All about the ancient tribes
Stretch your foot forcefully to relieve the cramp by flexing your foot and pressing down on your big toe. Walking around and jiggling your leg may also help with both foot and leg cramps. Taking a warm bath or shower or using ice may ease any lingering pain. Deep tissue massage may help in the long term.
Overuse of a muscle, dehydration, muscle strain or simply holding a position for a prolonged period can cause a muscle cramp. In many cases, however, the cause isn’t known. Although most muscle cramps are harmless, some may be related to an underlying medical condition, such as: Inadequate blood supply.
A charley horse can be caused by a direct blow or sudden stretch of the muscle, but most of the time they’re caused by strain or fatigue during exercise.
What can you do about your foot cramps?
Food cramps happen when a muscle in your foot suddenly squeezes and can’t relax. It may last only a few seconds, or it may go on for up to 15 minutes or more.
Preventing Foot Cramps
Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body and is essential for regulating your body’s functioning. It’s involved in more than 300 of your body’s biochemical processes, including muscle contraction and nerve transmission. Magnesium is a widely used remedy for leg cramps.
Curled, clenched toes or a painful cramped foot are telltale signs of dystonia. Dystonia is a sustained or repetitive muscle twisting, spasm or cramp that can occur at different times of day and in different stages of Parkinson’s disease (PD).
These spasms are marked by uncomfortable muscle contractions. If the contracting muscles don’t relax for several seconds or more, the pain can be severe. Severe charley horses can result in muscle soreness that lasts anywhere from a few hours to a day. This is normal, so long as the pain isn’t prolonged or recurring.
A DVT blood clot can cause a calf cramp that feels a lot like a charley horse. Like leg pain, the cramping sensation with DVT will persist and even worsen with time. It won’t clear up with stretching or walking it off like an ordinary charley horse.
If you have a cramp, these actions may provide relief:
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drugs such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve) can help relieve tenderness after a cramp. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) can work as well.