Severe leg cramps: How do you relax severe leg cramps?

I don;t know what everyone else has written, but normally, barring any other illnesses, mean a lack of potassium. When I get them, and they can be brutal at night, I eat a banana.

@karenatmayo will get some payday I do know its important for us to put,eat the right stuff in our body As tikigod18 says potassium ,magnesium andcalcium are essential to our organs also ,heart,muscles and legs

Sounds like RLS.

Two tablespoons of mustard. Maybe it's the tumeric in it.

@kauaimic Could be I know one time I was in a donut shop and burnt my hand on hot coffee right away the waitress came over and applied yellow mustard I thought what goods that going to do but believe it or not it took the sting out of my hand

@degarden_girl Thank you for replying. I am now a bit concerned about the upcoming RFA procedure for both back and neck. The steroid injections only worked 2 days for me which also told the surgeon that the RFA would be a more lasting choice for pain relief. I am driven to the extreme s of considering RFA as I raise chickens, bees, garden and sculpt. Don't want to give them up! Last night I did the Yoga and drank a cup of the lemon, baking soda and pink salt solution. Actually it did not taste badly. No leg cramps! The neck and back pain plus the debilitation of the cramps make these activities a nightmare. I will hold my breath on these two remedies as several of the cures mentioned by others would work for a few days then the cramping would return with a vengeance. I am ever hopeful. Thanks again for replying.

@workswithclay29 I am betting your pain management specialist will not do both procedures at the same time.

I was told that if the cortisone injections worked, even for one day, that the RFA would be effective. My brother in law was told the same. If I were in your shoes, I would first have the lumbar RFA as that issue is affecting your sleep and might be the cause of your leg cramps. Although I am not happy with the results of the RFA on my neck, I would consider the procedure on my lumbar but done by a different physiatrist with a proven track record.

For my neck, I have found I had to give up doing jigsaw puzzles as one must look down at the puzzle to do it. That was causing me a lot of pain and as much as I miss the activity, I don't miss the pain and it was just something I needed to give up. I find gardening is another activity which aggravates the neck issue. Think about how your head pitches forward when you are kneeling or bending at the waist to weed or plant. I suspect your sculpting might pitch your neck in a similar direction and might be the trigger for some of your pain. Some physical therapy to strengthen your neck might be helpful. But in actuality, as we age, we need to adjust our activities to protect our bodies and if NOT doing something gives pain relief, that should be our first line of defense.

There are Lidoderm pain patches available. Script strength is 5% and I have found they are amazingly helpful in backing off the pain. OTC the patches are available at 4% which seems darn close to 5% but in actuality are 20% lower in strength. Maybe your Dr. can prescribe the 5% for you. The patches can be cut to the size you need. I cut mine into 6 smaller patches.

I think the "active child's pose" is giving you some space between the vertebrae so your lumbar nerves aren't getting pinched. You have a physical situation going on and by providing some space, you are adjusting the physical situation. I do this stretch every day and now am able to go weeks without the cramping but every so often . . . and then I know I need to get down on the floor and stretch again, that something is "off".

I don't know anything about ingesting acidic drinks or salt mixtures so really can't comment but it would seem the lemon and the baking soda would offset each other as one is acid and the other basic.

Good luck with your decision making. When are you scheduled for your RFA's?

@degarden_girl sorry for jumping up n but you are spot on about stretching the spine this releases all the nerves in back long ago the Drs would order stretching inP.T for this I like the active child pose I do this also and I just ordered an adjustable bed when it was demonstrated to me with the head @legs elevated I felt instant release from the back pain so your correct in your words

@lioness No problem with you jumping in. Everyone's experience is helpful. For those interested in raising the head of the bed, one can get foot raisers at BB&B. Just use two for the head of the bed. You will likely need a board under the middle support foot depending on the size of the bed.

This aging process sure is a challenging journey.

@degarden_girl yes it is Yojr right you can raise bed but wi my fracture I have it has pinched my nerve going into thighs ,the bed guy added pillows for head and feet to let me see for myself instantly I felt relieve in that lumbar area I also have heat and massage with remote so Thrusday when it comes I,ll probably stay over n bed lol They will take my old bed away . We have to do everything we can at this age for sure Right now Im on my heating pad I am having a fibromyalgia flare this is no fun oh the joy,s of life