|
[ Bracing Archive ] [ Main Archives Page ] [ Glossary/Index ] [ FAQ ] [ Recommended Books ] [ Bulletin Board ] |
Search this site! | |
Hi Walt,
I have always been proned to leg cramps but now (age 53 female in menopause)they are worse than every. I did get them under control a few years ago with magnesium but I then reduced the magnesium to just 150mg per day. This seems OK except if I have alcohol. Then, boy, do my cramps come back with a vengeance.
The other night, I am not kidding, I woke up feeling a cramp coming on in my left calf. I shot out of bed but before I could even put my foot to the floor, my leg seized up - literally locked! My knee cracked as the muscle went into spasm - real bad, every severe spasm. I could not move any part of my leg or foot for about a minute. Then I tried to relax the muscle - mentally - and eventually I was able to put my foot flat on the floor and the spasm dissipated. It was really really scarey. I took 450 mg magnesium straight away and slept like a log - no loose bowels either.
Do I have to keep this up for ever? Do you think dehydration might be another cause. Do I need to take potassium or calcium with my magnesium. Surely, I do not have to give up alcohol completely? Other people drink it and dont get muscle spasms. I would appreciate your comments.
These are VERY severe muscle spasms, and scarey.
Thanks.
In Reply to: Very severe leg cramp/spasms posted by bracer on October 20, 2003 at 05:02:21:
Hi bracer,
Giving up alcohol seems like a good option! (I gave up alcohol decades ago and am really happy about it.)
There are a lot of other things you might do to help yourself. You may have to experiment with some of these to see which ones help the most.
One is a regular practice of Skilled Relaxation (See article and glossary, archives). SR will help relax your entire nervous system.
Another is a regular full-body stretching program, focusing on sretching the legs and ankles. The stretching will also help the muscles and the nervous system.
Massage and self-massage might also help, focusing on the legs and calves.
Drinking more water. Getting regular aerobic exercise. Experimenting with other supplements (calcium, potassium, etc.)
Best wishes,
Happygal (Certified Massage Therapist)
In Reply to: Re: Very severe leg cramp/spasms posted by Happygal on October 20, 2003 at 06:10:45:
Thanks Happygal,
Im sure what you suggest is all good, but I know there is something wrong to have these very severe cramps. There is something wrong that exercising etc. will not address. I dont know if it is in the trace minerals or whether its water - I drink lots each day but probably not the 6 - 8 glasses. I think I get through about 4, maybe 5. I eat Celtic Sea Salt so I wouldnt think its salt Im missing.
the point is there IS something wrong in my body and it is not just stretching, SR or exercise will do anything to correct it in my opinion. What I want to know is I dont want to experiment with supplments, I need to know if Walt thinks there is a definite deficiency of something from what I have said. If not I guess I need to go and see a doc because I dont know. I dont want to make the situation worse with experiments.
In Reply to: Re: Very severe leg cramp/spasms posted by bracer on October 20, 2003 at 07:52:41:
What about bad circulation? Is the circulation so bad that the muscles are getting nothing - thats why this always happens at night or when I am inactive?
I know your suggestions might help but I want to know why this is happening to me. I think there is something missing from my diet.
In Reply to: another thought ... posted by bracer on October 20, 2003 at 08:14:47:
Hi bracer,
Yes, Walt may have some suggestions for you.
What I've learned from going to doctors is most of them can only guess and make suggestions anyway --- each person is so different that you just have to try something to know if it works.
If circulation is your issue, it might be exercise that would get the circulation going.
If it is a dietary issue, usually the best way to find out is to try the dietary supplement and see if it helps.
When muscles are "getting nothing" usually it is because someone is bracing -- have you started doing SR yet?
I know I'm repeating myself, but unless you try these things, you will not know if they help you or not.
Best wishes,
Happygal
In Reply to: Very severe leg cramp/spasms posted by bracer on October 20, 2003 at 05:02:21:
Hi, Bracer.
Listen to Happygal! When you say that what she is saying really cannot be the problem and that "there must be something wrong" you are demonstrating that you have not put enough thought into this. Learn from the bracing archives.
If you want to spend a lot of money and time and finally come to the same conclusion, go ahead and let us know what you learn. This is chronic bracing as the primary cause and low intracellular magnesium as a secondary contributing cause.
You are likely congenitaly susceptible to this and that is why alcohol bothers you and not others. We are all unique and need to treat ourselves as such. Unfortunately, by the time each individual figures this out, we have lived 60-70 years in our bodymind and then it is a little late.
By the way, mineral salt would be better than sea salt.
Listen to your bodymind. It will never lie to you.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: Very severe leg cramp/spasms (Archive in bracing.) posted by Walt Stoll on October 21, 2003 at 06:12:57:
Thanks Walt (and Happygal),
Just one more thing, Walt, I keep taking magnesium and it does help with the cramps. I have also read that lack of calcium and potassium can interfere with muscle behavoir. Should I supplement these too? This is what I was getting agitated about, Im afraid, its just that I want to be taking the right thing and not making things worse. What if I were upsetting the balance of salts too much? Thank you.
I have ordered a meditation tape from Brainsync to help me with my SR and I have just acquired one of those mini-trampoline (rebounder).
In Reply to: Re: Very severe leg cramp/spasms posted by bracer on October 20, 2003 at 07:52:41:
Wine or lemonade, both gave me restless legs at night. I would bet that if you press on certain spots on your leg muscles you will feel tender areas, almost sore. These trigger points make muscle action difficult and cause myofascial pain. A deep muscle in the leg helps pump blood up from the feet and legs. When that muscle is constricted, you have problems. This is what muscle bracing is all about. I took a combination of calcium-magnesium, 1000 mg. at bedtime.
You can try self-massage but I would definitely spend the money on someone who knows trigger point therapy or a rolfer who does deep muscle work.
In Reply to: Re: Very severe leg cramp/spasms (Archive in bracing.) posted by bracer on October 21, 2003 at 06:55:47:
Thanks, Bracer.
I have no experience treating bracing with calcium or potassium. The correct balance of these minerals is in mineral salt but in very small doses. I would use "enough" magnesium to prevent most of the cramps--until the SR and rebounding can resolve the main cause.
Let us know how you do.
Walt
|
[ Bracing Archive ] [ Main Archives Page ] [ Glossary/Index ] [ FAQ ] [ Recommended Books ] [ Bulletin Board ] |
Search this site! | |