FYI: Is There Any Way to Prevent Toe Cramps?
Toe Cramps Superstock/Getty Images Short answer: Not really. Long answer: All muscles are capable of cramping, but the ones farthest away from your spinal cord-in your feet and lower legs, for example-tend to be the most vulnerable to seizing up. The long, spindly nerve cells that run from the spinal cord to the toes are especially prone to damage. The prevalence of nerve damage increases with age, so the elderly are among the most common victims. Once these cells start to malfunction, they're more likely to erupt with abnormal, spontaneous electrical signals, leading to unwanted muscle contractions. Toe cramps, like their more painful analogues in the calf, are associated with conditions other than aging as well. Yet despite their prevalence, few successful remedies have been found. "A lot of treatments have been used in the past," says Stanford University neurologist Yuen So. Among the oldest is quinine, the malaria-fighting drug that gives...