Last night was the second time this week I have been jolted awake in the middle of the night screaming like a little bitch because the calf muscle on my left leg is cramping. I know the way to stretch to get it uncramped, and I know that supposedly potassium (bananas) can help prevent these.
Is there anything the teeming millions know that might help me out with these things? I’d like to prevent them if I can. Would stretching before bed help?
Two times this week, and it hasnt happened once before that in the prior five years. No real change in my diet or exercise habits to speak of. What’s going on?
I really have no clue what to do for them. I get them sometimes myself (not in a long time -knock on wood-) but what I usually do is massage them when they happen and wait till the pain fades before going back to sleep. No clue on preventing them though.
I used to get them often, and then I raised the head of my bed just a little bit. Stick a couple wood blocks, maybe an inch or two worth, under the head end. I’ve not had leg cramps since.
Ow. I used to get those something fierce. One thing that helps me is dolomite tablets. The magnesium in them is supposed to be the active ingredient… two or three tablets a day with meals should suffice.
When you do have them, massage the area toward your heart. It’s lactic acid buildup, so move it to where the blood flows. Do NOT move it away from your heart toward your foot, that really hurts and doesn’t help the problem.
I lay on my back with the cramped leg straight up in the air and have the lady push my leg further back towards my body while pushing down on my toes, stretching out the calf muscle.
I get these quite frequently even though I hate them. My trick is to punch my boyfriend awake while screaming and tell him “HELP!!!” Not a nice way to get rid of them but my boyfriend loves me dearly. Hehehe.
Mine seem to be most common when I’m not eating properly and partying a little to much for someone my age - so I assume I am wiping out some vital nutrients and not getting enough water. It also seems to happen when I am stretching out, either awake or sleep - when I’m awake, I can feel it starting just in time to think “Oh, shit!” and then scream in pain. The best time was early one morning when I jumped over the baby gate we were using to keep our (then) puppy in the kitchen - I landed on the left leg, the calf muscle cramped, and I had a spill on the floor worth of ABC Sports “Agony of Defeat” scene.
Anyway, story aside, I haven’t had them much since I started in with a super-duper multivitamin, eating better, and drinking lots of water.
The best time was early one morning when I jumped over the baby gate we were using to keep our (then) puppy in the kitchen - I landed on the left leg, the calf muscle cramped, and I had a spill on the floor worth of ABC Sports “Agony of Defeat” scene.