Why do good people get cramps?

The scientific name of cramp is "muscle cramp", which refers to the phenomenon of sudden and involuntary muscle contraction, which can cause muscle stiffness and unbearable pain.

Night cramps include cramps that occur in any static situation, such as those that occur while sleeping or sitting still. This type of cramp often occurs in the gastrocnemius and some small muscles of the foot. This kind of cramp is sometimes caused by the voluntary activity of the mental muscles causing the patient's feet to move.

Heat cramp, this type of cramp is related to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance in the body. This type of cramp most commonly occurs in athletes, especially when exercising in hot weather. Typical heat stroke convulsions occur after one or two hours of working in a hot environment; heat stroke convulsions may even occur within 18 hours after the end of the activity, and may cause muscle abnormalities for several days. phenomenon. Heat cramps tend to occur in the large muscles of the palms, arms and legs. Sometimes some female sprinters also experience heat cramps in the abdominal wall.

The true mechanism of cramps has not yet been determined. Most research results believe that muscle cramps are caused by a decrease in the nerve or neuromuscular stress threshold, which causes a sudden increase in the frequency of muscle nerve action, causing muscle Tonic contraction. The following situations are more likely to cause cramps:

1. Continue to exercise when muscles are fatigued after long-term exercise.

2. Poor local circulation.

3. Excessive loss of water and salt.

4. Severe diarrhea, vomiting and insufficient mineral content (such as magnesium and calcium) in the diet.

5. The ambient temperature changes suddenly.

6. Minor laceration of muscle or tendon.

7. Excessive emotional stress.

8. Playing sports with inappropriate posture or poor muscle coordination.

9. Some reasons that have not yet been discovered or determined.

10. Some chronic diseases and pregnant women will also have an increased incidence of cramps, so be careful.

Methods to prevent cramps:

1. Do not do prolonged or intense exercise in poorly ventilated or confined spaces.

2. Sufficient water and electrolyte replenishment are required before, during and after long-term exercise.

3. Get enough minerals (such as calcium, magnesium) and electrolytes (such as potassium, sodium) in your daily diet. Minerals can be obtained from milk, yogurt, green leafy vegetables and other foods. Electrolytes can be obtained from bananas, oranges, celery, natural foods, etc. or some low-sugar drinks.

4. Do not wear clothes that are too tight or too heavy for sports or work.

5. Before exercise, check whether protective tapes, sheaths, shoes and socks are too tight.

6. Do adequate preparatory exercises and stretching before exercise*.

7. Proper insulation is required after exercising in cold weather. For example, you should change your swimsuit immediately after swimming and wear warm clothes.

8. Engage in sports or work in a relaxed mood.

9. People who are prone to cramping when sleeping at night need to do some stretching* before going to bed, especially stretching of the parts prone to cramping.

10. Don’t overdo it.

11. Do appropriate massage on muscles prone to cramping before exercise.

The treatment method of cramps can be divided into two parts, one is the treatment in the acute stage, and the other is the permanent treatment. In the acute phase, that is, when cramps occur, the patient needs to rest immediately, gently massage the cramped area, and gently stretch the muscles in the cramped area, because when you stretch the muscles, it will cause tension in the tendons. Increase, when the tension reaches a certain intensity, the nerves will transmit impulses to the brain, and the brain will release messages to relax the cramped muscles in order to avoid tendon injury. Do not use excessive force when stretching the muscles to avoid straining the muscles and causing secondary injuries. Short-term muscle cramps can be treated and returned to play, but the possibility of recurrence is still high.

If the muscle cramp lasts for a long time, you can use hot or cold compresses to relieve the pain, or locally spray or rub some muscle-relaxing and analgesic lotions or ointments are also very effective. If cramps are likely to occur again, you need to consider whether the muscles are overtired or dehydrated. The former requires stopping activities and resting, while the latter requires replenishing water and electrolytes.

People who suffer from cramps must first understand some of their own "history", such as their eating habits, the amount of stress caused by their daily exercise (work), the location of cramps, and the weather conditions when cramps occur, etc. , the causes of cramps in wrestling, free cycling, or fencing athletes may be completely different, so the type of sport they are engaged in is also an item that needs to be understood to find out the cause of cramps. After integrating all the understanding, find out the cause of cramps, and make preventive and improvement measures to solve the problem of cramps. If you have frequent cramps and cannot find the cause, you must handle it carefully and consult a doctor for a thorough examination, because cramps may be a symptom of some vascular diseases, diabetes, or neurological diseases.