What are Leg Cramps?
Leg cramps are painful contractions of the muscle that happen involuntarily (i.e. without the athlete intending then to happen). Leg cramps affect most people who train hard, particularly running at some point and a common site for leg cramps is the calf muscles. The calf muscle group includes the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles.
Leg cramps are contractions of the leg muscle often causing a substantial amount of pain. There can be a number of different causes that are responsible for leg cramps. In many cases, they may be able to be prevented. However, some may be genetically prone to leg cramps and there may be little that can be done to stop them. There are two prime times that leg cramps are more likely to happen. They can happen at night, while an individual is sleeping, causing them to wake up in excruciating pain. They can also happen during times of strenuous physical exercise. In the case of cramps during exercise, they may not be as severe, simply because steps can be taken if the person is awake to lessen the severity. Though the exact cause of night leg cramps are not known, there are times when they seem to happen more often. Muscle overexertion the previous day, dehydration, pregnancy diabetes, certain medications and even the use of alcohol can mean a greater incidence of leg cramps. Night leg cra
Cramp is a term often used to refer to a painful, involuntary contraction of a single muscle or a muscle group. Leg cramps frequently occur in the legs of elderly patients and can be extremely painful. Severe leg cramps my be followed by residual tenderness and evidence of muscle fiber necrosis, including elevation of serum creatinine kinase. Cramps in the calf muscles are so common as to be considered normal, but more generalized cramps may be a sign of chronic disease of the motor neuron. Complaints of muscle pain and muscle fatigue are among the most frequent symptoms offered by patients. The decision as to which patients require extensive diagnostic tests can usually be made by history, examination, and routine blood studies. Muscle cramps can be particularly troublesome during pregnancy, in patients with electrolyte disturbances (hyponatremia), and in patients on hemodialysis. Spasms (abnormal movements of muscle) may arise from abnormal electrical activity of the central nervous
A leg cramp is a pain that comes from a leg muscle. It is due to a muscle spasm which is when a muscle contracts too hard. It usually occurs in a calf muscle, below and behind a knee. The small muscles of the feet are sometimes affected. A cramp pain typically lasts a few minutes. In some cases it lasts just seconds, but in some cases it lasts up to 10 minutes. The severity of the pain varies. The muscle may remain tender for up to 24 hours after a leg cramp. Leg cramps usually occur when you are resting – most commonly at night when in bed. (They are often called night cramps.) They may wake you. It can become a distressing condition if your sleep is regularly disturbed.
