree but this can lead to the need to get up more frequently in the night to pee, which can be even worse for aging males. A better strategy is to maintain the needed hydration by drinking water regularly over the course of a day allowing the kidneys to distribute the required fluids gradually and not over filling the bladder. Eating foods that support a healthy electrolyte balance of magnesium and potassium and avoiding too much sodium is key to muscular efficiency at work and rest. Pumpkin seeds, almonds and spinach are magnesium dense and dates, bananas and oranges are examples of potassium rich foods. Occasionally a magnesium supplement is needed to fulfill the body’s requirement. Finally a recent Harvard University medical school article suggested that a deficiency of vitamin B6 could be a potential cause. 30 mg of this which can usually be found in a vitamin B complex supplement has been shown to be helpful.
Now if all of the above don’t solve your leg cramps this is where physiotherapy can really save the night. Our physiotherapists will not only assess the offending muscle but also delve into other related issues that might be at the root cause. Things like foot, knee, hip or pelvic dysfunction. Then they may use hands-on soft tissue therapy, electrotherapy, laser and shockwave treatment to release the muscles so they won’t continue to cramp. Finally the physiotherapist will provide an exercise program specific to one’s condition so you can manage your leg cramping on your own at home. The Core’s physiotherapists can be very helpful in dealing with leg cramps.
