My last post on Leg Cramps prompted numerous comments.  One cure – from my old friend Jim – had me saying “no wayyyy“:

“I have a much easier solution . . . . You simply put a small bar of soap in a pocket or hold on to it.   That’s it.   It’s weird but I have used this for years.  You can even place some small bars under your sheets.    I prefer to keep some of the bars in my nightstand so they are readily available in case of a cramp.  If I get a cramp I reach into my nightstand drawer, grab a bar of the soap and the cramp is gone within about 10 seconds.  It has never failed to work.   My doctor confirmed that he had heard of this working, but I know of no scientific evidence as to why.”

Soap.  Puh-lease. 

However, investigative reporter that I am, I delved into this “remedy.”  There are many articles on this subject.  Soap – a remedy for leg cramps.  Even the ever-suspicious Snopes refers to the cure as “undetermined” – http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/legcramp.asp    If you Google +”leg cramps” +”bar of soap” you will get more than 30,000 records.  +soap yields over 2 million(!).   One theory is that soap is heavy in sodium chloride – which can be inhaled.    

Sure – I’m a skeptic.  But you know what?  I’m gonna put a bar of soap by the bed. . . . .