Cramp excess!!?

Question

Ive had cramp in my calf four times in the last 7 days, my wife has had it 5 times, We normally each have it once every 2 years or so, is this anything to do with the hot weather (UK)??

Answer 1

Alternative Names
muscle spasm, charley horse

Definition
A muscle cramp or "charley horse" is a painful, involuntary muscle contraction. Muscle cramps are also called muscle spasms.

What are the signs and symptoms of the condition?
The main symptom of a muscle cramp or spasm is pain in the muscle. The muscle itself is tender to the touch. In most cases a person is unable to continue using the affected muscle due to the pain.

What are the causes and risks of the condition?
The exact cause of muscle cramps is not well understood. They can occur in any muscle at any time. Cramps occur most often in the muscles of the leg or foot. They usually occur while playing sports, exercising, or lying in bed. The calf muscle in the back of the lower leg is a common place for nighttime cramps. These often occur after vigorous exercise.

Tight muscles are more likely to cramp than flexible muscles that have been stretched. A low level of physical fitness increases the risk of muscle cramps. Overexertion and muscle fatigue also contribute to cramping. Excess sweating or dehydration can deplete minerals in the body. These minerals are important for good muscle function and include sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Medications like diuretics or water pills can also lead to cramping due to loss of sodium and potassium.

Other situations can contribute to muscle cramping.
A person with one leg longer than the other is more likely to develop cramps.
People who run with too much rolling in of the foot or too much rolling out of the foot, are more likely to get leg cramps.
Wearing high heel shoes can also cause cramping.
A poor blood supply to leg muscles caused by smoking and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) can cause a type of calf pain called claudication.
The common muscle cramp lasts a few seconds to minutes. It does not carry any risk of other long-term medical problems.

What can be done to prevent the condition?
Stretching the calf and other leg muscles improves flexibility. This reduces the risk of cramps. Individuals who get nighttime calf cramps should:
sleep on their sides
sleep with their toes pointed
not tuck in their blankets and sheets too tightly. This can bend the toes down and cause a cramp.
eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables to reduce the risk of mineral deficiencies.
drink plenty of water before, during and after exercise to prevent dehydration, especially during hot weather
wear comfortable shoes with good arch support to helps prevent cramps
In the past, salt tablets were recommended to prevent muscle cramps. However, salt tablets are not useful and should be avoided.

How is the condition diagnosed?
Common muscle cramps are easily recognized. They cause intense pain in the belly of the muscle. The pain may come on while exercising or at rest. It usually lasts seconds to minutes. The pain of claudication in the calf or buttucks comes on during physical activity, like walking up a hill, and goes away with rest.

What are the treatments for the condition?
The immediate treatment of a charley horse or muscle cramp is to stretch and gently massage the muscle. To stop a calf cramp:
Grasp the muscle with one hand and pull back on the toes with the other.
Point toes upward to help relieve the spasm. Walking may also help, especially if one walks with full weight on the heels.
Use ice packs for severe cases. This reduces blood flow to the muscles and relaxes them.
If exercising, drink water to prevent or correct dehydration.
If one has been exercising or playing sports for a long time, especially in hot weather, loss of minerals may cause muscle cramps. A sports drink may be helpful. Salt tablets should be avoided. Quinine may help reduce nighttime calf cramps, but its use should be discussed with a doctor.

What are the side effects of the treatments?
Most of the various treatments do not have side effects. Quinine can sometimes cause ringing in the ears, hearing problems, stomach upset and rarely more serious side effects, such as heart problems and deafness.

What happens after treatment for the condition?
Once the cramping has stopped, an individual is usually able to continue regular activities. If severe muscle cramping occurs repeatedly, the individual should see a doctor for evaluation.

Answer 2

You're both probably dehydrated. That's why footballers get cramp near to the end of football matches.

A normally built person should aim to drink about 2 litres of water a day. If you're big build then up to 3.

Also make sure you're getting a balance diet as you do need the correct level of different salts (not just table salt) in your system.

Answer 3

Further to my question at the top!! We got a new fridge/freezer (Samsung) about 3 weeks ago with a built in chilled water dispenser, the filter inside removes ' everything bad' from the water. Could this also be removing all the natural salts as well? Previously we drank lots of bottled water, Scottish sparkling spring water.

(Sorry if you're confused! the first question was on my daughters login by mistake!!)

Answer 4

Mustard is a secret bulge-buster. It boosts your metabolism and raises natural ephadrine, the hormone that will burns fat. According to Jeya Henry, professor of human nutrition on Oxford Brookes University, just a tablespoon as part of your food can reduce a flabby waist by 20 percent!

Answer 5

The cramps result from overexertion and dehydration leading to an electrolyte imbalance. I would suggest drinking lots of water, and if you're active, drinking a lot of water as well as maybe a sports drink (such as Gatorade) after working out.

Answer 6

cramp is a build up of lactic acid in the muscles. have you been doing more physical exercise than normal?

quinine sulphate can be prescribed by your gp if it persists. failing that drink tonic water which also has quinine in it and should help as a short term solution.

hope this helps.

Answer 7

Fatty coconut milk: Believe the idea or not, it contains good fats which are important for keeping your rate of metabolism ticking. One meal, like a delicious Thai green curry, can certainly increase your metabolism by 5 %, says research published in this International Journal of Obesity.

Answer 8

People who plan their weekly meals are usually successful at losing weight than those who don’t. Plan your dishes to include healthy carbs such as special potato and wholegrain pasta, green vegetables and lean proteins, buy each of the ingredients in advance and don’t be tempted to enjoy out or order in.

Answer 9

Try and drink more fluids to hydrate your muscles. Also, increase the amount of potassium and magnesium in your diet. Some sources of Potassium can be found in bananas and spinach, and magnesium can be found in spinach, broccoli and cashew nuts.

Answer 10

could be the weather, your potassium or dehydration, or even your diet. you would want to get that checked out. see how you feel when you get another one, if you do, and drink plenty of water through it. also try standing on cold wet concrete . i know it sounds weird, but i did that, when massaging it out didn't work. therefore i knew if it were my calcium, potassium level.