Home remedies · Back, muscles & joints
No home remedy here replaces treatment, and none is talked down. What has done good for generations does good — even if no one ever measured it. Where something is well studied, it says so. Where it is only experience, it says that too.
During the cramp straighten the leg and pull the toes firmly towards you, hold for 30 seconds, then stroke out the calf.
The stretch releases the cramp via a reflex that forces the muscle to let go — faster than any remedy.
Magnesium does not work during the attack and, for night cramps, less well than its reputation suggests.
Cramps that are new and frequent need looking at — water tablets, electrolytes, thyroid and nerves come into question.
Have it assessed rather than treated at home: back pain with numbness in the saddle area, disturbed bladder or bowel function, weakness or fever. A joint that cannot bear weight after an injury, or is deformed. A one-sided swollen, warm leg.