Do magnesium creams, sprays and oils help with muscle pain and cramps? How about supplements?

Leg cramps can have a muscular or vascular cause, you need to see doctor first to find out what is causing the cramping. It might be dehydration.

I have been successfully taking high dose magnesium for years for muscle cramps. When I run out or recently lower the dose, my cramps return or worsen. Recently I cut back on my potassium and noted more leg cramps. I have resumed my potassium with successful results. So the combo of magnesium and potassium keep me pain free.

Probably 30 years ago I was dealing with severe every night leg cramps and my doctor prescribed Quinine (which is no longer prescribed). While taking, it definitely worked but did I want to take it for a long time so I read up on muscle cramps and how our bodies sometimes don’t process minerals etc correctly. I found Nature Bounty Cakcium, Magnesium, Zinc capsules and started taking and no more cramps. Ran out of my supply & store was out so ai thought maybe don’t need to take anymore - wrong as leg cramps returned. I take daily and no more leg cramps.

My Husband had been having real problems with leg cramps at night. Most nights. We take magnesium capsules. I got some magnesium foam (in pump bottle) for him, and it made a dramatic difference. He won't be without it now.....and he rarely gets the cramps at night.

I HAVE BEEN USING MAGNESIUM OIL MIXED WITH DMSO FOR MY RLS.
IF REALLY WORKS FOR ME....

I find 1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg before bed effective in reducing leg cramps. More nutmeg will cause problems, and large quantities are dangerous

My husband uses Mg lotion,I use Mg spray, we both have seen a big reduction in cramping.I find if I feel near to a cramp at bedtime or during night spray avoids my cramping.

I am a competitive athlete (Scottish Highland Games), and the events that I participate in are high intensity - long duration events that have athletes crawling off the field of competition after 8-10 hours of competition. needless to say, there is a lot of muscle soreness at the end of such a competition. To keep this short, I won't bore you, but I experimented and used mag oil on only leg after competition. The next two days had a markedly difference between the two legs. no soreness on leg that I used the mag oil, normal soreness & tightness on the leg without. I use it after EVERY competition now.

Regarding your report on topical magnesium products: my elderly mother suffers from Restless Leg Syndrome and when it hits (about every other night) the only relief she can get is by using spray-on magnesium (salts). True that it tends to dry the skin, but the relief is remarkable. Usually within 30 minutes, or less, she is back to sleep with no further RLS.--

" little reliable clinical evidence showing these products are effective " doesn't mean they don't work. After years of exposure to pesticide (over 20 years ago now), I now get cramps in my feet and up the front of my shins only if I've inadvertently been exposed to pesticide again or, interestingly, those plug-in room deodorisers. Magnesium oil rubbed onto the spot will give almost instant, complete relief and I know many elderly people who wake in the night with horrible cramp, who have the same result magnesium oil.

I have a genetic muscle disorder that causes my muscles to painfully contract and not release. I do get botox injections every 3 months and that does help but I am limited to how much botox I can receive at one time. This being the case, I have the injections in my upper traps since they are the worse.

I found out about magnesium oil some years back and it has been able to give me relieve in my other muscles that are contracted.

It's important to buy magnesium oil with no water added, just magnesium chloride.

I know for a fact, from my personal experience, that this type of magnesium oil works. Since my muscles are so tightly contracted, I don't spray it on but pour some into my hands and apply it generously. I then wrap the area with saran wrap. I do this at night while watching tv and remove it before going to bed.

I know that this sounds extreme but desperate times call for desperate measures!

I hope that this helps someone out there :)

Regarding effectiveness of topically applied magnesium, I was surprised and abit dismayed you did not review the work of Dr Norm Shealy. This slightly shakes my faith in your process.