The unpleasant and painful feeling of muscle strain is familiar to everyone. Seizures occur for a variety of reasons. Most often they occur during active sports and have mild and severe forms.
Which muscles are most prone to cramps?
- Calf muscle. Located on the back of the lower leg;
- Semitendinosus, biceps and semimembranosus muscles. The back of the thigh;
- Quadriceps. Front of the thigh;
- Arm muscles;
- Feet;
- Muscles along the chest.
At-risk groups
The main group is, of course, athletes, or rather, any person during physical activity. The spasm occurs during prolonged training and 4-6 hours after it.
The elderly also have a high risk of seizures. This is facilitated by the natural decrease in muscle mass that occurs after 40 years and develops with reduced activity.
High risk in young children. Muscle control is still difficult for them, and the spasm can begin at any time. 30% of pregnant women constantly suffer from muscle cramps. This may be due to a strong load on the body and a sharp increase in weight.
Causes of muscle flattening
- Many people have a reduction, and as a result; overvoltage, increases in hot weather. With sweat, many trace elements are released from the body;
- Certain chronic diseases may also be the cause;
- Sometimes hypothermia;
- Taking medications;
- Overweight;
- Smoking, alcohol or salt abuse;
- Stretching or overloading the muscles;
- In some cases, nerve disease becomes.
Muscle fatigue and neuromuscular control
There is one common misconception that muscle soreness after exercise means muscle growth. This is completely wrong. Through pain, the body is in a hurry to notify about micro damage or overload.
That is why the muscles need adaptation, the so-called neuromuscular connection (memory). If previously a person was actively involved in sports, then it takes him much less time to get back in shape. Prepared muscles increase in volume faster, become stronger and more enduring.
In other words, neuromuscular control is necessary so that if for any reason it is necessary to interrupt physical activity (injury, pregnancy, etc.), muscle recovery is 3-4 times faster than the first time.
Dehydration or electrolyte deficiency
During training with sweat, the body strenuously loses water and salt. In particular, important ions: magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium. All this can lead to general dehydration and muscle spasm.
Impaired water balance leads to impaired electrolyte metabolism. This happens not only when playing sports, but also with low consumption of liquids. A change in water-salt metabolism leads to a malfunction in the work of the whole organism, including muscles.
Other reasons
For the most part, seizures are mild, but they can indicate a more serious illness. In case of very strong and frequent spasms, it is necessary to see a doctor.
The reason may be:
- Osteochondrosis or other diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
- Violation of blood circulation;
- Nerve problems;
- Poor metabolism in the body;
- Thyroid disease;
- Phlebeurysm;
- Vitamin deficiency;
- Or the consequence of taking certain medications.
Symptoms
The convulsive contraction of the muscles cannot be overlooked. The only difference in the range of severity is from a slight tingling sensation to severe excruciating pain.
During a spasm, the muscles are very tight, hard, or abnormal. Minor twitching under the skin may be visible The cramps last from a few seconds to 10-15 minutes.
Sometimes longer. They may recur after a short time, and if the cramp is severe, painful sensations may persist for up to several days afterwards.
How to fight?
First aid and treatment
As a rule, symptoms disappear on their own and do not require special treatment. But in order to stop the convulsive contraction, you must do the following:
- Stop performing the movement that causes the spasm;
- Slowly stretch and massage the reduced part of the body;
- Try to relax and rest for a few minutes;
- If the pain persists, you can apply ice or apply a bandage from an elastic bandage;
- If possible, do not strain the muscle for a while.
If these actions do not give the desired result, you should immediately call a doctor and begin to treat the cause of the painful contractions.
When examined by a doctor, a detailed description of pain will be of great importance for the correct diagnosis. It is important to answer all questions as fully as possible.
Prevention
The most effective exercise is to stretch the entire body. A well done warm-up can reduce the chance of seizures by up to 80%. Moreover, you need to stretch the muscles both before and after training.
A relaxing massage is also a good prevention. It is better to use oils when rubbing. They not only make the process more enjoyable, but also enrich the muscles with trace elements. After the procedure, something warm should be applied to the affected part of the body.
And rubbing the feet and hands is aimed at massaging the points that connect the entire human body. Warm baths are also helpful. The water has a great massage effect, and the added salts or herbs promote aromatherapy and soothe the nerves.
Diet
Warm milk (rich in calcium) before bed is good for stomach cramps. It is necessary to increase the intake of foods rich in magnesium and calcium.
This will strengthen the connective tissues. The use of herbal teas helps. Sometimes the reason for frequent contractions lies in nervous tension, and herbal decoctions remove it.
And of course, it is worth excluding semi-finished products, salty snacks, fried, sweet and very fatty ones. All this gives a minimum of vitamins to the body and significantly slows down the metabolism.
