Leg Cramps

As many people are still sticking to their New Year's Resolution of working out more, I thought that I'd look at another condition that often comes up when people work out - Leg Cramps.

Most muscle spasms and cramps are involuntary contractions of a muscle. A serious muscle spasm doesn't release on its own and requires manual stretching to help relax and lengthen the shortened muscle. Spasms and cramps can be mild or extremely painful. While they can happen to any skeletal muscle, they are most common in the legs and feet and muscles that cross two joints (the calf muscle, for example). Cramps can involve part of a muscle or all the muscles in a group and the most commonly affected muscle groups are:

• Back of lower leg / calf (gastrocnemius).
• Back of thigh (hamstrings).
• Front of thigh (quadriceps).
• Feet, hands, arms, abdomen

Muscle cramps range in intensity from a slight twitch or tic to severe pain. A cramped muscle can feel rock-hard and last a few seconds to several minutes or longer. It is not uncommon for cramps to ease up and then return several times before they go away entirely.

The exact cause of muscle cramps is still unknown, but the most common theories include:

• Altered neuromuscular control
• Dehydration
• Electrolyte depletion
• Poor conditioning
• Muscle fatigue

While cramps can go away on their own it helps to:

• Stop the activity that caused the cramp.
• Gently stretch and massage the cramping muscle.
• Hold the joint in a stretched position until the cramp stops.
• Drink plenty of water
• Increase salt intake

When I have woken up with leg cramps, I found that drinking lots of water, taking a lick of salt and walking, as well as I can, all help to relieve the cramp and stretch it out.  As my own leg cramps always seem to have been the result of dehydration, I make sure that I increase my water intake and have enough salt in my diet.

Certainly if they occur when one is working out, one should make sure that one warms up the muscles and stretches before getting straight into the exercise routine.

Massage and baths with essential oil synergies is really helpful.  Many of the oils can be helpful and today I thought that I'd share Rosemary Caddy's Blend for Cramp from her book The Essential Blending Guide.

3 parts Sweet Marjoram (Origanum majorana) - analgesic, antispasmodic, balancing and calming.  It helps circulation and is vasodilatory.
2 parts Mandarin (Citrus reticulata) - antispasmodic and revitalising offering help for anxiety and stress.
2 parts German Chamomile (Matricaria recutica) - antispasmodic.  It calms the system down and helps with back pain and any muscular spasms.
She recommends adding 12 drops of the synergy to 30ml of Sweet Almond Oil (or carrier of your choice).  Massage gently around the muscle area as soon as the cramp has subsided.  Before going to bed at night massage the whole leg upwards with the synergy.  Also massage it into the feet and make sure that your feet are warm.

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