Most athletes and other sportsmen and women are all too familiar with the sudden sharp pain, usually in the side or in the legs,
caused by muscle cramps and spasms. Unfortunately cramps often occur at unpredictable times such as, during exercise or at night.
Although quite painful and a very real nuisance, especially during competitions, muscle cramps respond well to a variety of self-treatment
options and may, with careful planning, be prevented, in some cases.
Alternative Names
Muscle spasms
What is it?
Muscle cramps are sudden, involuntary, quite painful contractions of certain muscle groups as they go into spontaneous spasms or prolonged
tension. Most athletes, especially distance runners, have experienced muscle cramps at one time or another - usually in the thigh (back or front),
the calf, foot or the side ('stitch’). However, pregnant women and inactive individuals may also experience muscle cramps. Cramps often occur at
night when you are asleep and least expect them, or when exercising in hot weather.
Causes
Possible causes may include some of the following:
- Exercising in very hot weather, without replacing the body fluids lost through sweating, may cause dehydration and may lead to muscle spasms and cramps
- Exhaustion and cold may cause cramps — swimmers often experience this
- An imbalance in the levels of calcium, potassium, magnesium and sodium, the minerals that control muscle contraction and relaxation, may cause cramps
- The chronic overuse or straining of certain muscle groups may produce cramps. A particularly intense period of training may also trigger muscle cramps
- Minor muscle injuries may cause spasmodic contractions
- Muscles that are not stretched and 'warmed up' before strenuous exercise may cramp up or go into spasm
- Poor blood flow to the muscles — the muscles need an increased volume of blood when 'performing'
- Pregnancy — the unaccustomed pressure on the back and leg muscles may trigger muscle cramps
- Conditions and disorders such as tetanus, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis and other neuromuscular disorders, growing pains and poisoning may also cause muscle cramps
Diagnosis
The main symptom of cramps is painful muscle spasms. This makes it very easy to diagnose — you will definitely know when you are experiencing one!
Treatment
Self-treatment
- Try gently stretching, rubbing or massaging the affected muscle. To stretch the calf muscle straighten your leg, grab your foot and pull it
towards you or stand up and put your full weight on the affected leg while bending your knee slightly
- Try placing an ice pack or a heating pad on the muscle after having stretched and massaged the affected area
- Drink extra fluids, preferably water
Medical treatment
Most muscle cramps respond positively to the above-mentioned self-treatment options. However, those that persist and become immobilising may call for medical intervention. The following treatment may be prescribed:
- Administering medicines and drugs (aspirin, ibuprofen and other non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs) that block the hormone-like chemicals that cause inflammation and muscle contractions
- Giving a cortisone injection or administering a local anaesthetic for relief of more severe cramps such as neck and back muscle spasms
- Intravenous infusions of potassium, sodium and other substances that may cause imbalances in body chemistry
- Surgery to increase the blood flow through arteries that are clogged
Preventative measures
- Always 'warm up' well and stretch muscles before you start exercising
- Drink extra water before, during and after exercise especially when it is very hot and humid
- Be careful not to overtrain and overstrain muscles
- Take calcium, magnesium and potassium supplements and add a vitamin E supplement if you often suffer from exercise-induced cramps or night time calf muscle cramps
Leading sport physiologists now disregard the popular notion that loss of sodium (salt) when sweating is solely responsible for muscle cramps.
They do however take seriously the dangers of prolonged exercise in hot, humid conditions and the dangers of dehydration and advise athletes to 'top-up'
with plenty of liquids. Dehydration is a known factor in muscle cramps.
Outcome
Cramp is and stays a somewhat unpredictable condition that responds well to self-treatment and does not seem to do lasting damage. However it is no laughing
matter for the person experiencing the cramp. The pain almost always forces the person to temporarily reduce or stop all physical activity until the cramp has
passed and this can have a disastrous effect on an athlete, especially long-distance runners, who often succumb to cramps a few kilometres from the finishing line!
Prevention is definitely better than cure in such cases.