Muscle Cramps, Do You Know How To Fight Them?

Muscle cramps – scientifically muscle spasms – is something that almost all of us have suffered at some time in our life. What exactly are they? What are the causes? Can they be prevented?

Muscle spasms are short, involuntary contractions of a muscle . This contraction produces a stiffness in the muscle, causing it to immobilize for a few seconds. The consequence is a sudden pain, intense in some cases, and always unpleasant.

Through this article we will try to get closer to this problem to know it and know how to act against it.

Muscle cramps, what are they?

The duration of the cramp is about a minute or two, although it may take a few more seconds for the pain to subside until the muscle relaxes. If the pain is severe or does not go away, the cramps occur often or are accompanied by other symptoms such as redness or swelling, it is important to see a specialist to make a proper diagnosis.

On the other hand, cramps can occur anywhere in the body, although the most common is that they appear in the muscles of the hands, feet and especially legs.

Muscle spasms can occur at any time of the day, even at night while we sleep. It can happen to anyone, although there are two population centers more likely to suffer from them :

• Athletes as they undergo lengthy workouts.
• Older people, due to muscle atrophy (progressive weakening of the muscles).

Muscle cramps or spasms is something that almost everyone suffers at some point in our life, and we should not give it too much importance. Although later we will see that we can put into practice some natural remedies for when it happens to us and try to prevent them.

Read also: Natural remedies to combat muscle cramps

Causes of muscle cramps

As the professionals at Medline Plus indicate, the causes of muscle spasms can be multiple: it can be due to an injured or overloaded muscle, or a lack of minerals and vitamins. They can also be due to dehydration.

Fluid deficiency is another cause. It is very common, due to the workouts we do during which we do not ingest enough fluids, causing dehydration in our body.

Performing an unusual or intense movement can also cause us a cramp. In contrast, being in the same position for a long time without moving and being sedentary also causes cramps.

Depending on the area of ​​the body where we suffer the cramp, the causes may be different. For example:

• Neck cramps are often a manifestation of stress.
• In the upper part of the legs they normally appear when we perform activities such as running and jumping.

• In the calves, very common while we sleep, they also usually occur when we swim.

Prevention of muscle cramps

Some professionals give us simple guidelines to prevent muscle spasms in an easy way:

• Perform light intensity physical exercise daily . For example, walk for half an hour, so that the muscles are not stiff.
• Stretching to improve flexibility and avoid stiffness.
• Drink plenty of fluids during physical exercise.
• Maintain a balanced diet, rich in minerals and vitamins : natural vegetables and fruits.
• Adopt relaxed and comfortable postures in bed to sleep

Remedies for the appearance of a cramp

When a cramp appears, we can remedy it and try to ease the pain by following these simple tips:

• Keep the area at rest, without exposing it to further movements, and wait patiently without getting nervous.
• Gently massage in the opposite direction to the course of pain, to achieve muscle relaxation.
• Apply heat to the painful area.
• Place a bandage around the cramp area to reduce pain. Do not tighten it too much so that swelling does not occur.

But remember, if the problem continues, we must go to a specialist, since cramps could be a symptom of a more serious problem.