Foot Cramps

What Causes Foot Cramps?

Foot cramps occur in the bottom of the feet. They are characterized by a sudden sharp pain that can also be accompanied by a knotted muscle. These can take place at night, during the day and in conjunction with sporting activities like running and...

Foot Cramps & Stretches

You may experience painful and disruptive foot cramps while exercising or sleeping. Although treatment may vary depending on the cause, stretching while suffering from a foot cramp can help alleviate pain and may prevent future cramps.

Bicyclists & Foot Cramps

Foot cramps can originate at any point during a bicycle ride. The cause varies by circumstance -- the same rider may get foot cramps for different reasons at different times -- and learning more about their etiology can help you find solutions for...

Electrolytes & Foot Cramps

Electrolytes are important for the function of many different parts of your body. Having the wrong levels of some electrolytes can cause the muscles in your feet to not work properly, causing foot cramps. Your doctor can order blood tests that...

Foot Cramps and Calcium

Cramps in the foot muscles, often occurring at night, can be extremely painful. Fortunately these cramps are usually of short duration and relieved by stretching and dietary changes. Insufficient calcium can play a role in causing foot and leg...

Foot Cramps and Vitamins

A foot cramp is characterized by a sudden, jarring pain, usually in the arch of the foot, that can make it difficult to walk or stand. There are a number of causes--including deficiency in certain vitamins--but fortunately just as many cures, says...

Exercises for Foot Cramps

Classified as muscle cramps by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, foot cramps involve involuntary muscle contractions that do not relax. Cramps have a variety of pain levels from mild tics to unbearable pain. Cramps can occur many times...

Foot Cramps and Potassium

Painful foot cramps can occur if your body is low in potassium, a mineral that helps the cells in your muscles and nerves function normally. Athletes may be especially likely to develop muscle cramps when potassium is lost through sweating....

Foot Cramps & Vitamins

Hypocalcemia is a condition that causes foot spasms and other involuntary muscle contractions. The disease results from a loss of calcium in your system. Calcium absorption that requires vitamin D also may be compromised when you have a vitamin D...

Foot Cramps & Skateboarding

If you’ve ever had a foot cramp strike just as you were about to attempt a trick on your skateboard, you know how painful and irritating these sudden muscle spasms can be. A foot cramp is not an uncommon occurrence, but fortunately...

Remedies for Foot Cramps

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, muscle cramps are sudden, involuntary spasms of one or more muscles that often occur while exercising or at night and last for a few seconds to several...

Foot Cramps When Swimming

Swimming is a great way to strengthen your muscles and burn calories, but a muscle cramp in your foot can cut your workout short. Muscle cramps are not usually a serious medical condition and can be treated with at-home care if your doctor...

Foot Cramps & Yoga

Nighttime foot cramps can cause memorably rude awakenings, but apart from that, they're usually harmless. Muscle spasms in the feet are also common during yoga exercises, but experienced practitioners recommend relieving them with a combination...

Foot Cramps and Snowboarding

Snowboarding is an original American sport. Although snowboarding can enhance your health and level of fitness, there are some risks involved with this strenuous sport. Your feet play a major role in balancing, turning and stopping a snowboard,...

Foot Cramps and Swimming

Getting foot cramps swimming in a pool is painful, but cramping up in open water far from shore can be dangerous. Swimmers typically get cramps in their feet and calves, says Jessica Seaton, chairperson of the U.S. Masters Swimming Sports Medicine...

Foot Cramps and Magnesium

Whether it wakes you up in the middle of the night or strikes as you walk, a foot cramp is an extremely painful sensation. A foot cramp occurs when the foot muscle becomes locked into a state of contraction, unable to relax. Although simple...

Potassium for Foot Cramps

At some point, people may experience spasms or cramps in their feet or legs due to dehydration or muscle strain. However, people may also experience muscle spasms due to a lack of the mineral/enzyme potassium. Taking potassium can help prevent and...

Foot Cramps and Plyometrics

Plyometrics builds increased muscle power. This training method concentrates on rapid, explosive movements that strengthen muscle by first applying eccentric force, which lengthens and stretches the muscle and then rapidly contracts it....

Home Remedies for Foot Cramps

Foot cramps are a result of spasms in the muscles of the feet, according to MedinePlus. They are contractions of the muscles in the feet, and although foot cramps can be severely painful, they only last a few seconds. A variety of home remedies...

Foot Cramps During Swimming

Swimming, one of the safest forms of exercise, can keep everyone from toddlers to senior citizens fit. Swimming provides cardiovascular strength and a full-body workout. Swimming is kind to your joints and can help you control your weight. But...

Causes of Chronic Foot Cramps

The Patient UK website describes a foot cramp as a muscle spasm that occurs when a muscle contracts too hard. The pain from the cramp will last anywhere from a few seconds to even ten minutes with varying severity. Foot cramps can occur in anybody...

Foot Cramps and Vitamin B-12

Foot cramps are not only painful and annoying, but they can interfere with your sleep, which in turn has a negative effect on your entire health. Among the things that you can do to help combat foot cramps is to increase your intake of certain...

Foot Cramps With Cardio Kickboxing

Foot cramps during or after exercise such as cardio kickboxing can be painful and frustrating. Because they can make even simple daily movements such as walking after your workout difficult, it is important to understand what causes...

Can Foot Cramps Be From a Vitamin Deficiency?

Foot cramps usually are temporary and pass within minutes, but they can be excruciating and interfere with your activities. Cramps occur when the muscles in your feet contract involuntarily and may be accompanied by weakness, tingling sensations...

What Vitamins Are Lacking With Foot Cramps?

A cramp in the arch of your foot or toes can be painful enough to wake you out of a sound sleep. A cramp is a sudden, intense spasm, or involuntary contraction, of muscle that doesn't relax immediately. Although a muscle cramp is usually an...

Foot Cramps from Swimming

A cramp is a sudden or involuntary contraction in your muscle that causes a sharp pain. You may also notice a small lump at the site of the pain. Swimmers commonly suffer from cramps in their calves and feet; particularly the toes and the arch....

Electrolytes As Cause of Foot Cramps

Foot cramps are painful contractions of muscles in the foot. A cramp can sideline you from activity while you wait for the cramping and pain to subside. Some people experience this cramping more than others, and many times it relates to...

Foot Cramps From Vitamin Deficiency

Foot cramps can strike at any time and normally come about as a result of dehydration, poor circulation, wearing improper shoes, low salt or a pinched nerve. However, foot cramps can also be a symptom of a vitamin deficiency. The only way to know...

What Are the Causes of Foot Cramps While Sleeping?

The general reason for foot cramps while sleeping is decreased circulation in the foot. The drop in oxygen to the foot muscles causes them to constrict or spasm, sometimes painfully. Foot cramping can happen at any age. Modern lifestyles with a...

How to Massage Foot Cramps (Video)

Foot cramps can be a very painful injury. Get expert tips and advice on massaging and other treatments in this video.

Muscle Spasms and Cramps Health Video (Video)

Muscle spasms and cramps are often harmless but can accompany serious medical conditions. Learn about spasms and cramps in this medical video.