What causes cramp?
Cramps are involuntary fasciculations originating in the motor units of neurons which make muscle fibres move (Acosta, 2021).
If you are in poor health, then the likelihood of experiencing them increases but you could also suffer if you are in great shape! I have seen athletes who get them when dehydrated or overtired. Cramps are mostly harmless and simple stretches often ease them. However, there are times when you should contact a doctor, such as when redness and swelling occurs, or if they are happening all the time with great intensity followed by skin changes and weakness in the muscles.
People mainly get cramps through overuse of muscles. So why are leg cramps the most common type? Well, gravitational push and narrowing of the arteries can make it more likely. Nerve compression from the spine can be problematic, as well as a lack of potassium, calcium and magnesium. Studies in the past have shown a link to the spinal pathways and its effect on movement and fatigue in the body (Minetto, 2013). If you are on high blood pressure medication, then it might mean that you urinate more and excrete some of the minerals that you might need so a side effect is cramping. You may also suffer if you sweat lots and lose electrolytes quickly (Bordoni, 2023). People who consume excessive alcohol and suffer Cirrhosis get cramps and there’s even something called ‘writer’s cramp’ which is exactly what you think it is.
People who stand a lot during the day may experience something called ‘nocturnal cramping’ which can wake them up at night. The underlying cause can seem mysterious at times, and we are still discovering new components towards its aetiology. Sometimes there’s no rhyme or reason, either way we all have some experience of it one way or another!
References:
Acosta I, Bastías P, Matamala JM. Fasciculaciones y calambres: bases fisiológicas y enfrentamiento clínico de un fenómeno complejo [Fasciculations and cramps: physiological bases and clinical approach of a complex phenomenon]. Rev Med Chil. 2021 Dec;149(12):1751-1764. Spanish. doi: 10.4067/s0034-98872021001201751. PMID:
Bordoni B, Sugumar K, Varacallo M. Muscle Cramps. [Updated 2023 Aug 4]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499895/
Minetto, Marco Alessandro; Holobar, Aleš2; Botter, Alberto; Farina, Dario4. Origin and Development of Muscle Cramps. Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews 41(1):p 3-10, January 2013. | DOI: 10.1097/JES.0b013e3182724817
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