Persistent Calf Muscle Pain
Hi,
I love this website and it's always been my first port of call for any illness and regular visitor.
My wife (59 yrs, part-time school teacher) has been suffering pain in her calf muscle for the last two years. Since the last few months, the pain is more often throughout the day and on some days as soon as she's awake from sleep. She is not on any medications.
Generally, she is active and walks quite regularly unless she is not well enough to walk long. She has got varicose veins in the left leg (not of a concern level according to the Doctor) and her total cholesterol is little bit on the high side, between 6 and above, for last few years. It was 7.2 couple of months back but taking Red Yeast Rice along with COQ10 tablets (both once in the morning), her overall cholesterol dropped to 5.2 in two months' time.
Quite recently she started magnesium tablets (one morning and one evening) but no relief in calf muscle pain. Occasionally she takes B12 and Vit D. Her medical reports are all good so we are unable to understand what could be the reason of her calf pain.
Please if there is anything you could recommend or advise us what she needs to do. Thank you in advance
Eskaay (London)
Hello Eskaay,
Your wife may have better results using topically applied Magnesium Chloride Oil/mag oil (MO) sprayed directly on the entire leg and rubbed in, than with oral magnesium. She may have even better results if she uses oral Magnesium Glycinate and MO simultaneously.
The red yeast rice may be a mistake to use because red yeast rice is essentially a statin drug (Lovastatin/Mevacor) as outlined here:
Statins are known to cause muscle and joint pain as well as muscle damage as discussed here:
Many people are able to control their cholesterol and triglycerides using 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of lecithin granules per day while also increasing HDL cholesterol and avoid the unwanted muscle pain and muscle damage associated with statin use :
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC3065734/
https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-lecithin#1
The granules can be mixed into a smoothie or something like yogurt. Myself, I just put the 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of granules into a small glass of water and drink it down quickly without stirring or mixing.
For the varicose veins, some people find relief with the regular use of Hesperidin with Diosmin. Here is a link to some of these products.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=hesperidin+diosmin&ref=nb_sb_noss_1
There are other things she can try, but these are good first steps. Good luck and keep us updated on her progress!
Art
New Zealand
10/28/2021
Hello Eskaay of London,
I have not had a chance to think long and hard about your wife's problem but here are a couple of immediate thoughts that spring to mind:
Teachers stand quite a lot obviously and I am wondering if she has recently spent more time standing on concrete surfaces?
Has she changed (work) shoes recently?
Many years ago, I tried wearing flat shoes I.e. without heels and I suffered extraordinary calf pains but my light-bulb-connection moment did not arrive straight away!! I was conditioned to wearing shoes with heels obviously.
Orthopedic, shoe inserts can sometimes really help.
Could one leg be significantly shorter that the other one? She could get measured for this. A few millimetres won't be an issue but more than that might be!
A capsaicin (pepper) cream acting as an external analgesic could offer pain relief for hours. My favourite one in made by the B.... company in the U.S.A. my family would not like to be without it these days.
A sciatic nerve could be pinched and there are some simple exercises on u tube for this issue.
Even a new/different chair sitting position at home, work or even car?
Poor posture we can get away with for a while but eventually it can catch up with us. Rather than seeing a physiotherapist, why not try a practitioner in the Alexander technique - I am a big fan of the good ones.
Has it been hot in the U.K. this summer?
If so she could possibly do with more hydration to benefit circulation/muscle relaxation etc.
Get the Calcium/Magnesium balance correct. Mag. Citrate or my favoured one is Magnesium Chloride LIQUID. OR spray the liquid on the calf directly-you can buy these.
A pillow under the offending leg's knee also should be experimented with.
Let us know any progress.
Cheers from Down Under
Thousand Islands
10/28/2021
I use magnesium oil each evening on my calves, it helps.
US
10/28/2021
Magnesium oil - a good quality from Amazon and rub on the legs at night and in the morning should help. If it slightly stings add a bit of regular lotion. Also, rubbing apple cider vinegar on the muscles could help as well as stretching those muscles.
Connecticut
10/28/2021
Hi Eskaay,
Besides the great suggestions you have already received about topical magnesium oil, you might also consider a potassium deficiency, which is very common and causes a lot of health issues like muscle cramping. A simple test would be to take a potassium tablet for a few days and see if it's any better. I've had muscle cramps, teeth nerve sensitivity, and some other symptoms disappear within a few hours after taking potassium.
Deirdre
Utah
10/28/2021
Although mag. oil helped with cramping, potassium gluconate powder helped even more with the cramping I would get in the calf, toes, hands, an so on.
It wasn't until I added more Calcium that the cramping is resolved. I take a calcium chelate in divided doses. I also eat foods high in calcium, but I seem to need more right now.
It's surprising that calcium is so involved with muscle and nerve function.
Hope it helps your wife .
London
10/28/2021
Thank you so much for responding so quickly, we will try Calcium and see how it works.
New Zealand
10/29/2021
Re: A Calf Pain and Muscle Cramping Follow Up Thought
In hot weather your body needs additional salt for muscle health and proper functioning.
Tropical people can attest to this being the case.
One can get seriously lethargic in the tropics without salt. I have experienced this for myself.
Sailors used to be given a daily salt tablet to counteract this syndrome.
Maybe with British weather getting gradually hotter as the years pass by, British people might need to consider a slight increase in their salt/sodium intake during the summer month only of course!!??
Only if they do not have high blood pressure though.
(Earth Clinic have gone off my History Lessons it would seem- a previous one did not get published. "Those who choose to ignore History are doomed to repeat it"! ).
Cheers from Down Under
Calgary
11/01/2021
Thank you for this awesome reminder!
