Home Remedies for Leg Cramps

Leg cramps really hurt and imagine if you're sleeping and you get a leg cramp so bad that it wakes you out of a sound sleep. Horrible, excruciating pain that keeps you awake until it goes away. Here of some home remedies to get rid of and prevent leg cramps.

Soap Under the Sheets

Here's a strange one for you. Soap under the sheets. There is no scientific explanation why this works but many readers of the book, Best Choices from the People's Pharmacy, have said that this home remedy works well for them. Basically what you do is take a bar of soap, any bar of soap will do except Dove and Dial, unwrap it and stick it under the bottom, fitted sheet where your calves would be. Make sure to replace the bar every month or six weeks and make sure to check every night before going to bed that the soap didn't fall out.

Apparently, the cheaper the soap, the better. I know this remedy sounds unusual but a lot of people have tried it and say it works great for them. Try it! You have nothing to lose but leg cramps.

Mustard

An inexpensive way to relieve leg cramps is by quickly swallowing a teaspoon of cheap yellow mustard. This remedy has not been scientifically proven and no one knows why it works but according to the book, Best Choices from the People's Pharmacy, fellow readers have tried this and say it works for them. Of course other people have said that it did not work for them and it gave them indigestion all night. Therefore, if you have a problem with heartburn or indigestion, make sure to chase the dose of mustard down with a glass of water.

Some people say that the little packet of mustard they get from restaurants is a good enough dose to relieve the leg cramps. Just leave a bunch of packets of mustard on your nightstand and if you get leg cramps in the middle of the night, swallow the mustard quickly and you should get fast relief. Apparently, the mustard remedy for leg cramps has been around for a long time and some say that it works for daytime cramps as well as nighttime cramps. What is so amazing is that most people who have tried this say it works really fast.

Pickle Juice

Another strange home remedy is pickle juice. Those who couldn't stand the mustard remedy said they tried drinking an ounce of pickle juice, this can relieve leg cramps pretty quickly. A former pro-football player who played for the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys wrote to the authors of the book, Best Choices from the People's Pharmacy, and said that pickle juice is the best remedy he has ever tried. There is also a business man in Texas who sells a product called, Pickle Juice Sport. He says the electrolytes in this drink is what reverses leg cramps. You can check out his website here. Instead of buying the drink, you can always just drink regular pickle juice right out of the jar. It only takes 8 ounces to relieve leg cramps.

Baking Soda

Baking soda, again, like vinegar is helpful for so many things. All it takes is ¼ teaspoon of baking soda mixed with a glass of water after strenuous exercise or activity to prevent leg cramps. One reader claims the "soda neutralizes the lactic acid that forms in muscle upon heavy exercise." So if you have a problem with leg cramps, taking baking soda with a glass of water should prevent the cramps from happening in the first place.

Lip Pinch

Another strange remedy for getting rid of leg cramps is to pinch your lip, yet most people say it is successful. You are supposed to pinch your upper lip hard, for several seconds until the cramp lets up. Again, this has not been proven but many people say it works for them.

Preventing Leg Cramps

All of these remedies are great ways to relieve leg cramps but if you get them often then the best thing is to do whatever you can to prevent them in the first place. There are exercises and other things you can do to prevent leg cramps.

Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water a day. Drinking enough water will prevent dehydration which could be one thing that causes the leg cramps.

Stretch calves regularly throughout the day and night.

Ride a stationary bike a few minutes a day. Doing so will help prevent cramps during the night, especially if you do not get a lot of exercise throughout the day.

Keep blankets loose at the food of the bed to prevent feet and toes from pointing downward as you sleep. Your feet or toes pointing downward while you sleep may cause leg cramps.

Do aquatic exercises regularly during the week to help stretch your muscles.

Doing these simple things regularly should prevent leg cramps from happening in the first place. If none of this works and the leg cramps get worse, contact your doctor right away.

Check out these website for further information

Stretching Exercises for Leg Cramps

Postgraduate Medicine

Disabled World

For even more information on home remedies check out the book, Best Choices from the People's Pharmacy.