How to Prevent Leg Cramps

Leg cramps are painful and can cause spasms in the calf of your legs. Leg cramps are often referred to as "charlie horses." There are effective ways to prevent or reduce the incidence of leg cramps. Although most causes of leg cramps are not serious, some leg cramps may be related to a serious medical condition. Leg cramps can be severe and debilitating, or they can feel dull and chronic. Leg cramps often cause the backs of your legs to feel as though there is a knot in your leg. Fortunately, there are effective remedies that can significantly reduce the incidence or even prevent leg cramps.

See Your Doctor

Preventing leg cramps often requires a visit to the doctor. Unless you know what the cause of your leg cramps are, you may not receive appropriate treatment. Proper diagnosis of the cause of leg cramps is imperative to treatment. In order to effectively diagnosis leg cramps and get subsequent treatment, your doctor may recommend blood tests or medical imaging testing of your legs. Your doctor may also recommend doppler or ultrasound studies of your legs to determine if your blood is flowing effectively in your blood vessels.

Eat Bananas

Frequently, a potassium deficiency is responsible for leg cramps. Eating two or three bananas a day may be just enough to replenish your stores of potassium and prevent leg cramps. If your doctor discovers that you are severely deficient in potassium from a blood test, he may recommend that you take potassium supplements. If you are potassium deficient, supplement may be an effective treatment to prevent leg cramps.

Drink Plenty of Fluids

Many times, dehydration is a cause of leg cramps. Frequently when people excessively perspire, they lose fluids. Fluid loss can contribute to dehydration that can contribute to leg cramps. To replenish fluids, drink plenty of water. Water is especially beneficial because it does not contain additives such as caffeine, which can add to dehydration, because it has diuretic properties. Avoid drinking alcohol too because alcohol is also very dehydrating. Sports drinks may be effective in preventing leg cramps because they contain minerals such as sodium and potassium, which are important in preventing leg cramps. These minerals allow for optimal muscle and nerve function, and may help prevent leg cramps.

Walk Around

If leg cramps strike when you are sleeping, one of the most effective ways to alleviate them and prevent additional leg cramps is to get up and walk around. By exercising your legs, you are increasing circulation and may effectively prevent leg cramps. Daily walking also increases circulation and get the blood flowing in your legs which is beneficial in preventing leg cramps.