Night Cramps

Night cramps are the horrible tightening of muscles that occur when sleeping. The muscle slowly tightens so much that a sharp, stabbing pain will wake you from a sound sleep just as if someone blew a horn next to your head. The pain can be extremely intense. Night cramps commonly occur in the lower legs (calf), feet, toes and thighs. The cramping muscle is actually contracting, so the only way to relieve the pain is to do the opposite motion of the contraction, which is to stretch. The calf cramps with the foot pointing away from the body. To relieve the cramp, pull the foot and toes toward the body. Night cramps are usually a result of mineral deficiencies. Calcium, magnesium and potassium are the usual culprits. A lack of vitamin B also adds to the problem. Eat leafy green vegetables, yogurt, bananas, apples, broccoli and nuts to fill the void. Supplementation with minerals and B vitamins will also help. In addition, two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water with a little lemon juice and honey will do the trick.

Thought for the Week: The Three Basic Principles of Success: Strive to Know More. Work Hard. Be Absolutely Honest.

---Fred Barge, DC

Chiropractic Tip of the Week: The Spinal Cord is the main conduit from the brain to the nerves. The spinal nerves branch out between the spinal bones and connect to all parts of the body. The working action of all the cells, tissues and organs in the body is dependent on the nerve impulses that arrive from the spinal cord. Nerve impulse interference (subluxation) will cause decreased function to the body and decreased health.