Natural Treatments To Prevent Night Cramps

Cramps are muscle spasms, usually very painful, that can appear suddenly, for a few seconds or even minutes.

There is talk of night cramps because they usually appear at night, interrupting your sleep and mainly affecting the legs and, sometimes, the hands.

How do night cramps appear?

They can appear on the calf, feet, anterior and posterior thigh muscles, hands, neck, and abdomen. The person is in severe pain due to the muscle involuntarily contracting causing a spasm.

If the spasm lasts a long time and the contraction is very intense, it is known as a cramp.

What are the causes of cramps?

So far there is no specific cause that causes night cramps. However, different studies have found a relationship between certain factors and habits that can increase the possibility of suffering from this painful problem:

Dehydration from insufficient fluid intake.
Excess physical exercise.
Electrolyte levels imbalance.
Standing for a long time.

Sitting incorrectly or for a long time.
Low levels of calcium, sodium, or potassium.
Bad nutrition.
Anemia.
Diabetes.
Alcohol consumption
Bad position when sleeping.

Who can get night cramps?

Due to the multiple factors that influence the appearance of this problem, anyone is exposed to night cramps. However, it is considered that in middle and elderly people the prevalence is higher.

How to prevent night cramps?

You can prevent night cramps by keeping certain habits in mind before doing many of your daily activities:

Do a good stretching session before and after physical activity, especially if you lead a sedentary lifestyle.
Try to hydrate yourself by drinking at least 2 liters of water a day.
Do stretching exercises during the day if you spend a lot of time in the same position.
Wear comfortable shoes.
Avoid bad habits, like drinking alcohol.

Eat a healthy diet.
Start playing sports, such as swimming.
Eat foods rich in calcium, potassium, magnesium, and vitamins E and A.

Treatments to prevent night cramps

In addition to taking into account the above recommendations, there are also certain treatments that can help you prevent this problem.

Ginkgo biloba

Ginkgo biloba contains flavonoids and vitamins A, B and C, among other elements. Thanks to its properties, it helps to improve circulatory disorders; therefore, it is indicated for ailments of the lower extremities, such as tired legs or swelling.

To treat and prevent night cramps, you can prepare an infusion by dissolving three tablespoons of ginkgo biloba in a cup of hot water.

Essential oils

You can also massage the most affected area using essential oils, such as eucalyptus, pine, rosemary or thyme. These will give a sensation of heat in the muscle and will promote relaxation.

Honey and apple vinegar

Apple vinager

To avoid chronic cramps and achieve an adequate distribution of calcium in the body, you can mix a tablespoon of honey and another of apple cider vinegar in a cup of hot water.

Mustard water bath

A good idea to relax your leg muscles and prevent night cramps is to take a mustard water bath before going to rest.

For this you will have to mix a teaspoon of mustard seeds in a liter of water. Bring it to a boil, then add it to the bathtub.

Arnica

This treatment is ideal for treating spasms that cause cramps, since the arnica plant relieves pain and activates circulation.

First, you will have to prepare an infusion of arnica and, later, apply compresses to the affected area for 5 minutes.

These tips can help you fight night cramps. However, if you do not notice improvement or the frequency is increasing, you should see your doctor.