Female Focus
Page 21
Muscle cramps are a real pain Anyone who has experienced a muscle cramp will state
that it can be quite painful. Muscle cramps occur when muscles involuntarily contract and cannot relax.
The skeletal muscles (those which we have voluntary control over) are most at risk to cramping. The skeletal muscles in the calf, thigh, and the arch of the foot are the most common sites of cramps.
Cramps can be perceived as mild twitches or may be very painful. Typically, cramps cause an abrupt, intense pain in the involved muscle. Often a muscle that is cramping feels harder than normal to the touch and may even show visible signs of twitching. It is not known exactly why muscle cramps develop. Insufficient stretching, exercising in the heat, and muscle fatigue may all play a role in the cause of cramp. Imbalances in the levels of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium and phosphate) in the blood can also lead to muscle cramps. Cramps can occur when you are resting,
sleeping,
or participating in sports or other daily
The elderly, the overweight, athletes
are at
greatest risk for muscle cramps.
Athletes most often develop muscle cramps at the beginning of a season when their body is not yet fully conditioned.
If you get a muscle cramp while exercising, one strategy is to stop your activity and hold the cramped muscle in a gently stretched position until the cramp resolves. If a cramp occurs when you are lying down, you may want to do just the opposite - put weight and walk on the cramping leg. Light massage may help alleviate the pain. You can also help reduce the risk of future muscle cramps by always warming up and stretching well before workouts and maintaining adequate hydration when exercising. Sports beverages rather than water may help prevent electrolyte imbalances such as low sodium levels (hyponatremia).
Check with your doctor if you have frequent or unusually severe muscle cramps
that do not appear to be
associated with exercise or do not improve with stretching and massage. Muscle cramps in the legs that come on with exercise can be a sign of a more serious condition called intermittent claudication due to poor circulation of blood to the legs.
This article is for information
purposes ONLY and should not be used as a diagnostic tool. Always consult with your medial adviser or G.P. on all medical matters. Should you require any further information, have any other question that you may want answered or would prefer a one to one FREE consultation then please contact Kevin 966 765 686 or 605 306 129 or email him on
physicaltherapyclinic@yahoo.com.
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