dealing with foot/leg cramp
 

I'm getting a lot of foot and leg cramps; it's probably just old age, I don't have RSD in my legs (yet!) and it usually happens after I've put on heels to go to town, so the fact of it doesn't worry me too much.

But boy is it *painful*! In the past I found that pulling my toes sharply towards me helped release the muscle, but that no longer works.

The cramps are mainly in my calf, and my toes, sometimes in the front of my ankle. Has anyone got any tips for dealing with this? Any advice much appreciated,
all the best :)

Hi Artist...stop wearing heels!:D , just kidding. First of all when you say heels how tall are the heels?

I have some medical background, I'm an occupational therapist, studied the muscles for my degree but....really a physical therapist area. However it sounds to me that you need to start stretching your gastrocnemis and soleus muscle. See when your wearing heels your stretching those muscle. If you don't wear heels on a daily basis then decided your going to wear heels one day, the gastrocnemis muscle along with the soleus are getting stretched out. Now the muscles don't like it if your not stretching them on a daily basis so, the muscles are going to give you a hard time and cramp up on you. When you pull your toes back up your shortening those muscles just enough to give them some relief which stops the cramping.

I have RSD in my left leg and every day I stretch both legs to avoid that cramping feeling you are describing.

Hope this makes some sense to you and that it has helped you.
Hugs, Jewells

Yes, that does make sense. I usually wear no shoes at all around my apartment/studio so it sounds like I should clack around the house in my heels, no not usually too high heels, for an hour a day. I can do that - it'll give my beagle baby the heebiejeebies, she always knows when I'm going out because when I put on the shoes, she puts on her guilt-inducing, poor-little-me-left-all-alone face. It works, too, I feel so mean.

So thank you. Any other bits I can pull to release the cramp once it's started? You are exactly the person I need for this, it seems to me :D
Many thanks and
all the best

How about magnesium?
 

My doc has me taking it for restless legs and the muscle spasms/electric shock feelings I get in my hands and arms. Does seem to work, too. Maybe it will help your legs? What say you, jewells?

Hugs
LisaM

Hmmm, sounds like some reaserch to me...I'm up for it. Thanks for the challenge. I take the mag. and sublingual B complex, grape seed extract, right now along with a multi vit. but I'm sure there are more out there, gosh where is Vic when we need him:rolleyes: ?

Artist... do stretching exercises I do pilates the basics for stretching along with some others. I know what RSD can do to the muscles and I'm trying to avoid any damage it may cause other then what I have already. As far as what can you do once it happens I'm not really sure. I know this past summer when I would go swimming in the lake if the water was too cold my legs would cramp up and it would take a while for my legs to settle down. Of course getting heat on them would help but I can't imagine you walking around town with heating pads:D . Hugs, Jewells

Sorry, didn't explain properly - the cramps come on the day after, and for the next few days. They seldom happen when I'm actually wearing heels. Your suggestions are all good, many thanks,
all the best

Hi Dana...when I was reading your post the first thing that came to my mind was uric acid. I'm not saying you have gout but sometimes because of our medication or the foods we eat can produce a high level of uric acid. The pain from a high level of uric acid will attack the ankle and will occur at night. Once again I'm not saying this is what you have but just a thought. Hugs, Jewells

Can bursitis occur in the ankle?
 

sounds like what I get in my shoulder. And that's bursitis. When it finally eases up, I can use it, but it's sore and achy...could it be???

More research jewells??? LOL!

BTW - did you get my last email? Some of the ones I receive are going to the deleted folder and right to the black hole in cyber space for some reason, and I didn't receive a response to my last one. That's not like you....

Hugs
LisaM

Bursitis can hit the ankle. From wearing high heels among other things...I found on the internet. :eek:

I've been tested for gout in conjunction w/ my uric acid level several times. Including recently. I know gout symptoms well. Mainly on it's onset burning, redness and swelling. Normally first occurrance will hit a big toe or a knee. But the symptoms wouldn't disappear by morning and reappear again.

Ok...I'm done jumping on your thread Artist.

D