Cramp - whats the POINT ?

[Easy 10]

So its Sunday morning about 8am, and I'm lying contentedly in bed dozing lightly and enjoying the warm softness of the duvet, idly wondering when to get up and what to do with my day. "First things first" I think to myself. "I'll have a nice, satisfying stretch".

So I start to tense up and stretch my legs, and within a second, my lovely relaxed warm bubble of a world is swiftly and brutally caved in by a devastating wave of piercing, unbearable AGONY from the calf muscle just below my left knee. My leg goes into complete spasm, and I am wracked by a series of convulsions as I thrash and howl in horror at the pain. Absolutely no sympathy from the missus, as my anguished cries have woken her up and made her jump, but I am oblivious to her and everything else but the pain in my leg. The table lamp was sent flying as I thrashed around in blind panic. It felt as though someone had rammed a screwdriver into my calf, and was now violently and repeatedly twisting it to cause maximum damage. I was nearly pissing meself with the pain.

Just as the room started spinning and I was about to pass out from what seemed like an hour of cruel torture, my leg started to relax, and the agony began to dissipate, until finally it had returned to normal. I gingerly moved my leg up and down slightly, fearful of inducing another horrifying spasm, but thankfully nothing happened. I got up, hobbled downstairs, made myself a coffee, and tried to put the whole terrible ordeal out of my mind.

Why though ? Why should your own body inflict cramp on itself ? Was I being punished for something ? I live in FEAR of the next one, cos I never know when its coming, and even today my leg is still a bit sore.

 

[Marc]

I've NEVER had Cramp, me thinks I eat too much salt or something

 

[ben andrews' girlfriend]

that always happens to me at about 3 in the morning after ive had too much to drink!!!!

Cramp is a build up of lactic acid in the muscle - its crap and it HURTS

 

[caz99]

i hate cramp i always get it in my toes when i go swimming

 

[Yoda]

A muscle cramp, technically, occurs when your muscle tightens and shortens causing a sudden severe pain. Muscle cramps generally result from overexertion and dehydration. When you don't have enough fluid in your system, it leads to an electrolyte imbalance that causes your muscles to cramp up. Electrolytes are minerals such as sodium, magnesium, calcium and potassium that help the cells to function normally. An imbalance occurs when we have too much or too little of one or more electrolytes in our system. The main electrolytes affecting muscle cramping are potassium, sodium and calcium.

Cramps may also occur after inactivity, such as sitting too long in one place without moving a muscle. Sometimes you can even get a cramp when you're just lying in bed, though researchers cannot define a cause.

Most often people get cramps in their calves, however, you can also get them in your thighs, feet or just about any muscle. Cramps can be eased by a few simple methods. First, relax the tightened area. You should gently massaging the area that's cramped, whether it's a crick in your calf from over exercising or a spasm in your feet. Second, stretch the muscle out slowly and gently, as long as you don't feel pain. For calf cramps, do a wall stretch. Stand about three feet away from the wall, with your knees straight and your heels on the floor. Lean into the wall, supporting yourself with your hands. You will feel the stretch of your calf muscles. Hold for 60 seconds and repeat three times.

You should also make sure to drink plenty of fluids. If you get muscle cramps after exercise, drink water or a sports drink or juice to rehydrate and restore your electrolyte balance. Most of the time water will be sufficient to rehydrate you, however, you are then better off choosing a sports drink containing electrolytes.

You may also undo a cramp with ice. Ice is both a pain reliever and an anti-inflammatory. Try massaging the area with ice for no more than ten minutes or until the area is bright red, which indicates that blood cells have returned to heat the cramped muscle. If ice is too uncomfortable, try heat. Heat improves superficial blood circulation and makes muscles more flexible, so some people find that heat is more soothing for muscle cramps than ice. Try a heating pad for 20 minutes at a time or even a warm shower or bath. Make sure to massage the muscle with your hands following ice or heat.

 

[Vankleek Hill Seagull]

I hate when I get cramp in my dick.

 

[Schrödinger's Toad]

I get cramp annoyingly regularly when playing football, usually get it after about 80 minutes. At least I can understand I might have over-stretched it then, the whole lying-in-bed-move-slightly-unbearable-agony thing just doesn't make sense.

 

[Yoda]

I get it in my hamstrings more.

THAT REALLY KILLS!!!

 

[Weezle]

Used to get it all the time - now it's my lady who is cursed!! It's really really is fekin horrible! Best thing to do is to point your toes towards you as it relaxes the muscle.

As soon as i increased the salt in my diet as did my girlfriend it stopped.

 

[Meade's Ball]

So its Sunday morning about 8am, and I'm lying contentedly in bed dozing lightly and enjoying the warm softness of the duvet, idly wondering when to get up and what to do with my day. "First things first" I think to myself. "I'll have a nice, satisfying stretch".

So I start to tense up and stretch my legs, and within a second, my lovely relaxed warm bubble of a world is swiftly and brutally caved in by a devastating wave of piercing, unbearable AGONY from the calf muscle just below my left knee. My leg goes into complete spasm, and I am wracked by a series of convulsions as I thrash and howl in horror at the pain. Absolutely no sympathy from the missus, as my anguished cries have woken her up and made her jump, but I am oblivious to her and everything else but the pain in my leg. The table lamp was sent flying as I thrashed around in blind panic. It felt as though someone had rammed a screwdriver into my calf, and was now violently and repeatedly twisting it to cause maximum damage. I was nearly pissing meself with the pain.

Just as the room started spinning and I was about to pass out from what seemed like an hour of cruel torture, my leg started to relax, and the agony began to dissipate, until finally it had returned to normal. I gingerly moved my leg up and down slightly, fearful of inducing another horrifying spasm, but thankfully nothing happened. I got up, hobbled downstairs, made myself a coffee, and tried to put the whole terrible ordeal out of my mind.

Why though ? Why should your own body inflict cramp on itself ? Was I being punished for something ? I live in FEAR of the next one, cos I never know when its coming, and even today my leg is still a bit sore.

Would you describe yourself as a fit man, Easy?

 

[Set of Tracksuits]

Whenever I saw players getting treatment for cramp on the pitch I always thought they were a bit soft, like it wasn't a proper injury.

Obviously the God of lactic acid decided that I had got off far too lightly and I started getting it all the time when I was driving around in London, which was horrible cos sometimes my leg would go into spasm, meaning I either slammed on my brakes or accelerated into the back of the vehicle in front.

Horrible. Haven't had it for ages now though.

 

[Easy 10]

Re: Re: Cramp - whats the POINT ?

Would you describe yourself as a fit man, Easy?

I describe myself as a lot of things MB. People don't necessarily seem to agree though.

 

[CHAPPERS]

I always try to avoid the temptation to stretch so soon after waking up following a similar incident about 2 years ago. Nowadays I do a little shake to 'loosen' the acid in my muslce so it's not so 'concentrated'.

 

[Easy 10]

Well I think cramp should be BANNED anyay. There's just no need for it. All I was doing was having a stretch, no WAY did I deserve to be engulfed in that amount of pain for innocently lying in bed.

Disturbingly there seems no real pattern to it. I once got home from a round of golf, laid down on the settee just as the football was kicking off, and within seconds BOTH my calves started cramping up. There was this awful moment when I felt them twitch and I knew what was coming, but there was nothing I could do to stop it. Sure enough I was soon gasping for breath within an ocean of pain, and shrieking like a little girl for it to stop.

Is it a fitness thing ? I'm not what you'd say fit, but if footballers suffer from it as well, then what hope have any of us borderline lardies got ?

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

had it last sat for first time while playing football its a bitch

 

[Marc]

increase the salt in your diet....sorry.....pies Easy, but not too much so that the Slug off the TV advert comes racing after you and slimes your car up

 

[Easy 10]

increase the salt in your diet....sorry.....pies Easy, but not too much so that the Slug off the TV advert comes racing after you and slimes your car up

Ironically Crabbers, I was mildly concerned how much salt I'd had on Saturday night. Whilst watching Match of the Day, I had some delicious fresh crab (from claws I bought from the fish shop), and it was occurring to me how much salt I'd put on it. I'm sure I have enough salt, I certainly wouldn't want to increase my intake. It hardens the ateries, you know.

 

[Hatterlovesbrighton]

Me and my friends used to play "the cramp game" on the way back from long sporting minibus trips.

It basically involved all those competing tyrying to get a cramp as quickly as possible. Calf muscles were the normal favourites for induced cramps but there were always special mentions for those winning with a thigh cramp. It was normally pretty obvious who had won.

Another great game was the minibus seatbelt game. Involved 2 or 3 people in the back of the minibus sitting next to each other. With their full seatbelts and on the count of 3 they would throw themselves forward as fast as they dared. Winners was the person who went fast enough for the seatbelt to catch and stop them going into the seat infront. Losers...........

 

[beorhthelm]

the trick to aviod cramp in your leg isto not point your feet "ballarina" style, but bring your foot back towards yourself. try it now - you'll feel yor calf overtighten if your feet point out but not if you pull back.

 

[Yoda]

LOOK AT MY FIRST POST!!!! IT'S NOT TO LITTLE SALT BUT NOT ENOUGH WATER!!!