What is calf muscle cramps?
Calf muscle cramps
Calf cramps are painful involuntary muscle contractions. They are known to affect mostly athletes or people who train very hard.
A common part of the leg that is affected by the muscle cramps is the calf. The calf has two sets of muscles: gastrocnemius and soleus muscle.
The cause of calf cramps has not been exactly established but the following are some of the causes believed to be associated with it:
- Dehydration. When training, especially in hot conditions one needs to take enough water to keep the body hydrated.
- Low levels of potassium or sodium in the body
- Low levels of carbohydrates
- Muscle tightening.
Calf muscle cramping has been known to cause muscle damage to the affected area. For instance, the muscle fibers can easily be torn due to the strength of the involuntary muscle contraction. Pain will accompany the muscle once the contraction has happened.
What to do when cramping?
If you feel that you are about to suffer from a bout of muscle calf cramps, then you should stretch out your muscles for as long as possible. Relieve some of the symptoms by gently massaging the muscles of the affected area so as to stimulate blood flow.
Some people have a theory that if you pinch your upper lip, u will start a nervous chain reaction that will stop the cramping. Ensure that you seek the help of a professional who will advice you on how to prevent future leg crams and rehabilitation.
Calf cramps treatment methods
Common calf cramps treatment methods is sport massage, prevention of body dehydration (take a bottle of water with you), extra salt intake.
Sports massage therapist can help you with muscle cramping
A massage therapist can advice you on how to stretch your muscles in order to prevent future injuries. They also use a variety of sports massage methods that will relieve the pain and better the condition of the calf muscles.
The therapist is also likely to advice you to increase your intake of salt. However, the lack of salt in the diet as being a common cause of cramps is debatable because athletes who consume processed foods usually consume a lot of salt. This is qualifies it to be the likely cause.
The sports massage.
The sports massage is good for those who suffer from calf cramps. It helps to stimulate the flow of blood and stretching the muscle. It helps in also preventing the cramp in the future following a bout of calf cramps. When the calf muscles go into a spasm, blood is squeezed out of the muscle similar to the way you squeeze water from a sponge. This hinders the muscle from getting enough nutrients.
The muscles may become damaged if the spasm was severe. A sports massage serves the purpose of releasing muscle tension and stimulating the flow of blood back to the muscle. It also helps to stretch the muscle transversely or to the side. This is a way that stretching normally cannot do.
One thing that is important to note is that massage should not be done when the injury is at the acute stages. It should be done 48 hours after the injury. When the injury is still acute, there is still some bleeding. A massage and the heat will only increase the bleeding rather than stop it. These easy tips help you to get rid of calf muscle cramps.