"Charlie Horse"
Wednesdays Kyusho (Vital Point) for wellness.
Charley Horse is a popular colloquial term in Canada and the United States for painful spasms or cramps in the leg muscles. The term dates back to the 1880s and was originally a American baseball slang term. The term was made famous by the Boston Globe, in reference to a baseball player as well as the Washington Post in a 1907, story, that “charley horse” was used in reference to pitcher Charley “Old Hoss” Radbourne who often suffered with cramps during games in the 1880s.
The term is also used for cramps in the foot muscles and can have many possible causes such as hormonal imbalances, low levels of magnesium, potassium or calcium, dehydration and injury to name a few.
Your body needs electrolytes, which are minerals that work with the electrical system of the body allowing nerve impulses to travel as well as the the muscle system to allowing muscles to contract and relax. The main two electrolytes needed for these functions are Calcium and Magnesium. If you typically experience them while sleeping, a simple solution would be to ingest a supplement.. but not with food as they cause a more alkaline base that does with food as well, so on an empty stomach just before sleeping is best. If this does not work well for you, it signifies you are deficient in Potassium (which helps the body assimilate the Calcium and Magnesium).
Where do you get these without buying or taking supplements?
Mostly the diet should include up to 7 cups of vegetables a day, along with other sources of calcium such as dairy products... or Egg Shells. Also eliminate the refined carbohydrates and sugars.
Other sources can be:
- Dairy Products
- Nuts and Seeds
- Legumes
- Whole Grains
- Fruits and Vegetables
- Animals - Certain animal products, such as eggs, turkey and chicken, provide these three minerals. If you prefer seafood, salmon, mackerel, bass, herring and sardines are good choices to get more magnesium, potassium and calcium
Helping your body become more acidic (instead of alkaline) will dramatically aid in getting the Calcium and other minerals into the muscles.... this can be done with Apple Cider Vinegar and Lemon Water... more later.
Kyusho Affect
Cramps or Charlie Horses can be caused by a striking or compression to the thigh or other leg muscles. Unchecked they typically last anywhere from a few seconds to about a day, depending on the severity of the blow and sometimes results in several weeks of pain and disability. The disabled leg is known as dead leg or as in Australia it is also known as a corked thigh or corky. It occurs often in contact sports, such as Martial Arts (Kyusho Induced nerve attacks as well) football, etc. or following the strenuous exercise these activities produce. If the nerve alone is targeted, simple slapping and rubbing of the area will sooth the pain, however when the attack was more pronounced or heavy this will also cause the muscles to spasm and cramp or knot. This is how we developed the First Aid Method as well as the Health and Wellness Method of dealing with these problems... click the links for further information.
-ep
