Question

Muscle Cramps - Why Do People Suffer From Them?

Dt.Sheenu Sanjeev · Accepted Answer

Muscle cramps often occur in the calf muscle of the back of the lower leg. It is often characterized by a momentary sharp pain along with a muscle lump beneath the skin. Just like its sudden appearance, muscle cramp disappears the same way without any botheration. However, a doctor should be consulted if you see any of the following symptoms:

The pain keeps coming back
The cramp results in weakening of the muscles
It causes frequent discomfort
It results in changed skin colour, redness or swelling of the skin
The condition doesn t improve with normal care
Cramps are not associated with obvious causes such as playing, exercising and jogging
What causes muscle cramps?

Any strain on muscle, dehydration, muscle overuse or simply standing for a prolonged time can lead to muscle cramps. The exact cause of muscle cramps is not known in a lot of cases. There could be the following medical conditions that could lead to such muscle cramps:

Blood supply: At times when the arteries narrow down resulting in an inadequate blood supply in the leg, a sharp pain can be felt followed by muscle cramps. This can happen while exercising or playing. It disappears as soon as one rests their legs.
Mineral depletion: Shortage of magnesium, potassium and calcium in the body can lead to muscle cramps. Even medication for high blood pressure can lead to cramps in the legs.
Nerve compression: Nerve compression of the spine can produce sharp pain in the leg muscles. The pain worsens with longer durations of walk. The symptoms, however, can be delayed a bit if the walking posture is changed, like the way one walks while carrying a shopping cart.
What are the risk factors associated with muscle cramps?

Dehydration: Muscle cramps often happen among athletes when they get dehydrated and fatigued while performing in hot temperature.
Age: People over the age of 60 often lose mass in the muscle. The remaining mass gets stressed out soon, resulting in muscle cramps.
Pregnancy: Pregnant women face frequent muscle cramps due to sudden increase of body weight and restricted movements in the pregnancy period.
Medical conditions: Certain medical conditions such as nerve disorder, thyroid problems, liver failure, diabetes, etc. greatly increase the chance of muscle cramps.
Some common ways to treat muscle cramps:

A brisk walk followed by stretching relaxes the muscles and greatly helps in staying away from cramps.
A diet consisting of magnesium on a regular basis gives relief from muscle cramps.
A wet cloth soaked in hot water often shows magical results and gives instant relief from muscle cramps.
Being hydrated throughout the day helps with muscle cramps. It is necessary to consume enough amount of electrolytes so that muscle contraction does not happen.

Calf Muscle Image Health Feed

Muscle Cramps - Why Do People Suffer From Them?

My muscles ache easily when I stretch them in cold. Eg: When I am in water my feet muscles or calf muscles ache and causes immense pain. Same thing happens on winter morning. Is it a normal thing?

I am suffering from anxiety and claustrophobia since last 10 years. Presently I feel some muscle pain and weakness at leg thigh and calf muscle. Can anxiety make muscle pain or tightness?

I am diabetic and my sugar levels usually remain high I have a problem of aching muscles and my calf muscles always remain tight I can not stand for long is it a problem of veins of muscles problem?

I have a strange body mass problem. My upper thigh muscles of legs are okay, but the lower calf muscles are negligible. Similarly the upper bicep muscle of the hands are okay but the area below elbow to wrist is very thin. How to increase the problem muscle zone? Please help.

I suffer from pain in my thighs and calf muscles whenever I finish a football match and it lasts for 4 to 5 days I need to rest and can't play for those days So What can I do for a faster muscle recovery and efficiency? Thank you.

I am 21 years old and I have muscle pain from two weeks sometime in calf muscle sometime in thies please suggest me what should I do to overcome from this.

My left foot has been feeling cramped frequently. What should I do to get the muscles in my feet relaxed? I am unsure of the right method of stretching these muscles as well apart from anlle rotation and calf stretches.

I usually get muscle spasms in left leg below knee (calf muscle ). What to do? This happens many times during my class.

I am suffering from severe back pain due to muscle tightness in legs and calf muscles. Pain in shoulders as well.