Forums > Help! > Easing foot cramps
Login/Join to Participate4,308 posts
Location: York, England
Yeah, I know, I'm posting on a poi site. But medical sites havn't had anything useful to say, and neither have my doctors. So I'm wondering if someone out there has something clever to share with me....
Basically, I get random cramps in my foot, usually around the upper third sometimes including the big toe and the first toe next to it. I never get them when moving... mostly when sitting, occasionally when standing or kneeling. Its usually caused if i bend my foot back and then put weight on it, or if I otherwise cut down a bit on circulation, or if I curl my toes often the foot stays cramped... I don't always mean to do it its just when you flex your foot sometimes that happens!
Bending the toes back in an arch helps, and massaging helps, and (thank god!) the pain usually goes away within a minute or two and the muscles relax... but does anyone know anything which could be done to prevent this? As vigilant as I try to be on how I sit, kneel, etc, sometimes i mess up, and sometimes when stretching i'm just going to happen to curl my toes....
Ta,
K
Keep your dream alive
Dreamin is still how the strong survive
Shalom VeAhavah
New Hampshire has a point....
had her carpal tunnel surgery already thanks v much
4,145 posts
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland (UK)
eat more magnesium? (not pure though, that'd kill you...)
"vices are like genitals - most are ugly to behold, and yet we find that our own are dear to us."
(G.W. Dahlquist)
Owner of Dragosani's left half
126 posts
Location: uk, Newcastle / Chester
1. Take the cramped foot in your hands. Slowly but firmly move it in the opposite direction of the cramped position.
2. Keep in this position until the cramp disappears.
3. Spread some baby oil generously over the area, and gently massage it for 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Take a pain reliever immediately, and if desired, repeat the dose after 4 hours. Aspirin and ibuprofen are recommended.
5. Elevate your foot on a pillow, to the level of your waist.
6. Apply an ice pack if the cramp is due to overuse, like from a sports injury. Place the ice pack around the cramp, not directly on it.
7. Use moist heat on the cramping muscle three times a day if cramping is chronic and persists longer than 24 hours. A warm foot soak may be beneficial.
8. Consider wrapping the foot with an elasticized cloth band or sports wrap. Be careful when wrapping under the arch - too much pressure against it can cause pain.
9. Rest and stay off your foot. Give the muscle, tendon or nerve mass time to heal.
If you're still suffering from cramps after one to two weeks, contact a podiatrist.
Stand on a thin towel. Using all your toes, move the towel until it's under your foot. If you are like me, your foot will cramp up immediately. Put your weight on it, and the cramp will disappear. Keep trying it until you no longer get a cramp, usually 1 or 2 minutes. If you do this before bed, you won't get foot cramps at night. If you do it every day for a week, you may never get another foot cramp. I haven't!
Hope this helps abit mate. If not maybe sodium + Magnisium Vitamin pills
James
If money is the root of all evil, then why do people sell Bibles?
queen of all the hipsters
150 posts
Location: Cornwall/Birmingham, United Kingdom
More salt in your diet and warm baths?
to live at all is miracle enough
4,308 posts
Location: York, England
Its funny cos I eat sooooo much salt! I love salt
And I don't have a bathtub :/ Might take a look at the magnesium- and James-
will try exercise suggested
thanks so much for ideas...Its not do to overuse or anything, I think its actually getting worse when i exercise less and sit around more like now when i'm looking for jobs. The doctors don't think its interesting... and its not *constant* it just happens pretty reguarly if i acidentally curl my foot around at all... or kneel much. its the ankle thingy.
Anyone else has ideas i'll still listen Thanks muchly guys!
Keep your dream alive
Dreamin is still how the strong survive
Shalom VeAhavah
New Hampshire has a point....
Gromit's Humble Squire
4,496 posts
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Tried tiger balm Miss K?
4,308 posts
Location: York, England
Hmm... no. And thats actually not a bad idea!
Keep your dream alive
Dreamin is still how the strong survive
Shalom VeAhavah
New Hampshire has a point....
Pooh-Bah
1,762 posts
Location: York University, United Kingdom
Tiger balm on the foot is wasted... it goes on the chest area! Or possibly the ear?
Take Care.
After much consideration, I find that the view is worth the asphyxiation.
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I invented the decaffinated coffee table.
453 posts
Location: Cornwall, United Kingdom
I used to get really bad foot cramps. Often at inopportune moments. It seems to run in the maternal side of my family.
Walking on a cold surface used to help my grandmother.
And we all swore on drinking more gin and tonic - for the quinine. Honestly.
Boo x
I intend to live forever - so far, so good.
If it costs "a penny for your thoughts", but people give you their "two-pence worth", who is getting the extra penny?
55 posts
Location: Manchester UK
cramp is usually caused by too much salt in the diet and blood stream.
However, there are other reasons why cramp starts. For instance I class myself as a good chef and I never add any additional salt to anything I cook as there is plenty naturally in foods anyway. I would class my diet as salt free i guess, but when I go scuba diving I do sometimes get cramp from the cold water.
Cramp is caused my lactic acid build up in muscle tissue so the best and quickest way to relieve it, is to get more blood circulating round the area. eg movement, massage etc.
Its a bit of catch 22 really.. lactic acid is supplied to muscles to build up the muscle tissue through exercise but too much causes cramp, also not enough exercise can cause it because of the build up.
Too much salt in your diet in effect thickens your blood so can not "clean" away any impurities in your blood.
My advice would be to cut down on salt, take regular exercise even if its just a quick walk round the block once every couple of hours and drink plenty of water to purge your blood of any excess salt/impurities.
As for guaging how much salt is in your diet, take a mental note of the colour of your urine when you go to the toilet, if it is a dark yellow your body is dehydrated and usually the urine smells more than "normal"
A balanced diet, urine is a light yellow to clear colour. Light yellow being from lets say sun flower oil colour.
Just try it for a week, drink plenty of water, around 1-2 litres a day, yes you will be peeing like a fountain but just see what difference it makes, and reduce your salt intake.
Here endeth the biology lesson
Hope that helps
Thats Mr Poi-ro!
Qualified SCUBA Diver.. Not worked out how to fire spin and dive at the same time yet.. grr
4,308 posts
Location: York, England
Yeah, I've been really dehydrated on and off for awhile due to travelling. I need a way to make water weigh less and be more convinient. I also, it would seem, need to find one of those tiny pillows as... yeah. they are wonderful. but thats not relavent here. I do get in a bit of walking from day to day but bronchitis and the cold are making extended exercise difficult the past three weeks.
Thanks tho, perhaps I'm just not caring for myself enough.
And I eat loads of salt but I always have, unlike the dehydration thats not only not new but I feel sick if I start eating less.....
Keep your dream alive
Dreamin is still how the strong survive
Shalom VeAhavah
New Hampshire has a point....
HoP's Barman. Trapped aged 6 months
4,437 posts
Location: Staines, United Kingdom
Written by: Sethis
Tiger balm on the foot is wasted... it goes on the chest area! Or possibly the ear?
I can think of many other places to put it
I dont suffer from foot cramps so cant help, i do however get lots of pins n needles
An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind
Give a man a fish and he'll eat 4 a day hit a man with a brick and you can have all his fish and his wife
"Will's to pretty for prison" - Simian
Pooh-Bah
1,762 posts
Location: York University, United Kingdom
Yeah, well I was trying to keep the thread PG, considering that it's both
and a PG board, but you just had to go and ruin the tone, didn't you? 
Hope you're feeling better Kyri, and are you telling me the brochitis has relapsed AGAIN??? Jesus. Get better soon!
(Just kidding Will,
to you too man) After much consideration, I find that the view is worth the asphyxiation.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I may disagree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.
HoP's Barman. Trapped aged 6 months
4,437 posts
Location: Staines, United Kingdom
I meant nipples which I would believe is very PG, i had to put a wink there so people knew i meant more unusual places than your forehead or neck or whatever
An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind
Give a man a fish and he'll eat 4 a day hit a man with a brick and you can have all his fish and his wife
"Will's to pretty for prison" - Simian
4,308 posts
Location: York, England
Forehead is unusual surely?
Yeah, I still have the bronchitis.
Less foot cramps lately tho, altho still some minor ones.
Keep your dream alive
Dreamin is still how the strong survive
Shalom VeAhavah
New Hampshire has a point....
newbie
14 posts
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
More bananas for the potassium always helps me. And quinine (Bitter Lemon, Tonic Water) is supposed to help too...
member
138 posts
Location: In a warm bed with me teddy!!, United Kingdom
I irish dance a bit and i found magnesium supplements helped me also prentending to draw the alphabet with each foot (weird but it does help)
Fun is not a straight line <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA
Hey chickie.
We actually covered this last month in classes.
Potassium and dehydration are some of the biggest proponents to muscle cramping...er, rather...a lack thereof.
I know that here in the states you can get Morton Light Salt or Salt Sense. They are half sodium and half potassium. About a 1/4 to a 1/2 teaspoon per day, plus drinking 64 oz of H2O tends to help people with thier cramps. I have recommended it to several of my clients and it has worked every time.
Hope this helps you!
(and if you end up feeling bloated from it, take a wedge of lemon and stick it in a mug with water. Pop it in the microwave for about 1-1/2 minutes and sip on it. It acts as a diuretic and helps relieve any bloating.
) Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
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9,232 posts
Location: NYC, NY, USA
Written by: Kyrian
but does anyone know anything which could be done to prevent this?
Stop sinning.
Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]
4,308 posts
Location: York, England
cheers. bananas actually are making me feel a bit better. hydration is higher these days because i work more. i have a toe i might have sprained/broken making things worse on one foot, but the other is doing better. I thought the alphabet thing only helped your ankles? Keep your dream alive
Dreamin is still how the strong survive
Shalom VeAhavah
New Hampshire has a point....
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