If you've ever woken up in the middle of the night with a painful, tense muscle in your leg, you have experienced a leg cramp. Leg cramps are contractions that occur involuntarily in the muscles of the calf, thigh or toes. In most cases, leg cramps are harmless. If your leg cramps are accompanied by any other symptoms, consult a doctor.
Exercise and Stretch
When leg cramps strike, the Mayo Clinic recommends getting up and walking, which will help stretch the muscle, or jiggle your leg, which will help loosen the cramp. Flexing the foot towards your head may also help relieve the pain of leg cramps. After the leg cramp is gone, Craig Hersh, MD, of the Sports Medicine Center recommends, in "The Doctors Book of Home Remedies," sitting on the floor and touching your toes, then flexing your toes as much as possible. Stretching will help loosen the muscle and prevent the leg cramp from returning.
Acupressure
Sports injury management specialist, Patrice Morency suggests, in "The Doctors Book of Home Remedies," using acupressure to help relieve leg cramps, a technique that is used by athletes to help relieve leg cramps. During a leg cramp, pinch your bottom lip between your thumb and forefinger, then squeeze for approximately 30 seconds. Morency states that this pressure point may help reduce the duration and severity of your leg cramp.
Heat and Cold
While a painful leg cramp is occurring, the Mayo Clinic recommends massaging the leg and applying ice to the affected area to help reduce pain and relax the muscle. Wrap a washcloth or towel around a handful of ice cubes, then apply the ice directly to the cramping muscle. If ice is unavailable, rinse a towel in cold water, then apply the towel to the cramped area. If the leg cramp still persists, soak the area in a warm bath or take a warm shower to help relax and loosen the cramped muscle.
