Do You Get Leg Cramps?

Do You Get Leg Cramps?
Everyone experiences muscle cramps from time-to-time.
Perhaps your neck gets cramped after a day at your desk or
you get a leg cramp after exercise when you've been
sedentary for a long time. Some women get leg cramps after
wearing high heels. The solution to most of these common
cramps is to stretch the muscles regularly and, in the case
of high heels, avoid them.

There is another kind of cramp that people often
experience: nocturnal leg cramps. Just as you've fallen
deep asleep, you're awakened by severe and painful cramping
in your calf muscle. Most people jump up and hop around on
the affected leg until the cramp goes away. But,
occasionally, it returns. Sometimes the cramp is in the
thigh, sometimes the foot.

The first thing to check if you have leg cramps is your
prescription drugs. Some can cause cramping. Diuretics,
taken for high blood pressure or heart disorders, can cause
an imbalance of your potassium and magnesium levels.

The most common cause of nocturnal leg cramps is calcium
deficiency. If you are postmenopausal, trying to lose
weight, or don't consume enough calcium, you are vulnerable
to developing leg cramps. To relieve leg cramps and prevent
any long-term problems associated with calcium deficiency,
start today to increase your calcium consumption. If you're
avoiding fat, try nonfat yogurt and skim milk. Also, you
can take a calcium supplement at bedtime.

Pregnant women are sometimes vulnerable to leg cramps,
which usually occurs due to a change in their calcium
metabolism. Calcium supplements can help. Please check with
your obstetrician before beginning any supplements. Another
help for nocturnal leg cramps is vitamin E.

If neither calcium nor vitamin E gives you relief, you may
benefit from magnesium, potassium, or vitamin A.

Because it has been shown that sugar and caffeine reduce
the absorption of vitamins and minerals (particularly
calcium), people with cramping problems should eliminate as
much sugar and caffeine from their diets as possible.

Natural Prescriptions for Leg Cramps

· Eliminate as much sugar and caffeine as possible
from the diet.

In addition to current daily supplements, add:

· 1,200 mg. of Calcium at bedtime. If no results,
you can discontinue but be sure you get 1,200 mg. of
Calcium daily through diet and/or other supplements. If you
are pregnant, check with your doctor before beginning and
supplements.

· 400 I.U. Vitamin E twice daily after meals for two
weeks. If symptoms are relieved, cut down to 400 I.U.
daily. If symptoms recur, increase the dosage until
symptoms are relieved but never take more than 1,200 I.U.
daily.

· 400 mg. Magnesium daily.

· 10,000 I.U. Vitamin A daily · 100 mg.
Potassium daily

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John Russell of IH Distribution, LLC brings you health,
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