Leg Cramps
Dear Patient,
Gallbladder 34 is one of my go-to points for musculoskeletal pain. It’s the Influential Point of the tendons, and a handy point to know if you get tight, cramped muscles or tendinitis. Acupressure here will help relax the sinews and relieve spasms and pain (scroll down for location notes).
Recently someone asked me what they could do for muscle cramps in the legs—the kind that are so bad they wake you up in the middle of the night. So I suggested acupressure at Gallbladder 34, plus a couple of home remedies: apple cider vinegar and yellow mustard.
Apple cider vinegar is a great preventive for leg cramps—just mix one teaspoon with a glass of warm water and drink daily. And when you’re in the throes of a leg cramp, eating a teaspoon of yellow mustard will provide nearly instant relief. I’m sure there are perfectly valid scientific reasons why these remedies work, but according to Traditional Chinese Medicine nutritional and herbal theory, it’s all about flavor.
The primary flavor of vinegar and mustard is acrid or pungent. Acrid substances disperse and move stagnation, and relax the muscles and tendons. They’re like the dietary version of Gallbladder 34.
So if you suffer from leg cramps, drink your apple cider vinegar, keep an emergency bottle of yellow mustard by your bed, and practice acupressure on Gallbladder 34. A good night’s sleep awaits.
Love and gratitude,
Your Acupuncturist
P.S. Every Wednesday I write about a different acupuncture point. Are there any curious about—let me know!
Location Notes:
Gallbladder 34 is on the lateral side of the lower leg, just below the knee. We locate it in relation to the head of the fibula. Find the head of the fibula (the smaller of the two bones of the lower leg), then feel around about an inch below and and slightly anterior. It’s often very tender when you’re in the right spot.