From the Garden to Your Achy Muscles

A number of garden vegetables and herbs are nutrient dense, specifically in minerals. Those minerals help to strengthen and support your muscles. Too little potassium or magnesium in your diet can contribute to muscle aches, spasms & cramping. Most people have experienced the sudden onset of a muscle cramp or spasm. A muscle cramp is an involuntary contraction of one or more of your muscles. If you've ever been awakened in the night or stopped in your tracks by a sudden charley horse, you know that muscle cramps can cause excruciating pain. Muscle cramps can make it temporarily impossible to use the affected muscle. Although most muscle cramps are harmless, some may be related to an underlying medical condition, such as; Inadequate blood supply associated with narrowing of the arteries or compression of nerves in your spine (lumbar stenosis) can produce cramp-like pain in your legs. Some medications such as; diuretics, antibiotics, and certain cancer treatments may deplete minerals. Which in turn may lead to muscle cramping and weakness. Talk to your physician and/or pharmacist about medication side effects.

Most cases of simple cramps require no treatment other than gentle massage and stretching. Gently and gradually stretching and massaging the affected muscle may ease the pain and hasten recovery. Apply heat or cold. Use a warm towel or heating pad on tense or tight muscles. Taking a warm bath with a handful of epsom salts & a sprinkle of organic (non-irradiated) ginger powder or directing the stream of a hot shower onto the cramped muscle also can help. Alternatively, massaging the cramped muscle with ice may relieve pain. Cramps may also be prevented naturally with the help of minerals such as Magnesium & Potassium. Taken at bedtime, magnesium may alleviate night cramps. The likelihood of developing cramps may be reduced by eating a healthy diet with appropriate levels of minerals, and getting regular exercise to build up energy reserves in muscles.

Here is a list of a few mineral rich garden vegetables and herbs: 
leafy greens (spinach, kale, swiss chard...), tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, eggplant, pumpkins, potatoes, carrots, beans, apples, garlic, alfalfa, catnip, chamomile, chickweed, dandelion, mullein, nettle, parsley, peppermint, raspberry leaf, red clover, sage, yarrow, hops, and plantain.

References:

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2013. Potassium. http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6801

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. 2013. Muscle Cramp. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00200

Balch, Phyllis. Prescription for Nutritional Healing. New York: Penguin Group, 2010. Print.

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. 2013. Muscle Cramp. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/muscle-cramp/DS00311

New York University, Langone Medical Center. 2013. Muscle Pain and Spasm. Department of Anesthesiology: Division of Pain Medicine webpage, http://pain-medicine.med.nyu.edu/patient-care/conditions-we-treat/muscle-pain-and-spasm

Offices of Dietary Supplements, national institutes of health. 2013.Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Magnesium.

Magnesium - Health Professional Fact Sheet Home Page, http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/

University of Cincinnati; Muscle Spasm; Yolanda Farhey, M.D.; August 2001