Home Remedies for Muscle Cramps: Simple Tips for Quick Relief

To reduce muscle cramps, you can use cold compress (ice compress). Applying cold compress on the affected area will give you relief from muscle cramps soon. Cold compress reduces pain and helps in removing swelling. Keep in mind that you do not apply ice directly on your skin, as this can increase swelling in your skin. Wrap ice in a cloth or towel and use it for the affected area.

How to use cold compress -

• First of all, put some pieces of ice in a cloth.
• Now keep moving the cloth on the affected area with a light hand for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Repeat this process several times throughout the day for three to four days.
• Apart from this, you can also take a bath with cold water to reduce muscle cramps.

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Muscle cramps usually make the muscles stiff. So feel the pain on the affected area and then massage that area with the thumb. Massage until you get relief. In other words, apply pressure on that area with the thumb to treat cramps. This process is called stimulant therapy. You can use many oils for massage like castor oil, olive oil, coconut oil etc. Massage for 10 to 15 minutes, after doing it tie that area with a hot towel. This process will help in reducing muscle tension.

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If you do not warm up before high speed exercise, then this can also cause cramps in your muscles. Before doing any exercise, do warm up exercises for 10 to 15 minutes. Gradually increase the speed of the exercise. Then keep the area where the cramp has occurred stretched for 10 to 15 minutes, this will help in increasing the blood flow of that area.

When you are done with the workout, then stretch the muscles again. Pay more attention to the exercises of legs and hips, because the most cramps are seen in the muscles here. Apart from this, you can also go swimming. By using the muscles in water (moving and moving) the muscles start stretching inside the water itself, which gives relief from muscle pain. Also, cold water also removes swelling and pain.

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Rock salt helps in treating muscle cramps. Rock salt contains magnesium which relaxes the muscles and treats cramps. This remedy is very beneficial for long-standing muscle cramps or the problem of frequent muscle cramps. Keep in mind that you do not have to use very hot water to take a bath with rock salt water. Also, do not use this water on your body for more than half an hour, as it can cause dehydration in your body.

How to use rock salt -

Ingredients -

• One to two cups of rock salt.
• Hot or lukewarm water.

Method of making and using -

• First of all fill a bucket or bath tub with hot water.
• Now add rock salt to it and stir the entire mixture well.
• Now take a bath with this water for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Bathing with rock salt water cures muscle cramps, but if you feel discomfort anywhere later, you can use this remedy again.

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People who participate in sports (athletics) and those who do not participate in sports (non-athletics) may have muscle cramps due to lack of water in their body. Drinking enough water cures the problem of cramps. Drink one or two glasses of water during cramps. To avoid cramps, you can drink seven to eight glasses of water throughout the day. However, this amount depends on your lifestyle. If you exercise, then increase the amount of water you drink. If you get muscle cramps very frequently during exercise, then drink water two hours before each workout and keep drinking enough water in between exercises as well. Apart from this, eat as many water-based fruits and vegetables as possible. 

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Clove oil has anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce inflammation caused by muscle cramps. Also, the anesthetic properties present in it provide relief from pain.

How to use clove oil -

Ingredients -

• Two to three tablespoons of clove oil.

Method of preparation and use -

• First of all, heat the clove oil.
• Now apply it on the affected area.
• After applying, massage gently for five to ten minutes.
• If needed, you can repeat this process again.

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Nutrition is very important for the body and muscles to function properly and for any problem like cramps. Include a variety of vitamins, potassium, calcium and magnesium rich foods in your diet. Vitamin D strengthens bones and helps in increasing immunity. Eat vitamin D rich foods like fish, mushrooms, tofu and oats. Vitamin B12 is also very good for cramps. Vitamin E improves blood flow through the arteries and reduces muscle cramps at night.

Eat vitamin E rich foods like salmon, potatoes, soybeans etc. Lack of potassium leads to muscle weakness and cramps. Include potassium rich foods in your diet like fish, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, beans, yogurt, bananas etc. Calcium can also cause muscle cramps, so eat green vegetables like spinach, radish, lettuce, parsley, broccoli, cabbage, asparagus etc.

(Read more -Benefits of warming up before exercise)

The way you walk or stand can affect your muscles, such as muscle cramps can occur in the neck, thighs, legs etc. For example, a hump develops when the spine bends forward or backward, which causes cramps, stiffness and back pain in the waist. If you do not keep your neck straight and keep it bent in the wrong way, then your neck muscles can become weak. This can increase the tension in the muscles of your waist and shoulders. To keep the body position right, keep some things in mind like use a comfortable chair to sit, always sit straight, never sit for a long time, get up and walk from time to time. If you are feeling a lot of pain due to muscle cramps, then consult a doctor as soon as possible.

Apple cider vinegar is rich in potassium and helps in relieving muscle cramps. Muscle cramps are also common due to lack of potassium in the body. Also, apple cider vinegar contains many types of nutrients that help in keeping the fluid balanced in the body. In this way there is no shortage of water in the body.

How to use apple cider vinegar -

Ingredients -

• One teaspoon of apple cider vinegar.
• One cup of lukewarm water.

Method of preparation and use -

• First of all, mix one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in one cup of water.
• Now mix this mixture well and drink it once a day.
• Apart from this, you can also drink one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, one tablespoon of honey and one teaspoon of calcium lactate mixed in a glass of lukewarm water.
• Drink this mixture half an hour before sleeping at night.
• If you get muscle cramps every night, then this remedy is made for you. Do exercises to stretch the muscles every night for five minutes before sleeping. If you get muscle cramps in the middle of the night, then quickly apply hot compress on that area. Applying a heating pad on the affected area improves blood flow in that area, which starts supplying oxygen and water to the tissues again. Thus muscle cramps are reduced. Apart from this, you can also use a hot cloth or a hot water bottle.

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Some simple home remedies can be followed to prevent muscle stiffness. First of all, it is very important to keep the body hydrated, as lack of water can be the main cause of muscle cramps. Regular stretching and light exercises increase muscle flexibility and reduce stiffness. Salt or magnesium-rich foods, such as bananas, walnuts, and spinach, strengthen muscles. Also, taking a warm bath or hot water compress relaxes the muscles.