What do we want to know about muscle cramps? How does this affect our daily living? How can we stop muscle cramps? These are the questions that we usually ask having these muscle pain problems.

Body:

Several times, I have experienced waking up in the middle of the night because of painful leg cramps. Whenever that happens, I just wait for the cramps to subside, suffering the pain silently not daring to move a muscle. It was so painful I cannot move because the pain just gets more intense. Recently, the cramps I experience at night have become more frequent. What I fear most is that one night the pain might not subside anymore. I would not know what to do if that ever happened. Finally, my lack of knowledge had motivated me to learn more about muscle cramps and what I can do to prevent or treat it.

Cramps are actually abnormal contractions of muscles which may occur in various parts of the body. Muscles naturally contract as a means of facilitating movement. However, muscles function in such as way that its contraction and relaxation happen simultaneously at differing rates depending on the speed of movements made. Cramps happen when a muscle or group of muscles contract for a long period of time without being able to relax alternately. The prolonged contracted state of the muscle causes it to feel fatigued and painful. Some muscle cramps last only for a few seconds or minutes while certain health conditions such as tetanus may cause a muscle to cramp for hours.

Muscle cramps happen due to various reasons. Some studies conducted previously had indicated the influence of diabetes, being flat-footed, prolonged sitting, and dehydration as possible reasons for having muscle cramps. Medications such as diuretics may cause certain electrolytes and nutrients to deplete rapidly from a person's body which in turn can result to muscle cramping. Basically, to avoid having muscle cramps, these causes should be avoided or eliminated. However, I still wondered if there are more techniques which can be possibly utilized to further avoid the possibility of experiencing the torturous situation.

When I asked my doctor-friends about this, they were able to provide more information about this. Some of the things they told me are the same information I had researched previously. Still, a lot more new details were added to my knowledge. They told me that some studies had indicated the benefit of stretching and regular exercise included prevention of muscle cramps. Drinking more fluids especially during rigorous activities and using comfortable footwear that support the natural arch of the feet also helped prevent cramping. According to them, medications are supposed to be a person's last resort, if that is still possible. However, if the cramping already occurs too often and the pain is already too intense then the use of medications is already necessary.

Usual medications that are prescribed by doctors as muscle relaxants include soma and carisoprodol. These medications, however, are not given over the counter. Therefore, obtaining a prescription from doctors is necessary before a person is able to use and will be able to benefit from these treatments. Not only because my friends were doctors which is why they emphasized this, but I also understood their point that a consultation with a medical professional is really important prior to using any form of medication. This is because even if medicinal drugs are known for the benefits they bring, they are also famous for their side effects. Some side effects can be really fatal that it is dangerous to take even the slightest chances or risks. To avoid untoward complications, it is better, then, to follow the advice of those who know better.