Muscle cramps are sudden and involuntary contractions of one or more muscles that can cause severe pain. Although they are generally harmless, muscle cramps can temporarily make it impossible to use the affected muscle.

Long periods of exercise or physical work, especially in hot weather, can lead to muscle cramps. Some medications and certain medical conditions can cause muscle cramps as well as other causes.

Muscle cramps can be the consequence of dehydration, along with dizziness, headaches, and constipation. Don't forget to drink water, especially when there are high temperatures outside or you exercise.

The body loses fluids when performing physical activities at high temperatures. This is partly because the muscles need water, but also because, by sweating, important minerals are lost, called electrolytes -- sodium, potassium and calcium -- that help the cells in the muscles function as they should.

Statins, which are used to control cholesterol and diuretics that help the body eliminate excess fluids, are just two of the drugs that can cause muscle cramps, as a side effect. If you have regular muscle cramps, talk to your physician.

If the cramps worsen while walking, the muscles cannot obtained enough blood, due to the lack of physical activity or due to the natural aging process.

Another cause could be a condition called "intermittent claudication" - when the arteries are narrower than they should be and the blood can't pass easily. Talk to a specialist if you are experiencing muscle cramps while walking.

Children often have muscle cramps when they go through a growth spurt. These are sometimes also called "growth pains", but they can actually be caused by too much physical activity or children may be more sensitive to pain. Muscle cramps are more common in the legs and can wake the baby from sleep.

It is important to stay active, but if you make too much effort at once or the body is not yet used to the effort, muscle cramps may occur. Regular exercise, however, over time, can make muscles stronger and less exposed to muscle cramps. Important are the warm-up exercises before any physical activity, as well as the stretching exercises, before and after the training.

Usually, muscle cramps can be treated at home with self-care measures.

A special measure is the proper hydration but there are also other measures, such as:

For recurrent cramps that manifest themselves especially during sleep, certain medications that relax the muscles can be taken.

Stretching exercises help prevent and treat muscle cramps

➢ For a cramp in the lower leg leave your weight on the affected leg and slightly bend the knee. If you can't stand up, sit on the floor or on a chair with your affected leg stretched out. Try to pull the tip of the foot on the affected side towards the head, while the foot remains in a straightened position.
➢ This will also help relieve cramps on the back of the thigh
➢ For a cramp in the quadriceps muscle, located on the anterior side of the thigh, hold on to a chair and try to pull the affected leg towards the buttock (to stretch the quadriceps muscle)

If you tend to have leg cramps at night, do some stretching exercises as well as light exercise, a few minutes, before bedtime to prevent their appearance.

Alternative use of thermotherapy (local heat) or a warm bath with ice massage of the contracted muscle helps relieve pain.