leg cramps

Discussion in 'Help with Life' started by jettie, Sep 2, 2008.

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  1. jettie Twilight Town Denizen

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    i was swimming in practice and i got over 30 of them. and 7 times it locked my foot back so i had to pull it back with my hands. it got so bad i could not not kick of push off the walls. i stretched a lot before and during practice. mostly it was my calf but i would stretch that and another part of my leg would lock up. i think it is cuz i've been sick for a week and i think my body is low on something. dose anyone know what eat or do at all?
     
  2. P E A N U T ~*~Never Surrender~*~

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    Bananas help a lot. It's a lack of potassium that causes cramps like that. (I'm pretty sure it's potassium, anyway).
     
  3. EvilMan_89 Code Master

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    overusing and overexerting your muscles could also cause them. you need to give your muscles proper time to recuperate. also, it could be a lack of potassium as kairi_girl92 pointed out. other times, it could happen for seemingly no reason. i also heard a huge amount of salt or lack of salt could cause this. so eat bananas, and salt in moderation?
     
  4. Hubba-Bubba-Bubbles Hollow Bastion Committee

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    I'm not sure what to eat...But you could try taking some medicine.When I get leg cramps I use a heating pad and it works for me and sometimes it comes back but most of the time i goes away.​
     
  5. jettie Twilight Town Denizen

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    okay u guys thanks! i ate a banana but we only had one...and i don't eat salt but when is naturally it in foods. thanks for the advice. :)
     
  6. Repliku Chaser

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    Eat more potassium such as bananas and drink milk, which has potassium in it as well. There are also potassium pills if you needed them, in low dose at some health stores like GNC, I believe. Low potassium can cause cramps to happen. Also, try taking a multi-vitamin each day to make sure it's not something else and to help ward off sickness. I hope you feel better and it seems you are doing everything else right so I'm guessing it's a potassium deficiency at this point.

    Salt isn't that bad for you if you are athletic as it helps hold in water and people who exercise actually kind of need it, though not in high amounts. Make sure you drink water before you exercise if you can because that is rather essential too. Sports drinks don't really count as water, so if you are drinking those instead, you might want to switch.
     
  7. jettie Twilight Town Denizen

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    okay it is not working...i have crammed in the bananas and milk. and i don't drink much else but water. i did have the potassium pills cuz my mom had some already. there happing more often just like sitting funny or weight like my back pack, even when i try to sleep. i had a lot more during practice. and when i got out i had over 6 at once. it was just my lower legs but now it is every muscle i have ever known or did not know in my legs. i would stretch one and another would lock up. i had to stretch for over 40 minutes just to leave the pool deck and get home. i'm desperate for any answers now. anyone please!
     
  8. GhettoXemnas literally dead inside

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    Lay off the soda. I had football today, then a soda after pratice, then picked up a b-ball and took one shot and I cramped like a muah ****a.
     
  9. jettie Twilight Town Denizen

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    i don't drink soda or juice...or not even milk that much...just water.
     
  10. Tahno The official Charlie Sheen of Republic City.

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    I know what you feel man. I get back aches a lot and I usually get a mausage or a heating pad. They help. If not, then try taking medicine of some sort that will help.
     
  11. jettie Twilight Town Denizen

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    we don't have heating pads...so that is not so easy to do. and i tried to massage it yesterday but it well sounds dumb but i can't help but to tense it when i do and u know where it goes from there. but i NEVER take medicine. so no matter how dumb i sound what kind should i take? maybe if they can even let me sleep...
     
  12. Luna Lovegood nani panda-kun

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    Yep. Potassium is the key. Eat a banana before you practice. It'll help lots.
     
  13. Tahno The official Charlie Sheen of Republic City.

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    I agree potassium is also part of the problem.
     
  14. jettie Twilight Town Denizen

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    ...well that is great and all but i have ate 3 bananas for the last 2 meals......
    and taken the potassium pills. so ANY other suggestions from u people?
     
  15. Luna Lovegood nani panda-kun

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    Drinking lots of water helps, too.
     
  16. jettie Twilight Town Denizen

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    well i was kinda meaning something different...

    well i did not know if this connects it but might as well ask cuz u all have answers on here. does the fact that i shake now mean low potassium? or is that just not sleep? or what?
     
  17. Repliku Chaser

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    Basically, you want to get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night if you can and also get in the habit of doing ritual bed times. i.e. if you get up for school at 6ish or 7ish, go to bed 8 or 9 hours before that time so you get what sleep is required for you.

    You can try using a heating pad. Nice baths where you can soak can help and you could try Epsom Salts which you can get in department stores like Walmart or Target for cheap, or get the smellier scented salts at other places that cater to bathing stuff and aromatherapy like Bed, Bath and Beyond.

    Drink water. It sounds repetitive but yes, drink around 6 to 8 glasses a day and get some kind of powder mix if water gets too boring for you, to spruce it up. The more active you are, the more water you need.

    Check your shoes out. They may be too 'bouncy' or something and be causing some unwanted pressure. Also try stretching and moving your legs about. At night perhaps, put a pillow under your knees to elevate your legs to ensure they are getting some circulation and try to keep blankets or sheets loose about you. Some shoes that are in fashion aren't the best things for people's feet. So this could be one of the things getting to you.

    Potassium or calcium deficiency can be a cause so keep eating a banana a day and drink a glass of milk a day. Take a multi-vitamin once per day. You don't need to eat 3 bananas etc , but just one per day and a glass of milk per day will let your body get used to the ritual again and it will help you out in the long run. Some other potassium rich foods are tomatoes, tomatoes, potatoes, broccoli, cantaloupe, oranges and grapefruits, so you don't have to just be stuck with bananas all the time. I know that would get really boring.

    Make sure with the multi-vitamin, even if it's something simple like Flintstones, that you get a vitamin including iron in it as you may have iron poor blood and that can also wear a person out and give cramps. Also make sure it has magnesium in it. Flintstones complete, Centrum or any of the major vitamins should have these sorts of nutrients. It may take a while to work into your system so your body fixes itself so expect a couple days at least to see some effects.

    Make sure when you do stretching exercises you aren't doing them too much and don't 'bounce' when doing them. i.e. if you are touching your toes, gradually work to do so, don't hurry and do motions back and forth to get to your toes. Stretch for 10 seconds and release from that position.

    The best cures while having leg cramps are to rub the muscle area, massage it and put your thumb or fingers on the area of pain and press not 'too' hard but with good pressure and count to 10. Then release.

    If the problem is really persistent after trying a multi-vitamin, upping your potassium, trying to elevate your feet when you sleep etc, I'd actually suggest when you go to your next doctor visit that you bring up the leg cramps to him/her. It could be an electrolyte imbalance that the multi-vitamin and improved potassium, calcium and magnesium intake aren't enough and so a doctor may have to evaluate that, or anemia, which the iron would help balance. Other than what I've mentioned, I'm not sure what else can assist you, but this takes some time so try a few of these things at least for a couple days and let me know if anything changes at all for you. I sure hope so. Leg cramps suck.
     
  18. jettie Twilight Town Denizen

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    well that was sure a lot... it should help. i have not been sleeping cuz they just wake me up so i've only had about 2 hours a night. so i need to work on that for sure. i move my legs constantly for rls, but sometimes that is a down fall cuz i have to hold it back when i feel a leg cramp coming.. it is swimming so i don't wear shoes XD (but the ones i have are for running). i only drink water so i get a lot of that. i'm sick of bananas so thank u for other options! i got vitamins today that have that stuff in them, so i'm doing that now also. doing stretches to much?! i've been doing them A LOT. but they never seem to stretch much no matter how far i go down or out or whatever. and i know not to bounce it. but thanks for allll the info. i will give it a couple days of these "habits" and hope it all works. thanks all u guys!

    oh wait. what if my legs shake uncontrollably a lot when i just stand still? is that okay? it started just around the same time as the cramps.
     
  19. T3F Chaser

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    Ouch!!!

    Oh God, I know how you feel. I was too a swimmer and had the exact same problem (also one of the reasons why I quit swimming) Unfortunately, it still happens. What I would say is not to stretch the hell out of your legs because they will be overworked and cramped again.

    Also, I know everybody hates this, but suggest to do more breastroke/butterfly as the kicking in freestyle/backstroke can kill your legs. Do you do pullbuoy? You know, the thing you put in between your legs so you work your arms? If you do, suggest to do it more. If not, ^ignore^

    If your coach is a ass and won't let you suggest anything, ^ignore^

    Lastly, try to refrain from tensing up your calf muscles because that KILLS! Try to get some sleep. pretty hard if you train at god knows how early in the morning but try anyway.

    Hope it helped. PM me for any thing else you need
     
  20. on mirrors edge Traverse Town Homebody

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