Earth Clinic Mobile: Home Remedies for People and Pets

Muscle Cramps

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Eliminate All Fructose for Muscle Cramps

RB (Somewhere in Europe) on 12/27/2023
5 out of 5 stars

Re: Muscle Cramps -- Solution: Eliminate All Fructose

After eating a ton of fruits, I started having muscle cramps that were so intense that I could not sleep, and could not walk. But all of my muscle cramps disappeared 4 or 5 days after I cut my fructose intake to zero. FYI, there is fructose in all fruits, fruit juices, honey, tomatoes, ketchup and soft drinks.

Stretches for Leg Cramps

Mama to Many (TN) on 12/22/2023
5 out of 5 stars

My husband has always been prone to cramps in his calves at night. It was always worse on days he worked out in the heat. He learned to eat a banana before bed or take blackstrap molasses. Recently though, these things haven't helped. Lab work showed his potassium, magnesium and sodium levels to be normal. Some research helped me learn that leg cramps are more common as we age and that muscles can shorten. He is 57. I found a simple stretch for him to do. He uses a red resistance band (that I put on his nightstand so he doesn't forget) and loops it over his foot. He gently pulls the band to stretch his calf (keeping his leg straight) and holds it 30 seconds. Then he switches legs and holds the stretch for 30 seconds. Then he repeats this. This is a total of 2 minutes of stretching before bed, while sitting in bed with his legs out in front of him. I wanted it as doable as possible. This worked for him the first night. He doesn't have to be reminded to do his stretches. He does them because he knows they work! ~Mama to Many~

Pickle Juice for Leg Cramps

Bebe (Monticello, FL) on 08/13/2023
5 out of 5 stars

My son experienced vicious leg cramps after football practices. The coaches started providing dill pickle juice along with water. They would encourage the athletes to drink a half glass if they had cramps. Recently, I have had leg cramps at night. I now have a glass of pickle juice by my bed. After drinking 1/4-1/2 glass, the leg cramps go away.

Apple Cider Vinegar For Muscle Cramps

Peter (Queensland) on 01/21/2023
5 out of 5 stars

Working out the back yard all morning gardening, mowing and making compost. I got dehydrated pretty bad and even had trouble eating my lunch as my mouth was so dry. Headache started and felt a bit sick, so had a shower and a rest. Then the muscle cramps started in my lower legs about mid afternoon and continued on and off into the evening. Took some magnesium powder I found in the cupboard. Was also massaging magnesium cream into my leg muscles as well but nothing was helping.

Knew I wouldn't be able to sleep, so thought I'd better look up what Earth Clinic had to offer.
Top remedy was Apple Cider Vinegar.
I took 2 tablespoons in a glass of water, was pretty strong to what I'm used to.
... instant relief. About an hour ago and no more muscle cramps since. Wow!

Thank you Earth Clinic

Magnesium Glycinate for Leg Cramps

Rosiland (Mexico) on 11/27/2022
5 out of 5 stars

I have had leg cramps for years and I tried all sorts of things. I did magnesium and potassium plus some product from Standard Process. None of them worked, my cramps were so severe they would wake me up at night crying from the intensity! Then I read that MAGNESIUM GLYCINATE is the magnesium to take (magnesium citrate does nothing for leg cramps, I know I tried it). I ordered it from Luma Nutrition since I respect the quality of their products. The next time I had a leg cramp it was intense for a second or two and then it disappeared completely on its own without me having to get up and walk around. It happened one other time but since then I have been sleeping peacefully with no cramps or even a hint of cramps.

ACV, Ginger, Garlic - Remedies for Heart Disease - Stopped Leg Cramps

Julie (Seattle) on 11/06/2022
5 out of 5 stars

ACV, Ginger, Garlic

3/5 of The Five. I have suffered from debilitating charley-horse type of leg cramps (calves and thighs) that wake me up at night screaming in pain. I have CHF and T2D and it's surely related to one or both of those. I was at my mother's and she gave me StopsLegCramps. Less than a minute and they're gone. I've started taking it at night. Turns out it's 3/5 of The Five for heart problems -- ACV, organic garlic, organic ginger. Miracle as far as I'm concerned.

I'm wondering if adding lime juice and honey to it would work just as well as making The Five myself. It's sometimes difficult to come by the right ingredients to make it, and frankly, I've been too lazy to do it myself, though I know I need to.

Lemon juice for Muscle Cramps

Mister (EUSSR) on 11/04/2022
5 out of 5 stars

When I was doing a prolonged fast, I got serious muscle cramps in my legs at night. These became painful, kept me awake, and also persisted during the day. I drank water with a lot of mineral salts added (sodium, potassium, magnesium, chromium) but the cramps persisted.

This was not sustainable, so on the second or third night, I was about to break the fast. But first I tried drinking various herbal teas with liberal amounts of lemon juice (from concentrate, with sodium sulfite preservative). The cramps disappeared quickly and continued drinking of lemon juice allowed me to continue the fast for a total of 10 days.

The remedy must have been the lemon juice, because the herbal teas were very watery by themselves. I don't know why fasting caused such terrible muscle cramps, but I bet it's either the citric acid or vitamin C that completely relieves the symptoms.

Soap for Muscle Cramps

Ronald (AZ) on 08/31/2022
5 out of 5 stars

Soap worked for me! I've had muscle cramps in my legs in the past but never like this. I played pickleball in the sunny Phoenix Arizona 100 degree heat for 2 1/2 hours in the morning and must had been dehydrated. I drank water but that didn't help. I went to bed around 11:45pm and woke to a single quick sharp pain muscle spasm on the back side of my leg right below my butt around 1:30am. I would massage the area but it would still keep doing it every few minutes. I would get up and stretch my hamstrings which did release the pain. But then it started doing it every 15 seconds. I got up and checked what earth clinic suggested. I drank a couple big swallows each of diluted apple cider vinegar, pickle juice and electrolyte beverage but nothing helped.

Then I shook my head in disbelieve and opened a fancy small hotel bar of soap from Italy and put it against my skin on the back of my leg where the pain was. This soap did say the ingredients did contain a combination of fragrances and essences. Within 4-5 minutes the pain was going away. I went back to bed and placed it against my skin where the pain would come. I had a couple more attacks but it was much reduced pain. Then no more! Zero! I fell asleep with no more attacks. I told my pharmacist friend the next morning and she researched and found a study that showed 42% of people found it helpful. Some think that the natural essential oils contain a common component called limonene. Studies show that it has spasmoltyic activity inhibiting muscle spasms. One person actually applied liquid glycerin to their skin which worked. This is found in most lotions. The study also said people found that Dove and Dial didn't work. Another study suggested that some bars may contain magnesium. I just know every 15 seconds I was getting acute pain to the same spot keeping me awake for two hours and that the bar of soap stopped it in its track within a few minutes.

Calcium for Nighttime Leg Cramps

Mama to Many (TN) on 03/15/2022
5 out of 5 stars

Calcium for Nighttime Leg Cramps

My husband is on his feet a lot at work and is prone to leg cramps at night.

It used to be that if he made sure to have a banana in the evening, he wouldn't get leg cramps.

However, since he started on a plant based diet last summer, we know that his potassium level is actually a little high. (Probably from so many bananas and lentils.) The doctor isn't concerned about the level, but I don't think potassium deficiency is his problem.

I started giving him magnesium before bed. This reduced the cramps at night but did not eliminate them.

Ahah! Suddenly the pieces fit. Plant based diet. No dairy. He is lacking calcium. He started taking a couple of Tums before bed. Voila! Leg cramps stopped.

I ordered some NOW Calcium citrate since Tums is just Calcium carbonate and not the best form of calcium, as far as I understand. The NOW Calcium also has magnesium, D, zinc and manganese. He took them last night and they worked but they are pretty big pills to swallow....

~Mama to Many~

Multiple Remedies Tried for Muscle Cramps

John (CA) on 02/06/2022
4 out of 5 stars

I am not reporting on the use of Acupressure but to state that after reading through all the remedies that produce results seem to have one common denominator. This is to divert the mind from acknowledging the cramp if only for a very short time. From pinching the upper lip, pressing between the toes to the point of being uncomfortable to eating a good dose of yellow mustard the result is the same. The mind's attention is diverted just enough to break the horrible feedback loop that keeps the cramp going. I get cramps very often and what works for as a male is to get up and urinate. That sensation is usually enough to knock the cramping muscle out of the cycle. This is also true of drinking pickle juice; a strong enough taste to distract your mind. The one solution I have a hard time fitting into this hypotheses is the use of a bar of soap under your fitted sheet. Placed down near the calves it is supposed to relieve nightly cramps. This did produce about a month and a half of blissful, cramp free sleep. But it seems to have lost its effectiveness. Too bad really. I thought I had finally found a solution to this issue.

Minerals and Eliminating Condensed Tannins for Muscle Cramps

Nancy (CA) on 07/25/2021
5 out of 5 stars

It took me 6 years to track down the cause of my nighttime charley-horses and foot cramps. I finally landed on a site regarding migraines and condensed tannins which was an "aha" moment for me. I had been taking calcium, magnesium, and potassium for years with modest improvement. If I didn't take the trio, the cramping did get worse. Once I cut condensed tannins out of my diet, I got complete relief.

Condensed tannins make give fruits, vegetables, legumes, beans, and grains their color. The darker the color, the more of a problem they are for me. Not surprisingly, I no longer drink red wine--full of tannins. I stopped drinking coffee, teas (decaf still has tannins); anything aged on wood (trees are full of tannins) which means cinnamon, smoked meats, ACV, balsamic vinegar, white wines aged on wood (pinot grigio is a white wine reliably not aged on wood--it is my wine of choice along with vinho verde); very dark berries and their juices (ex: cherries, blueberries); whole grains with the hull attached; dark beans (ex: kidney beans, black beans). This is not a full food list of condensed tannins in foods; it's just a list of those things that guarantee leg and foot cramps for me. I can drink black or green tea by adding cream, the protein in the cream binds with the tannins--but one cup a day is all I dare drink.

It has meant giving up some favorite foods and beverages but the sacrifice has been worth it. As long as I take the minerals and avoid condensed tannins, no leg cramps.

Thyroid Caused Leg/Foot Cramps - Iodoral Stopped Them

GertJr (Madison) on 07/18/2021
5 out of 5 stars

I asked about cures for leg/foot cramps and got many good responses, but nothing worked. I finally learned that thyroid can cause this problem, so I started ioderol. Fantastic, brain fog cleared with the first tablet (12.5 mg) and the cramping gradually got better. I had a dr appointment anyway and mentioned to the dr that this had helped, so he tested for thyroid (the dr who refused to test before! ) and it was low, so he started me on levothyroxine and told me to stop the ioderol.

Did that and, within 3 days, the leg and feet cramps are worse than ever. So, I added back in the ioderol, and, voila! the cramps are better. I go back in 2 weeks for a recheck of the thyroid, to see if the levo is helping.

Any thoughts? I will tell him what happened and what I'm doing for it, but I need to cover all the bases and need input. Thanks.

Turmeric and Olive Oil for Muscle Spasms

Constance (Columbia, SC) on 03/19/2021
5 out of 5 stars

Tumeric and Olive Oil mixed and applied to muscle spasms works.

I have found great relief for various body ailments on earth clinic and they really did help me. Thanks so much!

Tls (Gainesville, Florida) on 01/16/2013
5 out of 5 stars

Muscle Cramps:

I have recently started taking b12 shots and suprisingly I have had cramps only a couple times, whereas I was getting them every night.

Vitamin B6 for Muscle Cramps

Heidi (Cumming, GA) on 02/23/2021
5 out of 5 stars

I have a bottle of Vitamin B6 pills next to my bed. When I get a cramp I take one vitamin B6 and as soon I swallow it, the muscle relaxes and the pain is gone.
I have usually cramps in feet and legs. Hope it helps other people as well.

Sole for Muscle Cramps

Clare W. (Banbury ) on 02/17/2021
5 out of 5 stars

I had cramping in my calf. Not excruciating, but constant and uncomfortable, for four days. Tried the organic cider vinegar with the mother but it didn’t work. I took a teaspoon of Sole (a drink made with pink HImalayan salt and water) which is something I always have. The cramp subsided and left a small residual ache. I only feel it slightly if I put my legs up.

Lucy S. (United States) on 10/24/2019
5 out of 5 stars

Having dreadful foot and leg cramps on chemo. Trying ginger and cayenne. A good cure for regular cramps is placing a bar of soap between your bed sheets. I know, it sounds insane, but it works.

Heidi H. (United States) on 10/12/2019
5 out of 5 stars

Muscle cramps stop immediately with vitamin B6. I suffered for years, horrible pain. I am so glad that someone told me to try vitamin B6. I buy it at a big box store because it's cheap there and I have it always with me..

Harriet C. (Florida, United States) on 10/02/2019
0 out of 5 stars

Warning

Cortisone shot are not mentioned under remedies, but I would like to post my negative experience for others who have turned to Earthclinic for remedies for leg cramps.

So, perhaps this could make a new category "Cortisone" and entered under "leg cramps" as a warning to others?

All my life I have had leg cramps like the 9th month of pregnancy. I was desperate and that's when I found Earthclinic some years back.

The remedy of taking ACV turned the tide for me. I take extra magnesium when my body tells me it needs it, but 2 Tbsp ACV and about 1/4 tsp baking soda, fill the cup with about 3 oz of cold water and drink while fizzing generally stops the leg cramps in under a minute.

Last year I had a cortisone shot for what we thought was bursitis. It only helped for about 3 weeks (found out via MRI later I had 2 torn tendons causing the pain). However, the cortisone shot was followed by several DAYS of intense, repeated leg/foot cramps, often both legs at once, that simply would not respond to my remedies (Emergenc-E, powdered magnesium in water, and ACV as noted above).

I slept in a recliner so I could hop up easier. My husband had to help me when I would have an attack (one day it was every 30 minutes!). He said he had never seen me this bad (married 35 years)!

Sometimes I drank the ACV straight (ugh!) because I was so desperate--I looked like I was having a lower body seizure even falling to the floor in agony upending the kitchen chair I grabbed in the process.

I NEVER just fall down as I am a chiropractic patient and I can screw my body up if not careful. Through researching I found out that people who are prone to leg cramps sometimes find that this is a side effect.

My doctor had never heard of that as a side effect, but anecdotal information found via search engine was enough for me to support the validity of my experience! Worst week of my life and now my records are noted to never give me anything in the cortisone family again! I hope this anecdotal information is helpful to prevent someone else from suffering like I did!

Mary Beth (Pittsburgh) on 09/20/2019
4 out of 5 stars

Leg Cramp Reliever I have been impressed that this works for leg and feet cramps. I saw this guide in Peggy Brill's book, "The Core Program". She suggests you do these exercises -- all of them -- ten times, before you go to bed. Lie on your back with legs flat, keeping your hands at your sides, palms up. Retract your neck: elongate the back of your neck by tucking your chin down towards your chest. Hold this, holding for six seconds, and then release it. Next, press your shoulders together and down into the mat or bed. Hold and count for six seconds -- and then release. Next, cough to pull your rib cage down. This will contract your abdominal muscles. Hold for six and then release it. Next, tilt your pubic bone, as if toward your navel. Thus, you will flatten your abdominals into the mat or bed. Hold for six and release it. Final exercise (in this set -- because you will do these ten times) -- extend your legs as long as possible while also pressing the backs of the knees into the bed or mat. Flex your feet at the same time. Hold for six and release it. People (like my mom) have serious problems with this pain in the middle of the night. This JUST might HELP!