Muscle cramps often occur in the calf muscle of the back of the lower leg. It is often characterized by a momentary sharp pain along with a muscle lump beneath the skin. Just like its sudden appearance, muscle cramp disappears the same way without any botheration. However, a doctor should be consulted if you see any of the following symptoms:

    The pain keeps coming back
    The cramps result in weakening of the muscles
    It causes frequent discomfort
    It results in changed skin color, redness or swelling of the skin
    The condition doesn t improve with normal care
    Cramps are not associated with obvious causes such as playing, exercising and jogging

What causes muscle cramps?
Any strain on muscle, dehydration, muscle overuse or simply standing for a prolonged time can lead to muscle cramps. The exact cause of muscle cramps is not known in a lot of cases. There could be the following medical conditions that could lead to such muscle cramps:

    Blood supply: At times when the arteries narrow down resulting in an inadequate blood supply in the leg, a sharp pain can be felt followed by muscle cramps. This can happen while exercising or playing. It disappears as soon as one rests their legs.
    Mineral depletion: Shortage of magnesium, potassium and calcium in the body can lead to muscle cramps. Even medication for high blood pressure can lead to cramps in the legs.
    Nerve compression: Nerve compression of the spine can produce sharp pain on the leg muscles. The pain worsens with longer durations of walk. The symptoms, however, can be delayed a bit if the walking posture is changed, like the way one walks while carrying a shopping cart.

What are the risk factors associated to muscle cramps?

    Dehydration: Muscle cramps often happen among athletes when they get dehydrated and fatigued while performing in hot temperature.
    Age: People over the age of 60 often lose mass in the muscle. The remaining mass gets stressed out soon, resulting in muscle cramps.
    Pregnancy: Pregnant women face frequent muscle cramps due to the sudden increase of body weight and restricted movements in the pregnancy period.
    Medical conditions: Certain medical conditions such as nerve disorder, thyroid problems, liver failure, diabetes etc. greatly increase the chance of muscle cramps.

Some common ways to treat muscle cramps:

    A brisk walk followed by stretching relaxes the muscles and greatly helps in staying away from cramps.
    A diet consisting of magnesium on a regular basis gives relief from muscle cramps.
    A wet cloth soaked in hot water often shows magical results and gives instant relief from muscle cramps.
    Being hydrated throughout the day helps with muscle cramps. It is necessary to consume enough amount of electrolytes so that muscle contraction does not happen.

Why You Get Muscle Cramps?

When we speak of bone health, calcium is usually the hero of the story. However, by itself, calcium is not enough for healthy bones. Vitamin D is equally important for healthy bones and the prevention of orthopedic conditions.

What does Vitamin D do?
Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium from the food being eaten. It also controls the calcium and phosphate levels in the body. This is critical for the growth and development of new bones. Vitamin D also controls how much calcium and phosphates are being expelled by the body. In this way, vitamin D helps strengthen the bones and improve overall bone health.

Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D is not commonly found in food. It is present only in certain types of oily fishes, egg yolks and mushrooms. Most of the vitamin D we eat comes from fortified cereals, breads and dairy products. The sun is an important source of vitamin D but exposing yourself to too much sunlight could cause various skin problems. Thus, vitamin D deficiency is very common. When it comes to bone health, vitamin D deficiency can cause low-density bones. This, in turn, can cause rickets and osteoporosis. People with vitamin D deficiency are likely to suffer frequent fractures. Vitamin D deficiency can also cause skeletal deformities such as bow legs and a stooped spine.

Vitamin D and Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a musculoskeletal condition that is marked by low bone density. Studies have shown that people with osteoporosis have lower levels of vitamin D as compared to others. Some studies also suggest that fractures are more common in winter as compared to summer. The winter sun is often hazy and many days can go by without strong sunlight. Thus it can be inferred that people do not get their required quota of vitamin D from the sunlight in winters leading to a deficiency and aggravated osteoporosis-related fractures.

Who is most susceptible to bone conditions caused by vitamin D deficiency?
Vitamin D deficiency is a very common condition across the globe. Some surveys have claimed that approximately 30% of the global population suffers from vitamin D deficiency. People with dark skin, women and elderly people are most susceptible to this deficiency. People suffering from kidney diseases may also be affected by vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D supplements are usually very helpful in combatting this deficiency. These can be taken by young children as well as adults.

Relation Between Vitamin D Deficiency And Bone Problems!

How Homeopathy Can Cure Muscle and Joint Pain?

Joint and muscle pain arises when excess pressure is exerted on a particular joint or due to the wear and tear of a particular muscle. This is one area where many people face chronic pain, with symptoms such as deformity of the joints, swelling, immobility of the joints and severe joint pain. There are a lot of topical as well as oral medicines for chronic pain within conventional medicine, but it may not always be effective for all types of patients.

Homeopathy has been known to provide effective cures for many types of muscle and joint related ailments.

Let's first look at the common causes for muscle and joint pain related problems:
- Sports related injuries
- Vehicular accidents such as a car or bike accidents
- Bad postures or habits
- Other underlying physical or medical conditions

So what are the ways in which homeopathy can cure certain conditions and alleviate pain in patients?

- Arthritis: One of the most common problems that many people report is that of arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, which causes a lot of pain in many people. In many cases, the use of Natrum Muriaticum and Bryonia has been known to allay the pain.
- Moving and shifting joint or muscle pains: Many patients have this problem where they face joint or muscle pain but instead of it being constant in one area, it moves around the body. Pulsatilla is known to effectively reduce the symptoms in these cases.
- Tennis elbow or tendon related problems: This is a common ailment, which in many cases is caused by strenuous activities, such as sports. Rhus tox has been known to be effective in such cases.
- Muscular conditions: There are many muscle-related conditions such as fibromyalgia and fibrositis among others have also been reduced after the usage of Rhus tox.

Homeopathic medicines like Medorrhinum, Ruta, Formica Rufa, Arnica, Symphytum and a few others are useful for treating such conditions, depending upon the exact symptoms and causes.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

How Homeopathy Can Cure Muscle and Joint Pain?

Muscle strain or muscle pull is a condition, which is characterized by damage to the muscles or its adjoining tendons. Undue pressure can be exerted on the muscle when you are carrying out routine activities such as sudden lifting of heavy things or playing contact sports. The damage to the muscle is usually in the form of partial or complete tearing of the tendons and fibres attached to the muscles. The small blood vessels in the muscles can also be damaged by the tearing of the muscles, leading to local bleeding and bruising.

The symptoms of muscle pain are:
1. You will experience pain even while resting
2. There will be bruising, swelling and redness around the affected area
3. You will experience weakness of the muscles and tendons
4. The movement and mobility of the muscle will be impaired
5. You will experience pain when you use the affected muscles

The causes of a muscle strain are:
1. Playing contact sports can lead to injuries
2. Lifting heavy things
3. Exercising without a proper warm up routine
4. Lifting extremely heavy weights during exercise without proper acclimatization
5. Sleeping on one side only for a long period of time
6. Not stretching properly
7. Falling from a height

The treatments for muscle strains are:
1. Pain medications: You can opt for pain relieving medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications to help combat the associated pain of a muscle strain.
2. Rice: Rice stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation. This treatment is usually the first step after suffering a strain, before opting for medications. This treatment prevents further aggravation of the problem.
3. Compress: You can alternate between hot and cold compress to reduce the swelling and pain.
4. Stretches: Once the affected area has healed, it is important for you stretch the muscles to improve their mobility and strength.

Not Stretching Properly? It May Cause You Muscle Strain

After a tough workout session or a strenuous day at the office, your muscles may feel floppy and exhausted until you have given them a chance to rest. However, persistent muscle weakness with no apparent cause or explanation can be a sign of an underlying medical problem.

What causes muscle weakness?
Voluntary muscle contractions and movement are generated when the brain sends a signal through your spinal cord and nerves to the particular muscle. If there are any hindrances in the connections between them, it can result in muscle weakness. However hard you try, the muscle is such cases becomes abnormal.

Here are some common causes of muscle weakness:

Lack of Use: One of the most common causes of muscle weakness, lack of muscle fitness may occur as a result of a sedentary lifestyle. If the muscles are not used, then the fibers are partially replaced with fat.
Ageing: As we age, our muscles tend to get weaker and lose strength. Muscles become bulky and recovery times during injury are greater. However, with physical activity, it is still possible to increase the muscle power. So stay active and instill strength in your muscles.
Infections: Infections and inflammation can cause temporary muscle fatigue. Even though recovery is quick, if the infection is severe the weakness can last for some time. Without proper care, it can lead to permanent damage.
Pregnancy: During and just after pregnancy, high levels of steroid in the blood and low levels of iron can cause muscle tiredness. Lower back pain is common during pregnancy and all your muscles may feel floppy.
Chronic Diseases: With conditions of diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease and anemia, it can lead to muscle weakness by thwarting the essential blood or nutrient supply to the muscles. Also, chronic pain related ailments cause weakness.
Injuries: Injury or trauma such as sporting injuries, pulls and sprains can deter the muscles. Along with localized pain, it can also lead to muscle weakness if not taken care of properly.
Sleep Disorders: With disturbed or reduced sleep there is a general sense of tiredness that leads to fatigue in the muscles. Insomnia, anxiety, depression and other mental disorders also affect the muscles a great deal.
Conditions affecting Nerves: Conditions like Myasthenia gravis or motor neuron disease affects the nerves and thereby fail to relay signals to the muscles, leading to weakness.
Genetic disorder affecting muscles: There are also certain inherited diseases which can affect the muscles like muscular dystrophy.
Spine-related disorders: Conditions like slip disc and other disorders affect the muscles served by the irritated or compressed nerves of the spinal cord.

Muscle Weakness - 10 Common Reasons Behind It!

Staying healthy involves a wholesome state of being where the mind and body are in perfect sync. A less than properly functioning body can leave you in a state of potential depression after a certain point of time, while a depressive mind can leave you feeling less than stellar where you end up imagining and experiencing pain. The health of your bones and joints is one such area that requires even more care as you start growing older. Wear and tear is just one of the reasons for degeneration while fractures and injuries can lead to a sudden halt of normal functioning of the bones and joints too. So how can you ensure bone and joint health in the long run? follow our tips!

Eating right: pick calcium rich food like dairy products that have a low fat content, including milk and yogurt. Also, have a daily dose of green, leafy vegetables and plenty of citrus fruit and juices for your fill of calcium. Further, food like eggs and soybeans which have lots of vitamin d can also help in retaining good bone and joint health. Vitamin c rich fruit like watermelon, oranges, squash and tomatoes also help in natural tissue and cartilage repair. And finally, get plenty of vitamin k to retain good bone density for a prolonged period with ingredients like leafy green vegetables, eggs and cheese.

Exercise: this is the key to good bone and joint health. Much like machinery and tools, the bones and joints of your body can also wither with disuse and prolonged inactivity. Make sure that you indulge in exercises like long walks and muscle strengthening exercises which will give your joints and bones good amount of strength as well. Remember to speak with your doctor before you start a new exercise regime so that you avoid anything that may be harmful in case you have any other ailment. Low impact exercises will strengthen the spine, while fat burning and weight loss exercises will ensure that there is less pressure on the knees and lumbar area. Swimming and resistance building exercises can also be practised for these purposes.

Abstinence: a major factor in promoting better bone and joint health is abstinence from all those things that can create problems in the long run, like smoking, drinking excessively and even too much consumption of caffeine and fatty food. All these things can create depletion of the natural bone mass. Also, switching to a lower heel for everyday wear footwear and changing your position during your time at your workstation are a few things that will go a long way.

Take care of your bones and joints the right way today, for a healthier tomorrow.

Bone and Joint Health

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