Friday, May 8, 2009

Stop Foot Cramps

Foot cramps can be extremely painful and can occur when you least expect them. Often they cause the arch of your foot to curl or can splay your toes at an awkward angle and are the result of poor circulation, dehydration, nutritional deficiency and other medical causes. By following the steps below you can learn quickly treat and stop foot cramps.


Instructions


1. Massage your foot for 10 to 15 minutes through the arch of the foot and between your toes. Focus on the areas that are cramping the most severely but do not neglect the rest of the foot. The goal of massaging your entire foot is to stimulate circulation and stop the muscle spasms causing the foot cramp.








2. Walk for 5 minutes after you massage your foot. This should prevent the cramp from returning by stimulating circulation to the area. Repeat Step 1 and Step 2 if the cramp returns


3. Supplement your diet with potassium, magnesium, calcium and zinc. A shortage of any of these nutrients in your body can cause your muscles to contract and cause spasms in your foot.








4. Drink more water. Dehydration can cause muscles to cramp and spam. If you do not like water try juice or sports drinks to restore the balance of fluids in your body.


5. Apply a menthol patch or menthol cream to your calf. Foot cramps do not always originate from the feet, and can start in the calf muscle. Menthol patches and creams can stop the muscle contraction and relax the muscle.


6. Schedule an appointment with your physician if your foot cramps occur frequently or will not stop. This may indicate an underlying condition such as and electrolyte imbalance, dehydration, poor circulation and diabetes.

Tags: your foot, poor circulation, stop muscle, your body, your toes