Confessions of a Skeptic: Why my favorite "Homeopathic" Cramp Spray actually works (and it's not the chemistry)
Frank Rickit - 12th October 2026
A while ago, I was a paid-up member but opted out after a hell-of-a-roasting for defending the cramp-killing properties of Cramp Stop. I was told it was unscientific nonsense due to its “6c” homeopathic dilution (Arnica, Magnesium, Cuprum, Nux Vomica).
Turns out the Skeptics were right about the chemistry, but completely missed the boat on the neurology!
When you wake up with a brutal inner-thigh cramp, your motor neurons are trapped in an electrical “panic loop,” firing uncontrollably.
A few years back, neurobiologist Dr. Rod MacKinnon (who won the 2003 Nobel Prize in Chemistry) suffered from severe cramps while sea kayaking. He proved that traditional “electrolyte” theories were bunk because cramps can vanish in seconds—long before anything hits your bloodstream. His research unlocked the TRP (Transient Receptor Potential) channel reflex.
Essentially, strong, pungent tastes—like pickle juice, mustard, or the sharp alcohol and bitter base in Cramp Stop—act as a neurological
circuit breaker:
- The Trigger: The sharp spray instantly stimulates sensory receptors in your mouth and throat.
- The Reaction: This intense sensory input sends a massive signal straight to your central nervous system.
- The Reset: This new signal overrides the misfiring nerve in your leg. Your brain tells the motor neuron to calm down, and the muscle relaxes instantly.
On top of that is the Power of the Conditioned Reflex. Because I’ve had success with it before, my brain anticipates relief the moment I reach for the bottle. This drops stress hormones and releases the spasm even faster.
So, while a lab analysis shows zero active medicinal molecules, the physical act of spraying that sharp formula creates a very real, physical neurological reflex. It’s brilliant neural trickery!
Cheers,
Frank
ps i got this stuff on the internet im buggered if i can remember where specifically.
[For context, here is the original email thread from 2019]
hi there,as a lifelong sceptic of homeopathic meds. and sufferer of cramp in my thigh, i feel you need to be alerted to a homeopathic product called “crampstop”,its sold in most pharmacies.after donks of buying salt tablets etc. from this 1 chemist shop the old man there told me about him n his mates go bike riding n end up with cramps he give me bottle of it to spray under my tongue, it worked like magic almost instantly ive used it for years n every1 i recommended it to says the same. sincerely frank rickit
Hi Frank, welcome to NZ Skeptics.
I’m glad to hear you have found relief from your cramps!
Homeopathy and homeopathic remedies do not use an active ingredient. They rely on dilution so heavily that no actual atom of the original substance is likely to remain and the method claimed is that the substance’s energy remains in the water or alcohol used for dilution.
This has no benefit greater than placebo in clinical trials. For this reason NZ Skeptics do not endorse the promotion of homeopathy.
If the substance you used was herbal, like a naturopathic remedy then it may have an active ingredient. Herbal remedies are of some benefit but are extremely unreliable in dosage and quality. Many herbal remedies are the basis for modern medicine. Many herbal remedies are sold by unlicensed people without medical consultation, a practice that can be harmful if you are buying something that masks a symptom of an underlying disorder.
I hope you mention your cramps at your next GP visit.
Kind regards
Sheree McNatty
Hi Frank
Thanks for your contact.
One of our members has previously complained to the Advertising Standards Authority about claims made for Cramp Stop by HealthPost. The complaint was upheld. This was from our journal #117, Spring 2015:
“HealthPost had advertised Cramp-Stop as being able to prevent and treat muscle cramp. Neither HealthPost nor the manufacturer of Cramp-Stop, NZ Natural Formulas, was able to supply credible evidence for the claims. The ASA ruled: as no substantiation had been provided to support the strong therapeutic claims made, or adequate evidence to support the comparative claim, the original advertisement was likely to mislead the consumer.”
I have looked up the ingredients of Cramp-Stop - you are correct in identifying it as a homeopathic remedy. Each of the ingredients is diluted to at least 6C, which means that the original solution has been diluted down to1/1000th of a billionth. Essentially the solution will contain none of the original ingredients, and thus just be water. In this regard, homeopathy completely lacks plausibility unless you subscribe to the unevidenced belief that the water somehow maintains a “memory” of the original substances.
We know that the human mind is powerful in regards to expectation of a product working, and various other placebo effects. Additionally, people usually remember all the times the remedy “worked” and forget the times when it didn’t. Additionally, cramps are described as temporary muscle contractions that resolve themselves over a period of seconds, minutes, or hours. In this regard, how do you know that the Cramp-Stop is having an effect, and the cramp wasn’t going to stop anyway.
The bottom line is that all homeopathic products are just water. Water is good for hydration, but it doesn’t have medicinal properties!
Best regards,
Craig Shearer
hi craig.thanks for your info. n I believe you are totally correct but hell man I dunno what to do ??? ive dumped this shite lots of times only to go back to it!! must try hydration you alluded to…..get back to ya wid progress cheers frank rickit
Tags: cramp, homeopathic, remedies, water, ingredient, claims, cramp-stop