muscle cramp


muscle cramp

A painful, involuntary muscle contraction. It may be due to ischemia of the muscle(s), dehydration, or electrolyte imbalance.

Cramps associated with exercise may be alleviated, if not abolished, by flexing (stretching) the involved muscle group. At the same time, gentle massage to the area will help. Quinine, methocarbamol, chloroquine, and other drugs may help to relieve recurring or unrelenting muscle cramps.

Active muscle cramps, an unwanted tonic contraction that accompanies a voluntary muscle contraction, occur when the muscle is already in its most shortened position.

See also: cramp

Patient discussion about muscle cramp

Q. What are muscle cramps caused from? I am a 30 year old woman and am pregnant. I keep on getting a muscle cramps on the back on my lower leg. It really hurts! What is causing it and how can I prevent it?A. You can get muscle cramps almost anywhere in your body during pregnancy, but the most common site is your calves. Although the spasms may only last a short time, they can be very severe.
No one knows for certain what causes leg cramps in pregnancy, though there are some theories: Deficiencies in salt, calcium, magnesium and vitamin C or changes in blood circulation.
To prevent it make sure to stretch your muscles before bed and if you do get a cramp, immediately stretch your calf muscles: Straighten your leg, heel first, and gently flex your toes back toward your shins. It might hurt at first, but it will ease the spasm and the pain will gradually go away.

Q. What causes cramps in, under and around the rib cage? A. Im not really sure, but you may have IBS. Irritable bowel syndrome or IBS affects up to 55 million Americans, mostly women. IBS causes are unknown. IBS symptoms include diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal cramps. There are IBS treatments such as diet and lifestyle changes and medications that can help. Do you have any of these symptoms? Almost everything that i found with rib cage pain said something about IBS. Not really sure if this is your problem, but I hope this helps.

Q. How to prevent leg cramps? Every night I get terrible leg cramps that wake me up from my sleep. This only started happening during my pregnancy. How can I stop it from happening?A. You can try to prevent night cramps by wearing socks to bed or by pressing your foot against the bed board. If the painful cramps continue, ask your doctor about calcium or magnesium supplements as they can sometimes help.

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