This is an automatically translated article.
What is Cramp? What causes cramps? Is it a cause for concern if you have frequent cramps? The following article will provide you with useful information about cramps in general and calf cramps in particular.
1. What are cramps?
A cramp (also known as a cramp) is a strong contraction and tightening of the muscles, causing sudden and severe pain in a muscle, making the person with the cramp unable to continue moving. Cramps usually last from a few seconds to a few minutes.
Although any muscle can cramp, however, cramps are common in the calves, or sometimes can occur in the thighs, hips, feet, hands and abdominal muscles, among which, rats Calf and foot retractions are the most common. Cramps often occur at night while sleeping, or after exercising and using muscles for a long time and continuously. Cramps occur at any age, but are more common in young people and over 60 years of age.
Trắc nghiệm: Bận rộn có ảnh hưởng đến sức khỏe của bạn không?
Cuộc sống hiện đại khiến chúng ta vì quá bận rộn mà quên chăm sóc sức khỏe cho chính mình. Ai cũng biết rằng lịch trình làm việc cả ngày có thể khiến bạn kiệt sức, nhưng cụ thể bận rộn ảnh hưởng thế nào tới sức khỏe? Hãy cùng làm thử bài trắc nghiệm dưới đây.
2. What causes cramps?
Some of the main causes of cramps include:Trauma: Trauma that constricts the posterior muscles is the cause of cramps, as constricted muscles tend to minimize movement and stabilize determine the area of injury. This is considered the body's self-defense mechanism. Due to strong and intense exercise: Using muscles too much makes the muscles tired, like when doing sports or doing too much physical activity with movements that are not exercised regularly. Cramps caused by vigorous exercise can occur during or after exercise, sometimes hours after exercise. Movement cramps are common in large muscles such as calves and thighs. Besides, a lot of exercise causes lactic acid to be deposited in the muscles, leading to disturbances in signal transmission between nerves and muscles, causing cramps. Muscle fatigue: Sitting or lying down for a long time in a fixed, unchanged position also causes cramps, especially in older adults at rest, but can occur at any age. any age, including children. Cramps are caused by hard labor during the day, standing for a long time on a hard ground, making the muscles tired, or muscles do not work much, stress will cause cramps at night. Due to a lack of sodium: Sodium is one of the most common chemical components of body fluids outside the cells that will cause the body to lose water causing cramps. Cramps can occur when an abnormal distribution of body fluids, for example cirrhosis, leads to fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity (cirrhosis ascites). Cramps are also a common complication during dialysis. Low potassium: Cramps are caused by low levels of potassium in the blood, which are associated with muscle weakness. Due to calcium and magnesium deficiency: Low levels of calcium and magnesium in the blood increase the activity of nerve tissues and muscles which can also cause cramps. Lack of calcium in the blood causes muscle spasms in the hand and wrist muscles. Calcium and magnesium deficiencies are common in the elderly and pregnant women. Due to dehydration: Exercising too long and too vigorously in hot weather will make the body sweat a lot, causing dehydration and salt loss, leading to cramps. Due to the use of certain drugs: Cramps are caused by some medications such as statins, prednisone, diuretics, oral contraceptives, which reduce potassium and magnesium levels. Due to a number of diseases: Diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson's, low blood sugar, anemia, thyroid gland, kidney dialysis, circulatory disorders, varicose veins of the lower extremities all make the body prone to cramps. Due to Pregnancy: What Causes Pregnant Women to Cramp? It is the deficiency of minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium during pregnancy in the last months, besides, as the fetus grows larger, it compresses the blood vessels in the lower limbs and the muscles of the lower limbs have to bear the burden. of body. This is the reason why pregnant women often get cramps.
Lý do khiến phụ nữ mang thai thường bị chuột rút là gì?
3. When is a cramp a cause for concern?
If cramps in general and calf cramps in particular are accompanied by the following symptoms, you should see a doctor:
Feeling uncomfortable when having cramps. Redness, swelling, or a change in skin color with calf or foot cramps. Feeling weak. Cramps cannot be improved with self-care methods. Cramps often.
4. How to deal with cramps
Sudden cramps while exercising, causing muscle pain, forcing the body to stop immediately due to inability to move. To get rid of pain quickly, you can do the following: stop moving, relax the cramped limbs to relax the contracted muscles, gently massage the muscle (you can use hot oil to apply it to the affected area). ). Leg cramps: Gently stretch in the opposite direction by pulling the tips of your toes and feet up toward your knees. Calf or thigh cramps: Have one person straighten the leg, raise the heel with one hand, and press the knee with the other hand, doing both hands at the same time.
Nhờ một người kéo thẳng chân ra, một tay nâng cao gót chân, tay còn lại ấn đầu gối xuống, thực hiện đồng thời cả 2 tay nếu bị chuột rút ở bắp chân hoăc đùi
Rib muscle cramps: Breathe deeply to relax the diaphragm, while gently massaging the muscles around the ribcage. When you have cramps, you can drink tea, hot sugar water, sweetened coffee, oresol, orange juice, lemon juice to relieve symptoms... After passing the pain of general cramps and calf cramps, say Separately, you can take a hot bath to relax the muscles. You can use some drugs to treat cramps such as vitamin E, muscle relaxants.... Cramps usually don't last long and are not dangerous. However, if you get a cramp while driving or swimming, operating machinery, etc., it can cause an accident.
5. How to prevent cramps?
Can prevent cramps by:
Drink enough water every day with mineral-rich water such as: oresol, salted sugar lemonade, coconut water... before, during and after exercise and labor. Warm up thoroughly before physical activity or before each training session. In addition, it is also necessary to practice muscle relaxation after each exercise to avoid calf cramps. Stretch your legs at night before going to bed to avoid cramping at night and when you wake up in the morning. When sitting, you should bend your feet towards the knees as high as possible to facilitate blood circulation in the calves. Having a balanced diet and full of substances such as protein, sugar, fat, vitamins and minerals necessary for the body. Limit the use of stimulants such as tobacco, alcohol, beer. Should wear shoes that fit your feet, do not wear shoes that are too high to avoid calf cramps. Aggressive treatment of the diseases mentioned above also avoids causing cramps. If you experience cramps in general and calf cramps in particular on a regular basis, or painful cramps that cannot be overcome by home remedies, then you should see a doctor for a diagnosis and treatment of the cause. cramp.
Vinmec International General Hospital is the address for examination, treatment and prevention of diseases, including the department of musculoskeletal. When performing the examination process at Vinmec, customers will be welcomed and used modern facilities and equipment along with perfect medical services under the guidance and advice of experts. Good doctors, well-trained both at home and abroad. Therefore, to be sure that the cramps are not caused by a medical problem, you should go to the hospital to be checked, in order to have the appropriate evaluation from a qualified doctor.
Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.
