How can I stop this cramp!?Whether it's a foot/ calf cramp in the middle of the night or after a long workout, this technique will stop the pain.
You can use this technique anywhere in the body. Some areas are easier than others to figure out. However, the general idea is to actively try to do the opposite action that the cramp is making you do without stretching the cramping muscle.
1. Your calf starts cramping while you're in bed. The cramp is pulling your foot into a slightly pointed position.
2. With your hand or other foot, brace the foot to keep it in it's current pointing position. Now try to flex your toes and foot up toward your knee without letting your foot move(the opposite direction the cramp is pulling your foot).
3.Hold until the cramp fades away.
4.Very gently massage your calf and give it a minute to rest.
5.Very SLOWLY and GENTLY stretch your calf. If you feel even the slightest twinge that it might start cramping again, release the stretch and gently massage the muscles.
A muscle cramp is an involuntarily and forcibly contracted muscle that does not relax. Muscle cramps normally last from a few seconds to up to fifteen minutes. On rare occurrences they can last longer than fifteen minutes. A cramp can persist numerous times until it eventually goes away. Cramps can effect the muscles differently - for instance it can affect a group of muscles, a single muscle, or even a specific part of a muscle.
Cramps are very common not only in athletes, but also in someone who is sedentary all day long. Aging is a nasty concept-and unfortunately as you age, your chance of frequent cramping increases.
True cramps are caused by hyperexcitability of the nerves of a muscle. They can involve part or a whole muscle group. True cramps are the most common type of skeletal muscle cramp. These types of cramps can occur due to many factors.
Vigorous Activity:
When playing sports, muscle fatigue as well as vigorous use of the muscles can cause cramping. These cramps can occur either during or after the activity. Older individuals are at a higher risk for cramping while doing any type of intense physical activities.
Just the opposite case can also cause muscle cramping. If an individual is lying or even sitting in an awkward position for a long period of time cramping can result.
Injury:
An injury alone can cause cramping. Cramping can occur as a protective mechanism following an injury. In this case, the cramp occurs to stabilize the injury and to minimize movement from that area.
Dehydration:
Dehydration is mainly caused by warm weather in which it can be an early sign of something more serious such as heat stroke. Athletes and those individuals who are doing vigorous activities are more likely to become dehydrated due to fluid loss from perspiration.
Bodybuilders are commonly found using products such as diuretics to push out any extra water they are carrying so that their definition will be better on stage. While trying to put out the water, many bodybuilders lower sodium levels so they do not retain any water that they lost. This loss of sodium can cause dehydration and cramping. That is why when someone is cramping, they sometimes give them a salt tablet to take with some water.
Low Potassium Levels:
When potassium levels are low, muscles are weakened and muscle cramps can occur. Eating bananas will help keep potassium levels normal so that the chances of cramping are minimized.
Low Blood Calcium, Magnesium:
When there are low levels of calcium or magnesium in the blood, nerve endings and muscles are affected. This can be caused by diuretics, inadequate calcium and magnesium in the diet, inadequate vitamin D in the diet, and excessive vomiting. The excitability of muscles and nerve endings are increased when there are low blood calcium and magnesium levels which cause muscle cramping.
Rest Cramps:
Older individuals as well as children can suffer from rest cramps. Rest cramps are mainly experienced during the night. These cramps are disruptive to sleep but are not life-threatening in any way. Rest cramps can happen on any given night and even many times a night.
A common place to experience rest cramps would be in the calf. Rest cramps in the calf at night are due to a shortening of the calf muscle which can happen while lying in bed and pointing your toes down. Even though they understand how you get a cramp in your calf at night, the cause of night cramps is still unknown.
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