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Coping With Muscle Cramps

Posted October 18, 2007 at 04:00 PM by Sahara Jackson

Section: Her Fitness, Her Health, Injury & Rehab, Her News

What are Muscle Cramps?

Cramps are defined as involuntary, forced and prolonged contraction of a part of a muscle, a whole muscle or group of muscles. Compared to spasm, cramps are more forceful and sustained. The usual mechanism of muscles is to alternately contract and relax to facilitate movement. Those muscles that are involved in gross or fine motor movements are mostly voluntary, which means that they move at will.

There are instances, however, when these voluntary muscles move involuntarily and instead of contracting and relaxing at short durations, the contraction is prolonged without intervening relaxation states. This is what happens with cramps. When muscles forcibly contract at a prolonged period, it can be painful and exhausting to any person experiencing it. Moreover, muscle cramps can recur frequently and are therefore more difficult to deal with.

This situation is especially troubling among people who are preoccupied with their work but hindered by painful and constant contraction of muscles. Among those professionals who are prone to muscle problems are athletes, construction workers, and office workers who are frequently in a seated position.

Other associated conditions occurring with muscle cramps are tic, muscle itch, paralysis, paresthesia and tingling.

What Causes Muscle Cramps?

There are some common conditions or situations that lead to muscle cramps. Among those are over-exertion when doing tasks or activities, muscle injury, muscle spasm, electrolyte imbalance, loss of salt, excessive perspiration and even exercise. Some viral and bacterial infections may also induce muscle spasm. Other health problems that are known triggers include diabetes, circulation anomalies, dermatomyositis, thyroid disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

How Can I Treat Muscle Cramps?

The usual medications prescribed by doctors include muscle-relaxant drugs such as cyclobezaprine, carisoprodol (Soma), and skelaxin. However, other options for treatment involve home remedies such as apple cider vinegar and approaches like massage, relaxation exercises and remediation to pressure points. Consumption of foods rich in nutrients like calcium, protein, magnesium and vitamin C can also help prevent muscle cramps.

Courtesy of Know Your Health

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Tags: muscle cramps, muscle ache, muscle health, muscle problems, muscle spasm, paralysis, women's health

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