Happy October to you all!

October has to be my favorite month. The weather is beautiful and cool, and the leaves start to turn amber, gold and red. Even though things are slowing down outside, we’re getting ready to bustle through the end of the year.

This month, several of you have mentioned muscle cramps, so I’ve decided to gather some information on treatment of muscle cramps and how massage can help. If you’ve done your own research, you will have seen much of the same information, but I have some good links listed as well. In addition, I’m doing minute massage for leg cramps, and talking about Jin Shin Do Body-Mind Acupressure.

Enjoy!

- heather wibbels (615.294-6672)

Your eyes pop open at 2:11 AM from a dream of a lion’s jaw clamped on your leg. But, it’s just a charlie horse – a muscle cramp in your calf muscle – causing pain and discomfort. Cramps happen at night, during exercise, and after a hard workout. Massage is a key treatment for muscle cramps, along with stretching and proper hydration.

What is a muscle cramp and why do they happen?

A muscle cramp is an involuntary contraction of a skeletal muscle. It tightens and shortens the muscle causing severe pain. Contractions can be a slight twitch or a long, painful contraction of the muscle lasting over 15 minutes. Sometimes, the cramp is visible beneath the skin as the muscle moves in its contractions. Muscle cramps can happen in muscles that have been recently exercised or over-exerted, or they can occur in muscles that have been inactive for a long period of time. Muscle cramps happen when there is an imbalance in the chemicals responsible for muscle contraction. Fluid imbalances, such as dehydration, can get the potassium, sodium and calcium ratios to a place where muscle contraction occurs involuntarily.

According to a WedMD article by Peggy Peck, “ Muscle fatigue and inadequate stretching may be the two most important factors contributing to muscle cramps in endurance athletes.” Some sports medicine specialists see more muscle cramping in pre-season workouts, when the body is likely to be tighter and less flexible than later in the season as the body is seasoned through conditioning and training. This means that poor flexibility and tight muscles are also causes of muscle cramps. Most experts posit exercise, muscle fatigue and long periods of inactivity as causes of muscle cramps. But, most of the medical community also accepts that dehydration or electrolyte imbalance as causes as well. Working or exercising in intense heat increases the likelihood of muscle cramps from dehydration or because of the depletion of minerals.

“Cramps can involve part of a muscle, a single muscle, or several muscles in a large muscle group,” and muscles spanning two joints (like the calf muscle) are more prone to cramping. Some people are simply more likely to get muscle cramps with physical activity. “Those at greatest risk for cramps and other ailments related to excess heat include infants and young children, people over age 65, and those who are ill, overweight, overexert during work or exercise, or take drugs or certain medications. Muscle cramps are very common among endurance athletes (i.e., marathon runners and triathletes) and older people who perform strenuous physical activities.”

Treatment of muscle cramps focuses on coaxing the muscle to stop its involuntary contraction and soothing the pain caused by the contraction. General steps to treat muscle cramps are as follows:

1. Stop the action that triggered the cramp.
2. Relax the tightened area and apply massage to the cramped muscle. Kneading and pressing on the muscle can induce relaxation and encourage the contraction to end.
3. Stretch out the affected area by gently pulling the muscle into a stretch. Sometimes massaging the muscle while it’s in a stretch can quicken the relaxation response.
4. Apply heat and cold to the area while continuing to massage the muscle and mobilize it. (Apply heat to tense/tight muscles, or cold to sore/tender ones).

How do you prevent muscle cramps?

Besides treating cramps when they happen, there are a number of steps to take to prevent cramps. Be aware that chronic cramping may indicate a serious medical problem or side-effect of medication, and should be treated by your primary care physician. Here are some steps to reduce the frequency and degree of cramping:

1. Get regular massage therapy or apply self-massage to areas that frequently cramp after exercise or before bed.
2. Stretch your muscles before and after exercise or periods of intense activity. Since most athletes experience cramps in the preseason before their bodies are conditioned, slowly work to your ideal workout or activity level and keep stretching before and after your activity.
3. Hydrate. Drink water before and after a workout. Make sure you are drinking enough water following activity to get your muscles rehydrated.
4. To avoid calf cramps, avoid sleeping with your toes pointed. Sleeping on your back or stomach tends to put the toes in a pointed position, especially if the weight of blankets or tight sheets pushes your toes down.
5. Eat foods high in potassium (bananas, oranges, fresh vegetables).

• WebMD: Fatigue May Be Prime Cause of Muscle Cramps
• Rob's Home of Sports Medicine: Muscle Cramps
• U of I Healthcare: Muscle Cramps and Spasms
• TMS: Muscle Cramps
• About Sports Medicine: Muscle Cramps
• Doctors Senior Exercise: Conquering Muscle Cramps
• The Stretching & Sports Injury Newsletter: Muscle Cramps

More on Massage: Jin Shin Do Acupressure

The Way of the Compassionate Spirit

Jin Shin Do Acupressure was created by Iona Teeguarden in the 1970s as a synthesis of acupressure, traditional Chinese acupressure theory, Reichian segmental theory, Taoism and Qi Gong exercises. It is a means to deal with the interconnectivity of the body, mind and spirit through touch in order to balance energy between the three to deal with stress, emotional pain and physical pain. Jin Shin Do holds that acupoints and specific physical exercises can bring balance in energy flow and release physical and emotional tensions.

Jin Shin Do focuses on acupressure meridians outside of the 12 organ meridians most common in classical Chinese acupressure. It focuses on the “Strange Flow” meridians which are “shortcuts” to balancing energy as it runs through the body. These strange flows channel and balance qi flow of the other meridians. Gentle, but firm finger pressure along specific points on the flows can bring about a balance to the qi flow. Classic body “armoring” or holding patterns which arise from psychological patterns and the mind’s connection to the body can be brought into awareness during a Jin Shin Do session as the acupressurist uses pressure along the flow lines to increase consciousness of and assists in interpretation of images and sensations which arise during the session.

In a typical Jin Shin Do session, after the acupressurist has taken a medical history, felt key acupoints, and ascertained the reasons for the session from the client, the client lies clothed on a massage table while face up. The session usually starts with a head/neck/shoulders sequence to begin rebalancing energy and facilitating release. Gentle, firm finger pressure on the acupoints may be done in two places at once – where a distal acupoint is used to facilitate release at a localized acupoint. This also enhances the sensation of energy flow along the strange flows for the client. The client may bring up images, messages or sensations to the acupressurist during the session, and sometimes reaches a state of deep relaxation through the touch of the practitioner. While the sessions are relaxing, clients often report feeling energized or more aware after a session.

For more information see:

• Jin Shin Do® Foundation
• BodyMind East