Leg Cramps - Knoxville,TN

Leg cramps or charlie horses are commonly caused by a potassium deficiency. Try increasing potassium levels by giving the child a banana or two a day.

I am unclear if it is leg cramps or "growing pains" where you have pain in the leg but not necessarily a muscle cramp.
I had growing pains when I was younger. I don't know how to prevent it but when it happened the only thing that helped was puting Aspercream on my legs.
If it is a muscle cramp, I get leg cramps when my potassium is low. You might try some foods high in potassium like bananas.
Hope this helps.

I had real bad leg cramps when I was pregnant with my last two kids and my doctor recommended that I drank gatorade and it worked for me give it a try.

Judging the responses you have already rec'd, it's pretty obvious that a lot of people don't understand just how much children can benefit from chiropractic care. To simply label something "growing pains" is a cop-out. But there is some truth to it, children fall a lot, play hard, and their little bodies are growing all the while. It's no wonder that a child's body would experience pain while growing if their backbone was pinching a nerve. Leg pain may result froma number of things such as muscle cramps, nutrient imbalances, as well as pinched nerves. Subluxations of the vertebra may further complicate... Chiro care is a proactive approach that can really make a difference. Masking the problem with motrin really isn't a solution. I have been taking my children (2 and 5) to a "wellness" chiropractor for some time and the results are amazing.. my children are actually eager for thier adjustments and my 5 year old now has the awareness now to tell me when he needs one. But don't take my word for it...... research childrens chiropractic at http://www.icpa4kids.com/ After my experience with a great wellness chiro that specializes in children, I feel so much better knowing my kids are healthier for it. It is well worth looking into!

Try magnesium. And do you mean you are getting the child to drink more water? If not, then try that too. If that still does not help check with your doctor. You didn't say how old the child was. Lots of kids have "growing pains" at certain ages, especially if they are involved in any kind of physical activity. Are you sure it is cramps and not pain in the knees? I had childhood arthritis in my knees as a child and would wake up in agony. It would make my whole leg hurt. If it doesn't get better, get it checked, just in case.

My daughter now three has complained of the leg cramps also, I find rubbing her legs and applying heat relaxes the muscles, also try bananas. Bananas are great source of potassium; cramps sometimes are from a lack of it.

Whenever I have had leg cramps it was because I cut down on salt.... for example going on a diet. Also, when you sweat a lot and don't replace the water in your body -- again you have lost SALT. Salt is not good in large doses, of course, but the body needs a certain amount of sodium and I think it would be interesting for you to ask your pediatrician how much sodium your child should have. I, personally, just take a salt pill (sodium chloride -- over the counter tablets) and the leg cramps go away immediately. There is nothing worse than being woken up by them. I feel very sorry for your child.

I too am experiencing calf cramps at the moment. I've always heard potassium and have bought a bunch of bananas.

I will say that when a friend of mine was pregnant, she was popping Tums with calcium like crazy. She got severe leg cramps as a result of too much calcium.

Good luck and let us know what happens.

Hi T.!
You have gotten some excellent advice so far! As an athletic trainer, I can say cramps are common. Muscles rely on 3 things to work: sodium, potassium, and calcium, and the proper balance of the 3. When a child is growing, the body wants to use the calcium for the bones first. Bananas are rich in potassium and milk and cheese are great for calcium. The saltines are also a great idea, or you could lightly salt his food. For example, lightly salt his mashed potatoes, veggies, etc. Usually, though, it isn't the sodium part that is missing as most foods today provide enough sodium, especially if he eats hot dogs. If you are concerned about salting foods, Gatorade or Powerade are good drinks. Also, make sure he/she is taking a good multi-vitamin every day.

Things to avoid: carbonated beverages. Yep, soda, pop, soda pop. The carbonation depletes the bones and muscles of necessary nutrients.

When a cramp does occur, stretching the muscle is the best thing. If your child feels it coming on, he or she can immediately stretch the leg and it will help minimize the cramp. The reason the ibuprofen helps is because when cramps happen, it causes pain, which causes more cramping. This is called the pain-spasm cycle. Taking the pain relief medicine helps ease that. Also, when the cramp is occurring, while you are stretching the muscle, rubbing or massaging helps. You can also use an ice cube to rub on the muscle (helps with pain) or a heat pack (helps relax).

Make sure your pediatrician is aware that your child is experiencing cramps. If the suggestions above are not working, she may want to prescribe vitamins that have higher doses in them or have other ideas for you as well.

Hi
My daughter is tall for her age, and frequently gets "growing pains" the thing that works best for us is, very warm wash clothes applied to the area. If it get really bad I take her to the bathroom, set her up on the counter, put her feet in the sink and wash the warm water up and down her legs and give her some tylenol. Hope it works for you!

I don't know if it would apply to kids, but on the peoplespharmacy.com they get tons of people who say that putting a bar of soap under the sheets of the bed cures their leg cramps. They will swap out the soap (use it in the shower ) and replace it with a new one regularly, to keep it fresh. Also, some people reported getting leg cramps after adding Brazil nuts to their diet. The site is worth checking out to see what else they have to say on the subject. Also, with some muscular things, sometimes potassium might be in short supply. Every once in a while my eyelid will start to twitch, and eating a banana will stop it. Potassium is in potatoes, beans, vegies, bananas, etc. Good luck!

My sons potassium was low. As soon as he ate either potatoe or banana it was better. During the times he plays sports, especially during the warmer times he would drink gatorade, or something along that line, that would help also.

Maybe try a half of banana before bed. If your child is extremely active that may be contributing, or on the opposite end if your child is usually not active and has recently become so, his body may need more nutrients than he's getting in his diet. I have had leg cramps in the night (not my children) so it may be different for them.

Hope you find some great advice! God bless!

Leg cramps are caused by lack of potassium. Give her bananas. Bananas are very good for the body. A lot of people don't know the benefits of bananas. It is a power food for everybody and specially healthy for kids.

Try a little more potassium. My son gets them from growing pains, and now my little girl gets them once in a while. Sometimes, it gets so bad that they have to have ibuprofen or tylenol. I have given warm baths, massaging but there are times when I have to break down to give them something. I hate doing that. Also, try changing the clothes at night. My daughter when she does this, I take off her sleeper and put something else on her legs. Ask your dr. for blood work to check their vitamin and potassium levels.

With my daughter it was and is growing pains. What helps when it gets bad is a warm, wet cloth on the painful area.

Good luck!

Dear T.,

You don't mention how old your child is, but muscle, especially leg, cramps from about age 2-5 (and again as teenage years approach) are very common. During this period the over-all rate of growth is relatively fast and muscles are trying to "catch-up". And it hurts (pain is subjective). It is frequently caused by a vitamin/mineral deficiency, the common culprit being potassium, followed closely by magnesium and calcium. Ensure your child has an adequate daily multi-vitamin, liquid ones taste worse but are more readily absorbed and can be mixed with other liquids to mask the flavor. Bananas are great for a quick influx of potassium. For immediate relief of the cramp pain, try a simple deep massage or warm compresses, both help relax the muscle tissue and alleviate the cramp. If nothing seems to help, have your child seen for a check-up by his/her pediatrician. Good luck to you and your growing child.
S.

Hey T., My children have all suffered with painful leg cramps. They are all three athletic. They dehydrate and burn lots of calories and lose a lot of sodium daily, due to their extensive activity. My guys all carry the large gatorade with them each day. I serve bannanas, plain potatoe chips, salted baked potatoes, every day, during their most active seasons. The fastest way for them to get relief is to walk it out. There are times that they jump out of bed, take a few steps and they get immeadiate relief. My boys at times have to use an ice water soak. I hope that this helps.

Yes, both of my children have experienced leg cramps. I must say that with my first child, it went on for about a year..then stopped, and then started again. She was probably about 6 or 7 and then again at about 8 years old. It is growing pains. Motrin was what helped the most for us. My younger daughter has gotten them as well..She is now 9 and I don't think she has gone thru growth spirts as big and quick as my older one. But, Motrin works for her as well. I have noticed that when we would walk alot during the days...mall, amusement parks, etc...and they complained their legs hurt...if I didn't give them meds, they would be up in the middle of the night. SO, I learned to give them some before they went to bed. It happened so often, I got used to the routine. BUt, good luck...I thought the night time wake up calls where done once they were out of baby age, but I was wrong. Good luck.

Hi T.,

I read this and thought of my 4 year old son and the cramps he has been having in his legs and sometimes feet. Growing pains. I didn't think that was a "literal" thing but it is. I spoke with the Pediatric Nurse and she confirmed it for me.

Put some isopropyl rubbing alcohol on a cloth and massage the cramp with this. The pain pretty much goes away almost instantly.

Also, I found some alcohol rub wipes at CVS drugs by accident. Bought some and they do a wonderful job and are very handy. I found them back by the Pharmacy on an OTC shelf. I didn't even know they made them but there they were. CVS brand alcohol rubbing wipes. They are in a big round container and you are able to pull out a single wipe at a time.

Hope this works for you!

Best wishes!
T.

Bananas or anything with potassium. Not sure how to get relief right away, but potassium can help prevent them.

T., You don't say how old the child is but leg cramps are usually from low sodium or potassium levels. I would try giving bananas and salted crackers and have him/her drink lots of water.

Hi,
I have had to deal with leg cramps with my son, he gets severe cramps after football games. After talking to my doctors they all agree that it is lack of potassium along with dehydration. So my advice it to make sure your child is well hydrated and maybe make them eat fruits high in potassium daily, this seemed to really help him. Depending on the age of your child a potassium supplement may not hurt but check with your doctor first.
S.

If it's a "charlie horse" it could be due to low potassium. My husband is a runner and has found if he doesn't eat a banana before or after a run, then he gets them more frequently. I'm not sure how old your child is but I'd imagine he or she can expend energy like a runner can! Maybe try having your child eat some more banana's to help it out. Sorry I couldn't be of more help =)

Lack of Potassium is usually the issue. I had leg cramps awful growing up and awful during my pregnancy. Just get more potassium in your child's diet and see if it helps. Bananas are a great source. Hope this helps!

My husband and I used to SUFFER from leg cramps in the night.
The relief we found - and you won't believe this until you
try it - is pickle juice.

We always have a jar of dill pickles on hand. I hope your child is a pickle eater because, strange as it seems, this
WORKS.

Hello, T.! I am 20 Years old and although I do not have children old enough to let me know that they have leg cramps, I myself did suffer these aweful cramps. I've had them my whole life but slowed down a great deal when I reached about 13..My mother took me to the doctor several times to make sure there was nothing wrong with my bones or muscles-We always got the same outcome-That they were simply "growth sperts". They said when a child doesn't grow as much for a while then suddenly begins to grow that it will cause these aweful cramps to shoot through your legs and nothing helps them. I can say that a little massage from my mother would make them feel a little better-but other than that there's not much you can do and they will go away on their own. It could Also be cause from poor circulation which I've also been told could be the cause of mine. Surely they are not too painful or lasts more than an hour, if so you should probably get him/her checked out just to be on the safe side! Hope I could help-R.

I think literally those are "growing pains." My brother had them when he was younger, up until about 10 years old. He used to cry in the night because his legs hurt, and guess what, he's 6'8"!

Try something homeopathic, like banannas or raisins to help supplement potassium, which might help with the cramps, or an herbal tummy soother with chamomile to help with sleep. Good luck, hon!

I have 4 boys and all of them have woke up in da middle of the night with leg cramps. I was always told it was growing pains. Some are worse than others and they always seem to happen at night. I give my boys motrin if it is bothering them to bad. They also (starting around the age of 5) get nose bleeds in the night. Was also told this was do to growing too and more common in boys.

I believe leg cramps can be caused by too MUCH calcium as well as too little. Also, a lack of potassium may cause them. Bananas add potassium. Hope this helps!

T.,
It sounds like typical growing pains. You may want to measure your child's height now. Not all kids get these pains, but his/her bones may be growing rapidly. You can try Tylenol before bed to help.
If it's muscle pain, have your child drink Gatorade or other drink containing electrolytes. My mom used rubbing alcohol to rub briskly on my calves when I suffered from muscle soreness. Otherwise, give your child NO MORE THAN 1 banana daily and the cramps should subside. Stretching daily will help as well.
Good luck!

Does your child like bananas? He/she may eed more magnesioum or potassium. The banana will provide the potassium. Also stretching exerrcises before bed might help. Look for some exercies that stretch the hamstrings and the achilles tendon.

My son has these, too. They occur randomly but when they do occur they are a few nights in a row and very painful. We give him Tylenol and place a heating pad on low temp on his legs. He also sleeps only in long pants. They are lightweight cotton but this has kept the leg aches away. We keep flannel sheets on his bed most of the time and a warm fuzzy blanket nearby in case he needs it. We also rub his legs to calm him and to distract him until the pain subsides. He is four years old and has always had them. We have now gone about six weeks without any problems.
Good luck because I know it is difficult to watch your child go through this.

Hi T.,
I had very painful leg cramps as a child. They would also happen in the middle of the night for some reason. We never did find out the cause but the only thing that would relieve the pain was a heating pad. I remember the pain waking me in the middle of the night. I still have cramps as an adult, but not nearly as bad. Tylenol and a heating pad is what helped me, and still does. I don't think it is anything seriouse, possibly circulation problems. I hope your child grows out of it. In the mean time a heating pad is a good investment.
Take care

I use to have frequent cramps as a child too and my parents would give me warm milk which would not only help me sleep but also seemed to let my legs rest as well. Also I dont know your stance on childrens medications or not but Childrens tylenol has helped my son with almost any ailment and you could always try a couple ccs before bed. I hope these work for you as well as they do for me! :)

I have not had this with any of my children, however, I used to experience this when I was 12 and 13 (maybe younger but I can't remember). I was definitely caused by growing pains. I ended up growing 7 inches in a year between my 6th grade year and my 7th grade year. I was taken to a couple of different doctors because I also had knee pain. I went from Specialist to specialist until they just basically said it is growing pains. I did end up with arch supports in my shoes to help with the knees but mainly it was all related to growth. My understanding is that your body tends to grow mainly while your body is resting during the night. You may want to talk to the doctor but unfortunately if it is growing pains there is nothing they can do.

Your child could just be having growing pains. They can be very painful. I don't think there is anything you can really do for them though. Sorry for not being more helpful.

This happened to my brother when he was a child and to a friend of mine not too long ago with her hands... Gatorade was what they were both told to drink. Worked like a charm. Don't ask me why, though, I do not remember. Good luck.

Sounds like growing pains. My son has these occasionally, especially after a particularly active day where he has been running around more than usual, and hasn't had a lot of water. Ibuprofen or tylenol seem to help him. When he has them, I am up with him several times in the night-but if I use a pain releiver along with rubbing out the cramp and giving fluids, he sleeps through the rest of the night.

Hi T.
When I had those it was caused by a mineral deficiency. I was told it was magnesium. I took capra goat whey mineral complex and they went away quickly. It has all the minerals so I couldnt tell you specifically which one but the complex worked well. You can get it on the internet at healthfood sites. It is safe for children as it is all natural.
Hope it helps
good luck
T.

Sounds like growing pains not much you can do. You can give him a pain reliever like motrin. Good luck thoes are no fun!

Salt will help! just a little. His sodium can be low.

I had these when I was a child and remember them being horrible. Now my poor little girl gets them. They usually happen in custers and like you I usually rub her legs and give her Motrin. That seems to work wonders for her.

I didn't see this until today. :( And you got plenty of advice which I could take the time to read all...but I didn't see much mention of dehydration.

Voice of experience those cramps will probably go away with a *good* multimineral vitamin (store shelf stuff - nope, plus mineral need to be taken in proper balance) and with enough liquid - water.

J.
www.joyboudreau.com

Keep up with the fluids & try bananas - for the POTASSIUM.

Have you had blood work done by the pediatrician? A low potassium can cause leg cramps. Also, there are vitamin deficiencies such as b vitamins that can cause muscle disorders. In addition, rarely, there are nerve disorders that can be very painful. I would discuss the problem with a pediatrician as muscular and nerve disorders can be long term and respond better with early diagnosis. Hope this might help.

I don't know what to do to prevent them, but the quickest way to stop the pain is to flex the foot.

Your child may need potassium!! give your kiddo 2 bananas a day for a week and see if it makes a difference! Also, make sure its not the joints. if it is the joints-knees, ankles, hips-may be a sign of lyme disease.

They are probably low on Potassium. When I swam competively I would get leg cramps at night if I didn't have at least one banana a day. Dried apricts are a great source too. Gatorade should do the trick also (but unfortunately has a lots of other junk in it as well - high fructose corn srup, food coloring, etc). A natural source that will totally take care of it b/c of how high it is in nutrients and big time in poatassium is Monavie juice, but is pretty expensive if you can tackle this problem with a banana a day alone. But if not, you can buy Monavie @ https://www.mymonavie.com/monavieformommies just one ounce a day for a child 50lbs or less is enough, 2oz if 50-100lbs.
good luck

Hi, T.. I have experienced this problem with both my boys (ages 3 and 4). Especially with the four year old. I have talked to his doctor about it several times, and he keeps telling me it is growing pains. We give him motrin when he wakes up crying and within ten minutes he is okay and goes back to sleep. I've been kind of wondering if my doc is wrong, but then it started happening with my three year old. It had never happened to him before, but it started happening out of the blue. After about two months it stopped with him. I took him to the doc for something else, and we measured him. He had shot up and gone through a growth spurt. So, I'm assuming the leg pain WAS growing pains. With my four year old it happens a lot (especially when he is overly tired and has missed his nap that day), but he is also in the 98th percentile for height so I guess he is always growing! lol. Hope this helps!
Take Care,
T.

I got leg cramps a lot in my twenties and found it could be a lack of potassium. I ate bananas regularly and quit getting them. Add a banana or 2 a day. Good luck!

Hi T., I actually use to get leg cramps as a young child and sometimes first thing in the morning stretching out in bed brought on the calf muscle leg cramps. I have learned that potassium in bananas work. I started eating one a day and so far it's still working as a child half a banana or small ones should do the trick. It's the build up of lactic acid in the muscles. I keep bananas as part of my children's diet and they haven't suffered from the leg cramps. The pinched nerves feel different, I get those in my back and neck and have found it to run in my family. Try to save medicine for the last resort if nothing else in the diet or exercise works. We don't want to build up a high tolerance in our next generation even if it works too. I grew from 4'11'' to 5'6'' in one summer in high school. Since I had been having leg cramps for years and eating my bananas I didn't get "growing pains" and my doctor was shocked. When it comes back I go for a banana (during pregnancy). I pray this works because massaging seems like a great idea but it still hurts. I guess a deep massage would get in the muscle but that is compiling pain.

My children haven't experienced leg cramps, but when I was pregnant with my first I used to get them. I finally started drinking one glass of milk right before bed and I didn't have another cramp at night the rest of my pregnancy=) I know you said you tried calcium, but try this and right before bed and see if it works. I have also heard bananas work well! Good Luck=)

Hi T.,
My first thought was to recommend water (possibly dehydrated) and bananas (possibly running low on potassium). One other thought... when I was pregnant, I experienced terrible leg cramps at night sometimes. I noticed that my tendency was to immediately stretch my leg with my toes pointed, but I discovered that if I stretched my leg with my foot flexed, it gave me much more immediate relief for the cramp. In fact, if I felt a cramp coming on, I could stretch with foot flexed and avoid the cramp altogether. Don't know why, but it worked for me! Hope this helps.