A muscle cramp is a sudden
contraction or shortening of one or more muscle which causes intense pain
as the muscle spasms. The muscle may feel warm and hard to the touch. When
these spasms occur in the leg, they are often called Charley Horses. There
is no damage to the muscle, but there is pain throughout the contraction, which may
last a few seconds or a few minutes.
Muscle cramps are usually
caused by:
Over fatigue
Dehydration
Over use of the extremity
Injury
Sprains or strains
Holding a muscle in one position
for an extended period of time
Circulation or nerve problems
The symptoms are sudden
pain and the inability to move or use the muscle. Treatment for muscle
cramps must include determining the reason the cramping occurred.
Once that is determined, that problem needs to be addressed.
Gentle stretching and massage
helps to alleviate the pain. If the pain is in your lower leg, you may
try putting your weight on the leg or stretching the calf. If the pain
is in the upper thigh you may try stretching the muscle gentle. Heat will
also help relax the muscle. Cold will help relieve sore muscles. Occasionally,
mild analgesics, such as Tylenol or Ibuprofen, may be needed.
Stretching your muscles daily
and making sure you drink enough water to stay properly hydrated will help
prevent muscle cramps from occurring.
