Here’s how to get relief from muscle cramps
Muscle cramps are quite common and they can last from a few seconds to even an hour and longer. Cramps can recur several times until they finally get treated. Almost every individual experiences muscle cramps in their life. However, the condition is common in adults. Nevertheless, children might also experience the condition. Hence, it is important to find the right treatment for muscle cramps.

What are muscle cramps?

• Muscle cramps are sudden and involuntary contractions of one or more of our muscles caused generally by longtime exercises or physical labor, especially in hot weather.
• Apart from physical causes, there can be certain medications and medical conditions that can be responsible for developing muscle cramps.
• Though muscle cramps are generally harmless sometimes they can cause severe pain making it temporarily impossible to use the affected muscles.

What are the symptoms of muscle cramps?

• Most muscle cramps are usually developed in the leg muscles, especially in the calf region, but these cramps can also develop in other parts of the body such as the arms, shoulder or neck region.
• Apart from the sudden pain that can sometimes be severe and intolerable, you also might sense or see a lump of muscle tissue just beneath your sin.

What are the risk factors for muscle cramps?
There are some factors that might increase the risk of muscle cramps which are as follows:

• Age – As people lose muscle mass with the increase in age, the remaining muscles can get overstressed easily which can lead to sudden and painful muscle cramps.
• Dehydration – It is one of the main factors of muscle cramps especially for athletes participating in sports in warm weather.
• Pregnancy – Pregnancy can be one of the major causes of muscle cramps in women.
• Certain medical conditions – Risk of muscle cramps increases if the person is already affected by diabetes, nerve, liver or thyroid disorders.

What are the home remedies for treating muscle cramps?

The first thing that comes to our mind when we experience muscle cramps is how to stop muscle cramps and get immediate relief. This is possible through certain home remedies that are considered to be the top muscle cramps treatment methods which are highlighted below:

• Massage – This is one of the most primitive, yet effective muscle cramps treatments and the main motive of this treatment is to get more blood to circulate through the affected muscles. So, if you are suddenly affected by muscle spasms or leg cramps, try to stand up and walk around the house. This may give you some immediate relief.

If you are unable to walk because of the severe pain from the leg cramps, at least try to stretch and massage the muscles or the affected region gently. You can also shake the affected area in between walking and stretching to feel even better.

• Heat and cold compresses – If stretching and massaging don’t go accordingly, then you may apply a heat compress to the affected area by the help of a towel dipped in hot water. Leave that hot compress for 15 mins until the muscle shows signs of relaxation. You can even use cold compress (towel wrapped around a couple of ice cubes) in between hot compresses and leaving it on the affected area for 15 minutes. Repeat this entire process several times until you experience some relief from the underlying pain caused by the leg cramps.

Applying hot and cold compresses on the affected area can have several benefits such as – it reduces the chance of any inflammation of the muscles by allowing them to get back to its natural state. Moreover, it helps to reduce the pain and soreness by producing a numbing sensation.

• Clove-oil treatment – Clove-oil has numerous medicinal properties starting from dental care all the way to muscle cramps treatment. It can be ingested through food or can be applied topically over the affected muscles to get immediate relief from muscle cramps. Because of its inflammatory properties and high mineral content of potassium and sodium, it is often considered to be one of the best home remedies for leg muscle cramps.
• Exercising – Regular workouts or exercises will help you to retain some of the muscle mass. Also, remember to have an adequate warm-up before workouts and plenty of post-workout rest will certainly help you to avoid sudden muscle cramps.
• Diet-alternation – Limiting yourself from consuming too much processed, junk and fast foods that are rich in salt, unhealthy fats and sugar will help you prevent getting affected by sudden muscle cramps.

The following food selections will play a substantial role in reducing the chances of developing electrolyte imbalance.

• Leafy vegetables such as kale, collard, and turnip
• Cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage and broccoli
• Starchy vegetables such as sweet potatoes and squash
• Fish high in Omega-3 and low in mercury content
• Basic meats such as chicken and turkey
• Potassium-rich fruits such as bananas, grapes, oranges, dates, and apricots