Waking up in the middle of the night with a muscle cramp in your calf is not fun. What can be worse is having a partner or spouse wake you up with a muscle cramp and not knowing what to do to help them. If you do the wrong thing, such as stretching the cramped muscle, you can hurt your partner.
There is a simple technique known to many massage therapists that will cause an immediate release of muscle cramps in a very safe way. It does this by tricking the body to release the cramp.
The way to release a cramp in the back of the calf is hold the top of your partners foot down, then have your partner try to raise their toes and the top of their foot against your resistance. The cramp should release within seconds. Then you can gently massage and stretch out the cramp. To see a video clip demonstrating this technique, please visit this link.
Having your partner try to raise the front of their foot will cause the muscles on the front of their calf to contract. When one muscle contracts, the opposing muscle is sent signals to relax. This happens so that we don't fight our own movements. The contraction of the muscles on the front of the calf will cause the muscles on the back of the calf to relax.
This technique can be used on any muscle in the body. You just have to have your partner try to stretch out the cramping muscle while you hold them to prevent the stretch from happening. For instance with a cramp in the bottom of the foot hold their toes down and have them try to raise their toes against resistance. If your partner has a low back spasm have them try to sit up while you hold their shoulders down.
This technique is only first aid for a muscle cramp, and does not address the cause. The cause for most muscle cramps is a deficiency of minerals, particularly calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
The muscle cramps that happen in the middle of the night are typically caused by a deficiency of calcium and magnesium. Sources of calcium include dairy products, leafy green vegetables, seeds and nuts, and seaweeds. Sources of magnesium include seeds, nuts, leafy green vegetables, and my favorite, dark chocolate.
Potassium deficiencies can also cause muscle cramps. Potassium is lost with the body fluids such as with sweating, vomiting, diarrhea, and through the urine with diuretic drugs. Potassium deficiency cramps are more common after athletic events or after illness. Potassium can be restored with electrolyte drinks such as Gatorade, or with fruits (bananas, oranges), vegetables, soup broth, and juices.
When a small child or infant is having muscle cramps it can be a medical emergency. They have much smaller stores of potassium to begin with, and a deficiency will affect the skeletal muscles first before affecting the heart. Electrolyte drinks such as Pedialite can replenish the potassium.
With proper nutrition and the application of this technique muscle cramps should no longer be a problem.
Dr. James Mally is director of Healing Arts Institute, a state approved massage school in Citrus Heights, California. He is a graduate of both Bastyr University, an accredited naturopathic medical school covering all aspects of natural therapeutics and the Lindsey Hopkins School, a 1000 hour massage training program He has been teaching massage certification programs since 1979, and is currently teaching advanced classes in deep tissue massage and sports massage in massage schools around the world. Dr. Mally has produced videos, DVDs and workbooks on Deep Tissue Massage Swedish Massage and Sports Massage and an Anatomy CD. These teaching aids have been highly acclaimed and are being used by massage schools around the world.
