The pain can become excruciating when a muscle cramp, commonly referred to as a charley horse or muscles spasm occurs. The sudden, unexpected muscle spasm can be caused by a variety of reasons. No matter your level of activity, the risk of muscle cramping is relative.
Where You May Experience Muscle Spasms
Muscle spasms occur spontaneously and unexpectedly in many regions of the body. They are frequently found affecting, but are not limited to, the back and front of your thigh, as well as the lower part of your leg, referred to as the calf.
You may experience cramps in your:
Feet:
Cramping often occurs in the arches of your feet and around the toes. Flexor digitorum longus, Extensor digitorum longus, Tibialis anterior, and Abductor hallucis play an important role in how your foot flexes and moves.
Lower Leg:
The calf is formed of two muscles; the gastrocnemius, and soleus. These muscles are used to walk, run, and jump. They pull your heel up, allowing forward movement. Since these muscles are used frequently, they have a high probability of cramping.
Upper Leg:
There are two main muscle groups in your upper leg. The quadriceps and hamstrings. These muscles play a large component in bending and straightening your knee walking and connecting to your hips.
Hands:
Flexor digitorum superficialis muscle, Thenar muscles, Hypothenar muscles give movement to your hands for holding and grabbing objects every day.
Arms and Shoulder:
Biceps brachii, Triceps brachii, Deltoid, Posterior (extensor) muscles of the forearm, and Flexor digitorum superficialis can cramp from everyday use. Many careers that are physically straining likely use these muscles to lift, carry, pull, push, or hold.
Abdominal wall:
Abdominal muscle strain is frequently seen among athletes, causing muscle spasms. These can be serious indicators of larger problems.
Causes of Muscle Cramping
Muscle cramping is not limited to athletes or active individuals. Every individual should take the proper precautions to prevent muscle spasms.
- Dehydration: Drink you water! Dehydration is one of the most common reasons for muscle cramps. Excessive loss of fluids in the body can lead to decreasing blood volume and low levels of electrolytes. Since your muscles and organs need proper blood flow, depriving them of this will result in cramping. You may alsoe experience stomach cramps.
- Low Minreal Levels: If you have low calcium, sodium, potasium, or magnesium levels, you may be proen to frequent muscle cramping.
- Muscle Fatigue: Overexhastion of muscles from strenuous activity, exercise, or any overuse can cause cramping. If your muscles arent given an adequate amount of recovery time and proper care, they will feel weak and become subject to injury.
- Low Circulation: Many individuals spend a majority of their day sitting at a desk for work and watching television on a couch. Poor circulation, usually seen in the legs, is caused by the lack of daily leg movement and stretching.
- Lack of Muscle Recovery: Athletes are prone to muscle cramps, especially athletes who do not take proper care of their bodies. To prevent cramping, proioritze muscle recovery after strenuous workout and muscle strain. Recovery allows for improved performance and healing. Recovery also reduces the risk of muscle injuries such as muscle pulling, shins splits, or tendinitis. Wether you are a seasoned athlete or are starting your fitness journey, do not neglect muscle recovery. If you have questions about sports medicine, contact us today.
What can I do to reslvoe and prevent muclse spasms?
Drink Enough Water
Our world has become flooded with sugar-filled, carbonated, and artificially flavored drinks. These drinks do not provide the body with sufficient amounts of hydration, electrolytes, minerals, and nutritional value whether you are drinking regular or diet products. Even sports drinks that are marketed to be “hydrating” are found to have excessive amounts of table sugar (sucrose) and high-fructose corn syrup. This can leave you feeling fatigued and sluggish. Drinking water replenishes your muscles, regulated body temperature, and lubricates your joints. Water intake gives you energy by transforming it into nutrients for your musculoskeletal system (bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and soft tissues).
In addition, there is an abundance of health risks associated with the overindulgence of processed drinks. Although these bubbly sweet drinks taste good, they can put your body at high risk of many health complications including excessive muscle cramping, diseases, poor dental health, sugar addiction, and an unhealthy body fat percentage. Consuming these beverages in moderation can prevent these health risks.
Replenish your musculoskeletal system of essential fluids needed for a functioning body.
Get Moving
No matter how active you are, it is recommended to get moving for proper circulation and muscle functions. Daily walking, yoga, and stretching are all great ways to increase circulation in the legs. Starting small by dedicating 5 minutes of your day to physical activity. A short walk may be enough to drastically improve your muscle cramping. Taking a break from sitting will improve circulation over time and includes many other physical and mental benefits such as endorphin relief, cardiovascular fitness, improves the management of high blood pressure, reduces the risk of heart disease, and improves balance.
Power of Muscle Massage
Relieve the cramp by stretching daily and massaging the affected muscle as needed. The application of a heating pad to the muscle may also help. It is of the utmost importance that you properly hydrate before a massage. Hydrated muscles are much more compliant with the methods used by massage therapists. Ogden Chiropractic offers superb Sports Massage Therapy with benefits including a reduction in muscle tension, increased range of motion, and better sleep quality. Learn more about The Benefits of Sports Massage.
Muscle Compression
Wearing a compression sock can help relieve muscle discomfort and cramping in areas of the foot and lower leg. Compression socks apply mild pressure to the affected muscle. Consult one of our experts about muscle compression before doing so.
Find a Professional
At Ogden Chiropractic, we understand how painful muscle cramping can be. Ogden Chiropractic offers outstanding Massage Therapy and evaluation of your symptoms. If you have performed at-home remedies and muscle cramping is still occurring, this could be a more serious problem. For personalized guidance and professional help, contact our experts today. We are dedicated to helping resolve your muscle pain.
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