What causes charlie horses and what is a cure?

lakers88

Charlie horses are caused by painful contusion (bruise) of the quadriceps muscle of the anterior thigh that commonly results in a muscular hematoma and sometimes several weeks of pain and disability. The primary cure is by icing. Recent studies have shown that the resulting tightness and contractures that sometimes ensue can be lessened by maintaining the knee in a fully bent position for the first 24 hours to prevent the involved muscles from going into spasm. Then you can try stretching the affected muscle. Jun 26 07, 7:18 AM

bbulgrintschan

I was told that they are caused due to a lack of potassium in the body, so when I notice I'm getting more than usual I eat more bananas and they stop! Jun 26 07, 8:39 AM

McGruff

What causes a leg cramp? The exact cause of a leg cramp is not well understood, but there are some risk factors that are thought to contribute to this condition: Muscle fatigue Heavy exercising Dehydration High weight (not necessarily obesity) Electrolyte imbalances Medications (statins, prednisone, others...) What is the best way to make a leg cramp go away? Usually instinct takes over when a leg cramp strikes, and you massage and stretch the sore muscle. This is a perfect instinct and often solves the problem. The best steps are: Massage the cramped muscle Stretch the muscle (gently!) Take a hot shower or bath to warm and relax the muscle When do I need to have leg cramps evaluated by a doctor? If leg cramps become a persistent and recurring problem, you should be evaluated by your doctor. http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/sprainsstrains/a/legcramp.htm This site does not allow copy and paste: http://www.bodyandfitness.com/Information/Health/charleyhorse.htm Jun 26 07, 9:54 AM

davejacobs

Is a charley horse the same as a leg cramp, as seems to be suggested? We don't have them over here (uk), at least not under that name. Jun 26 07, 4:20 PM

lanfranco

Here in the U.S., the term "charley horse" seems to be used both for the contusion of the quadriceps muscle that lakers mentions and for nasty leg and foot cramps that often occur at night. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charley_horse Jun 26 07, 4:26 PM