Shin splints/Leg cramps from exercising

[Elfay]

I get them bad, I will wake up from a deep sleep with my legs feeling like they are on fire !!! It. Doesn't matter how much I warmup before I still cramp terribly. I had terrible leg cramps when I was pregnant and I took an extra calcium and it worked, extra calcium doesn't do anything now ... I developed RLS after my son as born but it goes away in a month or 2 but will come back every 5 years since 1999.

I walked harder and longer today and my legs have been hurting all day and they are starting to cramp up since I've been relaxing. I worry its going to be a painful sleepless night. Not going to quit walking or exercising but it sure is VERY painful !!!!

The only thing that works is walking around the room sometimes 15-30 mins and I can go back to bed but there are times the cramping returns multiple times in a night.

Anyone else experience similar leg cramps or shin splints ? Anything work for you?

Thank you !!!

[Berry]

If you are not eating well, improving your diet can make your RLS better. If you can, get your blood work done to see if you have any deficiencies. De-stressing can help too. I hope you will feel better soon.

[Elfay]

Thanks Berry! Your right, eating healthier will help my RLS and shin splints. I probably need to be taking an extra calcium, I am over 50 so that wouldn't hurt. With osteoporosis and all -- I do have very bad posture, I always slump when I sit, a very bad habit I wish I never started when I was young. I tend to "slouch" over my food when I eat, I'm practically in my food !! It's kind of comical in a way but I never realized it until I was eating dinner with a friend and her family, I was "slouched" over my plate and I looked up and noticed everyone but me was sitting straight up!! I was very embarrassed to say the least !! Lol

Medically: I assume that there is some electrolyte or mineral imbalance or deficiency.

Metaphysically: Legs are there to carry us to places, cramps stop you from moving. Is there something in your life you do not want to go to, or deal with, or run away from in one sense but still want to hold onto in another?

Originally Posted by Elfay

I probably need to be taking an extra calcium, I am over 50 so that wouldn't hurt.

Calcium absorption is poor without potassium.

Shin splints... I had those, I don't think they are what you are talking about, because they are an actual injury. And it feels like the muscle is being ripped off of your shin bones. I got them during a sports related injury.
At the same time the shin splints also damaged my achiles tendon because I kept running on the injury, which sucks because now I have possibly permanent Achiles Tendonitis. It's the tendon that cramps. After lots of sports injuries, you can eventually discern when its a muscle cramping or a tendon cramping. And the difference between muscle tears and muscle strains, ect.

But I'm not sure if what you are saying is an injury or not. But remember we experience pain for a reason. It is saying, "Stop doing whatever you are doing."
You should go to a doctor or physio and have it looked at, it might be an injury, and if you keep using it, it could result in something permanent like mine.

Anyways since im always getting injured, this is what I do to heal really fast.
Lots of Rest. Deep sleeps at night.
Muay Thai oil on skin to take down inflammation.
Drink lots of water and get super hydrated.
Get potassium. And electrolytes.
Epsom salts in bathtub. Hot Tub.
ICE BATHS with ICE CUBES in it!
Regular Massage.
Never stretch when your body is cold and not warmed up. Always stretch after you work out.
Do lots of fascia stretches to release fascia tissue.
Eat lots of fish oils.
Eat tons and tons of protiens, calcium and get proper vitamins and nutrients.
Most of the time I get body aches is because I work out without eating properly. You must eat within 30 minutes of exercise. Get proper protien amounts, or else you won't heal your muscle tissues and your muscles will actually start to tear.
Add in silica to your diet.
Positive affirmations, and healing visualizations.
Remain positive in thoughts about your injury all of the time.

[in progress]

I had shin splints from aerobics. A better pair of shoes totally resolved the problem.

Oh yeah, that made me remember the reason I got shin splints was because of the way I was running. I naturally run on my toes, which wasn't the issue. My calf muscles got real tight during runs because of it, but then what would happen is I started doing sprints, and then stopping super fast, in which I'd in a fast motion come down to my heel. The over stretching of coming onto my heel in mid run is what gave me really bad shin splints. Then I just kept running on it, although it felt like my entire shin was broken, and caused damage to the Achilles.

I wonder whether this works, cure shin splints in 24 hours

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDwY0QFsPqs

[Belle]

Magnesium really helped me with cramps, oh man I remember those nights waking up in agony.

Lots of leafy greens and perhaps Himalayan Salt (that's recently been prescribed to me - i don't typically salt my food but I'm going to try a little bit of this, rich in minerals)