Have you ever felt that there is something which is making your muscles ache in a very painful way?  This is what we call an involuntarily contract. These kinds of muscle cramps can impact your ability to move properly. When you are having a contracted muscle, it means there is some reason to it. These cramps happen in your body due to some specific reason. One such can be that you have strained a muscle. Or you can simply be cramping because your muscles are actually feeling very fatigued. Whatever the cause may be, it is important to realize the causes. In this article we will be looking into that and deciding on the major muscle cramps treatment which work and provide results.

While you may get cramps for several reasons, you should know that the conditions for the same are not life-threating. But these cramps can have worse impacts in people who are older than 65 years old. This is because it can relate to and have an impact on how your body works.  There may be several ways in which you can adapt a good treatment plan, depending on how severe and how long have these cramps existed.

We will be talking about all of that. So let’s begin:

What are Muscle Cramps?

what causes leg cramps

Muscle cramps which are also called muscle spasms are pain that you feel when your muscles are contacting or tightening. Sometimes it can because of a simple reason like pulling a muscle while playing football.

Other times you will be facing some major underlying issues and concerns. But don’t worry. Most of the time, the reasons are not extremely concerning or threatening,

These kind of muscle cramps are what we call involuntary and unpredictable. You will not be able to pinpoint as to why these are happening. But again, in most of these cases, you will just be needing to adapt certain practices which will be able to make these muscles relaxed. The muscles can be impacted in part or a complete group.

How Do Muscle Cramps Feel?

When it comes to the sensation of these muscle cramps, known that the intensity can differ from one kind of muscle cramp to another. It also depends on the person, their health and age factor also matters.  Usually these are nothing more than just uncomfortable twitches which will get worse in pain and intensity if not taken care of.  It can also be extremely painful in certain situations.

How you can notice that there is something wrong? It is how you will be having a spastic muscle which is actually harder than normal and you will feel it is completely distorted. Twitching is also common in this condition. Spasms occur in cases where the twitching is accelerated. You will be feeling restless and it also impacts your social life in many ways.

So before coming towards the muscle cramps treatment that works and how to adapt them successfully, I want to focus on and talk about some of the major causes from this condition.

Causes for Muscle Cramps Treatment

various causes of muscle spasms

Now one thing you should be knowing is that having muscle cramps or muscle spams can be considered as being ‘idiopathic’. This means that in most of the cases you cannot really pinpoint as to why they are suffering from muscle cramps.

However when it comes to some of the most common kinds of cramps, the following may be the reason behind it. It can be :

  • Not stretching- you should aim to be involved in more so of physical activities. Even a simple act of a morning jog can keep you physically fit. If nothing else, why not just start off the day with a major stretch or dabbing into a little yoga.
  • Muscle fatigue can also be a major reason. This relates to when you have completely drained your body out and your muscles are not up for it anymore.
  • Another major cause can be when you are actually exercising in the heat. It is best that you work out in a place which is cool and shaded.
  • Dehydration can be a major reason as to why you are suffering from muscle spams. If you consume a few hydrating fruits, you will be able to have muscles which are feeling relaxed and better.
  • Involuntary nerve discharges can also lead to muscle spasms.

Other Causes

  • Also if you stress too much, it can take a physical impact on your health. More specifically on your muscles- making them feel rigid.
  • You should not involve yourself in very high-intensity exercises. This is especially true if you haven’t been working out rigorously. When you push your body to do something it is not accustomed to, it will definitely be having its consequences.
  • When it comes to your leg cramps, when you do one or few of the following, you are impacting the muscles of your legs. This includes sitting for long periods of time, overusing your muscles and even something as simple as sitting in an improper position.

So now that we have a good understanding on what are the major reasons as to why this is happening, now we will be looking into what are some of the best natural remedies that can make a difference.

Muscle Cramps Treatment(And Home Remedies That Work)

Check out these treatment options which are known to make a difference. You can adapt them to ensure your muscles are working in a healthy manner. There are no side effects to adapting these methods, however you may never know how they actually become useful.

Let’s now look into what these are:

Stretching it Out

One thing that works best is to not get panicked. Take a deep breath and just stop any activity that you are currently doing. You should just lightly stretch that muscle and then hold onto the stretch. What also works is when you are able to massage the muscle. And you are able to stretch it in a gentle manner.

Using Heating Pads

It always works when you make use of heating pads. You should be applying those in the region of stretching. Heating pads also work well when we make use of them on leg cramps. In come cases you can also just slowly put the pressure on the affected area and push the heel. This will allow for the muscle to stretch properly on its own.

Magnesium in Diet

Did you know that pregnant women who suffer from muscle cramps are usually given magnesium because they usually suffer from cramps, more so in their third trimester. However this can be added into your diet if you suffer from muscle cramps usually. However you need to know first if there is some serious underlying condition or not. If that is the case, the treatment may have to be slightly different.

You can also opt to consume foods which contain magnesium, like taking in a handful of nuts and seeds can be a good option. And there are no side effects to it even. You can also make use of what we call epsom salts. These are known to also relieve the tension in an effective way.

Hot & Cold Compresses

It helps in major ways if you make use of this old-school remedy. You can make use of something as simple as applying a wet cloth and pressing it on your cramped muscle.

The same can be done so by making use of a hot bath and trying to relax in the same. When you add some epsom salts in the bath, the results can be even more effective. Dry heat is known to work great as a muscle cramp treatment, but you need to first analyze in which part of the body is the muscle cramping.

There are some great heating pads available and you need to set the pad as per the requirements of the kind of muscle spams.

Keep Yourself Hydrated

understanding muscle cramps treatment options

It is important that you are taking in plenty of fluids. Staying hydrated can help to keep those leg cramps at bay. While the impact is not possible right away. You will notice how the pain is getting subsided significantly. And this will actually limit the amount of cramping episodes you are having.

Walk Around

It is as simple as that. Move around. You should be walking so as to ease your leg cramps. This happens as the body gets a signal for the muscles to relax when they are contracting. You should also get on with regular massages as they will help your muscles to relax more often.

Takeaway

It all comes down to understanding how your muscle cramps work, what may be causing them and identifying where they take place. In this article we also looked into some of the major muscle cramps treatment options that will yield great results. While it is not always possible to identify the causes, you can get quick relief from certain treatment and home remedies options. Remember, most of the times these are not very serious and trying simple remedies can help in controlling the pain.