More factors that contribute to muscle cramps

Following on from my last article on elbow pain, I wanted to share with you some exercises for increasing the mobility and strength of your elbow joint.

1. Stand or lie down. Bend and straighten your elbow to its outer limits without creating pain. Repeat 5 to 10 times.
2. Sit with your forearm flat on a table and the palm of your hand against the table top. Then turn your forearm so that the back of your hand is resting on the table and then turn your forearm again so the palm of your hand is against the table.  Repeat 5 to 10 times.
3. Practice screwing and unscrewing a screw with a screwdriver, while holding your upper arm close to your body.   Repeat 5 to 10 times.
4. Hold a dumb-bell in your hand (or a can from your kitchen cupboard) and then bend and straighten the elbow joint.  Repeat 5 to 10 times.  You can gradually increase the weight to build strength.
5. Stand up and do press ups against a wall.  Ensure that you bend your elbow to the maximum and fully straighten your arms.  Repeat 5 to 10 times.
6. Hold a barbell in your hands (or a mop handle or broom handle), bend and straighten your elbow joint.  Repeat 5 to 10 times.

1. Flex one elbow joint to 90 degrees, then with your other hand resist your bent arm trying to touch your shoulder for 4 - 7 seconds and relax for 2 seconds.
2. Straighten your arm backwards and take hold of a banister or something similar with your outstretched hand and stretch for 6-8 seconds by bending your knees.

It is claimed that up to 50% of women of reproductive age suffer from period pain.  For many years from my mid-teens until my late twenties I suffered from dysmenorrhea (period pain).  To avoid it interfering with my O Levels I went on the pill but discovered that didn't suit me.  In my mid-twenties I tried reflexology and I felt it helped but I never knew if it was just as a I got older my periods were less painful.  Recently I came across some research that supports my experience. A clinical trial in Iran compared the effectiveness of reflexology and ibuprofen in reducing period pain intensity and duration.  68 students with period pain were randomly divided into a reflexology group, receiving 10 reflexology sessions (40 minutes each) during two consecutive menses cycles or an ibuprofen group, receiving 400mg of ibuprofen every eight hours for three days during three consecutive menses cycles. The study results indicated that reflexology was superior to ibuprofen in reducing period pain and the effects off treatment continued even after discontinuing the intervention in the third mense cycle. Reference Valiani M, Babaei E, Heshmat R and Zare Z,  Comparing the effects of reflexology methods and ibuprofen administration on dysmenorrhea in female students of Isfahan University Medical Sciences.  Iran Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research.  December 2010; 15 (S1): 371 - 378      

Here are more tips to get a good nights sleep:

1. Read a book or a magazine - I appreicate this is very old school.  The reason is studies have shown that brain activity during sleep is better regulated after reading a physical book compared with reading a screen.
2. Have a hot shower or bath at night.  When you get in all your blood comes to the surface of your body, so when you step out, your core temperature starts to drop.  This stimulates sleep.
3. Go to bed at the same time every nights - it's possible to "programme" the body to get used to falling asleep at a certain time every night.
4. Yoga or light exercise can help relax muscles and release any tension.
5. Complementary therapies -  these promote relaxing, reduce stress and anxiety and are therefore ideal for a good night's sleep.
6. Breathing exercises or medication - taking deep breaths helps the body switch off from the flight or fight more to rest-and-digest mode.