Charlie Horses??

Question

Ok, so tonight I went to a yoga-lates class and this was my fourth time to be in attendance. Other than the fact that I am pitifully out of shape, I didn't have many problems. But tonight, I kept getting some serious Charlie horses in my calves, and my hips, thighs, and the arches of my feet cramped up, too. It got so bad that I would have to just lay there for awhile while everyone else kicked around because I literally couldn't move and felt like I was going to die or scream or cry or something. It sucked! What causes Charlie horses and why would I have had them so bad tonight and not the other nights? And what (besides bananas) is a good way to prevent or get rid of them? And why the heck is it called a Charlie horse anyway?

Answer 1

I'll look at this from a nutritional perspective because that is what I know. Basically if you increase any of your "iums" you'll be doing your body some good. I'm talking potassium, magnesium and calcium.

All the iums affect muscle contraction and relaxation. If you are not getting enough of these nutrients your muscles are more likely to contract and have trouble relaxing.

I always get charlie horses during pregnancy and for me it is a sign that my nutrients are being depleted by the baby. I have to make sure I'm taking my prenatals. I'm currently on my third pregnancy and getting charlie horses.

As for why it is called a charlie horse? I have no idea.

Good sources of your "iums" are: Calcium--milk, cheese, yogurt, tofu, salmon, bran cereals. Potassium--banana, tomato juice, yogurt, oj, potato, baked beans, apricot. Magnesium--cashes, black beans, brown rice, wheat bran flakes, crab, peanut butter, tofu, whole wheat bread.

That is just a small list and I left off spinach for the time being. :)

Answer 2

Charlie Horse In Hip

Answer 3

Are you sipping on a sports drink of some sort while you are exercising? Your body loses salt as your working out and it needs to be replaced. If you are having severe cramping like that sometimes a doctor prescribes calcium tablets for this condition don't ask me why but they help sometimes. Yoga is stretching and if you don't warm up properly beforehand you can pull muscles as well as get bad cramps.

Answer 4

it happen when you used your muscle a lot then you stop or vice versa. the only way to stop the spasm, that is the time when your arch cramped up and start getting stiff, you need to stand immediately on the floor, flat foot so the muscle turn back to the original shape. i know its horrible feeling cause it hurt right on the calves even the arch is the one acting up. i think you need to check out any food that loaded with potassium.

regarding the name "charley horse", my husband said, the spasm relate to a horse, being walked around after the run cause they wanted for them to relax the muscle. cause if not, they are still tense and it will hurt them in the long run. i know some aerobic they do require a shake and relax before they allowed you to take a shower and go.

Answer 5

Experts have long disagreed about the causes of sore muscles. In the past, most experts believed that the pain in the muscles was caused by excess acidity, i.e. by the accumulation of lactate, a "waste product" created when muscles generate energy. But because muscle cramps typically occur among beginners or in association with unfamiliar movements, and because lactate is produced in the muscles of advanced athletes as well as in the muscles of beginners, scientists were forced to abandon the lactate theory. Nowadays, physicians who specialize in sports believe that muscle pain develops when extreme mechanical stresses (e.g. playing squash) or especially long-lasting demands (e.g. running a marathon) cause tiny injuries to muscle cells. The overtaxed muscle fibers tear at particularly sensitive locations. Because nerve cells are situated in the fascia, i.e. the sheath of connective tissue outside the muscles, these microscopic lesions in the muscles do not cause pain immediately. Inflammation and swelling occur as a natural response to the injuries. This puts pressure on the nerve cells and on the muscle¡Šs blood vessels, and this pressure is experienced as pain. Under a microscope, miniscule injuries can be seen in muscle specimens taken from marathon runners after they've subjected their muscles to severe stress. Researchers have also observed that the damage initially increases during the course of the healing processes. This explains the time lag between the exercise and the onset of the discomfort. What Causes Muscle Cramps? The situations that are likely to cause "charlie horse" have one thing in common: incomplete muscular coordination. Some examples include: 1. Physical activity by untrained people or after a long pause in athletic training 2. Unfamiliar movements by well-trained athletes 3. Extreme stresses. So-called "eccentric contractions" are particularly likely to cause aching muscles. Such contractions occur when a muscle simultaneously works and stretches (e.g. running downhill). The severe strain which this movement puts on individual muscle fibers can cause them to suffer injury.

Increase your water intake and potassium intake.

Answer 6

i get really bad charlie horses at nite sum times and its usually because im extremely dehdyrated my suggestion when it happens put some salt on the tip of ur tongue i dont kno why but it works and it helps soothe the pain. oh and drink sum more water trust that should help

Answer 7

lose the caffeine, more water/fluid, potassium pills, stretch beforehand ( a good long stretch), keep muscles warm