How to effectively treat your muscle cramps

Feb 3
17:01

2021

biofrostindia

biofrostindia

  • Share this article on Facebook
  • Share this article on Twitter
  • Share this article on Linkedin

Muscle cramps can hamper your day almost instantly as it does not just cause pain, but also temporarily suspends you from taking part in daily physical activities such as walking or working out.

mediaimage

Muscle cramps can hamper your day almost instantly as it does not just cause pain,How to effectively treat your muscle cramps Articles but also temporarily suspends you from taking part in daily physical activities such as walking or working out. The piercing pain that you experience as a result of having muscle cramps is due to your muscle’s involuntary contraction. You must have experienced such cramps after resuming high intensity workouts after a long break or when you walk or run too much, especially when you are not used to doing so daily. Straining your muscle can lead to fatigue, which can cause muscle cramps. Other than overusing your muscles, cramps also have other underlying causes, such as your body being dehydrated or not receiving sufficient electrolytes, such as potassium or magnesium. These electrolytes help your muscles work smoothly and makes it easier for your body to process minerals.

 

 

These causes are often attributed to younger people, however, reasons for your muscle cramps might change as you age. It has been found that often people who fall in the age group above 65, are at a greater risk for muscle cramps and can experience the same due to reasons such as alcoholism, hypothyroidism or diabetes. Although muscle cramps can be extremely painful, it can be easily treated by using remedies that are convenient and easy to procure. The easiest way to deal with a leg cramps is by gently stretching your muscle. To relax your cramp, gently stretch your muscle and massage it, this helps to relax your muscle and ease the pain. However, simply stretching it might ease the pain but help it altogether, it is advised that you apply a heating pad post that. You must ensure that you do not exert much pressure on the muscle the same day and take it easy on your physical activities.

 

To reduce the pain faster, many medical professionals recommend applying hot or cold therapy on the affected muscle. Using heat therapy helps in dilating the blood vessels, promote blood flow and ease soreness in the affected area. You can use electric heating pads, hot compress or even soaking your towel in warm water and pressing it gently on your skin. However, you must ensure that you do not subject your muscle to extreme heat as it may result in inflammation and numbness. Another alternative is to used cold therapy. Cold treatment is effective as it reduces the blood flow to the injured area and reduces the inflammation rate, thereby ensuring that you don’t experience any kind of swelling or tissue damage. The reason why it eases the pain almost instantly is because it numbs the sore tissues, which means that the pain messages do not get transmitted to your brain as fast as it otherwise would. Cold therapy is extremely convenient for muscle pain relief. You could either use a cold gel pack or wrap ice in a towel and gently compress it against your affected area. However, despite the efficiency of both these treatments, it is advised that you consult your doctor, especially if you have serious problems like diabetes and low or high blood pressure.