With the weather turning colder, you might notice your body has some more aches and pains than it does in the summer. Maybe it’s an old injury, or maybe you notice something else. The cold weather can bring with it muscle cramps for some people, especially at night. If you are one of those people who stick your foot out from under the blanket when you’re sleeping, you might notice your feet cramp more often in the cold.
With this post written by a Bendigo naturopath near me, let us learn how do we naturally treat and support cold and cramps we might experience along the way. A cramp is an involuntary muscle spasm. This means that a muscle has forcibly contracted and is unable to relax. It can happen to a single muscle, or to a muscle group.
More Cramps in Cold Weather
So, why do you experience more cramps when the weather is cold? There are a few different reasons that might apply to you, depending on what you are doing.
Generally, cold weather causes both the muscles and blood vessels in your body to contract. This helps reduce heat loss, but it also means that your body must work harder to do the same activities. If you are exercising, this leads to increased fatigue of your muscles, which means you can overwork them – which can lead to a cramp.
Help at Home
Some of the things that you can do to help reduce your chance of cramping include:
- Make sure you warm up before exercising, get your heart rate up and support the blood flow through your body.
- Make sure that you stay hydrated.
- Support your body by eating a nutrient rich diet to help make sure you have the nutrients you need to support your daily activities.
- Try a massage to help relax your muscles and support blood flow.
- Applying heat during a cramp.
- Stretching the affected muscle – if possible.
Naturopathic Support for Cramps
For some people, these measures aren’t enough. If you happen to have a deficiency in some or several nutrients, it can be harder to keep the cramps away, as you will need to replenish these before your body is able to stop cramping as much.
A naturopath can help determine what is going on in your body. They can also provide specific support to help give you relief from cramps. This may include some of these herbs and nutrients:
- Magnesium: helps to relax your muscles.
- Cramp bark: helps to relieve the pain associated with cramps and reduce their severity.
- Ginger: helps to support circulation and can help reduce certain types of cramps.
- Chamomile: helps to relax your body and may help reduce muscular spasms.
Book your appointment with a Bendigo naturopath now. Or, you can also read more healthcare articles all written by the best naturopaths.
