How To Get Rid Of Quad Cramps In South Africa

What is Quad Cramps?

A muscle cramp is a sudden and involuntary contraction of one or more of your muscles. If you’ve ever been awakened in the night or stopped in your tracks by a sudden charley horse, you know that muscle cramps can cause severe pain. Though generally harmless, muscle cramps can make it temporarily impossible to use the affected muscle.

Long periods of exercise or physical labor, particularly in hot weather, can lead to muscle cramps. Some medications and certain medical conditions also may cause muscle cramps. You usually can treat muscle cramps at home with self-care measures.

Causes

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. Narrowing of the arteries that deliver blood to your legs (arteriosclerosis of the extremities) can produce cramp-like pain in your legs and feet while you’re exercising. These cramps usually go away soon after you stop exercising.
Nerve compression. Compression of nerves in your spine (lumbar stenosis) also can produce cramp-like pain in your legs. The pain usually worsens the longer you walk. Walking in a slightly flexed position — such as you would use when pushing a shopping cart ahead of you — may improve or delay the onset of your symptoms.
Mineral depletion. Too little potassium, calcium or magnesium in your diet can contribute to leg cramps. Diuretics — medications often prescribed for high blood pressure — also can deplete these minerals.

How To Get Rid Of Quad Cramps In South Africa

Lifestyle and home remedies

If you have a cramp, these actions may provide relief:

Stretch and massage. Stretch the cramped muscle and gently rub it to help it relax. For a calf cramp, put your weight on your cramped leg and bend your knee slightly. If you’re unable to stand, sit on the floor or in a chair with your affected leg extended.Try pulling the top of your foot on the affected side toward your head while your leg remains in a straightened position. This will also help ease a back thigh (hamstring) cramp. For a front thigh (quadriceps) cramp, use a chair to steady yourself and try pulling your foot on the affected side up toward your buttock.
Apply heat or cold. Use a warm towel or heating pad on tense or tight muscles. Taking a warm bath or directing the stream of a hot shower onto the cramped muscle also can help. Alternatively, massaging the cramped muscle with ice may relieve pain.

Alternative medicine

Some suggest taking vitamin B complex supplements to help manage leg cramps. However, more research is needed to confirm this benefit.

Prevention

These steps may help prevent cramps:

Avoid dehydration. Drink plenty of liquids every day. The amount depends on what you eat, your sex, your level of activity, the weather, your health, your age and medications you take. Fluids help your muscles contract and relax and keep muscle cells hydrated and less irritable. During activity, replenish fluids at regular intervals, and continue drinking water or other fluids after you’re finished.
Stretch your muscles. Stretch before and after you use any muscle for an extended period. If you tend to have leg cramps at night, stretch before bedtime. Light exercise, such as riding a stationary bicycle for a few minutes before bedtime, also may help prevent cramps while you’re sleeping.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What causes cramps in your quads?

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.

How do I stop my quads from cramping?

To avoid leg cramps in the future, drink plenty of fluids before and during exercise. Muscles need fluid to contract and relax properly. Prevent tightness by warming up your leg muscles before you work out with some walking in place or a slow jog. After each workout, stretch out your leg muscles for a few minutes.

How long do quad cramps last?

Cramps can last from a few seconds up to 10 minutes. Thigh muscle cramps tend to last the longest. During a cramping episode, the affected muscles will become tight and painful and the feet and toes will be stiff.

Do bananas help with leg cramps?

You probably know that bananas are a good source of potassium. But they’ll also give you magnesium and calcium. That’s three out of four nutrients you need to ease muscle cramps tucked under that yellow peel. No wonder bananas are a popular, quick choice for cramp relief.

What foods trigger leg cramps?

WHAT FOODS CAN CAUSE MUSCLE CRAMPS?

Refined carbs like white bread are devoid of nutrients.
Excessive red meat consumption is bad due to nitrates.
Fast food is full of trans fats.
Foods with refined sugar such as packaged muffins are full of artificial ingredients.
Salty foods can wreak havoc on the body.

What does a quad cramp feel like?

Athletes with quadriceps strains often complain of a “pulling” sensation in the front of the thigh. Pain, swelling, bruising and muscle tenderness may also occur.

Does Salt prevent cramp?

Intravenous saline can reverse heat cramping, and more salt in the diet and in sports drinks can help prevent heat cramping. For heat cramping, the solution is saline.

How does pickle juice stop leg cramps?

While it hasn’t been proven yet, researchers posit that pickle juice may help cramps by triggering muscular reflexes when the liquid contacts the back of the throat. This reflex shuts down the misfiring of neurons in muscle all over the body, and “turns off” the cramping feeling.

Can a cramp damage muscle?

Cramp is an involuntary contraction of the muscle which can not only be very painful but may also cause muscle damage in severe cases.

Why do I get cramps in my thighs at night?

In general, night leg cramps are likely to be related to muscle fatigue and nerve problems. The risk of having night leg cramps increases with age. Pregnant women also have a higher likelihood of having night leg cramps.

What is your body lacking when you have leg cramps?

If you have frequent leg cramps, one reason could be that your body needs more of the mineral magnesium. A 2017 study reported that up to two-thirds of the American population is magnesium deficient. Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body and is essential for regulating your body’s functioning.

Does salt cause leg cramps?

Low sodium is probably the biggest driver of muscle cramping during exercise. If sodium lost through sweat isn’t replaced—and if the athlete over-hydrates with plain water—cramps are likely to occur.

Does eating a banana before bed help with leg cramps?

The high levels of potassium in bananas can relax your muscles and reduce nighttime cramps

Does caffeine affect leg cramps?

Too much caffeine amps up your nervous system, and in turn can lead to muscle twitching, cramps, and spasms. According to Bustle, “the stimulants in caffeine can, in high amounts, cause small involuntary tensions of muscle fibers across the body.”

Is peanut butter good for leg cramps?

It provides you with energy – The healthy fats, fiber, and protein in peanut butter all add up to give you the boost of energy your body needs to make it through the day. It’s good for your nerves and muscles – The magnesium in peanut butter can help to ward off headaches, fatigue, and muscle cramps.

Is it OK to run with sore quads?

Do Not Run If the Leg Soreness Is Localized
On a related note to pain, if the soreness in your legs is isolated to one area, particularly if it’s unilateral, it may be best to rest. For example, if your right shin is sore, it’s wiser to take a rest day or try low-impact cross-training.

How do you stretch a strained quad?

Pull the foot of the injured leg towards your buttock until you can feel a gentle stretch on the front of the thigh. To increase the stretch, tilt your hips backwards. Hold for 20-30 seconds and repeat 3 times. Do this at least 3 times a day.

Does Gatorade help with muscle cramps?

Drink plenty of fluids. Sports drinks, such as Gatorade, will often help leg cramps.

What deficiency causes muscle cramps?

Twitches, tremors, and muscle cramps are signs of magnesium deficiency. In worst-case scenarios, deficiency may even cause seizures or convulsions ( 1 , 3 ). Scientists believe these symptoms are caused by a greater flow of calcium into nerve cells, which overexcites or hyperstimulates the muscle nerves (4).

Does mustard stop leg cramps?

A shortage of acetic acid can also cause cramps. The body uses acetic acid to produce acetylcholine, which is essential for leg muscle contractions. This is why mustard is effective for leg cramp relief. Mustard contains acetic acid.

Should you let a cramp continue?

A muscle cramp always feels like a surprise. The involuntary contraction strikes without warning, whether it’s a charley horse in the middle of night or a back spasm as you reach for an everyday object. But don’t let that cramp throw you for a loop. “When it suddenly strikes, don’t exercise or tighten the muscle.