Muscle Cramp / Cramps Facts and Pevention tips and Treatment

A cramp is uncontrollable contraction of muscle that makes it hard and tense, and painful. It usually affects the limbs but it can also occur in the abdominal muscles e.g. when swimmer immerse in cold water. Cramps are more likely to occur in the elderly, during pregnancy and when there is dehydration.

Symptoms
* Hard and tense muscle.
* Pain.

Common causes
* Commonly attributed to lack of water and salts in the body.
* Unaccustomed exercise or exercising without proper warm-up.
* Prolonged period of being in the same position.

What you can do
* Stretch the affected muscle, e.g. for leg cramp, straighten the leg and force the foot into flexed position by pulling it back or pushing it against the floor.
* Rub the affected part with skin analgesic to reduce pain after the cramp as passed.
* Take a pain killer like paracetamol, and/ or use hot water bottle on the abdomen for menstrual abdominal cramps.
* Consult your doctor if you suffer from frequent attacks of cramp.

What your doctor can do for you
* Prescribe a muscle relaxant for those who have frequent attacks.

Prevention Tips
* Proper warm-up before an exercise.
* Change position frequently.
* Insure sufficient intake of water and salts, e.g. by eating potassium rich food like banana.

So how are you going to deal with muscle cramps? Now you know!