I hate leg cramps. My son was at summer camp and I was called by the camp nurse, just as my wife and I were heading out for a date with no kids for the first time in many years, with a report of problematic illness. He needed to be picked up tonight, now if possible. So we hopped in the car, drove 4 hours, and in the late evening, picked both of the kids up and took them to the cabin which was only an hour away. I remember tucking them in and off to sleep we all went. What could go wrong?

I suddenly woke up near midnight with a sharp and extreme pain in my right calf that was just horrible. I honestly at the time did not have a plan in my head for this type of pain, but I knew it was a leg cramp. I reached down and clamped onto the calf with my hands, trying to squeeze the pain away. Unfortunately, I just laid there moaning until it calmed down a bit with massage, and I was able to get up and walk around half the night because it would not go away. Finally, I was able to lay back down and intermittently sleep. I do remember waking my wife up who thought I was dying, and her sudden turn as she realized that I was having weak man pain. That is just embarrassing. To this day, that muscle is prone to cramp in the same spot, and occasionally wakes me up itching to cause ridiculous pain.

Honestly, I did everything wrong. Here is my list of poor choices:

• #1 – I was dehydrated. I didn’t drink any water on our trip out and had been sipping on a caffeinated soda to help me stay awake.
• #2 – I traveled to a dry climate with no electrolyte intake in over 8 hours.
• #3 – I went from driving for 5 hours to bed with no walking or any exercise/activity. We did not take a break with our drive.
• #4 – I stayed in bed laying down when the pain started and woke me up.

Cramps are common, and most people over 50 have had them, and literally everyone will have one at some point. The cramp itself is caused by a muscle contraction, feeling as if tightening into a ball. Causes include: extreme exercise, sitting for long periods of time, poor posture, standing on concrete floors, and more serious problems like kidney or nerve damage, mineral shortages, or vascular problems.

Here is my current list of good choices to avoid cramping:

• Exercise and stretch regularly, ideally every day
• Stay hydrated – 3-4 pints per day of water, 1500-2000 mls.
• Be careful with medications and vitamins that could contribute to cramping – caffeine and alcohol are major culprits
• Don’t sit or stand on hard surfaces for prolonged periods. Get up every 2 hours at the least while driving and take a walk. Pad your hard surface with supportive shoes and a standing floor mat.

If you cramp, then get up out of bed immediately and walk it out, shaking the legs and massaging the muscle. A roller can be helpful. Stretch the muscle out that is cramping, most likely the calf. Apply heat and cold back and forth. Ibuprofen may be helpful if you can take this medicine given your particular medical history.

Now supplements can be helpful as well. When I hike, especially in hot weather for over 10 miles, I drink tons of water and also add an electrolyte mix once during the day. Magnesium may help and can be purchased over the counter. I prefer magnesium glycinate as it has less bowel effect. New research shows that vitamin K can reduce leg cramping as well. Be careful with these and discuss with your primary care first, as certain medical conditions and medications do not mix well with these supplements.

I find that if I faithfully follow my own advice, I can avoid the most painful of problems, sleep without fear, and walk without a big knot in my leg, which is a bonus.

Helpful resources:

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/vitamin-k-supplementation-reduces-nocturnal-leg-cramps-older-2024a1000kkv: Leg cramps https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/14170-leg-cramps: Leg cramps