Cochrane · systematic review · CD008496
Non‐drug therapies for the secondary prevention of lower limb muscle cramps
Hawke, F, Sadler, SG, Katzberg, HD, et al. · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · 2021 · Cochrane Library
SoF tableOnly the outcomes this review put in its Summary of Findings table are listed (the Cochrane Handbook caps them at about seven per comparison). Its other analyses are not shown here.
Questions
21
current version
GRADE rated
8
No studies
13
Included studies
NR
No studies 13 · 61.9%Ungraded 0 · 0%Very low 4 · 19%Low 2 · 9.5%Moderate 2 · 9.5%High 0 · 0%
Ungraded means an effect was reported without a GRADE rating; it is not a gap. No studies means the review found nothing to answer the question. The six categories are a display order, not a score.
Questions and results
Current version onlyCalf and hamstring stretching compared to no intervention for lower limb muscle cramps in older adults
Population: older adults with lower limb muscle cramps
| Outcome | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Change in cramp frequency (cramps per night) (after 6 weeks) Calf and hamstring stretching vs no intervention | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 80 participants | Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision |
Adverse events Calf and hamstring stretching vs no intervention | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 80 participants | Moderate Downgraded: imprecision |
Change in cramp severity (0 to 10 VAS; higher = worse pain) (after 6 weeks) Calf and hamstring stretching vs no intervention | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 80 participants | Low Downgraded: risk of bias |
Proportion of participants experiencing cramps Calf and hamstring stretching vs no intervention | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Health‐related quality of life Calf and hamstring stretching vs no intervention | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Quality of sleep Calf and hamstring stretching vs no intervention | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Activities of daily living Calf and hamstring stretching vs no intervention | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Calf stretching compared to placebo stretching for lower limb muscle cramps in older adults
Population: older adults with lower limb muscle cramps
| Outcome | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Cramp frequency (number of cramps in the last four weeks) (after 12 weeks) Calf stretching vs placebo stretching | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 94 participants | Low Downgraded: risk of bias |
Adverse events Calf stretching vs placebo stretching | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 94 participants | Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision, indirectness |
Cramp severity Calf stretching vs placebo stretching | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Proportion of participants experiencing cramps Calf stretching vs placebo stretching | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Health‐related quality of life Calf stretching vs placebo stretching | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Quality of sleep Calf stretching vs placebo stretching | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Activities of daily living Calf stretching vs placebo stretching | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Calf, quadriceps, and hamstring stretching compared to no stretching for leg cramps in 50‐ to 60‐year‐old women with metabolic syndrome
Population: 50‐ to 60‐year‐old women with metabolic syndrome
| Outcome | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Cramp frequency (number of cramps in preceding week) (after 6 weeks) Calf, quadriceps, and hamstring stretching vs no stretching | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 24 participants | Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision |
Adverse events Calf, quadriceps, and hamstring stretching vs no stretching | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 24 participants | Moderate Downgraded: imprecision |
Cramp severity (0 to 10 VAS; higher = more pain) (after 6 weeks) Calf, quadriceps, and hamstring stretching vs no stretching | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 24 participants | Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, indirectness |
Proportion of participants experiencing cramps Calf, quadriceps, and hamstring stretching vs no stretching | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Health‐related quality of life Calf, quadriceps, and hamstring stretching vs no stretching | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Quality of sleep Calf, quadriceps, and hamstring stretching vs no stretching | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Activities of daily living Calf, quadriceps, and hamstring stretching vs no stretching | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Calf muscle stretching versus placebo stretching for lower limb muscle cramps
Population: patients with lower limb muscle cramps
| Outcome | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Lower limb cramp frequency Participant recall Calf muscle stretching vs placebo stretching | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 94 participants | Very low Downgraded: imprecision |
Lower limb cramp pain severity Pain scale Calf muscle stretching vs placebo stretching | no estimate extracted | 0 studies · 0 participants | Ungraded |
Lower limb cramp duration Calf muscle stretching vs placebo stretching | no estimate extracted | 0 studies · 0 participants | Ungraded |
Adverse effects of interventions for lower limb muscle cramp Calf muscle stretching vs placebo stretching | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 94 participants | Very low Downgraded: imprecision |