Foot Cramps

You’re sound asleep, and then, without warning, you wake up with a paralyzing stiffness in your calf or foot. Or you are sitting on the couch or kneeling down and you are hit with a cramp that pulls and aches until you finally relax by finding a position that releases the grip of pain. It can happen day or night, no matter wh-

ere or when. Whether you call it a foot or leg cramp (aka “charley horse”), it’s a common, somewhat mysterious pain that happens when a muscle gets involuntarily stiff and can’t relax. Luckily this is usually a rare scare and quickly goes away. However, as we age foot and leg cramps can happen more often and also can indicate underlying health issues that you should address. Some causes are simply nutritional, or temporary dehydration, some are lifestyle related and others indicate a condition that requires a medical doctor's evaluation. This week we uncover in more detail a few foot cramp causes and ways to fend off unpleasant and painful occurrences with easy to follow guidelines and indications.