Leg cramps are common in pregnant women. There is currently no standard treatment for leg cramps during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of oral magnesium in pregnant women with leg cramps. This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study enrolled 86 healthy pregnant women aged 14 to 34 weeks of gestation who had leg cramps at least twice a week. The study period was 4 weeks. Eighty women completed the study. Forty-one women received magnesium bisglycinate chelate (300 mg daily) and 39 women received placebo. Details of leg cramps were recorded before the start of treatment and at the fourth week of the study. The outcome measures were the reduction in the frequency of cramps after treatment and the intensity of the cramps as measured by a 100-mm visual analogue scale. The 50% reduction in the frequency of cramps was significantly higher in the magnesium group than in the placebo group (86.0% vs. 60.5%, P=0.007). The 50% reduction in the intensity of cramps was also significantly higher in the treatment group than in the placebo group (69.8% vs. 48.8%, P=0.048). There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of adverse events such as nausea and diarrhea. These results indicated that oral magnesium supplementation can improve the frequency and intensity of pregnancy-induced leg cramps. Therefore, oral magnesium may be a treatment option for women with pregnancy-induced leg cramps.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22909270/
