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muscle cramp

   Also found in: Legal, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.01 sec.
muscle cramp,
a sudden intermittent pain in almost any part of the body. It may involve involuntary contractions of variable duration and be accompanied by spasms. Cramps may develop in striated muscle as a result of exertion, high temperature, and excessive loss of sodium, potassium, and magnesium through perspiration. Cramps can also be associated with arthritic conditions and exposure to cold. See also heat cramp.

Patient discussion about muscle cramp.

Q. How to prevent leg cramps? Every night I get terrible leg cramps that wake me up from my sleep. This only started happening during my pregnancy. How can I stop it from happening?

A. my wife also had leg cramps, here are some tips to prevent them from happening-
Avoid standing or sitting with your legs crossed for long periods of time.
Stretch your calf muscles regularly during the day and several times before you go to bed.
Rotate your ankles and wiggle your toes when you sit, eat dinner, or watch TV.
Take a walk every day, unless your midwife or doctor has advised you not to exercise.
Stay hydrated during the day by drinking water regularly.
Try a warm bath before bed to relax your muscles.

good luck and congrats! my wife got those tips from a physiotherapist friend of hwer and they worked out nicely.

Q. What are muscle cramps caused from? I am a 30 year old woman and am pregnant. I keep on getting a muscle cramps on the back on my lower leg. It really hurts! What is causing it and how can I prevent it?

A. No one really knows why women have leg cramps when they're pregnant but it is very common. It's possible that your leg muscles are tired from carrying around the extra weight. Or they may be aggravated by the pressure your expanding uterus puts on the blood vessels that return blood from your legs to your heart and the nerves that lead from your trunk to your legs. To prevent it Avoid standing or sitting with your legs crossed for long periods of time. Stretch your calf muscles regularly during the day and before bed.
Rotate your ankles and wiggle your toes when sitting.
Take daily walks, unless your midwife or doctor has advised you not to exercise. Lie down on your left side to improve circulation to and from your legs.
Stay hydrated during the day by drinking water regularly.


Q. What causes cramps in, under and around the rib cage?

A. Im not really sure, but you may have IBS. Irritable bowel syndrome or IBS affects up to 55 million Americans, mostly women. IBS causes are unknown. IBS symptoms include diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal cramps. There are IBS treatments such as diet and lifestyle changes and medications that can help. Do you have any of these symptoms? Almost everything that i found with rib cage pain said something about IBS. Not really sure if this is your problem, but I hope this helps.

Read more or ask a question about muscle cramp


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