Could hand and foot cramps be related to your menstrual cycle?
Ask the doctor
Q. I get severe hand and foot cramps, especially around the time of my menstruation. Is there any way of preventing or alleviating the cramping? I am active and in good health.
A. Muscle cramps are very common. And the pain can be extremely intense.
Some women report an increase in the frequency of muscle cramps just before their menstrual period and during the first couple of days. I could not find a scientific reason for this.
All kinds of remedies have been proposed to treat and prevent muscle cramps. When many therapies are proposed for a condition it usually means none are highly successful. This is certainly true for muscle cramps.
Safe things you can try to prevent muscle cramps include:
- taking vitamin B complex
- taking low-dose magnesium supplements (as long as your kidney function is normal)
- eating lots of fruits and vegetables to get extra potassium
- avoiding dehydration.
While stretching is often recommended for people with leg cramps, the evidence that this helps is mixed. Since it is safe, I recommend gentle stretching during the day and especially before bed. For example, you might try gently pulling back on your fingers and toes a few times per day and when you first get into bed at night.
Image: © Olga Pankova/Getty Images
About the Author
Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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