////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Joe:

Congrats on clearing and kicking the monkey.  You should learn how to use
Dr. Google.
I did a simple "what causes muscle spasms" search.

Did you look at this page?

Good luck.  Sounds like a minerals issue, Joe.  I eat a couple of
tablespoons of saurkraut in my thrice weekly omelette.  I know it sounds
ghastly, but it's good if you go for the sweet and sour approach by using
some yellow or red peppers to balance the sour of the 'kraut.  I also throw
in a heaping tablespoon of ground flax seed for the ALA and Omega 3's.

- Cactus Jammies -

http://www.acu-cell.com/dis-mus.html

MUSCLE SPASMS / CRAMPS:  Nutritional Causes, Prevention and Therapies

Provided there are no neurological or neurodegenerative causes such as
multiple sclerosis, cerebral
palsy, stroke, or spinal cord injury - extra Calcium is usually the solution
for muscle spasms or muscle
cramps in many nocturnal cases.  The extra requirements for calcium may be
a result of high protein or
phosphate levels (kidney disease, poor diet), hormonal diseases or
imbalances, nutritional imbalances
(high Mg/Ca ratio, low pantothenic acid), celiac disease or other
intestinal conditions that interfere with
calcium absorption, prescribed medications that promote calcium loss,
random self-supplementation
of the wrong vitamins and minerals, and others.  (see also Acu-Cell
Nutrition "Calcium & Magnesium").

When High Calcium is suspected but no resources are available to measure
cellular calcium levels
(serum calcium cannot be used for that purpose), an acidifying approach may
be tried such as taking a
very large amount of Vitamin C for a few days.  If the muscle spasms or
cramps get worse, then at least
one can assume that calcium was likely on the low side, and one needs to
increase its dietary intake,
and/or use calcium supplementation.

If on the other hand the muscle cramps or spasms improve, then calcium is
likely too high and requires
co-factors to make it more bioavailable by supplementing either Magnesium,
or a phosphorus source
such as Lecithin, a higher daily intake of Vitamin C, or one could increase
one's Protein intake as
another option.

Consuming foods or beverages containing Lactic Acid is another acidifying
strategy to reduce muscle
cramps when working out, despite the buildup of lactic acid in muscle
tissue during strenuous exercise
being actually a common cause of muscle spasms or cramps.  This happens from
insufficient oxygen
not being able to oxidize lactic acid, which would otherwise get rid of it
from muscle.  Inosine and
Creatin supplements also help to reduce the buildup of lactic acid in
muscle.

As exercise tolerance increases from repeated training, it takes
increasingly longer before lactic acid
is produced in muscle, so there is less of a chance of muscle cramps to
develop.  Lactic acid is found
in a number of foods and beverages, and it is also commercially added to
increase their acidity (olives,
sauerkraut, cheese, beer, soft drinks, pickles...).  Lactic acid-containing
drinks can serve as a valuable
fluid replacement for athletes before, during, and after competitive
training and exercise.

One-sided leg cramps or spasms can help with the decision of what to
supplement, whereby the left
side is usually indicative of calcium, while the right side is generally an
indication of magnesium being
needed, although some individuals require a calcium / magnesium combination
for relief as a result
of both being low.  If right-sided muscle cramps respond to calcium (rather
than to magnesium or other
acidifying strategies), then dehydration is suspect, and extra sodium may
be additionally required.

While electrolyte or other nutritional imbalances can be a cause or
contributing factor for toe spasms
or cramping of one's toes also, if one never experiences spasms or cramps
in other parts of the body,
then they may occur as a result of poor circulation, wearing tight shoes, or
sitting in a particular position
(car, plane, theater) for longer periods of time.  Briefly exercising one's
toes, or taking a short walk
usually provides relief and resolves the problem.

If poor circulation causes muscle cramps, Vitamin E might be a good choice
for its blood-thinning and
vasodilating properties.  Gingko biloba also provides a blood-thinning
effect and may be considered.

Sodium and/or Potassium imbalances tend to become more of a problem during,
or after physical
activity, but less so during rest, so for exercise-induced leg cramps or
muscle spasms, their addition
in the form of a sports drink, or through extra Sodium / Potassium
supplementation in tablet form may
be a consideration.  However, sufficient hydration (taking in enough fluid)
is equally important before,
during, and after a workout!

In practice, not all cases are that straightforward. The following example
presents the chemistry of an
individual who experienced severe muscle cramps in his quadriceps (front of
the thigh) within only a
few minutes on an exercise bike.  It also demonstrates a seemingly
possible - but in the long-term
incorrect - interchangeability of similar-acting minerals (calcium versus
sodium in this case):

 ( web page has bar graph here)

Since calcium is quite low in ratio to magnesium, supplementing 500mg of
elemental calcium per day
quickly resolved the problem - but only symptomatically!

The right strategy of course was to raise Sodium, since continuing to
supplement calcium would in time
only lead to a greater increase in cellular magnesium (unless potassium is
very high also), which in turn
would lower sodium even more and result in all sorts of additional medical
problems.  While using extra
salt would work in some individuals, it will generally not work with
low-aldosterone types (whose sodium
levels are chronically low - even with high sodium intake), so supplements
such as Choline Bitartrate
are indicated instead to raise sodium levels, which in time will lower
magnesium and thus normalize an
individual's Ca/Mg ratio also.  In the above case, silicon / silica (which
also inhibits magnesium), was
another very important addition.

Sodium Carbonate (baking soda) or Sodium Citrate ("Eno") can be helpful for
low sodium-related
muscle cramps and spasms as well.  They, or similar buffering agents are
used by some athletes to
combat muscle fatigue and to increase performance by raising muscle and
plasma pH, however when
increasing recommended amounts from 0.3g per kg of body mass to what some
trainers consider to be
an optimal intake of 0.6g per kg, the risk increases to induce muscle
spasms, stomach cramps, and/or
a variety of other side effects.

Once it is established that calcium and/or magnesium are needed, then the
mineral type should be
matched to stomach acid levels.  If they are high, then calcium / magnesium
"carbonate" is preferable,
and when low, "citrate" is better.  Carbonate is also generally better with
a tendency for diarrhea, and
citrate is generally better with a tendency for constipation.

Since low calcium and/or low magnesium-induced muscle spasms or cramps go
hand in hand with
disturbances of bone mineral metabolism, it may be worthwhile to consult a
medical practitioner and
be evaluated for other possible medical problems such as Osteopenia or
Osteoporosis, whereby
additional supplements such as Vitamin D, or other dietary adjustments may
be indicated.

Those suffering from leg cramps that are due to insufficient potassium
intake should be aware of - or
at least use their symptoms as a warning sign - that ongoing low potassium
levels increase the risk for
Cardiovascular Disease and/or Stroke.

Acute muscle spasms in the back are oftentimes triggered as a result of
injuries, but chronic attacks
can also result from curvature of the spine (scoliosis), age-related
degenerative disk disease, and/or
spinal alignment problems.  Osteopathic / chiropractic adjustments,
physiotherapy, muscle relaxants,
needle acupuncture, needle-less electro-acupuncture or electro therapy are
common treatment options,
depending on the type of medical system one is most comfortable with.

Nutritional imbalances, i.e. abnormal Mineral Ratios are also capable of
affecting spinal alignment,
or they can even lead to scoliosis over time (and subsequent muscle cramps
and spasms), in which
case drug therapy or frequent visits to a chiropractor, physiotherapist, or
acupuncturist can become
frustrating, since the therapy won't last.  However, once a nutritional
balance is re-established, the spine
is less likely to go out of alignment and trigger muscle spasms, cramps,
and/or other health problems.

***

"Sleep Starts" (myoclonic or hypnagogic jerks) describes a type of
involuntary muscle jerking that
takes place just before drifting off to sleep.  While felt by most people at
some point in their lives, these
sudden muscle twitches or jolts don't generally interfere with someone's
sleep unless they occur on a
regular, nightly basis.  When they start to take place seconds apart, they
will seriously affect a person's
ability to fall, or remain asleep.  Some individuals experience shorter
bouts that only last a few weeks,
however other people are less fortunate and may suffer "sleep starts" for
several months, or on an
ongoing basis.

There are some known medical conditions associated with myoclonus, including
brain or spinal cord
injury, Parkinson's disease, Tourette syndrome, multiple sclerosis, stroke,
epilepsy, drug or chemical
poisoning, organ damage, and others, however "sleep starts" is considered to
be a type of 'Periodic
Limb Movement Disorder' that as of yet lacks a specific medical cause or
has a known relationship to
a specific medical condition, although females are affected more than
males, partly due to monthly
hormonal fluctuations that seem to aggravate this condition around the time
of their menstrual cycle.

Standard treatments for "sleep starts" consist of clonazepam therapy (a
benzodiazepine type of
tranquilizer), which - while able to help the symptoms, invites the usual
long-term dependency this class
of drugs is known for.  Some patients require additional drugs or drug
combinations that may include
barbiturates, sodium valproate, phenytoin, or primidone.

Unfortunately, nutritional approaches (as listed above) that are helpful
for conventional muscle spasms
and cramps do not offer any benefits for most types of myoclonus, however I
have found Taurine in the
1500 mg to 2000 mg+ / day range to be somewhat helpful for "sleep starts,"
provided reasonable care
is taken at the same time to avoid stimulants such as alcohol, caffeine,
and excessive intake of white
sugar, which are known to worsen symptoms. ¤

______________________________________________________________________________

Copyright © 2000-2009  Ronald Roth  Acu-Cell Disorders: Muscle Spasms &
Cramps

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