Muscle cramps – Causes, treatments, and prevention
A muscle cramp is an involuntarily contracted muscle that cannot be relaxed. When individuals use the muscles that can be voluntarily controlled such as those of the legs and the arms, they contract alternatively and relax while the limbs are moved. Muscles supporting the trunk, head and neck contract similarly in synchronized fashion for maintaining posture. Muscles or even a few fibers of a certain muscle that contract involuntarily without willing consciously is in a spasm. In case the spasm is sustained and forceful, it results in cramps. Muscle cramps generally result in palpable or visible hardening of the muscle that is involved in the process.

What are the causes of muscle cramps?
The causes of muscle cramps are not always known. They might be the result of different activities and conditions such as:

• Injury, exercising, and overuse of the muscles
• Exposure to cold water or cold temperatures
• Pregnancy is also a common cause of muscle cramps. Muscle cramps might occur due to decreased amounts of different minerals such as magnesium and calcium. This generally happens in the later months of pregnancy.
• Spending a long time standing on hard surfaces
• Placing the legs in an awkward position while sleeping
• Sitting for a long time
• There are other medical conditions that can also result in muscle cramps and these include blood flow issues, thyroid disease, multiple sclerosis, and kidney disease.

What is the right treatment for muscle cramps?
If you are wondering how to stop muscle cramps , then go through the steps detailed below:

• The best muscle cramps treatment is self-care.
• There are different stretching exercises that can be tried out. These help in reducing the chances of experiencing muscle cramps.
• Staying well-hydrated can also help.
• There are different medicines that doctors might prescribe for treating recurrent cramps that result in sleep deprivation.

What are the home remedies for treating muscle cramps?
There are different home remedies that can also be tried out for the treatment of muscle cramps and they are as follows:

• Stretching and massaging: Stretching the cramped muscle and rubbing it gently can help in relaxing it.
• Applying cold or heat: You can use a heating pad or a warm towel on the tight or tense muscles. You can even take a warm water bath or direct the stream of your hot shower onto the muscle that has been cramped. These are remedies that can surely help. Alternatively, you can even massage the cramped muscle using ice. This will offer great pain relief.
• Try taking supplements of vitamin B complex as they help in managing muscle cramps.
• The majority of muscle cramps occur when people push themselves harder than they actually need to. Intensive training should be avoided in order to relax muscle cramps.
• The best way of getting rid of cramps is taking sufficient rest. The cramp will subside in just two to three minutes.
• Drinking pickle juice can also help in healing muscle cramps at a very fast pace. This is mainly because of the salty or acidic taste of pickle juice.
• There is absolutely nothing that can work as effectively as staying well-hydrated for the human body. If you drink a lot of water throughout the day, all the major or minor problems that you might be facing would get flushed out of your body. This will give you a healthy body.

How to prevent muscle cramps?
Prior to implementing the treatments for muscle cramps, is better to have an idea of how to prevent the condition.

• Staying hydrated
• Limiting or avoiding alcoholic and caffeinated drinks
• Having healthy foods.

These are measures that can help in avoiding muscle cramps.