Cramps aren’t unusual, but the feeling is unpleasant, nonetheless. A licensed chiropractor demonstrates things to do while suffering from cramps on your foot or toe.
Several reasons are believed to cause cramps. It could happen while sitting in a certain position at your workstation or just after you’ve finished an intense workout. The next time you experience tingling or numbness in your feet, follow the below methods to get rid of it.
8 things to do for a foot or toe cramp
Sports chiropractor John Hosten on TikTok demonstrates 8 easy methods to get rid of cramps in your foot and toe. However, he recommends doing each exercise slower than shown in the video shared below.
Spins
Sit on a chair or a stool with your legs crossed. Keep the foot experiencing muscle contraction on top and use your hands to grab and gently spin the area below your toes in both directions.
Shuffle
Sit in the same position as mentioned above. Now use both hands to grab the foot with cramps to move your toes back and forth. Repeat this a few times until the tingling of your feet reduces.
Pull-ups
Keep your feet flat on the surface and use your fingers to lift a single toe at a time, followed by all toes.
Extensions
You can do this without the use of your hands. Stand straight with your feet flat on the surface, extend the toes all the way back, and repeat.
Scrunchies
As opposed to extending your toes upwards as shown in the previous step, curl them inwards while standing in the same position to do the “scrunchies.”
Sliders
If the feet are cramped, use the edge of the wall to lean with your hands extended and gently slide the affected foot backward while it’s flat on the surface.
Forefoot
While standing in the same position explained in the previous step, slide your affected foot backward with your heels raised as if you’re tip-toeing.
Toe lunges
A slight alteration to classic lunges – you place all your weight on your toes with cramps while raising your heels.
Different causes of cramps
While most cramps aren’t a cause for concern, several factors can contribute to the condition.
According to the Mayo Clinic, muscle cramps can occur when there isn’t enough blood flow to your legs or feet, compression in the nerves, and a lack of minerals.
Other factors that increase the risk of cramps include age, being in poor shape, extreme sweating, pregnancy, and underlying medical issues.
In most instances, cramps go away on their own. You can prevent cramps by keeping yourself hydrated with plenty of fluids and stretching your muscles gently before and after a workout or before going to bed to avoid leg cramps at night.
John Hosten is a Chiropractor Physician at Bannockburn Chiropractic & Sports Injury Center in Illinois. He’s a graduate of the Northwestern University of Health Sciences.
He boasts over 14 years of experience as a licensed chiropractor and his videos on TikTok to teach “various Anatomy and condition topics” have earned him more than 1 million followers.
