Causes and treatments for cramps

Cramps are also called muscle spasms, which are a state of spontaneous forced contraction of muscles. When cramps occur, they are often extremely painful and the cramped part cannot be moved. Cramps are a common reaction, especially when exercising. Because of insufficient preparation for exercise, cramps are easy to occur. So what are the causes of cramps and how to deal with them?

1: Cold stimulation When exercising or swimming in winter, if you do not warm up, once the muscles encounter cold stimulation, they will produce forced contraction and spasm. Therefore, whether in winter or summer, it is best to warm up before any exercise, which can effectively avoid muscle spasm in the early stage of exercise and cause muscle injury.

2: Excessive sweating leads to muscle cramps. During exercise (especially in summer), due to the large amount of sweat discharged from the human body, the sodium chloride content in the body will also decrease, and the electrolyte balance will be disturbed, causing muscle cramps.

3: Muscle contraction disorder During exercise, due to excessive muscle tension, continuous contraction too quickly, and too short a relaxation time, the contraction and relaxation cannot be coordinated and alternated, which will cause muscle contraction disorder and cause muscle spasm. For example, this situation can be seen in cycling and sprinting.

4: Physical fatigue Physical fatigue will affect the normal physiological function of muscles. Fatigued muscles often reduce blood circulation and energy metabolism, and a large amount of lactic acid will accumulate in the muscles. Local muscle tension will block the normal circulation of blood, thus causing muscle spasms. Therefore, when the body is tired, especially when the local muscles are tired, if you do strenuous exercise or sudden tense and forceful movements, it is easy to cause muscle spasms.

1: Braised Polygonum cuspidatum and Pig's Trotter for the Treatment of Spasms Ingredients: 30g Polygonum cuspidatum root, 1 pig's trotter, 50ml rice vinegar Preparation: Wash the Polygonum cuspidatum root, remove the hair and impurities from the pig's trotter, chop it into four sections, put them into the pot, add 1000ml of water, turn to high heat and then simmer on low heat. When the pig's trotter is almost cooked, add the rice vinegar. Drink the soup and eat the pig's trotter. Effects: This has the effects of relaxing the meridians, strengthening the tendons and bones, and replenishing calcium. It is suitable for gastrocnemius spasm.

2: Sugar and eggs for treating spasms Ingredients: 30g white sugar, 3 fresh egg whites Method: Mix the above ingredients and take them all at once. Note: Eggs are generally not suitable for raw use, but it is better to use them raw for fever. Fresh eggs are recommended. Efficacy: Fresh eggs mixed with white sugar have the effect of sweetening, increasing fluid and relieving spasms, and are suitable for muscle spasms.

3: Gypsum, Houttuynia cordata and eggs for the treatment of spasms Ingredients: 60g of raw gypsum, 60g of fresh Houttuynia cordata Preparation: Crush the raw gypsum and fresh Houttuynia cordata together, mix with egg white to make a paste, and apply to the navel. Efficacy: This recipe has a good effect on muscle spasms caused by excessive heat and damage to body fluids.

Muscle spasms are a common problem in sports, especially in exercise. Many people do not pay attention to it. In fact, if it is not properly cared for, it can easily cause muscle atrophy or even disability. Therefore, we must be clear about the causes and treatments of muscle spasms.