Leg > Leg Cramps > Treatments

   Massage, Hydration

Home Recovery

Stretching the affected muscle reduces the excitability and will help the cramp go away. But very often, you'll see a player get a cramp under control and then have it recur the next time he enters the game. Once a cramp starts, it can be difficult to control. Stretching is a short-term solution, but does not address the longer-term problem of fatigue and dehydration. Massaging the muscle can help relieve a cramp. Doctors are not exactly sure why this works. It is possible that massaging may help relieve the lactic-acid buildup, or maybe it has more of a direct effect on the muscle itself. Hydration won't help ease a cramp, but it can help reduce the chances of it recurring. You should drink water as well as other fluids, such as sports drinks, that contain electrolytes such as potassium. Bananas are also a good source of potassium.

To help prevent leg cramps, it is very important to address dehydration and electrolyte imbalance by drinking appropriate fluids, such as sports drinks. At one time, it was seen as a sign of weakness when players wanted to take a break to drink fluids during practice, but now the importance of this is understood. Fluid replacement is encouraged, with electrolyte solutions readily available.

Before activities, you should focus on stretching as well as proper hydration. If you have a regular problem with cramps, you should pre-load with fluids and electrolytes such as potassium as those nutrients need to be in your system before you begin activities. A combination of pre-loading and replenishment is the goal. During activities or sports, make sure to rehydrate with fluids containing electrolytes. Most of the replenishment fluids now is use are sports drinks, in which all bases are covered, replacing glycogen, electrolytes, and liquids. Heat and humidity are major factors in causing cramps, so acclimatization to those conditions is also important in preventing cramps.

Conditioning is also crucial to preventing leg cramps. The earlier fatigue sets in, the more likely you will be to develop cramps. Well-conditioned muscles perform better over long periods of time and use their glycogen stores efficiently.

Cramps at night can often be prevented by stretching the calf muscles each evening before going to bed. Stand facing a wall about two feet away and place your hands on the wall doing a gentle "push-up" against the wall keeping your heels flat on the floor. Move one foot slightly farther away from the wall until you feel a gentle stretching of the calf muscles. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds and repeat with the opposite leg.