Massage Can Help with Leg and Foot Cramps
Heidi Overman, LMT #MT-24997
Leg and foot cramps are very common. I find this to be a prevalent issue in my practice, and many suffer from cramping almost every night. This breaks up sleep and can cause insomnia and fatigue.
Massage can be a useful tool in helping relieve the pain and possibly helping to relieve the cramps all together. Massage is meant to lengthen muscle tissue and stretch tendons, release trigger points, and soften muscles. It brings oxygen and nutrients to your muscles by opening the neuropaths and helps give you an overall feeling of wellbeing.
Generally, there are many lifestyle reasons why you could be getting leg cramps: mineral deficiencies; dehydration; sedentary lifestyle; over-use, over-stretching, or over-exercising your legs; improper sitting position; and prolonged standing.
Other reasons may be from surgeries, such as hip replacement, knee replacement, and back surgeries.
There are some pathologies that may be associated with leg cramps: structural issues, neurological disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular conditions, and medications such as statins and diuretics.
Massage modalities can help in many of these conditions. Trigger point therapy, Himalayan salt hot stones, myofascial therapy, and cupping can help release and relax the calf muscles to relieve muscle cramping in the legs and feet.
Drinking more water can help if you are getting dehydrated. We always think we are drinking enough water, but if you’re getting muscle cramps, odds are, you should be drinking more!
Massage is a great way to relieve and possibly eliminate leg cramps. Find a great therapeutic massage therapist, and they can help you through it.
If you are interested in a therapeutic massage, call Heidi Overman for an appointment at 520-771-1514. My website is www.mymendingplace.com, and I’m located at MEND Therapeutic Massage and Restorative Skincare at 15930 N. Oracle Road, Suite 160, Tucson, AZ 85739 (next to the Golden Goose).
The Facts You Need to Know About Chiropractic Care
Dr. Craig Brue
Are you experiencing recurring back or neck pain? Many people are somewhat confused about when they should seek chiropractic treatment. This article will help you understand that a visit to a chiropractor may be the best treatment option to overcome spine pain.
Chiropractic physicians are real doctors.
Chiropractors have to pass national board exams, as well as state board exams, to practice. Chiropractic care is covered by Medicare, Workers’ Compensation, Medicaid, and health/auto insurance plans. The biggest difference between chiropractic and medical physicians lies not in their education, but in their method of treatment. Chiropractors specialize in the treatment of spine disorders by the use of spinal adjustments, exercises, and lifestyle changes instead of drugs, shots, and surgery.
Many medical doctors refer their patients to chiropractors.
Your family medical doctor does not specialize in back and neck pain. Your medical doctor specializes in biochemistry and internal disorders. A chiropractor specializes in the structural integrity and biomechanics of the spine. Dr. Lee Green, a family medicine professor at the University of Michigan, had this comment for ABC News regarding the use of medication for pain: “Neck pain is a mechanical problem, and it makes sense that mechanical treatment (spinal adjustments) works better than a chemical one.”
Chiropractic adjustments do not hurt.
Some patients hesitate to come into a chiropractic office because they think that a spinal adjustment will hurt. Just as lasers have replaced some scalpels, chiropractors are now able to utilize spinal adjusting instruments that are very safe and effective. Spinal adjusting instruments deliver a very controlled, gentle tapping style of spinal adjustment. These adjustments are very light and fast, and there is no pain involved in this type of treatment. If you have any questions about instrument adjustments for spine pain, go to these websites for further information: goimpulse.com, activator.com, and bruechiropractic.com.
There is more to chiropractic than the treatment of back pain.
Many chiropractors have advanced training in nutrition, fitness, lifestyle, rehabilitation, wellness, and disease prevention. Chiropractors will refer you to a medical provider if your problem is not within their scope of practice.
Chiropractic care is unique.
Compared to family medical doctors and physical therapists, a chiropractor has significantly more training and experience in the treatment of back and neck pain. The biggest difference between all other forms of medical treatment and chiropractic is this: A chiropractor is the only health care provider that specializes in spinal adjustments to correct spinal misalignment. In a matter of a fraction of a second, a chiropractor can re-align vertebrae and restore spinal function; a process that can give relief for hours, days, months, and even years.
My advice: Put a great chiropractor on your health team because chiropractic care is the safest, the most conservative, and the most effective way to relieve back and neck pain.
Dr. Craig Brue is an author, lecturer, and chiropractic provider in SaddleBrooke, Ariz. For more information on chiropractic, go to bruechiropractic.com.