Charley Horses, Muscle Cramps & Leg Pain

No, we are not going to talk about Shari Lewis today, even though her show was one of my favorites when I was a little boy (this should be enough information to guess my age). I want to share some ideas regarding muscle cramping and spasming.

Many people have experienced, at one time or another, waking up with severe leg cramps that are often referred to as “Charley Horses”. The muscles feel as though they are in spasm and, frequently, the pain can be excruciating. The only relief comes from deep tissue massage, which is difficult to perform on yourself, and is usually as painful as the spasms. I got to enjoy that marvelous experience myself around 3:30 this morning.

Muscle cramps, especially the nighttime variety, are often caused by an imbalance between the amounts of calcium and potassium ions in the bloodstream. Nerves require both of these, as well as chloride ions to carry an impulse, and muscles require all three to contract, and more calcium to relax again.

When a patient reports that they are experiencing “Charley Horses” at night, my first question is, “Are you taking a calcium supplement?” Next is, “Do you drink milk daily?”  If the answer to either is, “Yes,” I then ask about a potassium supplement.  This is the more common one which is needed, and can be purchased in most grocery stores.

If they seem to be getting plenty of calcium and potassium daily, then my next question is about the type of calcium they are taking. The next posting will give details regarding that.  Other minerals which I have heard linked to muscle cramps are sulfur and magnesium.

One final thing which I have shared with others, and which I had an opportunity to try myself this morning, is quinine.  This is a chemical used as a medicine for malaria. I have no idea what properties it possesses that would link it to muscle cramps, and I just discovered that the FDA has published a warning against using it for this purpose (I presume they refer to the full-strength prescription version).

Quinine is also dissolved in soda water and used in certain alcoholic mixed drinks, and thus can be purchased in grocery stores labeled as “Tonic Water” or “Bitters” due to its bitter taste. Further research revealed that true tonic water is only produced in a greatly diluted form by a few companies, and that most is only quinine flavoring and high fructose corn syrup.

Having disclosed that, when I experienced a severe spasm in the medial muscles of my left thigh this morning, I first tried massaging them out, and then, failing in that, drank four tablespoons of generic store brand tonic water.  I was surprised three seconds later to have the spasm and pain begin to subside, completing the process in less than ten additional seconds.  I didn’t believe it and began vigorously massaging what had been the painful area and could discover neither pain nor tight muscles.

While I’m not yet prepared to state categorically that my relief was due to the tonic water, the coincidence is amazing, especially considering that the area is usually very sore for hours after the incident – which it was not this time. I’m certainly going to try it again the next time I experience “Charley Horses”, and continue suggesting it to my patients.

Getting rid of your pain,

Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor

Val Vista Chiropractic