Stretch.This relaxes the muscle and helps relieve the contractions. The “best” stretch depends on where the muscle spasm is. For a charley horse in your calf, you can do a calf wall stretch to stretch out the cramped muscle. If it’s a hamstring cramp in the back of your thigh, sit...
At the heart of every muscle cramp is a muscle fiber that contracts but doesn't release. This can happen for a variety of reasons, but at its core, it's a miscommunication between your muscles and your brain. When youexercise, the brain sends signals to your muscles to contract and rela...
A charley horse refers to an uncomfortable muscle spasm or muscle cramp that causes ferociously painful contractions in the muscles. We’ve all seen how quickly they can drop an elite athlete, but they’re also common among those without the proclivity for sports. From athletes to the...
If a cramp hits, stretch immediately. If your calf cramps, for instance, stop running, straighten out your leg, pull back on your toe, and hold the stretch for several seconds. You may need to continue this for several minutes. Then massage the muscle to help ease the pain and get you...
Over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen and naproxen may help reduce inflammation and relieve pain. In more severe cases, your doctor mayrecommend a prescriptionmedication such as muscle relaxants, prescription-strength anti-inflammatories, or antidepressants to help lessen the perception of ...
You should repeat this stretch until the cramp in your calf dissipates. You can also perform this stretch before you go to bed as a preventive measure to better ensure you don’t get leg cramps during the night. 4 Lie down and lift your legs to stretch your hamstrings. Lie flat on you...
Using only the muscles in your thumbs can cause them to cramp up and get tired easily. 2 Massage the arches of the foot. Use your thumbs to apply light pressure to the arch of their foot, right below the ball of their foot.[2] Move one thumb clockwise and the other thumb ...
If the muscle is currently cramping, heat helps when applied to tightened muscles.[22] Use a heating pad or crushable hot pack as a heat source to relieve the tension in the muscle. After the cramp subsides, if you have any residual pain from the event, ice applications can help to re...