A muscle cramp is a sudden, painful contraction of a muscle.
Cramps occur in healthy people, sometimes when resting, but particularly during or after exercise. During sleep, leg cramps can occure causing pain.
A common cause of leg cramps include
- Chronic lower leg edema
- Tight calf muscles
- Electrolyte abnormalities
Treatment
Stretching the affected muscle during muscle cramp often relieves the cramp.
The most useful treatment for musle cramps is the runner's stretch.
How to do the runner's stretch:
Stands with one leg forward and bent at the knee and the other leg behind and the knee straight. Your hands can be placed on the wall for balance. Both your heels remain on the floor. Bent the knee of your front leg further until a stretch is felt along the back of the other leg. The greater the distance between the two feet and the more the front knee is bent, the greater the stretch. Hold the stretch for 30 sec and repeat 5 times. Repeat the set of stretch on the other side.
Prevention
- Gently stretching the muscles before going to bed or exercising
- Avoid taking stimulants e.g. nicotine, caffeine, ephedrine
- Avoid exercising immediately after eating
- Drinking plenty of fluids
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