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11079760 tn?1483386130

Help for muscle cramps?

Hi friends,

I'm curious what non-prescription options exist to help with muscle spasms. I'm having a terrible time with the arch of my right foot, the inside of my right ankle/calf, and weirdly the back of my left arm (tricep area).

I will try some Aleve (naproxyn) in hopes I can sleep tonight. Thanks for sharing what has worked for you.

Cheryl
8 Responses
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1780921 tn?1499301793
Try and increase your potassium intake. That can help with muscle cramps.
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987762 tn?1671273328
COMMUNITY LEADER
"my right hand would curl in on its own. It would get locked there until I manually opened my hand - OUCH!!"

Yep that's it.....it first happened 4-5 years ago during a hot summer Christmas work party, it was only 1 finger back then lol once we worked out how to get my finger uncurled from it's bizzare position and the pain stopped, my typical fascinated nerdy reaction to the weird and bizzare kicked in.

hmmm so whilst DH was still a little green, i was like wow, i didn't know my finger could bend in that direction.....I just get my hand/fingers unbent and off i tootle now, still hurts like the dikkens but it's mostly short lived, and when the persistent nerve pain compromises my arm too much, i have to wear my brace until it stops but stop it does!  

Finding the motivation to do x is a problem just about everybody on the planet deals with from time to time, it's often easier to get started if you brake your goal down to the smallest achievable stage first off and once the habit of doing that little bit becomes your normal routine, you can start adding another little bit to it and so on....

I'm currently trying to get my self motivated to pay another toll and i really really don't want to pay it.....we've finished the inside of the unit and just last weekend finished the courtyard which btw looks fantastic but all the outside work that needs doing is more physical labor than i am capable of. Getting the building rubble removed, the truck load of abandoned tenant rubbish and all the over grown trees out has already kicked me for six but last week we started removing and get the new fences up and oh boy has that opened my eyes to what death warmed up can actually feel like lol ho hum hmmm i wonder if i can rangle sitting in that nice finished courtyard sipping champagne and watching instead lol wishful thinking cause that ain't ever going to happen :D  

Stretching ouch stretching ouch stretching........JJ  
Helpful - 0
9745005 tn?1410044366
Thank you for sharing that youtube video..what an excellent presentation and wow, I wish he was my neurologist!  I deal with spasticity in my lower legs and thru his explanation, I understand why it is happening!  I hope you can find some relief...I'm off to do some stretching!  ;-)
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1 Comments
I'm glad it was helpful! I, too, really need to start incorporating stretching into my routine. I keep wanting to start yoga, but don't seem to have the motivation for it. I'm thinking I need to alternate yoga & walking every other day (or as I'm able).

I have already found that just adding gentle, intuitive stretching 2x/day has been helpful...and I haven't been walking as much for the last week. I can't believe out tight my muscles are!
987762 tn?1671273328
COMMUNITY LEADER
Well, I thought that was a truly fascinating and very educational talk about Spasticity! I also loved the neuro's style a lot, i didn't think he was flippant or arrogant, he was more relaxed and approachable to me, definitely my kind of doc....

I actually think he's explained 3 different issues of mine, hmmm 1 - why i usually walk like a bouncing string puppet, 2 - why pain medication doesn't reduce the pain at all and 3 - why getting too 'cold' can make controlling this weird little body of mine an impossible goal.

I still have the 'mentality' of the athlete i've been throughout my life, stretching was bashed into my brain from a very early age lol i'm constantly stretching different muscle groups, even whilst sitting or standing i'm doing some type of stretching. I actually use to teach kids with ADHD how to redirect their excess energy by stretching, and on the flip side of the age coin, my elderly mil has been doing a mild strength and stretching program for the elderly for years now and her specialists and surgeon all believe it's one of the main reasons she's still mobile and recovers as quickly as she does (her stubborn personality the other lol)....stretching is some ways does have a lot of benefits for a host of reasons, so definitely worth doing if you can!    

One of the hardest lesson's and one i still struggle with, is the simplistic expectation that the more you move, the healthier and stronger your muscles, so it's suppose to be even easier to keep moving lol general exercise rules just don't seem to apply, it's now more about doing less more often and then how much your willing to pay the prolonged price when ever you end up doing too much by trying to be normal :D

Cheers.......JJ

btw I've literally just now noticed something new whilst stretching, my right wrist has developed a twist that the left one doesn't have. I've been having issues with my right shoulder and upper arm more and more this year because of all the physical work i'm having to do with the renovation work at the unit. My right arm started getting very stiff months ago and it's very painful getting it to move even little movements hmmm some of the fingers on my right hand, either individually or 2-3 together also spasm and twist, getting locked into weird and painful positions, i usually need someone to help me unlock and straighten them out when it happens, probably all related but still weirdly me :D  

      
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
I'm so glad you enjoyed it - I did, too. I also really appreciate your comment about having to change our mindset. I'm definitely still in the "do what you've always done" mindset. I still believe that if I walked 3 miles yesterday, I should try to walk 4 today. And if I managed 70,000 steps last week, this week I should be able to go 75,000. I'm a slow learner...and between aging and MS, I suspect I will pay for this attitude over & over. Maybe one day it will sink in! :D

So sorry to hear about your wrist/fingers. That sounds painful!! With my last exacerbation, my right hand would curl in on its own. It would get locked there until I manually opened my hand - OUCH!!
11079760 tn?1483386130
Thank you all for the suggestions! I know my diet has been seriously wanting for the last few weeks & all of your advice reminds me to kick it back up into high gear. Not sure why I wasn't considering that!

I was also reminded that I've been slack on my calcium/magnesium intake for a couple of weeks. Maybe the reduction in magnesium in addition to my increased exercise is causing the spasms.

I also think the recommendation around stretching is something I've been ignoring for years. It's probably as much (or more) a natural part of the aging process vs. my MS, but I absolutely have to find time multiple times a day to incorporate this back into my life. I will report back in a month or so - hopefully all these changes = more sleep!

I also wanted to share this video that I saw recommended on the NMSS chat boards when searching for posts on spasticity. I'm not sure my issues fall into that category - guess I'm not super clear on what it is and isn't - but I found it really educational. The doctor is a bit casual. I liked is humorous approach, but I can see how some may think of him as errogant or flippant. Here's the YouTube URL if anyone is interested:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RHIr5_S6_k

If that doesn't work, search for the title: "OhioHealth Multiple Sclerosis Lecture - Spasticity"

Thanks, again. I appreciate all of the suggestions!
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Tumeric
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987762 tn?1671273328
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hey babe, um not sure i have an answer that will definitely work, more tips and tricks that i know of that 'may' help....

Stretching: stretching for a few minutes multiple times throughout the day is suppose to help lengthen the cramping muscle fibers, think gentle sustained stretch.

Massage: massaging the problem muscles through out the day, the massage is suppose to help to relax the muscle(s).

Exercise: A few minutes of stationary bike riding before going to bed is suppose to boost blood and nerve supply to the lower limbs and help reduce cramping.

Ice pack,  putting an ice pack on the muscle for a few minutes may also help the muscle relax.

Dietary changes: increase Magnesium, Potassium and Hydration and lower sodium. The best food sources of magnesium are legumes, nuts, seeds, fish and whole grains. The best food sources of potassium are avacardo, spinach, sweet potato, coconut water, yogurt, white beans, and bananas. Hydration is basically the 8 glasses of water per day and no coffee doesn't count :D. High amounts of sodium is often hidden in many foods eg cereal, tomato sauces/salsas, vegetable juice/stock etc
  
It's theorised that magnesium or potassium deficientcy 'may' precede muscle cramps, you can get supplements if dietary changes are not enough..

Your muscle cramping is mainly in your lower limb and probably more at night if your needing something to help you sleep, so with nocturnal muscle cramps/spasms it's also worth consider things like your foot ware eg heel height, arch support, correct fitting etc, the weight and tightness of your bedding, and if your on your feet too much or sitting too much, also some medications like diuretics, statins, beta agonists etc are linked to spasms and cramps so checking any new medication might help.

keep in mind though, MS can be the underlying cause so if all else fails you really should consider consulting with your neuro.

Hope that helps..........JJ
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667078 tn?1316000935
Tonic water and bananas. Prescription Baclofen or Zanaflex are good medications.
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