La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
YESTERDAY I TALKED ABOUT HOGS on ice. So, it’s only appropriate that today I should mention my hamstring. As I started an excellent, very long walk nearly a month ago (click here), I had a sudden and intense cramp in the hamstring muscle of my right leg. I rubbed it out (get your mind out of the gutter) and continued the walk. It was fine. However, the next morning, my leg hurt. In fact, it hurt more than my sciatica that day. It still hurts. I have no idea what I did, but I really don’t want to visit urgent care.
The hamstring problem doesn’t hurt when I lie in bed, but hurts when I sit or walk. The sciatica hurts most when I lie in bed, and doesn’t hurt when I sit or walk. And, yes, since the hamstring is in the correct vicinity, I can honestly tell you it’s a pain in the ass. I went for a walk this morning, which I enjoyed, although I favored my right leg and limped quite a bit, which made me think perhaps I should give the leg a rest. I’m going to give the heating pad a try this afternoon. And more paracetamol (which does help). Dudo will be happy. He’s been trying to get me to go back to bed since 11.
As far as the leg cramp goes, I was having cramps in my feet and legs for a while, even dreaming about them and being awakened by them. I knew that one cause could be not enough water. And, although I drink more water than most of my friends, I’ve always been told after lab work that I need to drink more. So, I finally upped my intake even further a week ago to 3 to 4.5 liters a day. It appears to be the miracle cure. Too bad I didn’t do it a month ago.
The other day, when I headed out to the terrace to work on cleaning old planters, and reorganizing (yes, it hurt), Moose, who was sound asleep in San Geraldo’s office, came running out for some love and did everything he could to get my attention. If the cats weren’t spoiled before the pandemic, a year of having us around most of the time, has made them impossible. It’s nearly 4 p.m. (16:00) and Dudo is still waiting for me. The photo at top is the view from bed he wants to share with me. (The bedroom window is clean; the glass curtain is not.)
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AYER HABLÉ DE LOS CERDOS en el hielo. Por lo tanto, es apropiado que hoy mencione mi tendón de la corva (porque en inglés el tendón de la corva es “hamstring” (literalmente “cadena de jamón”). Cuando comencé una caminata excelente y muy larga hace casi un mes (haz clic aquí), tuve un calambre repentino e intenso en el músculo isquiotibial de la pierna derecha. Lo borré (saca tu mente de la cuneta) y continué la caminata. Estuvo bien. Sin embargo, a la mañana siguiente, me dolía la pierna. De hecho, ese día me dolió más que la ciática. Todavía duele. No tengo idea de lo que hice, pero realmente no quiero visitar el centro de atención de urgencia.
El problema del tendón de la corva no duele cuando me acuesto en la cama, pero duele cuando me siento o camino. La ciática duele más cuando me acuesto en la cama y no duele cuando me siento y camino. Y, sí, dado que el tendón de la corva está en la vecindad correcta, puedo decirles honestamente que es un dolor en el culo. Salí a caminar esta mañana, que disfruté, aunque favorecí mi pierna derecha y cojeaba bastante, lo que me hizo pensar que quizás debería darle un descanso a la pierna. Voy a probar la almohadilla térmica esta tarde. Y más paracetamol (que sí ayuda). Dudo estará feliz. Ha estado tratando de hacerme volver a la cama desde las 11.
En cuanto a los calambres en las piernas, estuve teniendo calambres en los pies y piernas por un tiempo, incluso soñando con ellos y siendo despertados por ellos. Sabía que una de las causas podría ser la falta de agua. Y, aunque bebo más agua que la mayoría de mis amigos, siempre me han dicho después del examen del sangre que necesito beber más. Entonces, finalmente aumenté mi ingesta aún más hace una semana a 3 a 4.5 litros por día. Parece ser la cura milagrosa. Lástima que no lo hice hace un mes.
El otro día, cuando salí a la terraza a limpiar maceteros viejos y reorganizar (sí, dolía), Moose, que dormía profundamente en la oficina de San Geraldo, salió corriendo por un poco de amor, como se puede ver en fotos de hoy. Si los gatos no estaban malcriados antes de la pandemia, un año de tenernos cerca la mayor parte del tiempo los ha hecho imposibles. Son casi las 4 p.m. (16:00) y Dudo todavía me espera. La foto de arriba es la vista desde la cama que quiere compartir conmigo. (La ventana del dormitorio está limpia; la cortina de vidrio no lo está).
¿Entonces?
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Who could resist that cutie! What a view!
David:
He is constantly turning on the “adorable.” The view is something else, even on the dreariest of days.
my 3 cats are spoiled too. you should give in to them.
anne marie:
Don’t worry. I may think I’ve won a battle, but I’ve only not immediately jumped.
If you can find it you might want to try magnesium oil on your legs?! There are yoga stretches you can do for the sciatica. Having experience with both of these this is what helped me. Good luck!
Cheryl:
Thanks so much. I had never heard of magnesium oil. Will check that out. The cramps are gone with the abundance of water I’ve been drinking, but I have to be careful to not drink too much water, which is also bad. (Argh!) I’ve got yoga stretches, exercises, and a gazillion (well not quite) other stretches. Sometimes they help. I want a cure. Am I being unrealistic?
Aging is hell, what can I say?
Debra:
When I was in my teens and 20s, I had loose ligaments and my knees and shoulders would temporarily dislocate. In my 30s, I had bursitis and tendonitis. One shot of cortisone got rid of the tendonitis. Propery workouts got rid of the bursitis. I wonder if my expectation of curing the sciatica is unrealistic.
Aww, you know I love to see the kitties! Whichever one, whichever day 🙂
Sorry to hear about that cramp–yikes! I don’t get them often, but, when I do, my leg is very sore for several days after.
Judy C:
Yeah, I’ve had some cramps that have left my leg sore for days. I had forgotten that. So I guess it’s no surprise that this major one on a very large muscle at the start of a 10-mile walk would hurt so much. Do you reliaze these kittens will be 10 in July?!?
Ugh. Sorry about your leg. I always thought I drank a pretty good amount of water, but I don’t think I drink anywhere near 4.5 liters a day! So now I’m not so sure…
Steve:
This amount is absurd, although it’s worked against the muscle cramps, which had gotten out of control. Our friend Judy, a former nurse, told me I need to be careful to not drink too much water, which is also damaging So, I’m off to buy Gatorade or something else (per her recommendation) this afternoon.
Coconut water has an excellent balance of ions and sugars, but not quite enough salt on its own. If you eat a few chips with it, it is perfect and tastes so much better than Gatorade.
Wilma,
I love Gatorade. So, it’s no problem. An excuse to have chips makes coconut water intriguing, except SG can’t tolerate even the smell of coconuts so I don’t know if he’d be thrilled with the coconut water cure.
Snap. Sorry to hear of ‘your’ back problems. Have you tried lying on your front with your head very slightly raised. That helped me.
Perhaps a good time to re-read Don Quixote! Progress is slow but being made.
Karen:
Ooh, that position is killer on the sciatica. Can’t win. I’m currently reading Oscar Wilde (Dorian Grey right now) but am definitely going to pick up Don Quixote again. I had no idea there were versions for different levels. I wonder what I read freshman year — if they had different levels then.
Had an ortho recommend Voltaren cream or gel (comes in prescription grade in US, but I bought some over the counter in UK) for leg cramping/soreness. Might help your back, too.
Mary:
You’re not the only one to recommend that. I wonder if I already have that in the medicine cabinet. Thanks.
Moose in in LOVE with you! Look at those eyes!
My hubby has leg pain/cramps/tightness……..he uses a number of things that help lessen the discomfort. Heat for sure helps, as does Voltaren lotion/cream, magnesium supplements, and walking usually takes care of it. Maybe he doesn’t drink enough H20…….
Jim:
The walking is a problem for the soreness from the leg cramp. It immediately hurts and gets worse the longer I walk. But I will keep trying the other options. Can’t I just have a shot?!? (Actually, I’ll bet a shot of Scotch would do the trick.)
Perhaps have Dudo and Moose walk atop your leg cramps, and give them treats after, and everyone’s happy???
Bob:
Oh, Dudo HAS walked atop a leg cramp and he did NOT get a treat for it. He needs to go back to massage school.
Sorry to hear of your hamstrings. PS: Our pets are supposed to be spoiled. I go back to in person teaching on March 9 and Murphy will not be happy. It has been almost a year since I’ve been in the classroom, with a small stint in November when they closed schools back up again.
mcpersonalspace54:
I feel for Murphy. I do seriously worry about the adjustment these two poor boys will have to make when we’re no longer home almost all the time.
Ouch, Mitchell! I have always been prone to muscle cramps, but rarely in hamstrings. That’s a big muscle! If I drank as much water as your are, I would strain my hamstring trying to reach the bathroom in time.
I’m surprised Moose let you take so many photos of him – he must have really, really, really wanted your attention.
Wilma:
I used to get the muscle cramps in my feet and less often in my calves. The hamstrings are a recent development and made me realized I needed to do something about it. And, yeah, that’s why I’ve been resistent to drinking even more water. But, oddly, I’m not getting up any more often than usual. Possibly even less, since muscle cramps arent’ waking me up. So I guess the water is getting used somewhere! Those photos were really quick snaps and I did pet him a couple of times between. And then like crazy. He’s a lush.
I am not a doctor, but could electrolytes be an issue in the cramps? Maybe ask your doc and they may do a blood test.
David:
Yep, our friend Judy, former nurse, emailed me and told me to pick up some Gatorade or something else in pill form that she prefers. I like Gatorade. I do need to go back to doc but have been avoiding it during pandemic. Thanks!
Oh dear, the kitty! If looks could kill…
wickedhamster:
Yeah, that last look was priceless. But he wouldn’t hurt a fly. Well, he LOVES to eat flies, but he wouldn’t hurt me.
For what it’s worth… For the past few months I have, on and off, awakened with the hamstring issue, which hits when I take my first step out of bed. It has no discernible cause other than {ahem} age – heaven knows it’s not because of any sort of excessive physical activity on my part. It usually goes away after a bit, sometime longer than a bit. Happily it doesn’t happen much and only when I first get up, as does my rare twinge of fasciitis.
Wickedhamster,
I’ve had muscle cramps in my feet and calves for as long as I can remember (they’ve spoiled many romantic moments). The cramps in my hamstrings are something fairly recent — several months, and happen day and night, but mostly night. I’ve had dreams about the pain and it of course wakes me up. The sore hamstring is improving and I haven’t had cramps since increasing water intake. I’ve added Gatorade today, so won’t be waterlogged. Now if I could just find a CURE for the sciatica… am waiting to go to doctor and may ask for a cortisone shot if nothing else is offered.