What Is the Best Treatment for Leg Muscle Spasms?

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The best treatment for charley horse, or leg muscle spasm, ranges from stretching and massaging to pain medications and physical therapy, according to Healthline. Surgical enlargement of the area around an affected nerve is quite rare. Some experts promote vitamin B supplementation, but more research is needed as of 2015.

If exercise is the cause for a charley horse, stopping the activity, and then massaging and stretching the affected muscle cause relaxation and keep the muscle from contracting any more. Ice packs or cold compresses alleviate the pain, while heating pads make relaxation happen more quickly. For subsequent soreness, many patients take such nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines as ibuprofen, as stated by Healthline.

Some people suffer from recurring muscle spasms in their legs. When the case is severe, doctors have anti-spasmodic prescription medications at their disposal, and it’s also possible to make a larger space around a nerve with surgery to relieve pressure in cases of nerve compression. The cause often dictates the treatment if the charley horses recur, and such underlying factors as injury, insufficient blood flow to the affected muscle, failure to stretch before exercising, low potassium levels and dehydration all require different remedies to keep the spasms from happening again, reports Healthline.

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