Home Remedies For Cramps

Home remedies for cramps. There are many ways by which one can dull a cramp. They however take a long time to go. Besides the many home remedies for cramps, one should also work on the diet plan because many times recurring cramps can be a result of a diet lacking in a particular nutrient.

Cramps, whether in the leg or the arm or stomach, all are painful. In general, the skeletal muscle cramps of the leg are intensely painful for many people. But, what is a cramp ? It is often a sharp, involuntary contraction of a muscle or group of muscles. These muscles can be anywhere in the body.

Causes of cramps
The major cause of cramping is fatigue and over exertion. Sometimes, when you are trying to be too flexible, a cramp can occur, mostly seen in sports. Other reasons for cramps are -

cramps
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Muscle cramps are often caused by over exertion or when the body has lost a lot of fluids, which happens in women each month. Diarrhea can also be the cause of cramping. If the cramp is because of such a reason, then one should directly target that reason and get rid of it. Otherwise too, home remedies can provide great relief from cramp pain in the muscles or lower abdomen.

Home remedies for cramps in women and men both
1. Salt water
Take a pinch of salt and dissolve it in warm water. Drink this water to replenish body fluids. Salt can reduce cramping because of the sodium content in it. Sodium is an important electrolyte in the body. 

salt water for cramps
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2. Epsom Salt Bath
Taking a warm water bath helps in relieving the pain of cramps in muscles, mainly in legs. Just prepare a good amount of bath water and add some Epsom salt to it. Bath for longer time, slowly pouring the warm water over the leg.


epsom salt bath for cramps
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3. Eat chocolate ( Prefer dark ones )
It is one of the tastiest remedies for a condition, eating chocolate. Prefer a dark chocolate and relish it. It provides nutrients to the body which calm the cramping sensation.
Eating chocolate can have many good health benefits for anyone, whether a girl or boy. Chocolate boosts the feel good factor in our brain. It alleviates fatigue and calms the anxiety. It provides vital nutrients in good concentration ( if you go for darkest chocolate ).

chocolate for cramps
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4. Coffee
Just like chocolate, coffee too is great for any kind of cramp and for everyone. The effects of coffee are striking in similarity to chocolate. That is probably because both coffee and chocolate are great for stress.

NOTE : In some people , especially those who drink lots of coffee, this method can backfire. Too much caffeine ( from coffee ) aggravates cramps and makes it difficult for them to go away faster.



5. Mustard seeds
Soak a handful of mustard seeds in water. Take them out after a few hours and eat them. Mustard seeds can relieve cramp pain quickly. It is also useful in the frequent cramps that women experience.



6. Take A Drive
Sit in your car and rev up the engine. The gentle vibrations produced by your car can help in relieving cramps. If you like it, you can go for a long drive. This is great for foot cramps.

drive for foot cramps
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7. Aniseed tea
This is one of the remedies which is quite powerful in relieving abdominal cramps which women experience. Take some anise seeds and make a tea with them. This tea would taste sweet even without any sugar because aniseed is sweet in nature. Drink this tea hot. It would relieve the cramps substantially, from the inside out.



8. Coconut Water
If you can get your hands on fresh coconut water, there is nothing quite better than this for cramps. Coconut water is drenched with healthy electrolytes for the body. Drink as much as you like, but at least 2 glasses of it.

"Coconut water is very hydrating, super alkaline and excellent for your overall health. By drinking enough coconut water, one can get rid of even severe cramps, especially those caused by dehydration and heat."

coconut water for cramps
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9. Bananas
Eat some bananas regularly. They are rich in potassium and lesser in other electrolytes. Eating bananas speed up recovery from cramps, especially those caused by diarrhea.

bananas for cramps
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10. Chamomile tea
Drink chamomile tea if the condition of cramp causes stress or anxiety. Many women are stressed out because of the cramps. Chamomile helps to stay relaxed.
You should take chamomile tea 3 times a day. Remember to take it the last thing before sleep. This provides the greatest benefit.

Chamomile tea reduces stress and helps one sleep more peacefully. It takes away the pain of a cramp. By morning, it is much better. Chamomile is great for nighttime cramps, which are often triggered by anxiety.



11. Pickle Juice ( champion remedy )
Of all the home remedies for cramps, pickle juice stands out, especially because it acts fast. When you are suffering from a cramp, drink some pickle juice.

How much pickle juice to drink  ? Well, a 1/4 cup of any pickle juice should do.

Pickle juice contains brine, other electrolytes, and nutrients from the item that was pickled. I go with dill pickle juice for my cramps.



12. Eat fresh Parley
No wonder that parsley is such an important herb and a seasoning. Add fresh parsley leaves to every meal. This can provide considerable relief from cramps. It is also highly nutritious.




13. Hot compress
When faced with a cramp, many people use a hot compress on the skin. This seems to be a nice and easy remedy for any kind of cramp.

However, cold compresses too are used for cramp pain relief. In fact, they can provide more relief as cold compresses have a numbing effect which dulls the pain for some time.



14. Skimmed Milk With Cinnamon
This is a home remedy designed for perfection. It is a great one at getting rid of cramps.




15. Other remedies for cramps
The above mentioned home remedies are very popular for cramps and work for most people. There are however many more remedies which one can try.



16. Prevent Cramps In Future
In order to stay cramp free, it is important to focus on nutrition. Some minerals are essential for preventing cramps in muscle, and also for prompt recovery.

Sodium
You can get this electrolyte from salt. Quick and effectively absorbed as well.

Calcium
You can get this from cheese, yogurt and skimmed milk. Calcium is involved in the muscular contraction and expansion. A deficiency of calcium often leads to cramps as the deep contraction by muscle cannot be avoided.

Potassium
It is required for proper electric transmission through nerves. As such it prevents cramps. You can get potassium from bananas and other sources.

Magnesium
Presence of adequate amount of magnesium is required to control excess calcium absorption. A healthy balance of calcium and magnesium is important for muscular and bone health. Get your magnesium from spinach, brown rice and avocados.

Vitamin B 12
A deficiency of this vitamin deteriorates nerve health.



17. Stretching  ( for exercise related cramps )
People who are athletes and regularly train are always at risk for cramps. Doing proper workout is the key to preventing them. They also take pickle juice. However, for exercise induced cramps, stretching helps.

Perform basic stretching exercises for the cramped muscle. One can also do beginner Yoga poses. This has the effect of straightening twisted nerves and other conduits, providing relief later on. Initially it pains to move that muscle, but trust me, it helps a lot.

This is beneficial in cramps of calves, thighs, ankles and arm.

stretching for cramps
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18.  Wintergreen essential oil
Although, a simple massage would relieve a cramp, one can make a much more powerful remedy using wintergreen oil. This is the essential oil taken from wintergreen tea and it contains very high concentration of salicylic acid. It is an excellent pain reliever and an anodyne.

  • Ingredients
    Wintergreen essential oil
    Base oil ( Olive, Jojoba or Coconut oil )
  • Directions / How to use
    Add 4 - 8 drops of wintergreen essential oil to a small bottle ( about 150 ml ) of olive oil. Mix it well. Now massage the cramped body part with this oil. It has a cooling effect. It relieves pain in a way similar to cortisone. 


What are cramps, actually ?
A cramp is actually a contraction of muscle beyond what is tolerable. This excess contraction causes deep pain in the muscle. There is intense pain for a few seconds. Then the pain reduces, but doesn't go away. It takes weeks for the muscle fibres to heal.
This excess contraction should ideally stop, but in lack of electrolytes, it doesn't stop. This is the root cause of cramps. Having a continuously robust level of electrolytes is best at preventing cramps.

There are some conditions which increase a person's susceptibility to cramps.


Eating foods that are rich in dietary mineral Magnesium are wonderful remedy for cramps because they relax the muscles. So, eat more spinach, bananas, avocados and all kinds of nuts.