It was 8 years ago when the
strange onset of nocturnal leg cramps first began to occur. I was on vacation in Arizona when a series of
severe leg spasms caused me to jump to the floor abruptly from a sound sleep. I couldn’t walk it off, I couldn’t stretch it
out because it was in the mid to upper thigh region of my leg.
Finally, while in a standing
position, I extended the affected leg onto the mattress and leaned in to
stretch my inner thigh region. I
lingered there in that stretched position panting in agony for what seemed like
at least 2 – 3 minutes. Every time I thought the wave
of painful muscle contractions had ended and returned to standing and started
to walk, they would seize me again with such severity that I could hardly
breathe.
Finally I could empathize
with those basketball players I had seen writhing on the court while a huddle
of people surrounded them for what seemed like an eternity before they stood to
their feet and limped to the sidelines.
So that is why they’re always
drinking those electrolyte beverages at athletic events!
When that first episode finally
ended, I began to do a mental review to try and determine whether I was
dehydrated, had the wrong shoes, or had just been on my feet too long. I remember concluding after a mental
inventory of preceding events that surely it had been just an electrolyte
imbalance. In addition to adding extra
fluids, I substituted coconut water once I discovered that coconut water
contains about 600 milligrams of potassium per cup compared to 362 milligrams
for a medium banana.
I began to ask myself key
questions such as what I could possibly have done to cause this sudden onset of
the leg spasms from hell. (Yes, they
really are a personal hell if you suffer with them.) My activity level had not changed. I even
began to dread going to bed for fear of being awakened with more spasms.
When my lab results to assess
for electrolyte imbalances were normal, my family physician had no definitive
answers. I began doing my own
research. I ran across many excellent
articles such as this article from Cleveland Clinic.
I found an article on the 8
different types of prescription drugs that can cause leg cramps but fortunately
I was on none of those medications.
Furthermore I wasn’t interested in trying to solve a problem by adding yet
another prescription drug that would have its own set of side effects and cause
even more problems.
I considered adjusting my sitting
and sleeping posture. For days after a
particularly severe leg spasm, I was aware of a knot in the location of the
spasm. I enlisted the services of a massage
therapist specializing in deep tissue massage to help address the knots in my
muscles afterward. I did stretches. I tried to find the best way to stretch the
inner thigh muscles quickly in the event of reoccurrence of spasms.
Little did I know that those painful
spasms would become even more frequent and (on several occasions) so intense and
unrelenting that I would actually consider asking my daughter to drive me to
the emergency room.
The low point was the night I
got severe spasms in BOTH inner, upper thighs at the same time. I’m
certain I used some profanity that night as I was pressing and grinding my
knuckles into the most intensely painful areas in an attempt to release the
spasms.
So far the fluids, coconut
water, and massage had not eradicated the leg spasms. There were no medications responsible; I
wanted answers and I wanted the spasms to just STOP and never return. At the
time I was averaging one nocturnal leg spasm every week and sometimes more
often.
I added a highly absorbable magnesium
supplement, taking 200 mg. twice daily (every morning and at bedtime), which
measurably reduced the frequency and severity of the leg spasms to about once a
month. My goal however, was to have zero
leg cramps. I added a sustained
release potassium tablet (99 mg.) once daily at bedtime.
However, my best discovery in
addressing the spasms before they
occur started with recognition of intense spots producing the major sources of
the tenderness. Those spots are known as “trigger
points.”
Athletes who do weight
training have likely experienced trigger points in various regions of their
bodies. Trigger point massage devices are
a worthwhile investment because you can reach your own trigger points and do
your own massage. (I own the Back Buddy
but Thera Cane is an excellent choice as well.)
Once I located the spasm
trigger points on each of my inner thighs, I applied massage lotion and began
to massage with my trigger point massage device. Initially there was such an intense burning
sensation and discomfort with massage of the trigger points that I found myself
holding my breath during the massage.
The key is to massage through the discomfort until the trigger
point releases. Believe me, you will know when this happens and the
benefits will be worth the moments of discomfort. Every evening before I go to bed, I do
targeted trigger point massage. After
several days of targeted trigger point massage, the burning and tenderness
finally subsided. I am still working on
a small knot in this area, but my body is responding well.
Let me be clear, these
measures were my gallant attempt to end my own suffering from nocturnal leg
spasms. This was a very successful, drug-free, all natural approach. I am not offering medical advice or recommending this as something my
readers should do for the same problem.
As a nurse, I must tell you to
consult your family physician for guidance for all medical concerns.
What a journey this has been! On a personal level, it was worth the research and I hope you find this blog to contain useful information that will help you as well. My sleep has never been better.
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Pam Baker, RN
#notmywil
Yes this is right that through the massage is an effective way to regain movement and reduce pain. And massage is also a great remedy for stress.
ReplyDeleteRegards,
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