MUSCLE CRAMP
Salam..hye veryone...did you know what is muscle cramp...???....it is very sick acctually.....sometimes when we have attact by it,we cannot walk and do a lot of thing as ussual.Let me tell you what is MUSCLE CRAMP acctually...
What are muscle cramps?
A muscle cramp is an involuntarily and forcibly contracted muscle that
does not relax. When we use the muscles that can be controlled voluntarily,
such as those of our arms and legs, they alternately contract and relax as we
move our limbs. Muscles that support our head, neck, and trunk contract
similarly in a synchronized fashion to maintain our posture. A muscle (or even
a few fibers of a muscle) that involuntarily (without consciously willing it)
contracts is in a "spasm." If the spasm is forceful and sustained, it
becomes a cramp. Muscle cramps often cause a visible or palpable hardening of
the involved muscle.Cramps are unpleasant,
often painful sensations caused by muscle contraction or over shortening.
Common causes of skeletal muscle cramps include
muscle fatigue, low sodium, and low potassium. Smooth muscle cramps may be due
to menstruation or gastroenteritis.Causes
of cramping include hyperflexion, hypoxia, exposure to
large changes in temperature, dehydration, or low blood salt. Muscle cramps may also be a symptom or
complication of pregnancy, kidney disease, thyroid disease, hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia or hypocalcemia (as conditions), restless-leg syndrome, varicose veins and multiple
sclerosis.Electrolyte disturbance may
cause cramping and muscle tetany, particularly hypokalaemia and hypocalcaemia. This
disturbance arises as the body loses large amounts of interstitial
fluid through sweat. This interstitial fluid comprises
mostly water and table salt (sodium chloride).
The loss of osmotically active particles outside of muscle cells
leads to a disturbance of the osmotic balance and
therefore shrinking of muscle cells, as these contain more osmotically active
particles. This causes the calcium pump between the muscle lumen and sarcoplasmic reticulum to short circuit;
the calcium ions remain bound to the troponin, continuing muscle
contraction.
As
early as 1965, researchers observed that leg cramps and restless-leg syndrome
result from excess insulin, sometimes
called hyperinsulinemia.Hypoglycemiaand reactive hypoglycemia are associated
with excess insulin (or insufficient glucagon), and
avoidance of low blood glucose concentration may help to avoid
cramps.
Smooth muscle cramps
Smooth muscle contractions may
be symptomatic of endometriosis or other health
problems. Menstrual cramps may also occur before and during a female menstrual cycle.
Skeletal muscle cramps
Skeletal muscles can be voluntarily
controlled. Skeletal muscles that cramp the most often are the calves, thighs, and arches
of the foot. Sometimes known as aCharley horse or corkie, this
kind of cramp is associated with strenuous activity and can be intensely
painful—though skeletal cramps can occur while relaxing. Around 40% of people
who experience skeletal cramps are likely to endure extreme muscle pain, and
may be unable to use the affected limb. It may take up to seven days for the
muscle to return to a pain-free state.
Nocturnal leg
cramps
Nocturnal leg cramps are
involuntary muscle contractions that occur in the calves, soles of the feet, or
other muscles in the body during the night or (less commonly) while resting.
The duration of nocturnal leg cramps is variable with cramps lasting anywhere
from a few seconds to several minutes. Muscle soreness may remain after the
cramp itself ends. These cramps are more common in older people. They happen quite
frequently in teenagers and in some people while exercising at night. The
precise cause of these cramps is unclear. Potential contributing factors
include dehydration, low
levels of certain minerals (magnesium, potassium, calcium, and sodium), and reduced blood flow through
muscles attendant in prolonged sitting or lying down. Nocturnal leg cramps
(almost exclusively calf cramps) are considered 'normal' during the late stages
of pregnancy.[citation needed] They can, however,
vary in intensity from mild to extremely painful.
Pathophysiology
Skeletal
muscles work as antagonistic
pairs. Contracting one skeletal muscle requires the relaxation of
the opposing muscle in the pair. Cramps can occur when muscles are unable to
relax properly due to myosin fibers
not fully detaching from actin filaments.
In skeletal muscle, ATP must attach to the myosin heads for them to
disassociate from the actin and allow relaxation — the absence of ATP in
sufficient quantities means that the myosin heads remains attached to actin. An
attempt to force a muscle cramped in this way to extend (by contracting the
opposing muscle) can tear muscle tissue and worsen the pain. The muscle must be
allowed to recover (resynthesize ATP), before the myosin fibres can detach and
allow the muscle to relax.
Treatment
Stretching
may be helpful in treating simple muscle cramps.With exertional
heat cramps due to electrolyte abnormalities (primarily sodium
loss and not calcium, magnesium, and potassium ) appropriate fluids and
sufficient salt improves symptoms.
Medication
Quinine is likely to be
effective. However, due to side effects its use should only be considered if
other treatments have failed and in light of these concerns.Vitamin B complex, naftidrofuryl, lidocaine, and calcium channel blockers may be effective
for muscle cramps.Research has also
shown that pickle juice can be an effective remedy based on its high sodium and
electrolyte content.
Prevention
Adequate
conditioning, stretching, mental preparation, and adequate fluid/electrolyte
balance are likely helpful in preventing muscle cramps.
THATS ALL FROM MEEE...THANK YOU....
Muscle cramps is also a problem but Naturopathy can help your immune system in Cromer to overcome the problem, different people present in the world suffer from muscle cramps, muscle cramps may be symptoms of thyroid disease and kidney disease etc, different people suffer from nocturnal leg cramps etc, stretching and mental preparation are hopeful in preventing muscle cramps.
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