Muscle Cramps
Natural Remedies

Muscle Cramp Remedies

| Modified on Aug 26, 2024
The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Ruthes (Holland, Ma USA) on 02/01/2013
★★★★★

Actually there is no need for drinking cider vinegar to stop acute muscle cramps. You can simly rub the vinegar on the affected muscle and in 5 minutes the cramping stops. I have used it for years and it works. severe calf cramps repsond well and there is no residual pain or achiness in the calf.

Acupressure
Posted by Robert Morris (Durham, NC.) on 03/01/2019
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

I learned this leg cramp treatment from a chiropractor in 1977. This works every time. Lift the cramping leg into a horizontal position. Press with the first finger of your right hand directly under your nose, where your nose and upper lip are. Press on the upper lip until the cramp goes away.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Adrienne (Idaho) on 11/20/2016
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Hi,

Posted by Passion4film87 (Elgin, Il) on 08/01/2016

I had radiating pain on the entire left side of my mouth from who-knows-what, and not even Aleve - my go-to painkiller - was helping. Then I remembered - apple cider vinegar! I drank about 2oz. of it (like a shot, LOL) and then swished with a mouthful. My pain was instantly gone. Literally instantly. It hasn't been back, about 24 hours later. WOW!

https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/home-remedy-toothache-tooth-pain.html#acv

I just wanted to add that I did that, drank a shot of ACV one night when I got a cramp in my foot, and the cramp stopped instantly, before I even finished the ACV! I'm glad to have read your experience because that was so weird I wasn't sure it was the ACV. I'd love to know why that worked. I had a medium intensity cramp in my foot so I got out of bed, hobbled down the hallway to the kitchen and that did nothing for the cramp. Some say walking helps, and I believe that is true, but it didn't affect this cramp. Then, it took some time to get the vinegar out, find something to pour it into, etc. But it stayed the same until I swallowed the vinegar, and I only did that because I had just read about vinegar for cramps, I.e. I had no expectation that it would work at all. It actually startled me, it was like a small miracle!


Bill Thompson's Protocol
Posted by Bill (Philippines) on 10/20/2020
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Curing Leg Cramps and Numb Feet

Here is a double remedy that has worked quite well for me. I was recently suffering from bad cramps in my legs at night(with a continual uncomfortable feeling muscle 'tightness' in the legs/feet) and I tried taking potassium which didn't work. Then I tried supplementing Magnesium Chloride (MC) at 250 mgs twice a day as Ted recommends and, strangely, that also didn't work. Then, not satisfied, I created a super-saturated solution of Magnesium Chloride (the same as I had supplemented) and that completely cured the leg cramps. To create a supersaturated solution of MC, just keep dissolving the Magnesium Chloride in water until it no longer dissolves -- that's your super-saturated solution of MC. Then directly apply that solution by hand to the cramp areas. Magnesium Chloride is easily and rapidly absorbed by the skin into the blood. Another option for you is just to dissolve the MC in 70% DMSO and just apply that directly to the problem areas for even greater absorption of MC into the blood.

I wasn't using any of the fancy, more expensive forms of Magnesium Chloride like the Zechstein brands, I was just using standard tech grade anhydrous Magnesium Chloride (with no water molecules attached). I'm still not sure why supplementing this form of anhydrous magnesium chloride didn't work for my cramps but it did work when I applied it as a supersaturated solution that is absorbed through the skin into the blood. Still scratching my head on that one.

I also had a numb feeling around both my big toes and around the sole of my foot, which was quite strange. I successfully got rid of that peripheral numbness by adding two tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar + one crushed garlic + a teaspoon of shaved ginger + a little warm/hot water in a glass. Let the infusion sit and express for 5 mins and then drink it all. The cure effect on the numbness in both feet was very rapid. This is an old Amish recipe for numbness at the extremities.

Salt
Posted by Cindy (Bay Minette, Al) on 02/26/2017
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

My dad suffered for years from horrible leg cramps at night. He was waiting at an appointment one day and started talking to the man next to him. Some how they hit the subject of muscle cramps. He told my dad to keep a shaker of salt on his night table. When he was struck with a cramp, to pour a few grains in his hand and lick it. He tried it and it works. You get an immediate release of the cramp. I have used this through the years and it has never failed me, not once.

Acupressure
Posted by Nika (Netherlands) on 05/27/2022
★★★★★

Dear Robert Morris, thank you so much! My husband just had terrible muscle cramp. I rushed to Earthclinic and first what I saw was your Accupressure advice. Immediately he tried the exercise and…the pain is gone!!! I have no words to thank you enough.

God bless you and God bless Deirdre, the founder of the Earth Clinic.


Acupressure
Posted by Bodulica (Barrie, Ontario) on 09/29/2017
★★★★★

Somebody suggested pressing the spot just under the nose or biting the upper lip to stop leg cramps. It worked!


Tonic Water with Quinine
Posted by Kilee (Ontario, Canada) on 05/09/2014
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Hi all, just a quick post for those who suffer from leg cramps. I used to get them often, mostly at night. My calf muscles would bunch up like baseballs, I would grab my foot and push the heel down and pull the toes upward.it would help if the cramp was just starting.One day, after suffering a really bad one the night before, my sister asked me why I was limping. She gave me a super remedy. Just drink a juice glass of tonic water. It is the quinine in it that does the trick, don't wait till you have the cramp, drink a small glass everyday.

If my muscles hurt from over use, I put a cup of epsom salts in a nice warm bath, pour my tonic water over a couple ice cubes with a squeeze of lime juice and, if it was a rough day, a little dash of gin. Works for me every time. Joking aside, it works because the quinine in the tonic water relaxes the muscles and your body absorbs magnesium from the epsom salts after the warm water opens the pores and soothes the aches. Give it a try (no gin needed) let me know if it works for you as well as it has for me. My sister's Doctor told her about the tonic water cure, the epsom salts is a well known old time remedy, I fine tuned the rest.

Regards to all.


Pickle Juice
Posted by Carolee (Hillsboro, OH) on 05/04/2008
★★★★★

A horrific shoulder cramp awakened me in the middle of the night on Thursday.' The knot was visible in the mirror.' Trying to knead it out made me nauseous. I used hot. I used cold. The pain abated somewhat during the day on Friday but returned full force in the middle of the night. Tonight I was again awakened because of the severity of the pain. Additionally I felt what seemed like a muscle cramp in my chest. I wondered if I were having a heart attack. The pain in my chest and shoulder was so bad I would have gone to the emergency room if I had health insurance. I found your site. I did not have any apple cider vinegar but I did have a jar of dill pickles. I drank some of the juice about 20 minutes ago. Incredible. The pain in my shoulder and chest is gone! After more than 48 hours of stomach churning pain, a swig of pickle juice has made it go away. My deepest gratitude for your site.


Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Robbie (Laurel, MS) on 01/15/2008
★★★★★

I have found over the last few years something that has helped me tremendously that I would like to share. I am very susceptible to having cramps in my feet mostly at night but during the day as well. If a medication is prescribed to me and it has a side effect - even a 1% chance - of causing cramps, I will have them severely. I am so sensitive to cramping even by a slightest move at times.

I read somewhere a few years ago about ACV helping with night cramps. So I bought some and decided that the next time I had them, I would try it and see if it worked. It is the best solution I've EVER found. I take 1-2 Tbs. (depends on how often or severe the cramps are) and chase it with a glass of hot water from the faucet. It works every time! I can also attest - and some skeptics are going to think I am crazy, but - it works immediately! If I don't get relief fron 1 Tbs. with hot water within 10 minutes, I repeat this again. I've also found that if I am having trouble with a lot of minor cramping before I go to bed, I will go ahead and take 1-2 Tbs. with hot water. It seems to assure me of an uninterrupted night of cramps. The hot water seems to be the trick as I think it gets into my system quickly. Don't know about that. It also removes the taste from my mouth very fast. I don't know why nor do I care; I just know it works.

All I can say is that I will always keep a bottle on hand. It goes with me even when we go out of town or camping for a few days. I've not found any thing that is as effective and gives me such fast relief.

I've been told by others that I need to eat a banana. And I've also had my potassium checked and it doesn't show a deficiency (so they say). Therefore, doctors seem to toss this aside and take this terrible pain lightly. I got tired of this so I rarely, if ever, mention it to a physician any more. I really believe they do not know what to do. I use to take Q-Vel, which is quinine, vitamin e and lecithin in a capsule, until they took it off the market because of the quinine. It worked well but lost access to it. Since then, I've tried this and have found this is a quicker relief anyway. I'm telling you this is the best "drug" you can buy. Oh yeah, I forgot to say, I use the cheapest there is in my area. Therefore, I am not relying on an organic product or high-priced brand name ACV.

Thanks for letting me share and I hope this will help someone else. I've suffered all my adult life with this and am finally finding relief!

Stretches
Posted by Mama to Many (TN) on 12/22/2023
★★★★★

My husband has always been prone to cramps in his calves at night. It was always worse on days he worked out in the heat. He learned to eat a banana before bed or take blackstrap molasses. Recently though, these things haven't helped. Lab work showed his potassium, magnesium and sodium levels to be normal. Some research helped me learn that leg cramps are more common as we age and that muscles can shorten. He is 57. I found a simple stretch for him to do. He uses a red resistance band (that I put on his nightstand so he doesn't forget) and loops it over his foot. He gently pulls the band to stretch his calf (keeping his leg straight) and holds it 30 seconds. Then he switches legs and holds the stretch for 30 seconds. Then he repeats this. This is a total of 2 minutes of stretching before bed, while sitting in bed with his legs out in front of him. I wanted it as doable as possible. This worked for him the first night. He doesn't have to be reminded to do his stretches. He does them because he knows they work! ~Mama to Many~

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Peter (Queensland) on 01/21/2023
★★★★★

Working out the back yard all morning gardening, mowing and making compost. I got dehydrated pretty bad and even had trouble eating my lunch as my mouth was so dry. Headache started and felt a bit sick, so had a shower and a rest. Then the muscle cramps started in my lower legs about mid afternoon and continued on and off into the evening. Took some magnesium powder I found in the cupboard. Was also massaging magnesium cream into my leg muscles as well but nothing was helping.

Knew I wouldn't be able to sleep, so thought I'd better look up what Earth Clinic had to offer.
Top remedy was Apple Cider Vinegar.
I took 2 tablespoons in a glass of water, was pretty strong to what I'm used to.
... instant relief. About an hour ago and no more muscle cramps since. Wow!

Thank you Earth Clinic


Soap
Posted by Ronald (AZ) on 08/31/2022
★★★★★

Soap worked for me! I've had muscle cramps in my legs in the past but never like this. I played pickleball in the sunny Phoenix Arizona 100 degree heat for 2 1/2 hours in the morning and must had been dehydrated. I drank water but that didn't help. I went to bed around 11:45pm and woke to a single quick sharp pain muscle spasm on the back side of my leg right below my butt around 1:30am. I would massage the area but it would still keep doing it every few minutes. I would get up and stretch my hamstrings which did release the pain. But then it started doing it every 15 seconds. I got up and checked what earth clinic suggested. I drank a couple big swallows each of diluted apple cider vinegar, pickle juice and electrolyte beverage but nothing helped.

Then I shook my head in disbelieve and opened a fancy small hotel bar of soap from Italy and put it against my skin on the back of my leg where the pain was. This soap did say the ingredients did contain a combination of fragrances and essences. Within 4-5 minutes the pain was going away. I went back to bed and placed it against my skin where the pain would come. I had a couple more attacks but it was much reduced pain. Then no more! Zero! I fell asleep with no more attacks. I told my pharmacist friend the next morning and she researched and found a study that showed 42% of people found it helpful. Some think that the natural essential oils contain a common component called limonene. Studies show that it has spasmoltyic activity inhibiting muscle spasms. One person actually applied liquid glycerin to their skin which worked. This is found in most lotions. The study also said people found that Dove and Dial didn't work. Another study suggested that some bars may contain magnesium. I just know every 15 seconds I was getting acute pain to the same spot keeping me awake for two hours and that the bar of soap stopped it in its track within a few minutes.


Wintergreen Essential Oil
Posted by Donna (Michigan) on 10/09/2020
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Wintergreen Essential Oil for muscle spasms. I have MS and naturally muscle spasms that go with it. When that happens, I hit it with Wintergreen Essential Oil, which works miracles. In the seldom event that doesn't work...I'll grab my Frankincense EO....that'll work too!


Acupressure
Posted by Alfred (Bangkok, Thailand) on 04/05/2010
★★★★★

Cramps in your legs

Crazy time to get cramps.. Usually when I am sleeping..Middle of night or just before dauwn,, thats when I stretch.. Most of the time if i stand up, right away.. they stop. BUT IF I do not. O sh_ _..The Best thing that works is to pinch your upper lip with two fingers, and hold..., Hold for a while even if the lip hurts, You can bite your upper lip that will work also..

I am told another remedy, but never tried it.. Pinch the Opening between your Big toe and the one next to it.. Pinch where the toes go into the foot. Pinch hard and hold.

Health #1,
Alfred

Minerals and Eliminating Condensed Tannins
Posted by Nancy (CA) on 07/25/2021
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

It took me 6 years to track down the cause of my nighttime charley-horses and foot cramps. I finally landed on a site regarding migraines and condensed tannins which was an "aha" moment for me. I had been taking calcium, magnesium, and potassium for years with modest improvement. If I didn't take the trio, the cramping did get worse. Once I cut condensed tannins out of my diet, I got complete relief.

Condensed tannins make give fruits, vegetables, legumes, beans, and grains their color. The darker the color, the more of a problem they are for me. Not surprisingly, I no longer drink red wine--full of tannins. I stopped drinking coffee, teas (decaf still has tannins); anything aged on wood (trees are full of tannins) which means cinnamon, smoked meats, ACV, balsamic vinegar, white wines aged on wood (pinot grigio is a white wine reliably not aged on wood--it is my wine of choice along with vinho verde); very dark berries and their juices (ex: cherries, blueberries); whole grains with the hull attached; dark beans (ex: kidney beans, black beans). This is not a full food list of condensed tannins in foods; it's just a list of those things that guarantee leg and foot cramps for me. I can drink black or green tea by adding cream, the protein in the cream binds with the tannins--but one cup a day is all I dare drink.

It has meant giving up some favorite foods and beverages but the sacrifice has been worth it. As long as I take the minerals and avoid condensed tannins, no leg cramps.


Magnesium
Posted by Janet (In) on 09/27/2017

Grace. First a mag tablet caught my eye. You can reduce it in water. It will become more bio available to the body. If it takes longer than 5 to 8 minutes to break up, chances are it is noy breaking up in your gut. Also you can take your mag oil as supplement. Magnesium chloride, 5 to 6 drops in water provides approx 250mg of mag. 2x a day.

My husband has had some cramps. He depletes all his minerals working 7 days 12 hours in the heat.

These are often impossible to determine why. I have a list of steps I take from this happening.

Serrapeptase, high potency. As a precaution against any blockages.1 capsule on empty stomach in am.

Baking soda. 1 whole lime, 6 to 8 tsp, squeezed in a glass or 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar. Add 1/2 tsp baking soda. Let fizz. Add 1/2 glass of water and drink. 2x a day 1/2 hour after meals 5 days out of 7.

Am. 1/4 tsp of potassium bicarbonate powder added to 1/2 glass of water in am.

Iodine foot painting. 5% lugols iodine painted on foot in 1 inch square on foot before bed. This enriches the iodine in lower body as it often gets little being used up in the rest of the body is a great companion to mag oil.

1/4 tsp of sea salt in water. This provides all the trace minerals in correct amounts to enhance mineral status.

Progesterone cream. Applied 2x a week to help balance hormones. Apply to trunk 1/2 tsp. This was surprising but it worked.

Liquid chlorophyll 1/2 tsp in a liter of water. Add 20 drops liquid phosphorus. Drink 1 oz as needed. This is also a great pain tonic.

20 mule team borax. 1/8 tsp in a liter of water. Drink through the day in beverages. 4 days out of seven. Balance hormones. Replaces fluoride with boron in body.

My daughter applies potassium bicarbonate directly to her leg to stop cramping. She reduces it in water and swipes it on.

I suspect you need a good vitamin d levels test. You may find out you are low. It is foundational to health. Good levels allow for absorption and utilization of all your efforts. My Mom had restless legs that got cramps and painful. Taking d3 and its companions made all the difference. There is a home test too. I have not tried myself. Reading Dr. Michael Holicks book or watching his you tube information and following his dosage chart (google it) will offer great insight into this.

These are all effective on their own. But cramping and heath status can be many things. We have found it takes a day to discover if you are on the right track. 3 days to be well on the way to stopping and real healing.

Eliminations

Msg

Table salt..use sea salt only

Plastic

Aluminum

Foods containing...gmos...commercially grown insecticide sprayed food. Glyphosates..gluten

Soy

Fluoride

Aspartame

Bath soak or 1/2 the ingredients for foot soak.

2 cups epsom

1 cup borax

1 cup hydrogen peroxide...to oxygenate the body

1 cap fish tank dechlorinator...to protect heart from chlorine steam. 20 minutes.

Janet



NEXT 
Advertisement