Cramp, which happens to many people in daily life, is the involuntary contraction of the muscles. Muscle spasms, which are often observed while moving or at rest, are involuntary and can be quite painful for many people.
What is Cramp (Muscle Spasm)?
Cramps, also known as muscle spasm It occurs as a result of the muscles failing to send the relaxation signal to the brain after contracting. It may take 2-3 seconds, sometimes minutes, for the muscles to relax involuntarily. It can be seen at rest or on the go. When it develops while in motion, it causes the cessation of the activity as the muscle becomes unusable for a while. It is usually seen on the go and playing sports, and most often it occurs in the lower, fore, hind leg muscles and feet. It can rarely occur in the stomach, arms and hands. With increasing age, cramp complaints also increase. It is possible to see many different types of cramps. Menstrual cramps, also called dysmenorrhea, are muscle spasms in the abdomen that women experience on the days of menstruation. The type called night cramps occur at night when the person is asleep, unconscious. It can be strong and painful enough to wake the person from sleep. Night cramps, which usually affect the muscles of the lower legs and feet, can occur more than once during the night. The common cause of night cramps is muscle fatigue, but there may be other underlying causes. In addition to fatigue, causes such as thirst, nervous diseases and diabetes can also cause night cramps in individuals over the age of 50. Pregnancy cramps are cramps that usually involve the muscles in the lower regions and are seen in the majority of mothers-to-be. It manifests itself with involuntary contractions, sudden stabbing pain and sometimes redness.
Symptoms of Muscle Spasm
Symptoms in cramp are usually stiffness and swelling in the muscle where the spasm occurs, sudden sharp and intense pain, paralysis-like is the inability to move the muscle. It develops very quickly and involuntarily. Since they come with a feeling of intense pain, it can cause the activity to stop at that moment. on the muscle Workshop is formed and can be felt by touch. In large-scale cramps, the presence of a lump may also be felt. Delayed cramps may also occur after the initial cramp. In this case, it can be understood that the effect of the first cramp continues.
What Causes Cramp?
Cramps can have more than one cause. The main causes of cramps can be listed as follows:
- Muscle fatigue: Since the over-used muscles get tired, it may not be possible for the fibers to relax again. Muscle cramps may occur during exercise or even hours after exercise.
- The body's loss of fluids and electrolytes: The body may become dehydrated as a result of intense sports, exercise, physical activity or exposure to heat. These types of cramps are common in hot weather. Especially in the elderly, factors such as dehydration during the day and diuretic drugs can cause cramps. Sodium deficiency, which is a result of water and mineral loss, is also one of the causes of cramps.
- Vitamin deficiency: Deficiencies of some vitamins in the body can lead to many diseases.
- Pregnancy: The changes in the body during pregnancy, especially may cause cramps in the last trimester (last 3 months). may cause cramping. Diuretic drugs, birth control pills, blood pressure medications are some of these.
- Hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism: Cramps in the muscles are one of the disorders that can be caused by thyroid diseases.
- Varicose veins: Varicose veins problem in the legs, seen in the lower leg It can cause cramps.
- Sudden movements of the body: Keeping the body in a fixed position, making unusual movements during the day, lying down for a long time, repeating a movement for a long time can cause fatigue and cramps in the muscles.
How does the cramp go?
For permanent resolution of cramps, the underlying cause should be determined and an appropriate treatment should be applied. When the underlying cause is eliminated, muscle spasms usually cease. It may be useful to give light massages to the area, to increase the blood flow to the area by applying hot compresses, and to use muscle relaxants with the approval of a specialist doctor, in order to alleviate and pass the cramp complaint. Even if you can't get rid of the cramp instantly with such methods, you can reduce the pain and pain at that moment. If the cause of the contractions is fluid deficiency, the amount of fluid consumed should be increased. You can also consume mineral water, especially since magnesium deficiency is also effective. If you have muscle spasms during or after your workouts, you may not be warming up enough. Before starting sports, you should warm up your muscles better, and you should not start heavy movements suddenly. Cramps are common during swimming and this can be dangerous. In order not to experience foot contractions while swimming, you can do warm-up exercises for the leg, foot, arm and shoulder muscles before swimming. At the end of the day, you can take a shower with warm water; You can stretch before going to bed. If you experience night cramps during sleep, you can put a height under your legs or knees. Keeping your legs warm while you sleep can also help prevent cramping.
Long-lasting cramping contractions
Pain that does not go away after cramping may be caused by the severity of muscle spasm, defined as cramp. After some very severe leg cramps that last for minutes, pain that does not go away for days can be seen. If you have persistent, long-term muscle spasms, you should definitely consult a doctor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Constant Cramp Can Be a Sign of Which Disease? Cramps that occur in attacks and more than once in a week may be a sign of varicose veins. Muscle diseases such as MS or blood coagulation disorders may be suspected in long-lasting and persistent muscle spasms. Caused by a Deficiency of Vitamin C? The fact that the vitamins are less than they should be in the body can cause muscle spasm problem. In particular, deficiencies of vitamins D, B1, B5 and B6 can cause cramps. Muscle fatigue, cramps, muscle weakness, and extreme muscle pain are often seen in vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin B12 deficiency can also manifest itself with arm and leg contractions. Your vitamin values should be evaluated by an expert. Incorporating an exercise program into your daily life; If you have frequent cramps in your legs, stretching and stretching movements may be beneficial, especially for your legs. Foods that are good for cramps may vary depending on the cause of cramping and what is missing. When the causes of cramp are determined, if you create a diet to reduce the cause, your spasm and pain will be greatly reduced. If you have a calcium deficiency, you can consume milk and dairy products. In case of potassium deficiency, you can increase the consumption of potassium-rich foods such as banana, tomato, spinach, lettuce, plum, avocado. If you have magnesium deficiency, which is another cause of cramps, you can consume foods such as green leafy vegetables such as spinach, eggplant and soybeans to balance it. If you have a vitamin D deficiency, you can spend more time in the sun or turn to vitamin D supplements recommended by your doctor. Pregnant yoga may be recommended for spasms experienced during pregnancy under the supervision of a physician.
Small exercises at home, walking outdoors can also be good for cramps and pain. If you think you or someone close to you has a cramp problem, you can apply to a health institution to learn about the causes and appropriate treatment methods.
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