Muscles are covered throughout our body and help in our daily activities like walking, running, standing, and many more. Muscle`s also cover the entire body and helps in shock absorption which protects the bones and other internal organs from taking any serious damage.
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What is Muscle Cramp?
When one of your muscles suddenly or involuntarily contracts it causes a huge pain which is known as a muscle cramp. This is severe pain and sometimes lasts few seconds or sometimes for a long duration which must be treated if it is unbearable.
Sometimes if you overexert your body while exercising or if you are doing manual labor in hot weather then this can lead to a muscle cramp. There are many medications available if you suffer from muscle cramps.
Commonly affected places of muscles cramps in your body are the lower leg, abdominal wall, arms, back, and front of your thigh.
Causes of Muscle Cramp
Low blood supply – When the arteries that carry blood narrows on contracts in your legs can produce a high pain known as leg cramps. This is mostly due to continuous exercising and not resting your feet. You should always take a small number of breaks between your exercise routine.
Nerve compression – This mostly happens when there is the nerves in your spine are compressed. This mostly happens while walking long-distance or pushing something which is quite heavy. One should rest at intervals while doing heavy labor.
Low amount of minerals – Mineral deficiency also leads to muscle cramps especially potassium, magnesium, or calcium. One must always keep a check on their mineral intake. Fruits and vegetables are rich sources of minerals.
Risk Factors That Might Increase Chances Of Muscle cramps
Old Age – Old people lose muscle mass faster as compared to adults. This leads to overstress on the remaining muscle causing muscle cramp
Pregnancy – Muscle cramps are very common during the pregnancy stages as mostly your muscles are over-stressed. One can always go for massages as this will relax the stretch muscles and provide some relief.
Dehydration – Dehydration is one of the major causes of muscle cramps hence muscle cramps are mostly observed in athletes as they run or work for a long time without water when in the field.
Stretch your muscles – Your muscles should be flexible at all times. With this new work-from-home culture many people sit in front of their electronics for a long time and do not move. This causes stiffness of your muscles which leads to low blood flow and muscle cramps. One should frequently take breaks or change their position so that the muscles are stretched and relaxed from time to time.
Prevention
Be Hydrated – While working out or while doing intense labor we forget about drinking water which is a big mistake. Water helps our muscles to contract and relax. If you are working in an intense and hot environment having water from time to time will help your muscles and also your brain.
Diagnosis
Mostly muscle cramps are harmless and not that fatal and usually go away in some seconds by doing some light stretching or changing your position while walking or sitting. However, if the pain is quite severe and it hasn’t gone for a long time you should rush to the hospital and seek professional advice or help.
A doctor will do a preliminary check-up first to determine which muscle is affected and to see what is the extent of this pain. The doctor will also ask you about your medical history so that he knows which medicines to be prescribed and what not to.
Doctors would also ask you to perform a blood test so as to determine the levels of calcium and potassium in your body and to see if the thyroid and kidneys are functioning properly.
Treatment
For mild muscle cramps, you can use hot or cold things to help your sore muscles. Many people prefer to put a heating pad or a hot cloth on the affected area, while many people take the ice bag and place it on the affected area.
Doctors after checking your blood test might prescribe your calcium and potassium supplements or suggest some easy exercises for your body to be done at home.
You can also read- How Can I Keep My Muscles more Healthy