Liam Neeson health: ‘The pain made me cry’ – actor was treated for ‘agonising’ night cramp

Derry Girls: Liam Neeson appears as a police officer

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The actor, who hit international esteem for his role as Oskar Schindler in Spielberg’s Schindler’s lift, was plagued with intense night cramps in the past, he revealed in a Radio 5 interview. The pain of them was so agonising that he sought help from a therapist and in the end, was given a simple dietary solution.

In recent months, the Northern Irish actor has been a helping hand for fellow Northern Irishman Eamonn Holmes – offering him advice for his chronic pain.

The multiple academy award nominee told Holmes “motion is lotion”, according to the This Morning host.

But when it came to his own night cramps, the star needed the friendly hand of a massage therapist.

“I was getting shooting pains in my leg, cramps in the middle of the night,” he told Radio five.

“A friend of mine set me up with this massage therapist who does all the dancers on Broadway and he worked on me.

“The pain made me cry it was agonising as he got rid of lactic acid crystals in my leg and afterwards.”

A muscle cramp is when your muscles contract suddenly and involuntarily.Most of the time they’re harmless, explains the Mayo Clinic.

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But they can leave a painful aching sensation and the muscles which are cramping are temporarily impossible to use.

Lactic acid is a term used in normal language to describe the cramp, fatigue, and muscle soreness we have after exercise.

But in medical terms, it is a normal product of intense exercise when there isn’t enough oxygen in the muscles to break down glucose molecules (sugar).

Overusing the muscles and dehydration can cause cramps and the build-up of lactic acid, the Mayo Clinic explains.

But for Neeson, excess coffee consumption was the problem.

“[The therapist] said ‘do you drink a lot of caffeine?’ and I said yes I do,” he added.

“He said ‘I would maybe drop it if you can and switch to decaf’ and I did.

“And the cramps disappeared by 90 percent.”

How can caffeine cause cramp

Caffeine is linked with mild dehydration as it is a diuretic, meaning it increases the amount of water which leaves your body.

Other causes of cramp include mineral depletion and nerve compression.

Not enough potassium, calcium or magnesium in your diet might leave you with cramps, according to the Mayo Clinic.

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