In Ayuveda, muscle cramp is known as  khalli vaata . Vyaana vaata it is a biological force that is responsible for regulating the functioning of your voluntary muscles. In case of a muscle cramp, the vyaana vaata gets impaired. Metabolic wastes are harmful toxins that tend to get accumulated in your system if not flushed out of your body and deposited between your muscle tissues and nerve-endings. This toxic waste is known as 'aama' in Ayurveda and it is known be a prominent cause of cramps. Besides aama, vata dosha is also responsible for muscles cramps.

Ayurveda provides a number of remedies to treat the problem of muscle cramps. The following are some of the most effective remedies to relief the discomfort of muscle cramps:
1. Drink warm milk to get instant relief from abdominal cramps. The alkaline properties of milk help to pacify the acidic condition in stomach that results in cramps. It is also a rich source of calcium which is known to aid in the relaxation of troubled muscles.
2. Physical activity including stretching exercise is effective in reducing the acute pain of leg cramps.
3. Garlic compound which is also called as 'Lagsunadivati' is helpful in relaxing muscles and it is also known to calm the  vata dosha  that aids in relieving muscle cramps.
4. Do warm up exercises and stretching exercises to lessen the risk of developing a muscle cramp during your workout session
5. Increase the intake of foods that are rich in minerals, calcium, potassium and magnesium as it is known to reduce the chances of muscle cramps.
6. Massage the painful region with 'prasarini taila' or 'mahanarayana taila' to relax the strained muscle.
7. Apply ice pack on the strained muscle to reduce the swelling and pain of the muscle.
8. Sinhanaada guggulu is well known to provide instant relief from muscle cramp. It has medicinal properties which have a mild laxative effect. It eases the problem of abdominal cramps and lessens the discomfort associated with it.
9. In case of extreme pain, 'Lakshmivilaas rasa',  Prataapa lankeswara rasa , are among the most effective Ayurvedic medications which are known to provide relief in case of chronic muscle cramps.

Muscle Cramps - How to Treat them Effectively through Ayurveda

Muscle contusion is a condition that is characterized by bruising in the muscles. It generally tends to occur in athletes who play a lot of contact sports. Repetitive blows in any part of the body may cause damage to the underlying muscle tissues. These blows may lead to internal bleeding, resulting in blood clot formation. The most common site where it occurs are the quadriceps.


The various causes of this condition are:
1. Direct repetitive blows to a part of the muscle in contact sports such as football
2. If you fall on a hard surface 
3. It may also occur if the muscle comes in contact real hard with sports equipments like soccer balls

The symptoms of a muscle contusion are:
1. You may experience swelling of the muscle
2. Excessive pain
3. Decrease in range of motion in the concerned body part
4. It may lead to leaking of blood vessels
5. You may also experience hematoma where a lump is formed over the affected spot
6. Symptoms of broken bones, dislocations and fractures may also occur

Complications
This disorder may also lead to various complications such as compartment syndrome, which leads to compression of blood vessels resulting in pain. 

Treatment
The basic treatment for this condition is the rice protocol which is rest, ice, compression and elevation. You should rest the muscle, then apply ice to the affected area to reduce the pain. You can also take nsaids (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) to reduce the pain. In severe cases, the doctor may drain the lump surgically.


It is advisable to not return to your normal sports routine in order to allow the muscle to recover. If you carry on with your regular routine, it may result in further complications like the formation of scar tissue. You may undergo various stretching exercises to relieve the pain and make a gradual return to your normal sporting activities.


Causes and Symptoms of Muscle Contusion

From marathon runners to footballers, amongst athletes, 'pulling a hamstring' is the most common type of injury. The hamstring is a group of four muscles at the back of your thigh. When one of these muscles gets overloaded or begins to tear, it is known as a hamstring injury. While a hamstring injury is painful, it does not indicate the end of an athlete's career.

Minor hamstring injuries may heal by themselves. In cases where one of the muscles is torn, surgery is required to repair and reattach the muscles. Recovery time depends on the severity of the injury. Stretching and exercising the muscles of the leg are the most important parts of rehabilitation. The healing of a hamstring injury can be divided into four stages.

1. Acute phase: The first five days after a hamstring injury is known as the acute phase of rehabilitation. The aim of treatment at this phase is to reduce inflammation and keep the other muscles from atrophy. For minor hamstring injuries resting the leg, using ice packs and keeping the leg elevated can accelerate the healing process. Once the pain and swelling has decreased, patients can use a cane or crutch to exercise the leg.

2. Subacute phase: From the fifth day to the 3rd week after the injury, the focus of the treatment shifts from minimizing swelling to strengthening the leg and increasing the range of possible motions. At this time, an athlete can resume cardiovascular training. Swimming and other forms of aquatic training are said to be especially beneficial to the treatment of hamstring injuries.

3. Remodeling phase: The remodeling phase continues upto 6 weeks after the injury. Strengthening the leg is the focus of this stage of treatment. Using ankle weights can be beneficial towards strengthening the leg muscles. It is important to be careful about the weight being used and to gradually increase this weight to avoid an added injury.

4. Functional stage: This stage can last upto 6 months until the athlete can regain full function of his or her leg. As the athlete's gait gets back to normal, they may start jogging and short sprints. Gradually, more sport specific exercises may be added to the workout.

There is no fixed time when an athlete can return to active sports after a hamstring injury. While players with minor injuries may return to the field after 3 weeks, athletes with muscles tears may take upto 6 months to recover completely. Hamstring injuries tend to reoccur and hence before they can get back to active sports, an athlete must pass an isometric strength test and flexibility test. This ensures that there are no subtle after effects of the injury that can increase the risk of a repeat injury.

Hamstring Injury Recovery and Return to Sports

5 Ways to Stop Muscle Cramps

Muscle cramps are feared and loathed by all of us alike – they hurt, they slow us down and they just give us a helpless feeling! The most common cause of these cramps is premature fatigue which affects the reflex control of muscles. Here are 5 ways guaranteed to beat these troublesome muscle cramps:

1. Take rest
The most easy and sure-shot way to kill a muscle cramp is to take rest. Just rest your body, be at one place and the cramp will not last more than 3-4 minutes. Moving around will only cause the pain to be aggravated and eventually affect other areas as well.

2. Consume solutions rich in salt
Whenever you encounter a troublesome cramp, the first instinct is to reach for water. However, studies have shown that salt solutions are far more effective in countering cramps as compared to plain water. You can have pickle juice and similar drinks which have a high salt concentration.

3. Be physically active
The most common reason for muscle cramps is over-straining of the body. If you are planning to indulge in an extremely intensive physical activity, make sure to train well in advance. Also, keep the duration and intensity of the training at a similar level to that of the actual activity.

4. Keep your body hydrated
Dehydration is the root of a number of troublesome conditions, muscle cramps being one of them. Make sure to always carry a water bottle with you and drink a minimum of 7-8 glasses of water on a daily basis.

5. Indulge in light passive muscle stretching
When faced with a muscle cramp, in addition to resting, try and gently stretch the affected muscle. This continuous and light passive stretching lets the brain know that it can relax the muscle and help it return to normal.




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5 Winning Ways to Stop those Nasty Muscle Cramps

One of the deadly diseases caused by the bite of an infected mosquito is Chikungunya. If you suddenly experience unbearable joint pain with symptoms of fever, consult a doctor immediately. Even the name Chikungunya etymologically means "to become twisted". If you are having the aforementioned symptoms, there is a high chance you are suffering from Chikungunya.

Symptoms of Chikungunya
Chikungunya affects your body within 3-4 days of the mosquito bite. The first sign of Chikungunya is sudden fever, which causes mild tremors in your body accompanied by severe pain and swelling of the joints. A headache and pain in the muscles are other two symptoms of this disease. The most glaring indication that you are suffering from it is the excessive joint pain you experience. This pain usually lasts for a few days to a couple of weeks. If left untreated, this disease can prove to be fatal. 

1. The joint pain will have a paralyzing effect on your body resulting in extreme pain.
2. Your finger joints and foot exhibit signs of swelling, causing severe pain.
3. You will experience pain in your hip, wrists and elbows.

Other symptoms of the disease include neurological and mild cardiac complications. You may even complain of having an eyesore. Also, there are chances of you suffering from gastrointestinal problems. However, none of these symptoms will be as severe as the excruciating joint pain you experience.

Some preventive measures can be taken, them being:
a. Drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated.
b. Get plenty of sleep. It might be impossible for you to sleep especially when you are having body aches. Thus ask your doctor for some painkillers which will let you rest.
c. Paracetamol is a must to beat fever and joint pain.
d. Anti-inflammatory pills will be strictly recommended by your doctor to treat the inflammation.
e. Use a mosquito net at night
f. Keep your house clean so that the Chikungunya mosquitoes don't thrive

Suffering From Severe Joint Pain? It Could Be Due to Chikungunya

Runner s knee is a very common problem with athletes. It is definitely not something one needs to worry about. In fact, with certain exercises, it can be prevented and if you do develop a runner s knee, it can be treated with some exercises as well. There are special sports medical practitioners who prescribe not only regular physiotherapy, but also specific exercises to deal with specific sports injuries. To fight with runner s knee pain, there are a few exercises. 

But the four most important ones are described in detail below.

Quads: For performing proper quads, all you need is a back wall for additional support. You need to hold yourself against the wall and keep your legs apart from each other. The legs should be folded in the knees. In this position, you have to move up till the knee position with a minimum of one minute hold time in the knee position. You can repeat this exercise 10 times at a stretch before moving on to the next exercise.
Hamstring: This is a fairly easier exercise than the previous one. You have to stand straight with your legs apart. Bend downwards from your hips. Relax your neck and back. Ease your head downwards as well. Keep your hands behind. Join both your hands and give it a stretch. If you think that this position is straining your neck or back a little too much, then you can simply stretch your hands without joining them.
Calves: Calves is a standard exercise that is prescribed by medical practitioners and physiotherapists for easing out the pain caused by runner s knee. You have to stand with your hand against the wall. Put your left leg forward and bend it at the knees. Stand on your right heel. Hold yourself in this position for 20 to 30 seconds before changing the legs and doing the same.
Lateral: Lateral is also one of the easiest and common forms of exercises. You have to stand with your legs directly below your hips. Then stretch your right leg apart. Without bending your knees, try to touch the toes of your right leg with the fingers of your left hand. Hold this position for 20 to 30 seconds before changing the position and performing the lateral with your left leg.
Thus, these are some of the very fundamental exercises that one should follow in order to get quick relief from the pains of a runner s knee. These exercises are very easy and help in reducing pain.

Runner's Knee - 4 Most Important Exercises for it

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