1. Oww! My Foot Hurts!
Foot cramps are very painful muscle cramps. They can strike while you are moving or attack while you are sleeping. A foot cramp feels like the muscles and tendons in the bottom of your foot are pulled very tightly and the sharp pain cannot be ignored. The toes curl tightly together and cannot be separated, making it impossible to stand on the foot. It is not unusual for the pain to radiate up to the Achilles tendon on the back of the foot.
2. The Components of Your Foot
The foot contains over 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments. There are 20 structural muscles that give the foot its shape. These muscles anchor the bones into their positions relative to each other, while allowing them to move as the person's weight transfers during movement. There are five main muscle groups in the foot: the anterior tibial, posterior tibial, peroneal tibial, the extensors and the flexors.
3. When a Muscle Cramps Your Style
When a muscle cramps, the fibers within the muscle contract for a sustained period of time without releasing. The cramped muscle feels like a hard lump or firm tendon in the area of pain or discomfort. There are several types of muscle cramps, but the most common one in feet are structural. Overuse or uneven exertion can cause foot cramps. They are also common in people who are sedentary, due to poor blood circulation and lack of activity.
4. Stopping a Cramp in Its Tracks
There are two steps to reduce the pain of food cramps. First, ease the immediate pain. The fastest method of doing this is to rub the foot muscle. Hold onto your foot and place your thumbs on the base of your foot. Rub from the heel toward the toes, pushing evenly with the pad of your thumb along the full length of the muscle. Alternate one hand and then the other, continuing the stroke until the cramping is gone. Once the initial cramp has subsided, improve the blood circulation through the area. This can be achieved by walking, putting your full weight on the foot or soaking the foot in warm water. This encourages blood circulation to move the lactic acid out of the muscle.
5. Stay Clear of Foots Cramps
Avoid muscle cramps by following three simple rules. Drink 4 to 8 cups of water a day, since dehydration is one of the most common causes of muscle cramps. Eat a balanced diet, as low levels of magnesium and potassium lead to frequent muscle cramps. And stretch your muscles regularly. It doesn't need to be a long, comprehensive stretching routine. Stretching your major muscle groups for 5 minutes a day goes a long way to reducing the frequency of foot cramps in the future.
