Leg Cramps At Night: Old Wives’ Tales Vs New Research?

Do you get leg cramps at night?
I do.
Not pleasant to be woken up by pain, but generally, if you massage your leg and stretch it out, it goes off after a few minutes. But it can cause far more painful problems than that.

The Unbelievable Effect of Leg Cramps at Night

A few weeks ago, a relative of ours had a very serious break of her lower leg when after the onset of cramp, as she started to stretch out the pain, it caused her leg to collapse and she fell. She didn’t hit anything and fell onto soft carpet,  but still suffered a really bad fracture. She has had surgery and it is now healing.

But when I was gripped in the vice of leg cramp  last night, it suddenly seemed that preventing leg cramp at night and avoiding a bad accident was much more serious than I had previously thought.

I started to look up natural remedies and some of these were almost as unbelievable as the fact that having a leg cramp could lead to a serious fracture!

So have some fun trying out the weird remedies and cheer if they work. And if they don’t, then take on board some of the medically tried and tested remedies. 

Cutting the Mustard with Old Wives’ Tales

Some people are adamant that the old wives’ tales really stop leg cramps at night in their tracks.  Since so many people hail their favourite remedy as the answer to their problems, maybe they will work for you.  One thing is for sure, some of these old remedies will make you laugh. 

Here are a few:

• A spoonful of yellow mustard (Doesn’t cut the mustard for me – I couldn’t bring myself to try that one. BUT, it has many very enthusiastic supporters as a natural remedy.)
• Pickle juice (Not a euphemism for getting pickled, but just to drink the vinegary substance left in the jar after you’ve eaten the pickles – absolutely not my favourite! Many people seem to love it as much as they love the pickles.)
• A bar of soap to rest your feet on at the bottom of your bed. (Might relieve you of smelly feet? You don’t think it would work? Lots of people do think that. Others think it is the calming effect of magnesium in the soap’s fragance that drives away the leg cramps)
• Pinch your upper lip (Can you attest that this works for you?  If so, I would love to hear from you!)
• Give up drinking wine.  Many might find this far too great a sacrifice and so not a long term solution.
• Put a cork under your pillow. (Maybe hard to find a cork if you have given up drinking wine.)

 I found research suggesting that mustard and pickle juice potentially help prevent leg cramps because they contain acetic acid (vinegar). But there is no proof that they work, even though many people swear that leg cramps disappear like magic if you use them.

Acupuncturists advocate pinching the pressure point between the two lines which run from your nose to your upper lip.  Have you given that one a try?

So What Remedies for Leg Cramps at Night Really do Work?

I just had to look up whether any of these remedies had proven results. This led me to researching to find what is proven to assist with preventing leg cramps and what to do if you get it.  There is nothing like a bit of research on proven medical results to make you feel more comfortable about defeating your attacks of  leg cramps at night.

1      Dehydration

It’s summer now (it was 30C here yesterday even though autumn is meant to be coming along). That means it is very easy not to drink enough water. Most people don’t drink enough water anyway whatever season of the year it is.

Dehydration can be a killer for older people who tend to lose their sense of thirst. Make sure that you drink 6 – 8 glasses of water a day as well as other drinks. You’ll need more if it’s hot or you’ve been super active (even if the weather is cold). If you are short on vitamins and minerals, then electrolyte-rich sports drinks can be a good solution.

Limit alcohol, caffeine and sugary drinks because they are diuretics. That means that they make you urinate more, so it’s harder for your body to retain the water it really needs.

You can monitor whether you are drinking enough by looking at the colour of your urine. Generally, the more yellow and the darker it is, it means you’re dehydrated. You need to drink more water!. 

Check out with your doctor if any medications are affecting the colour and quantity of your urine. They will be able to advise you what’s best for you. Everyone’s different.

2      Vitamins and Minerals

Good foods to help prevent cramp are those that contain potassium, magnesium and/or calcium. Sports drinks can help supply these.  But it’s always good to make sure you are eating the right foods. Try eating more bananas, leafy greens, avocados and beans. Black beans and lentils provide a good dose. Eat clean with plenty of vegetables and salads and that should provide you with sufficient nutrients.

Try supplements

Otherwise, you can try supplements which can help. A B vitamin complex, (B1, B6 and B12) is often recommended as it needed for your nerve functions and cramp can be caused by a nerve malfunction. 

There is a widespread belief that lack of salt can cause cramp, particularly when accompanied by heat either from exercise or from climate. Most people don’t suffer from salt shortage, although they may do if they are dehydrated.  Indeed, most eat too much salt through too much processed food.

Many older people suffer from low Vitamin D3. Shortages of it may contribute to your cramp because Vitamin D3 is needed to absorb calcium into your blood. You can get your vitamin D3 level checked by your doctor and you may be given a prescription for the supplement if you are low, as many people are. (And I found that I had a deficiency even though I live in a very sunny place!)

The natural remedy is sunshine. Make sure not to burn as that can deplete you of even more nutrients. 

Experiment to find what works for your leg cramps at night

 Try a few different things and see what works for you. Remember to be careful about what you take if you have medical conditions. E.g. magnesium supplements which reduce your blood pressure may result in blood pressure which is too low if you take medication which already reduces your blood pressure.  Check what is suitable for you with your doctor. 

3 Stretches in the Day Avoid Leg Cramps at Night

It’s an instinctive action. When you get cramp, you want to pull your toes back and forc()e your leg to straighten to relieve the agonising pain. (Just like the lady in the top photo is doing.) It generally works after a few minutes although it can leave you feeling bruised and stiff afterwards.

But you can help prevent cramp by regularly stretching. Try it each evening before bed. It can help in the morning too if you tend to wake up with stiff muscles.

Animals stretch every time they get up.  Watch any cat or dog.  It’s a good habit for you to copy.

Stretch each time you get up from a chair, from lying down on the sofa or after you get out of your car.  Do stretches when you’re in the queue at the supermarket. It’s a great habit for continuing flexibility and also can help prevent those leg cramps at night. 

4 Moving More Means Less Leg Cramps at Night

If you keep moving during the day, you increase the blood supply to your limbs.  So, exercise can help you to prevent cramp as well as helping your posture and keeping you flexible.

It doesn’t have to be formal exercise.  It can help just to set a timer and get up and move around every 30 or 40 minutes. I have a reminder set for every half an hour. Even a few quick exercises such as swinging your arms for a couple of minutes and walking round your lounge or garden a few times can stop you stiffening up and becoming more prone to get those night cramps.

Formal exercise does help though. You could try taking up yoga or a gentle qi gong class. Each of these ancient practices teaches ways to both strengthen and stretch each part of your body and keep yourself flexible. Pilates is another exercise tradition which can help you with stretches, strengthening and posture. Running, walking, dancing, swimming, cardio of any kind, it all helps.

Like a lot of things, overdoing exercise can trigger the very thing you are trying to prevent.  So don’t do your exercising too intensely. Listen to your body. Even athletes who train constantly sometimes overdo it, get cramps and have to rest. 

5      Working on Your Back Stops Leg Cramp

Sometimes, the cause of a cramp does not originate from the site of the cramp itself but from further up your body. So, you might have a misalignment in your spine that is squeezing a nerve which then passes the wrong message down to the calf and feet. Or it could be in your neck. It could be your posture if you spend too much time sitting bent over your computer keyboard.  (I know I do, plus I had a nasty accident to my shoulder and neck some years ago which plays up too.)

You could get help from a physiotherapist, an osteopath or from a chiropractor. Make sure you choose someone fully qualified, as standards of competence and safety can vary considerably. Ask around for recommendations.

6 Blowing Hot and Cold on Your Leg Cramps

After the stretching out that leg cramp demands as an immediate remedy, try a cold compress.  We keep a few of those thermopacks in our freezer already wrapped up in a protective cover so that we can just pick one up and apply it without waiting.  The cold takes away (some of) the pain and helps inflammation.  

Later, a heating pad applied to the cramped muscle stimulates blood flow, brings oxygen and nutrients to stimulate healing and helps to clear away the waste generated by your cramped up muscles. Heat also helps you conquer any stiffness or pain the next day. We have a selection of pads to pop into the microwave.  

Hot water bottles are quick and easy to prepare as well. I prefer the old type of heating pad made from a natural fabric and filled with something like buckwheat or flax. You can wrap them round your leg. Cherry pips are good too although a little more knobbly. We currently have one filled with lavender. I LOVE the refreshing smell. Just the ticket for a calming and warming experience!

You can heat up thermopacks too.  Be careful though as I once overcooked one that we had and it melted the plastic and hot gel leaked onto my back.

(That burn really HURT!!)

Alternating hot and cold treatments throughout the day is a good way of helping you with pain, promoting healing and  helping you conquer leg cramps at night. 

7 Check Your Nighttime Leg Cramps with Your Doctor

Some medications may bring on leg cramp at night. Check with your doctor as to whether your medications could be causing the cramp. It may also mean that some of the natural remedies are not suitable for you to take as they may interfere with your medications.

The doctor may be able to suggest alternatives or, if the pain from the cramp is really bad and persistent, prescribe a pharmaceutical remedy.  Don’t self-prescribe as some remedies such as quinine can cause more problems than they solve. 

Cramp can perhaps be an indication of some underlying disease.  So if you get cramp persistently and have other symptoms, then it’s time to check with your doctor.

Sleep Easy without Leg Cramps at Night

Remember that leg cramps at night can cause you to lose sleep, fall over, injure yourself and generally affect your health and comfort.

 But you can also have a good laugh trying some of the traditional remedies. Whatever you find works for you, turn it into a habit and, hopefully, you’ll enjoy a life without the nightmare of waking up at night with leg cramp giving you unspeakable pain and depriving you of healing sleep. 

I’d love you to let me know what is the best remedy for your leg cramps at night, especially if it is not on my list.  Is yours an old wives’ tale or is it confirmed with medical research?  Pop your fave remedy into the comments or send me an email.

Wishing you great sleep without a single leg cramp at night.

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