Hands-On Relief for Muscle Cramps and Spasms.

You exercised too hard. You exercised too fast, without warming up. You overused a particular muscle while typing, painting, raking, or doing some other repetitive activity. Your diet doesn't contain enough electrolytes, the minerals that help muscles relax. You don't drink enough water.

You injured a muscle, either today or 10 years ago, and to protect itself from further injury, the muscle has constricted into a tight, painful mass. All of these are possible causes of a cramp, which is a sudden constriction of a muscle, or a spasm, which is constriction that doesn't let up. Massage therapists say that your cramped or spasming muscle is just trying to let you know that it needs help immediately and they offer plenty of ways to find relief.

PRESSURE: Relief in Under 12 Seconds
With your hands, find the center of the cramp the area of maximum pain and tension. With your loosely clenched fist, the heel of your hand, or your thumb, press into the center of the cramp, exerting enough pressure to cause pain but not so much that it's excruciating. "The pain should be 5 to 7 on a 10-point scale," says Ralph R. Stephens, a licensed massage therapist and instructor of neuromuscular therapy and sports massage at Ralph Stephens Seminars in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Hold the pressure for 8 to 12 seconds. "The cramp will often vanish by doing nothing more than this exercise," he says.

STRETCHING: Instant Relief for Calf Cramps
When you gently flex a muscle and then let it relax, it's easier to stretch the muscle and stretch out a cramp, providing instant relief.
Massage therapists call this type of stretch PNF, or proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, says James Clay, a certified clinical massage therapist in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. I lore's how to relieve a calf cramp (the most common kind) with a PNF stretch.

Sit up in bed (most calf cramps happen at night). Bend your leg and reach down to grasp the sole of your foot, between the ball of the foot and where your toes begin. Place your thumb in the corresponding spot on the top of your foot.

Using your fingers to provide resistance, gently press your foot down, using about a quarter of your strength. Count to five and ship, then relax for a five count. Straighten your leg and bend your ankle toward you, stretching out your calf for a count of five.

Return to the starting position. Then, using your thumb as resistance, pull upward. Count to five and stop. Straighten your leg and bend your ankle toward you, stretching out your calf for a count of five. Wait 5 seconds and repeat the exercise, and keep repeating it until the cramp vanishes.

STRETCHING: Halt a Hamstring Cramp
If you get a cramp in your hamstring, the muscle on the back of your thigh, Stephens recommends this stretch.
While sitting, keep the foot of the cramped leg on the floor. Place your other foot on top of that foot, then pull up with the lower foot with about 10 percent of your strength. Then slowly straighten out the leg, get up, and walk around a bit. The cramp should go away.

TENNIS BALL: To Ease Back or Buttock Pain
A tennis ball has just the right balance of "give" and firmness to help ease a cramp or spasm in your back or buttocks, says Clay.
Put the tennis ball on the floor and cover it with a towel. Lie on your back on top of the ball and move around until you can isolate it under the painful spot. Let the ball sink into the muscle, then lie there and wait for the cramp or spasm to ease—which it will. "You can give yourself a lot of relief this way," says Clay.

ICE: If the Cramp Won't Quit
When you're cramping, the nerves in your muscles are firing away. Ice makes them a little more nonviolent and calms the cramp.
If you have a cramp that won't quit, says Stephens, put a cold pack or an ice pack over the area. Wrap it in a dry washcloth or kitchen towel, apply it directly to the cramped area, and keep it on for 20 minutes.

MAGNESIUM: Supplement to Stop Nighttime Leg Cramps
The mineral magnesium is a natural muscle relaxant. Often, chronic, recurring cramps, such as a nighttime leg cramps, are caused by reduced magnesium in the system, says Barry L. Beaty, D.O., an orthopedic physician and director of the DFW Pain Treatment Center and Wellness Clinic in Fort Worth, Texas.
"Magnesium supplements can help reduce or even eliminate cramps," he says. He recommends taking 100 milligrams of slow-release tablets twice a day. Continue the treatment for 2 to 3 weeks.

POTASSIUM: Eat for Relief
Low levels of another mineral potassium can also cause cramps, says Dr. Beaty. If you experience lots of cramps, eat more potassium-rich foods like bananas, potatoes, spinach, and cantaloupe. If you choose to take potassium supplements, do so only under the supervision of your doctor.