A muscle cramp is a strong, painful contraction or tightening of a muscle that comes on suddenly and lasts from a few seconds to several minutes. It often occurs in the legs. A muscle cramp is also called a charley horse. Night time leg cramps are usually sudden spasms, or tightening, of muscles in the calf. The muscle cramps can sometimes happen in the thigh or the foot. They often occur just as you are falling asleep or waking up.Charley horse: Beautiful name but intolerable pain
Talk to your doctor if you have muscle cramps that keep coming back or are severe
A muscle cramp is a strong, painful contraction or tightening of a muscle that comes on suddenly and lasts from a few seconds to several minutes. It often occurs in the legs. A muscle cramp is also called a charley horse. Night time leg cramps are usually sudden spasms, or tightening, of muscles in the calf. The muscle cramps can sometimes happen in the thigh or the foot. They often occur just as you are falling asleep or waking up.
Charley horse (or Charlie horse) is a popular colloquial term in Canada and the United States for painful involuntary spasms or cramps in the leg muscles, typically lasting anywhere from a few seconds to about a day. It is less likely to refer to a bruise on an arm or leg and a bruising of the quadriceps muscle of the anterior or lateral thigh, or contusion of the femur, that commonly results in a haematoma and sometimes several weeks of pain and disability. In this latter sense, such an injury is known as dead leg. It often occurs in contact sports, such as football when an athlete suffers a knee (blunt trauma) to the lateral quadriceps causing a haematoma or temporary paresis and antalagic gait as a result of pain.
The term can also be used to refer to cramps in the foot muscles. These muscle cramps can have many possible causes directly resulting from high or low pH or substrate concentrations in the blood, including hormonal imbalances, dehydration, low levels of magnesium, potassium or calcium (although the evidence has been mixed), side effects of medication, or, more seriously, diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and neuropathy. They are also a common complaint during pregnancy.
If youve ever experienced a charley horse, you know that they are very painful. This is especially the case if they come in the middle of the night, disturbing your sleep. Essentially, a charley horse comes when the muscles, typically the calf muscles, cramp up tightly. If you frequently have charley horses, dont worry; there are a number of things you can do to prevent them, or at least reduce their severity.
While all the reasons that charley horses occur are not fully understood, there are a few specific clues that may contribute to them. For example, certain medicines, particularly diuretics, can cause them. Furthermore, strenuous physical activity, especially when the body is low on calcium, potassium, or magnesium, can increase the odds of a charley horse. There are still other contributing factors.
Generally, overuse of the muscles is among the most significant contributors to charley horses. Typically, they will arise after long periods of specific muscle use; if you spend a long period of time standing, for example, you could be setting yourself up for serious leg pain. Dehydration is also something you need to consider. If youre not drinking sufficient water or otherwise keeping hydrated throughout the day, especially during periods of exertion, youre putting yourself at risk.
Furthermore, while exercise is certainly crucial to the health of both body and mind, and overdoing it is conversely harmful, frequency is not the only exercise factor you need to consider. If you exercise in extreme heat or cold, you could end up provoking a charley horse, because both of these conditions create stress on the body in different ways. Hot weather encourages dehydration, which can dry out your body and muscles. Cold weather could limit the flexibility of your muscles, because they are colder than usual, and therefore not as limber as you might expect. And speaking of stress, stress is a contributing factor for a variety of ailments, and charley horses are no exception. Stress increases the production of certain hormones most notably cortisol, that in small increases for short periods of time can be beneficial. However, if the body is constantly exposed to continuous, elevated levels of hormones like cortisol, it can begin to suffer significant damage. In the case of charley horses, continuous stress, particularly in the neck muscles, where all nerves pass, can set the stage.
Pregnancy is also known to be a risk factor for charley horses. This is most true among women who are in their second or third trimesters. Its not known precisely why this correlation exists, however. According to medical professionals, this increased risk for charley horses most likely is a result of the combination of weight gain, pressure on the nerves, additional stress, and changes in blood flow, all of which come with pregnancy.
If youd like to reduce the risk of charley horses at bed time, get plenty of water during the day, and make sure you stretch out your muscles before you lie down to sleep. Calf stretches are a good place to start, but other exercise can help as well, along with supportive footwear. Additionally, a healthy diet can help; leafy greens can provide the body with a lot of minerals, so regular consumption can help keep your calcium, potassium, and magnesium at optimum levels. Even if a charley horse does strike, there are things you can do. Walking and stretching may be quite painful in the moment, but they can help you recover from the charley horse much faster.
If you experience frequent, extreme, or recurrent charley horses, consider the possibility of more serious medical issues. Leg cramps are symptoms of critical illnesses, such as diabetes, or thyroid disease. There are, of course, other symptoms to look out for. Keep a clear head and check in with your doctor if you have any concerns. Otherwise, practice self-care through regular exercise, with plenty of stretching before and after, eat a healthy diet and drink plenty of water.
What causes muscle cramps? Cause of muscle cramps isnt always known. Muscle cramps may be brought on by many conditions or activities, such as: Exercising, injury, or overuse of muscles Pregnancy. Cramps may occur because of decreased amounts of minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, especially in the later months of pregnancy Exposure to cold temperatures, especially to cold water Other medical conditions, such as blood flow problems (peripheral arterial disease), kidney disease, thyroid disease, and multiple sclerosis Standing on a hard surface for a long time, sitting for a long time, or putting your legs in awkward positions while you sleep Not having enough potassium, calcium, and other minerals in your blood Being dehydrated, which means that your body has lost too much fluid? Taking certain medicines, such as antipsychotics, birth control pills, diuretics, statins, and steroids.
How can you stop a muscle cramp when it happens? You may need to try several different ways to stop a muscle cramp before you find what works best for you. Here are some things you can try: Stretch and massage the muscle Take a warm shower or bath to relax the muscle. A heating pad placed on the muscle can also help Try using an ice or cold pack. Always keep a cloth between your skin and the ice pack Take an over-the-counter pain medicine, such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen or naproxen. Be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label If your doctor prescribes medicines for muscle cramps, take them exactly as prescribed. Call your doctor if you have any problems with your medicine Drink plenty of fluids. Sports drinks, such as Gatorade, will often help leg cramps.
Here are some things you can try for a leg cramp: Walk around, or jiggle your leg. Stretch your calf muscles. You can do this stretch while you sit or stand: ○ while sitting, straighten your leg and flex your foot up toward your knee. It may help to place a rolled towel under the ball of your foot and, while holding the towel at both ends, gently pull the towel toward you while keeping your knee straight ○ while standing about 2 ft (0.6 m) from a wall, lean forward against the wall. Keep the knee of the affected leg straight and the heel on the ground. Do this while you bend the knee of the other leg. See a picture of how to do this calf stretch.
If you think a medicine is causing muscle cramps: before you take another dose, call the doctor who prescribed the medicine. The medicine may need to be stopped or changed, or the dose may need to be adjusted if you are taking any medicine not prescribed by a doctor, stop taking it. Talk to your doctor if you think you need to continue taking the medicine.
How can you prevent muscle cramps? These tips may help prevent muscle cramps: Drink plenty of water and other fluids, enough so that your urine is light yellow or clear like water Limit or avoid drinks with alcohol Make sure you are eating healthy foods (especially if you are pregnant) that are rich in calcium, potassium, and magnesium Ride a bike or stationary bike to condition and stretch your muscles Stretch your muscles every day, especially before and after exercise and at bedtime Dont suddenly increase the amount of exercise you get. Increase your exercise a little each week Take a daily multivitamin supplement. If you are taking medicines that are known to cause leg cramps, your doctor may prescribe different medicines.
What if muscle cramps keep coming back? Talk with your doctor if you have muscle cramps that keep coming back or are severe. These may be symptoms of another problem, such as restless leg syndrome.
If cramps keep coming back, bother you a lot, or interfere with your sleep, your doctor may prescribe medicine that relaxes your muscles.
The writer is the Former Head, Department of Medical Sociology
Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control Research (IEDCR)
E-mail: [email protected]
