“Can physical therapy help with daughter's leg cramps?”
My daughter frequently gets leg cramps because she runs so much. She runs casually for exercise and is a part of her high school track team. Can physical therapy help her with her leg cramps?
5 Answers
If your daughter's leg cramps are from a muscle imbalance or her running style needs tweaking, yes, she would benefit from a physical therapist evaluation. However, it is possible that her cramping is from dehydration or an imbalance of electrolytes. Many of us drink a LOT of water, which is great, but if it's super filtered, it is missing essential minerals such as magnesium and/or potassium which help reduce cramping. While I'm not advocating for drinking tap water (let's face it, a lot of the water in our country is less than adequate), I am advocating for making sure her intake of essential minerals are up there for a runner/athlete. Her physician can do blood tests to make sure everything looks good and a dietician or nutritionist can assist in making healthy choices with foods higher in the minerals. Thank you for your question! Dr Reese (PT)
Physical therapy could potentially help with determining if the cause of cramping is solely musculoskeletal. I would recommend stretching before and after practice and increase fluids (water) in the mean time.
Yes. Ask your doctor to check her electrolyte
Leg cramps are usually caused by minerals imbalance. Ask her to take bananas to help with that and check her mineral levels. Also, she has to stretch more after running/exercise.
Dr. Ramky Kavaserry, DPT
Dr. Ramky Kavaserry, DPT
Yes
