Your Body's Wisdom

Each and every day you use your muscles in a variety of ways–walking, running, standing, sitting, etc.  You really don’t pay much attention to those muscles until something happens to them–either an injury, a trauma of some sort or just a plain old muscle cramp, also called a ‘Charley horse’. The origin of the term ‘Charley horse’ isn’t known for sure, but there is some indication that it may originate from some baseball slang.  What is known for sure is that they usually hurt–a lot.

Your muscle contracts when it is used then it stretches out when the motion is complete.  Your muscles do this voluntarily.  If your muscle does this involuntarily, and with great intensity, then it becomes a spasm or cramp.

Muscle cramps are extremely common and almost everyone has experienced a muscle cramp at some point in their life.  They can last anywhere from a few seconds to a half an hour or sometimes even longer.  A muscle cramp can also recur multiple times until it finally goes away.

A cramp or spasm can also involve part of a muscle, the entire muscle or several muscles that work together.  The most common muscle cramps occur in the calves (lower, back part of your leg) and happen most frequently during the night.  However, there are also cramps caused from vigorous activity or also from an injury.  For the purposes of this article, I am just going to focus on muscle cramps in general.

With all of the medical knowledge we have attained over the years, there still isn’t much research on muscle cramps, what causes them or why they happen.  Again, because muscle cramps come and go and don’t really require medical intervention, it is hard to find an explanation for them.

However, there are some ideas as to why they happen or what triggers them.  They are:

1. Dehydration–whether you are a sports enthusiast or not, your muscles require water for them to function properly.   Just slightly warmer weather can cause dehydration.  I know you are thinking to yourself that you aren’t thirsty, however, when you recognize that you are thirsty, then you are ALREADY dehydrated.  Also, don’t confuse drinking fluid with drinking water…yes, I know you may drink plenty of pop, tea or whatever, but your body needs water. Other fluids may actually make you thirstier.
2. Imbalance of your body’s levels of electrolytes–Say, what?  Your muscles require certain minerals and vitamins  for them to function properly.  The minerals that are needed are potassium, calcium and magnesium, plus vitamin E.  If you are not getting enough of these vitamins and minerals in your diet, then your muscles can spasm and cramp.
3. Medications–there are some medications that can cause muscle cramps.  They are antipsychotics, blood pressure meds and medication for diabetes.  (This isn’t an all inclusive list, so check your medication for their listed side effects.)

These are the most common triggers for muscle cramps, however since each person is different, then the triggers may be different for you.

What can you do to prevent muscle cramps?

• Stay hydrated–especially if you are exercising (that includes if you are a weekend warrior) or even if it is hot outside.  Drinking water is the best, but if you must have a sports drink, make sure that you pay attention to the sugar content in them.

• Increase your intake of potassium, calcium and magnesium.  Here are a list of foods that contain these minerals:

• • Calcium:  green leafy vegetables, legumes, liver, milk and dairy products, molasses, nuts, salmon, sardines, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, tofu and watercress.
  • Magnesium:  almonds, avocado, bran, brazil nuts, brown rice, cashews, corn, dried figs and apricots, green vegetables, honey, nuts, pumpkin seeds, seafood, soybeans, spinach and sprouts.
  • Potassium:  apricots, avocado, bananas, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cantaloupe, dates, dried fruits, flounder, kidney beans, legumes, lima beans, nuts, parsley, peaches, potatoes, red meats, seafood, soybeans, spinach, tomato juice, tofu, and yellow vegetables.
  • Vitamin E:  almonds, asparagus, beef liver, bran, brown rice, butter, cucumber, dark green vegetables, eggs, fruits, nuts, peanuts, soybeans, vegetable oils, wheat germ and whole grains.

• Stretching–before and after any exercise and doing a few stretches before bedtime might help with nighttime cramps.

• Massaging the muscles and applying heat can also help.  Taking a hot bath is also important.

There is no magic ‘cure’ for muscle cramps and you will have to deal with them at some point in your life (if you haven’t already); but hopefully by making sure that you are well hydrated and have the correct level of vitamins and minerals in your body, you can prevent them or at least minimize them.

DISCLAIMER~~This article is for informational purposes only.  If you feel that you have severe muscle cramps or some other disease, please contact your primary care physician immediately.