Medical Centric

MUSCLE CRAMP

Men's Health, Women's Health / By

MUSCLE CRAMP

A muscle cramp is a strong, painful, sudden and involuntary tightening or contraction of a muscle that lasts from a few seconds to several minutes.

  • Almost everyone experiences a muscle cramp at some time in their life and they are usually considered harmless or non-damaging.
  • Muscle cramps can make it temporarily impossible to use the affected muscle.
  • It is usually common in older people. This is because older people lose muscle mass, so the remaining muscle overstretches more easily.
  • Muscle mass loss starts from the mid-40s and increases if the person is inactive making the risk of getting cramps high
  • A health practitioner should be talked to if muscle cramps keep reoccurring or are severe. These may be symptoms of another problem.

CAUSES

In most cases, no underlying cause exists and the reason why it happens is unclear.

  • Exercise, injury, or overuse of muscles
  • Pregnancy
  • Exposure to cold temperature
  • Dehydration
  • Certain medications such as antipsychotics, birth control pills, steroids, diuretics
  • Position while sleeping
  • Alcohol abuse
  • Other medical conditions such as blood flow problems (peripheral arterial disease), kidney disease, multiple sclerosis, thyroid disease, cirrhosis, Addison’s disease, hypothyroidism, type 2 diabetes, vascular disease, Parkinson’s disease, restless leg syndrome.
  • Low blood salt

SYMPTOMS

Most muscle cramps usually appear in the leg muscles, particularly in the calf.  The symptoms associated with muscle cramp is a sudden, sharp pain, you might also feel a hard lump of a muscle tissue beneath your skin.

Muscle cramps usually resolve on their own and are rarely serious enough to require medical need.  You should see a health practitioner if your cramps:

  • Happen frequently
  • Don’t improve on self-care
  • Are associated with muscle weakness
  • Are associated with leg swelling, redness or skin changes
  • Cause severe discomfort

TREATMENT

Self-care measures are usually enough to treat muscle cramp. This may include:

  • Stretching and massaging the muscle
  • Having a warm shower or bath to relax the muscle. A heating pad may also be placed on the muscle.
  • Putting an ice or cold pack may also help
  • Drinking plenty of fluids

For recurrent or severe muscle cramps, the doctor can prescribe muscle relaxants.

The treatment of muscle cramps that are associated with certain medical conditions generally focuses on treating the underlying condition.

Muscle cramps can be prevented by:

  • Drinking plenty of water and other fluids.
  • Limiting the intake or total avoidance of drinks with alcohol and caffeine.
  • Eating a healthy diet, especially foods rich in calcium, potassium, and magnesium
  • Adequately conditioning the muscle, this can be done by riding a bike or stationary bike
  • Stretching the muscle every day, especially before and after exercise and at bedtime.
  • Taking daily multivitamins.

Do not suddenly increase the amount of exercise you get. This should be progressive and be increased. a little each week