Treating lower limb muscle cramps: a Cochrane systematic review

Background Muscle cramps affect approximately 1 in 3 people in the general community each year. Many interventions are available for lower limb cramps, but not all are efficacious or supported by evidence. Many treatments are controversial, no treatment guidelines exist, and many people experience no benefit from the interventions prescribed. In clinical trials, no drug treatment for cramps has demonstrated consistent effectiveness and safety and none are approved by the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme or the American Food and Drug administration for the most common form of cramp; nocturnal leg cramps. Due to the unclear risk/benefit ratio of many drug treatments, patients are encouraged to try non-drug treatments. The aim of this project was to systematically review the evidence for non-drug treatments for lower limb cramp.