Have you ever experienced a hardness or tightness in your muscles? This is called muscle spasms and it can happen any time. Muscle spasms can occur in your neck, arms, legs, shoulders, as well as other parts of your body. The most common spasms are due to intense workouts or sports. To treat this kind of spasm, rest, getting a massage, and some gentle stretches can help ease the kinks out of the muscles.
For those whose muscle spasms are a bit painful, particularly those that are associated with chronic conditions such as muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis, often take muscle relaxants to alleviate the symptom. The good news is that there are alternatives to using this kind of medication and the best part is that they are all natural like the ones found below.
Take a warm shower. Or soaking in a tub filled with warm water can help your muscles relax which can reduce muscle spasms. If you want a more effective soak, add half a cup of Epsom salt in your bath water because the magnesium in it can also aid in making your muscles more relaxed.
Cayenne pepper. One reason why cayenne pepper is recommended as a muscle relaxant is because of the presence of capsaicin. This particular substance is a known relaxant and is often used in people with rheumatism as well as fibromyalgia. You can take it in cream form where you can apply it on the affected area, in capsule form if you are not fond of ingesting peppers, or you can mix the cayenne pepper in your dish for that added punch.
Vitamin E before bedtime. For those who experience calf cramps in the middle of the night, the best solution for this is to take vitamin E before going to bed. Vitamin E can aid in boosting the blood flow in the arteries to lessen muscle cramps.
Magnesium is important. Magnesium plays a vital role in our overall health as it helps maintain nerve and muscle function. Those who are lacking in magnesium in their system can experience muscle spasms. You can get magnesium from bananas, legumes, almonds, and even brown rice.
Use hot washcloth or electric heating pad. Another natural remedy for those muscle spasms or cramps is using a hot washcloth or an electric heating pad. The heat coming from the washcloth or the heating pad can help increase the amount of blood flowing through your veins to ease the cramps. If you are using an electric heating pad, set it to low then place it on the muscle for 20 minutes then remove it. You can reapply it after another 20 minutes.
Get enough rest. This is possibly the simplest and most efficient way of dealing with muscle spasms. Getting enough rest, easing up on the use of the affected muscle, as well as drinking plenty of water for hydration can prevent muscle spasms from happening. Giving your body time to heal is important.
