By Dr. Bruce West

“I can’t afford to cramp up at bedtime. And if you’ve ever gone through “ramrod” leg cramps that are so powerful they can rupture blood vessels, you know what I’m talking about.” Health Alert, Vol. 26, No.11

Basically, the only medical treatment for muscle cramps is quinine. But it is discouraged because it is only slightly effective, and it carries side effects. So when you ask your physician for advice on how to treat muscle cramps, the honest answer is that medicine has no good answer. This leaves thousands of people, men in particular, cramped up in agonizing pain on a regular basis.

The truth is that there is a wonderful answer for people with muscle cramps. Unfortunately, not one physician in 10,000 knows about it. I learned it decades ago from a wise, old-time osteopath. And because I am still an athlete, though no longer an elite athlete, I use it personally all the time. Over the years many elite athletes have found their way to me. And with the same therapy that I prescribe for myself, my family, my other patients, and for you, I have helped save many an athlete’s career.

If you suffer from chronic muscle or leg cramps, you need to know that to end this agony your body needs adequate calcium, plus an adequate calcium delivery system that gets the calcium to your muscles. Taking crushed rock or shells (typical calcium supplements) will not suffice because most of this is not digested and, therefore, it is not assimilated and delivered to the muscles that need it.

So for starters, you need the most digestible and absorbable calcium supplement-calcium lactate. This calcium is made from vegetables, not crushed rock or shells. Next, you need adequate stomach acid to absorb calcium. So chronic use of antacids and acid blockers can lead to muscle cramps by stopping or sopping up the stomach acid needed to absorb calcium.

Finally calcium mobilization requires that calcium be delivered to the muscles that need it to prevent and stop cramps. The calcium mobilization system in your body requires omega-3 fatty acids and iodine, and involves your thyroid gland and liver. For this reason, taking calcium alone without the fatty acids and iodine will usually not get the calcium to your muscles in adequate amounts to stop and prevent muscle cramps.

The Calcium Mobilization Team

To stop muscle cramps, you need to get calcium from your diet to your muscles. This requires adequate stomach acid for digestion, the most absorbable calcium supplement, adequate omega-3 fatty acids and iodine, and adequate thyroid and liver function. Enter the calcium mobilization team of nutrients…

The most absorbable form of calcium supplement is Calcium Lactate from Standard Process. Made from vegetables (not crushed rock), this supplement also contains magnesium citrate, which is slightly acid, aiding in the digestive process.

The calcium mobilizer is Cataplex F by Standard Process. This is a nutritional complex that contains vitamin F (omega-3 fatty acids), iodine, and a liver extract. It is a fuel for your thyroid gland and provides liver support. But it is most critical for muscle-cramp sufferers because it is the combination of nutrients and phytochemicals that make up the nutritional complex that I like to call the calcium mobilizer. The calcium mobilizer supplies what your body needs to mobilize calcium out of your blood and into your muscles. And that is the definition of a muscle cramp cure.

For all these reasons, I am never without these two nutritional complexes. When I play sports in the sun (which makes a muscle calcium deficiency worse), I always have a bottle filled with Calcium Lactate and Cataplex F in my bag. I take 6-9 Calcium Lactate and 4-6 Cataplex F before, during and after competing. And if I really work my muscles hard (which is now pretty easy at my age), I will take another dose at bedtime for insurance.

If I forget my supplements during any tough workout or competition, and pay the price with a severe leg cramp, I immediately take 10-15 Calcium Lactate with 6-9 Cataplex F and try to lie down. Within an hour the problem is resolved. For the average sufferer, these kinds of cramps and their agonizing pain can last all night. And this can happen over and over for years, or even a person’s whole life. This is because the honest medical answer to muscle cramps is that there is no honest medical answer.

So use the calcium mobilization system for your own muscle cramps. Remarkably, this same protocol is also the treatment for kids with fevers, and for people with restless leg syndrome. If toddlers or children spike a fever, before you panic, crush up 6 tablets of Calcium Lactate and 3 tablets of Cataplex F in a seed or coffee grinder and put them in apple sauce. You will be amazed at how providing adequate calcium to the cells and tissues is the natural anti-fever protocol.

For restless legs, use the same protocol and experiment with the dose. Most people use 6 tablets of Calcium Lactate and 3 tablets of Cataplex F, taken 2-3 times daily. Some folks need a dose at bedtime. And some folks need an even higher dose, especially in the beginning or if they are using antacids. Fast, inexpensive, safe, and effective-this protocol, if used by everyone, would save millions of dollars, millions of hours of lost work time, untold numbers of wasted doctor and hospital visits, and inestimable amounts of agony and suffering.

For more information on this subject and /or on the Standard Process products mentioned in this article please contact Lynn Morales ND

1) Fueling Up

With enough fiber and protein in your diet, you can help prevent temporary constipation (which can cause you to feel sluggish) and help keep your muscles strong. Select contact us for fiber suggestions.

2) Keep it Steady

A large meal causes a blood glucose spike and forces more blood to the gut and away from the brain, making a person feel listless and less alert. To maintain healthy blood glucose metabolism, you should eat small frequent meals, consisting of complex carbohydrates and protein, spread evenly throughout the day.

3) The B’s Have it

It is important to incorporate foods that are rich in B vitamins and iron because adenosine triphospate (ATP), the molecule that carries energy for the cells, depends on these and other nutrients to function.

4) Let Your Cup overflow

Dehydration can reduce blood volume and diminish blood flow to the organs, slowing down the brain and its function. Drinking the right kind and right amount of fluids is key to keeping the body hydrated. Drink liquids such as water and green tea, instead of coffee and soda. Click on this link for more information on water filter for home and travel.

5) Moving Right Along

Inactivity can trigger fatigue. Set aside time to exercise like you would for any other appointment. If 30 minutes a day seems like too much to start with, break it down into three 10-minute chunks spread throughout the day.