You’re sound asleep and suddenly you feel it. A sharp pain shoots up your leg muscle and suddenly you can’t move your leg. The pain from muscle cramps can be debilitating. Not only does it disturb your sleep, sudden muscle cramps puts you at risk for more severe injuries if it occurs during physical activities.
In this article, we’ll show you how to stop muscle cramps. Plus, you’ll discover the common causes of muscle cramps and learn more about the connection between dehydration and muscle cramps.
Common Causes of Muscle Cramps
Before we dive into how to relieve muscle cramps, it’s useful to know what causes them in the first place.
Chronic Illnesses
Underlying medical conditions including blood disorders, thyroid problems, and pinched nerves can lead to muscle cramps and involuntary contractions. Some medications like diuretics can also increase the risk of cramped muscles.
For most individuals without a medical condition, the common cause of muscle cramps is dehydration.
Dehydration
Dehydration is a condition where your body loses fluids and electrolytes more quickly than you take them in. It occurs when you:
Don’t drink enough fluids
Don’t replenish your minerals, causing an electrolyte imbalance
Sweat excessively
Experience vomiting, fevers, or diarrhea.
Common signs of dehydration include muscle cramps, headaches, and extreme thirst. You may also feel fatigued, lightheaded, and dizzy. Most people experience dehydration cramps in leg muscles such as the hamstring, calf muscle, and quadriceps.
Dehydration can range from mild to severe. However, even mild cases of dehydration can affect your daily activities.
The Link Between Dehydration and Muscle Cramps
Every organ in your body needs fluids to function. This includes your muscles.
When you don’t get enough fluids, your body responds by sending the fluids you do have to the most vital organs. Other organs that aren’t as vital to survival, like your muscles, will lose fluids. This reduced blood supply can also lead to muscle spasms and nocturnal leg cramps.
To stay hydrated, your muscles don’t just need water. They also need vital electrolytes like calcium, magnesium, and potassium. That’s why dehydration from mineral depletion is one of the main causes of muscle cramps.
When you sweat, your body pushes electrolytes like sodium to the surface of your skin. There, they evaporate to create a cooling effect. If you don’t replenish these lost electrolytes quickly, dehydration sets in.
How to Relieve Muscle Cramps
The best way to relieve your muscle cramps will depend on its cause.
If you have a medical condition that can cause muscle cramps, it is best to seek medical advice from your healthcare provider. A doctor can help you create a treatment plan using home remedies and medications.
Your health provider may suggest that you apply a heating pad on the affected muscle to stimulate blood flow. Alternatively, they may recommend calf stretches. By stretching and giving your muscles a gentle pull, your calves will be able to relax properly and be less likely to cramp.
Additionally, you can massage your muscles, use an ice pack, and take ibuprofen to address severe pain in the cramping muscle. However, these won’t do anything to relieve muscle cramps caused by dehydration.
Fight Dehydration Cramps With DripDrop
If you suffer from dehydration cramps and charley horses due to dehydration, you can remedy the situation by addressing your hydration status. Remember, it’s not just about fluids. You also need to ensure your body has the right balance of electrolytes.
When you're in a state of dehydration, drinking plenty of water alone is not enough. Your body needs the perfect balance of sodium and glucose to help absorption. With the precisely balanced ratio, you can replenish vital electrolytes and fluids to relieve dehydration quickly.
DripDrop is a fast, effective, and great-tasting remedy. It is formulated with vitamins like zinc, potassium, and magnesium, which are essential to support your overall health. These vitamins help your body retain water, support muscle movement, and transport nutrients. They also help promote immune health and make proteins and DNA.
Get started with our most popular multi-flavor pouch of electrolyte powder for dehydration relief fast. Or, learn more about how you can save up to 25% on every purchase when you subscribe.
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