What Is Charley Horse: Here Is All You Need To Know

A charley horse is a muscle cramp that is sudden and unbearable. It often arises during workouts and at night. It generally affects the muscle of the calf at the back of the leg. It also occurs in the foot and, sometimes, in the thighs. These muscle cramps are also common at the time of pregnancy and in people with particular health conditions.

A charley horse occurs when muscles suddenly cramp or twist, resulting in pain. The sudden and uncontrollable cramp can often be temporary, but it can last for several minutes or up to 10 minutes.

The most common causes of Charlie horse includes the insufficient flow of blood to the muscle, injuries in muscle, exercising in exaggerated heat or cold, overuse of a particular muscle during workout, not stretching before a workout, nerve contraction in the spine, taking diuretics( which can lead to low potassium levels), mineral deficiency, or having too little calcium, potassium, and sodium in the blood, and dehydration.

If you want relief from this pain then there are some tips which can prove to be useful.

Here are the tips:

Gently stretch out the muscle by moving the leg or foot.

Slowly and gently pull the toes and the foot in an upward direction.

Reiterate these movements until the cramping eases and stops.

Many people find that massaging the cramped muscle brings relaxation and decreases the pain.

And to prevent Charlie horse you can eat foods which are high in vitamins and magnesium, drink enough water, stretch before workouts, wear shoes that are comfortable and limit the consumption of alcohol.

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