Whether you are exercising or sleeping, when a muscle spasm occurs, the pain can be unbearable. Sometimes your movements can be completely immobilized by a tight muscle and you won’t be able to do anything until the spasm goes away.
Sometimes muscle spasms can seem impossible to resolve. You may have tried massaging, stretching, and drinking sports drinks, but you still can’t find relief. Check out these seven ways to relieve cramps.
1. Heating pad. For some muscle spasms, heat is an effective way to relieve the spasm. The Mayo Clinic recommends using a heating pad on the muscle or applying ice, if that’s best.
2. Winter oil. To help stimulate blood and relieve pain, Reader’s Digest Best Health recommends massaging a mixture of 1 part wintergreen oil and 4 parts vegetable oil into the area of muscle spasm. Avoid heat when using the mixture as it may burn your skin.
3. Epsom salt. Taking a warm bath can help relax all your muscles. Reader’s Digest Best Health says you can add half a cup of Epsom salt to your water for extra relief.
4. Vitamin B complex. The Mayo Clinic recommends increasing your intake of vitamin B complex because you may be deficient.
5. Water. If cramps tend to occur during exercise, Reader’s Digest Best Health says you should drink two cups of water before exercising. Dehydration often causes cramps, so be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day.
6. Mustard. eDrugSearch offers a rather unusual treatment. Taking a teaspoon of mustard orally is said to provide very quick relief. The theory is that mustard increases pressure on the nerves in the mouth so that pain receptors cannot communicate with the brain.
7. Pickle juice. People’s Pharmacy recommends taking a teaspoon of pickle juice at the onset of a cramp. It could be the sodium in the pickle solution or the overload of the nerves that helps, just as mustard relieves spasticity.
When cramps appear, desperation may push you to try something unusual. Try one of these tips and see if you find your new favorite solution to muscle cramps.
