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What Is The Cause And Treatment For Muscle Cramps?
Question: i am 42y.o. female caucasion, no existing disease processes. for approx 7-9 months now i have had these wierd, intermittant, (like once a week, some wks more than others), tightness or cramping in my muscles. the first few times were abdominal, and i thought it was some kind of irritable bowel or colon spasms....but then i experienced the same painful sensation in the side/flank, (both sides at different times), the shoulders, radiating to elbow, (both at seperate times), and this morning it happened in the right side of my neck up to my ear and jaw. they are always painful, increasing over a 2-3 minute period usually, then slowly fading away. it is not sharp, but like a twisting or tightening and no rubbing or positional changes help AT ALL. i just have to moan and groan and wait it out. my diet has not changed over the last 30 years that i can recall. I am 5'5" and 168 lbs. not currently doing much excercise other than walking a couple times/wk. any ideas?
Brief Answer:
Muscle cramps causes and treatment discussed
Detailed Answer:
Hi, Thanks for your question.
Muscle cramps can have many possible causes. They include:
Poor blood circulation in the legs
Overexertion of the muscles while exercising
Insufficient stretching before exercise
Exercising in the heat
Muscle fatigue
Dehydration
Magnesium and/or potassium deficiency
Calcium deficiency in pregnant women
Malfunctioning nerves, which could be caused by a problem such as a spinal cord injury or pinched nerve in the neck or back
Muscle cramps can also occur as a side effect of some drugs. Medications that can cause muscle cramps include:
Lasix (furosemide), Microzide (hydrochlorothiazide), and other diuretics ("water pills") used to remove fluid from the body
Aricept (donepezil), used to treat Alzheimer's disease
Prostigmine (neostigmine), used for myasthenia gravis
Procardia (nifedipine), a treatment for angina and high blood pressure
Evista (raloxifene), an osteoporosis treatment
Brethine (terbutaline), Proventil and Ventolin (albuterol), asthma medications
Tasmar (tolcapone), a medication used to treat Parkinson's disease
Statin medications for cholesterol such as Crestor (rosuvastatin), Lescol (fluvastatin), Lipitor (atorvastatin), Mevacor (lovastatin), Pravachol (pravastatin), or Zocor (simvastatin)
When muscle cramps occur, there are several things you can do to help ease them, such as massaging, stretching, or icing the muscle, warming the muscle, or taking a bath with Epsom salt.
For a charley horse in the calf or a cramp in the back of the thigh (hamstring), try putting your weight on the affected leg and bending your knee slightly, or sit or lie down with your leg out straight and pull the top of your foot toward your head. For a cramp in the front of the thigh (quadriceps), hold onto a chair to steady yourself and pull your foot back toward your buttock.
To help reduce the risk of cramps in the future, try the following:
Eat more foods high in vitamins and magnesium and calcium.
Stay well hydrated.
Stretch properly before exercise.
In most cases, self-care measures are sufficient for dealing with muscle cramps, which typically go away within minutes. But if you experience them frequently or for no apparent reason, you should speak to your doctor. They could signal a medical problem that requires treatment.
I hope this answers your question.
Best wishes
Muscle cramps causes and treatment discussed
Detailed Answer:
Hi, Thanks for your question.
Muscle cramps can have many possible causes. They include:
Poor blood circulation in the legs
Overexertion of the muscles while exercising
Insufficient stretching before exercise
Exercising in the heat
Muscle fatigue
Dehydration
Magnesium and/or potassium deficiency
Calcium deficiency in pregnant women
Malfunctioning nerves, which could be caused by a problem such as a spinal cord injury or pinched nerve in the neck or back
Muscle cramps can also occur as a side effect of some drugs. Medications that can cause muscle cramps include:
Lasix (furosemide), Microzide (hydrochlorothiazide), and other diuretics ("water pills") used to remove fluid from the body
Aricept (donepezil), used to treat Alzheimer's disease
Prostigmine (neostigmine), used for myasthenia gravis
Procardia (nifedipine), a treatment for angina and high blood pressure
Evista (raloxifene), an osteoporosis treatment
Brethine (terbutaline), Proventil and Ventolin (albuterol), asthma medications
Tasmar (tolcapone), a medication used to treat Parkinson's disease
Statin medications for cholesterol such as Crestor (rosuvastatin), Lescol (fluvastatin), Lipitor (atorvastatin), Mevacor (lovastatin), Pravachol (pravastatin), or Zocor (simvastatin)
When muscle cramps occur, there are several things you can do to help ease them, such as massaging, stretching, or icing the muscle, warming the muscle, or taking a bath with Epsom salt.
For a charley horse in the calf or a cramp in the back of the thigh (hamstring), try putting your weight on the affected leg and bending your knee slightly, or sit or lie down with your leg out straight and pull the top of your foot toward your head. For a cramp in the front of the thigh (quadriceps), hold onto a chair to steady yourself and pull your foot back toward your buttock.
To help reduce the risk of cramps in the future, try the following:
Eat more foods high in vitamins and magnesium and calcium.
Stay well hydrated.
Stretch properly before exercise.
In most cases, self-care measures are sufficient for dealing with muscle cramps, which typically go away within minutes. But if you experience them frequently or for no apparent reason, you should speak to your doctor. They could signal a medical problem that requires treatment.
I hope this answers your question.
Best wishes
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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