CRAMP

Have you ever experienced a cramp? It is an awful paining experience. Very often it is produced in the calf muscles of leg or thigh. Normally it occurs in night when you are resting.

It is a sudden involuntary contraction of a muscle. It prevails for a short period of a few seconds or it may extend for a few minutes to hours. It may cause excruciating pain and paralysis like immobility. They are caused in skeletal muscle or smooth muscle.

A man affected by paralysis

Skeletal muscles are voluntarily controlled type. Skeletal muscle cramp is caused by combination of muscle fatigue and lack of electrolytes such as sodium, magnesium and potassium. Smooth muscle cramp occurs due to menstruation and infectious stomach and intestine.

Cramp is caused due to over-bending, overstretching of any limb, paucity of oxygen in certain parts of the body, exposure to large changes in temperature, dehydration or low blood salt. Muscle cramps may be symptoms of complication in pregnancy, diseases involving kidney and thyroid.  

Pain felt by a woman while giving blood for test.

Stretching, massage and drinking plenty of fluid, such as water, may be helpful in treating simple muscle cramps. When cramp occurs due to want of sodium salt in the blood after heavy sweat drinking water with salt will improve the condition.

Adequate conditioning, stretching, mental preparation, and adequate fluid/electrolyte balance are likely helpful in preventing muscle cramps