A muscular cramp is a sudden, painful, involuntary uncontrolled
contraction of a muscle. It is also called as muscle spasms. Muscular
cramp is most commonly experienced by athletes and all those
engaging in sports. Mostly it occurs in the legs, feet, and in any
muscles which cross two joins. It may only affect one muscle. But also
can affect in all the muscles in a group at a time. These muscles
include;
the calf muscle ( back of the lower leg crossing the ankle and
knee),
the hamstring (back of the thigh crossing the knee and hip),
the quadriceps (front of the thigh crossing the knee and hip),
and
the muscles in the feet, arms, abdomen or hands
Though the cause of muscle cramp is unknown, there are some risk
factors which leads to cause muscular cramps. They are;
Overexertion
Muscle fatigue
Dehydration
Unstretched, tight muscles
Low physical fitness
Poor running technique (rolling to the outside of the foot, for
instance)
High-heeled shoes
Exercising in extreme heat
Electrolyte imbalances
Medications ( statins, corticosteroids etc.)
High weight
The most common cause that is typically seen in athletes and
sportsmen who develop leg cramps is exercising in an unusual way.
The cramps often occur in the legs and feet during or after exercise or
while playing sports. A muscular cramp can vary in degrees of
intensity. It can be extremely painful